Birds are SOOOO addicting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Sir Birdaholic]

I was thinning down my birds,

after a good year of hatching.

I sold 8 baby Blue Slate/Royal Palm mix turkeys,22 Silver Lakenvelders,& 7 Silver Pheasants. That only left me 50 birds.

I was doing good.....

until I went to the swap meet.

I brought home 12 more EE's.

Up to 62.

Last night I was checking out the pigeons on the puter,

& the urge hit!!!

BAM!! Now I have 4 Homing Pigeons I pick up tomorrow.

Gorgeous birds!

1 Blue Check hen, 1Dark check hen, & 2 Grizzle cocks. I spent the day turning one of the chicken pens into a pigeon paradise.

Can't wait!

 

[Mary Of Exeter]

Congratulations! So glad you chose homers

Have you ever checked into pigeon racing?

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

Quote:
No, but I was doing alot of reading on it today, & sounds very easy to train them. I believe it's on my list of things to do!They're all April & May hatches, so I've got a wait ahead of me, before breeding, so I might as well start training.

 

[Mary Of Exeter]

Yeah training isn't very complicated, it can just be gas consuming

If you do decide to start racing next year or in the following years, I'd be glad to help you out with some young birds to race

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

Thank you, Becky! COOL way you got your name. I salute Mary of Exeter!

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

Well, here's my birds I ordered.

Queen, a dark check hen

Spirit, a grizzle cock

Boss, a blue check cock, from his best pair of racing breeders

Flint, a grizzle cock
I think I'll need some more SOON!!

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

I added a couple of more to the flock
Joker - a Black Pied cock

Angel - A Dark Check Pied hen

THIS JUST IN..... Bluebelle is now Boss, he started cooing & flirting.

 

[Lofty Dreams]

I like Angel ,Quen Joker
What To Look For


Sprint racing pigeons' championship potential depends on the quality of its parents to some degree, but no single gene determines racing performance. While fanciers can breed the most attractive and athletic pigeons to spawn champion-ready offspring, examine each individual bird's physical, physiological and psychological features when looking for your perfect sprint racing pigeon.
.Physical Features
A fancier sometimes gauges a pigeon's racing potential by holding the pigeon in his hand. When you hold a pigeon, assess the physical qualities to determine aerodynamic efficiency and flight promise. Look for a balanced body, a good wing, good bone structure and a bird that is naturally buoyant.

A sprint racing pigeon's most important physical characteristic is good feathering, which indicates strong breeding and health. Make sure the pigeon has waterproof feathering, with excellent flexibility, silkiness (which it gets from its high oil content), strength and tightness. Silkiness allows for a bigger lift, thanks to tight feathering that allows the moving air to flow smoothly and quickly over the pigeon's body and wing surfaces in "streamlines."

If you select a racing pigeon with silky, tight feathering, it should exhibit the ability to fly long periods of time without slowing down and tiring. You do not want your pigeon to have dry, poor feathering, as that means brittleness, less flexibility, stamina and strength, and a non-waterproof means of flight.
Physiological Features
While some of the greatest racing pigeons share physical commonalities, and those aerodynamic features play a vital role in a pigeon's ability to win a race, other factors come into play at race time. Offspring inherit hereditary traits such as physical and physiological qualities, but you cannot take for granted that a pigeon will soar to championship levels just because of a champion parent.

Only when you race a pigeon will you effectively tap into its physiological qualities. When racing a pigeon, look at fitness metabolism and homing ability. If your pigeon exhibits impressive stamina, speed and finds its way from lengthy distances with relative ease, you may have a potential champion on your hands.
Psychological Features
When you test a pigeon's racing skills, you also get a sense of the kind of psychology that goes along with its athleticism. You may see a pigeon exhibit a strong drive and eagerness to win a race. If the pigeon is well-groomed and trained for racing, it will need little coaxing upon race time and will gladly show what it can do.

Another psychological factor to look for is a pigeon's ability to act independently. Birds tend to flock together, but a racing pigeon will only reach championship status if it negotiates the race on its own. In a sense, the pigeon is a rebel, as the activity and behavior of surrounding birds has no impact on its actions, and it functions as an individual and leader, rather than a follower.
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Read more: Best Way - What to Look For in a Sprint Racing Pigeon | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/way_5606168_look-sprint-racing-pigeon.html#ixzz0uWoWRykz





Colours

Pigeon Color Morphs
blue-bar
This bird has two black or dark gray stripes or "bars" on each light-gray wing. It has a dark-gray body and shiny, rainbow-like neck feathers.
red-bar
This bird has two red stripes or "bars" on each light-gray wing. It also has a rusty-red or brown shade to
its body.
spread
This bird has one dark color spread all over its body.
red
This bird has a rusty-red or brown shade to its body and light-gray bars on its wings.
checker
This bird looks a little like a checkerboard. Its wing feathers have checks of light and dark.
pied white
This bird has white as well as other colors on its body. The "pied white flight" has white wing feathers, which are easy to see when the bird is flying.
pied splash
The "pied splash" pigeon has one or more spots of white.
white
This bird is solid white. This color morph is what some people call a dove of peace.


Pigeon Courtship Behaviors
bowing
The male puffs out his neck feathers. He lowers his head and bows several times while he circles a female.

tail-dragging
The male spreads his tail and runs after the female, dragging his tail on the ground.

driving
The male runs close behind a female, to move her away from other males.

billing
The female puts her bill (beak) inside the male's bill. Then the two birds move together in rhythm, bobbing their heads up and down. Billing happens just before mating.

mating
The female bends down and the male climbs on top of her. He will flap his wings to keep his balance. The male stays on the female for a few seconds.

display flight
After mating, the male flies up and claps his wings together over his back. This makes a clapping sound.


Resources

http://www.ehow.com/way_5606168_look-sprint-racing-pigeon.html
http://ehrweb.aaas.org/ehr/parents/Pigeons!.html

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

Hey, thanks for the info. Queen was "billing" Joker today. Does this mean they have paired up?

 

[blaundee]

Can you pen/house multiple cocks together? Can muliple cocks and hens be together?

Do pigeons pair/mate exclusively?