Another day, another month and another issue, how time flies, particularly when you are busy or having fun. As pigeon fanciers at this time of the year we should be experiencing both in abundance. In my own case I certainly have plenty to do out in the loft, rapidly increasing amounts all around the garden and still have some post-winter renovations to do on the numerous outbuildings (sheds).
All I need is the time in which to tackle them all. Having already enjoyed two early spring holidays over in Europe and with another couple already booked, one for the back end of spring and the other for the early part of the summer, I suspect that my tally of young birds this year will be severely restricted and at best will probably be counted on the fingers of my two hands - with a few of my stud not being mated at all. Much against my normal practice I have even loaned a few good birds out to other fanciers.
I must admit that not pairing up may be considered by many as a criminal waste of some good stock birds, but the days when the birds were ruling my life have long since been overtaken by the desire to enjoy whatever is left of my time on this planet to the full, whether that time be a few years or 20 years. In that context my pigeons, much as I love them, must now take a back seat.
Since childhood they have always been and still are a valuable part of my life but having looked around and seen the light they are certainly not now considered as being my reason for life. Only a few years back, like many of you, I used to eat, sleep and dream of my pigeons, but now I can see them from another 'real world' perspective - as an enjoyable hobby that is just another part of life's rich tapestry. I still have loads of ambition and will of course always attempt to keep and breed only the very best quality that I possibly can.
I will of course still try my damnedest to win whenever I enter them in to shows but these days it is a case of if I win, great, but if I don't it is no big deal, I'm certainly not going to get grouchy with anyone over a show result. I know which of my pigeons I like and despite what a judge may think I still know which pigeons I like. It has been known that on some occasions I have not been aware of what I have won until I start basketing.
The enjoyment that I get out of my pigeons is of trying to breed that 'special' one, seeing them flying out daily, attending the shows, judging a good class, meeting up with old friends and other fanciers and having a good chat about everything or anything. It far outweighs the winning of a few cards, rosettes or trophies. The one advantage with accumulated age is that it allows you to put your way of life into perspective and escape from the tunnel vision of younger years. After 60 years in the Fancy the saying, 'Been there, seen it, done it and worn the T shirt', springs to mind.
Reading through the March issue of the magazine it was interesting to read Tom Crane's comments in his Modena Matters column regarding his 'don't' points for breeding. Tom has highlighted the very important point that all fanciers should heed - that we should never pair together two birds showing the same fault, no matter how good the birds may be in other respects. A lot of this type of error can all too easily be made when blindly following the 'line' or 'in' breeding routes.
The results from such pairings will invariably mean that the offspring are carrying a double dose of everything, including the faults. One of the major longer term results associated with (uncontrolled) close breeding is that not only do we more permanently fix the valuable good points, but the bad ones also become more evident and more firmly entrenched. The best to the most compatible is my idea of the ideal balanced mating.
Talking of ideal matings does not necessarily mean an unbending adherence to family pedigrees. I now much prefer to pair up visually, relying on what I can see rather than what might be lurking in the background. A quick story about a misguided reliance on pedigrees. I have a good looking, very showy eight-year-old red cheq racing pigeon that has a written pedigree as long as my arm and (supposedly) is full to the brim with winning genes donated by both parents, yet he has the brain of a gnat.
When training he often struggled to find his way home from three miles let alone three hundred, so why do I still keep him? He is probably the best 'feeder' that I have ever had. Given the opportunity I am sure that he would feed a pair of turkey chicks.
(Come to think of it some of my youngsters do look a bit like turkeys - it must be the buckets of tic beans that are daily pumped into them.)
