What happens when you mix in different colors of pigeons

[LamarshFish]

I have an opportunity to get a few more squeakers into the loft of racers I just started. I currently have 6, and I think I have room for 2 more. I currently have all blues, mostly blue checks, and one blue bar. I'd like a few more blue bars.

Anyways, the guy with the newest squeakers has a few whites, and I'm just wondering what would happen if I mix whites into my loft of mostly blues. Better put, if a blue and a white mate, will the offspring be either a blue or white, or some mixed color of both? Is it not advisable to mix in colors like this, and is it better to stick with all blues for any reason?

 

[LamarshFish]

My best guess is you will just have to play the wait and see game. Too many variables to predict.

Ok thank you!

 

[biophiliac]

White Racing Homers bred, owned and photographed by Phil Bateman of Phil's Racing Pigeons. Regardless of what they produce, these birds are stunning!

 

[laughingdog]

You mostly will get blue checks with white spots to patches, but as white is hiding other colors.. considered a "cover", it could be interesting. However mixing whites considered more valuable as offset business of "white dove release" for ceremonies, would be unwise said by most, but still adds color, like blacks reds yellows etc do too.

 

[JackBaker]

This would depend entirely on intended purpose of the birds young. I'm guessing since you have no whites that you do not intend to do the "dove" releases at wedding etc, and if you plan to race the birds then colour really makes no difference. It's all about the blood lines and quality of stock. This said if it was just for purely pet based birds then to house them together would be fine and there would be no drawbacks for doing so. A white pigeon technically speaking is a pigeon with no colour pigmentation in its feather follicles. So when a white is bred to a pigeon with colour a pied is what is normally produced. But this is not exact science and depending on the genetics of all the birds involved their could be multiple colours thrown. I have a pure white hen bred from pure white stock paired to and breeding with a pencil w/f. They have only ever bred me pure whites, blacks and black pieds. I did some research on this as I found it odd that the black gene was coming from nowhere. What I found was that supposedly the black gene is the flip of the white, melanism, so it is possible to have black young from this. But I do not know for sure that that has happened here as my white hen is not albino. I also have another white hen paired to a check and they produce whites and check pieds. So it does really depend on what you want the young to look like. There is also a rumour that when white birds flock with non white birds predators such as hawks can pick them out easier.

 

[jak2002003]

I don't know if it is a myth... but I was told by several pigeon fanciers that the white racing pigeons were not very good in races over longer distances... because the white feathers are softer and not as strong as the coloured ones. They used the white birds on short races only.

 

[barn206]

I've never heard of white racing pigeons... I had trentons( yellow and Isabella homers but they were not racing birds.. beautiful though. You can get a white pigeon out of a racing pair. Anything is possible. I just never heard of them being raced.
La marsh reguarding homers, color doesn't matter , your pairs should be your quickest bird . Homers with homers, Flights with flights etc..
although there are some that just love their birds any way, its all personal preference

 

[Hokum Coco]

I'm just wondering what would happen if I mix whites into my loft of mostly blues.

These are just an example of some of the variations I got breeding solid white homing pigeons.
Click on thumb nail to enlarge:

 

[Hokum Coco]

I was told by several pigeon fanciers that the white racing pigeons were not very good in races over longer distances.

I do not race my birds.
I would agree with that statement in the majority of cases. That being said a fancier that flies out of the province of Nova Scotia has a solid white Jensen blood line homer that won either a 300 or 500 mile race awhile back. The field in the race was small I have to admit as pigeon fanciers are a dying breed in our area. I do not know how many birds were in competition either. Hopefully it was not a one bird race.

 

[barn206]

Hi hokum
Homing pigeons are amazing . Anything is possible. I'm sure that pigeon turned heads. That's a story that is something to smile about