Hi lads just thought I would share this with you, today I handled the best pigeon that has ever raced into Pembrokeshire.
This 2008 chequer hen flew every inland race, then every channel race picking up wins and cards along the way, a total of 14 races.
Eventually winning severne 600+ miles into Pembrokeshire the birds were liberated late 10.30, it turned out a bad day headwind and rain, she was clocked early next day in the rain winning 1st club, 1st west section, 1st open, and with its velocity would have won 1st National but he decided not to enter her.
I spent 10 minutes studying its eye, which has been good for my ongoing eye studies, but apart from it having an amazing inner eyesign which was black and unusual, its eye was quite plain and uninteresting, being only 2 colours but with lines running from pupil to outer edges.
If Im honest if the bird had been in a sale and I knew nothing about it I would propably not given it a second glance looking at the eye, but for all the wing theory boys its knuckle was off the clock and was exactly as a text book wing should be for a distance bird, Im not up on it really but have some knowlage of it.
Might try and get a youngster from it If Im lucky as He wants me to do a job on his car.lol

martyn did you get my email address yesterday

Martyn can you look at your ybs eyes and pick the winners out before they have even raced going by the eyesign?

no disrespect to anyone, but even tho i studied eyesign many years ago ive now come to the conclusion there is nothing anyone can actually tell you about how it will race.......yes they can talk about circles and iris`s but can they pick the winner out at basketing night, i think not. one reason why would be they cannot take into account what weather conditions the race will be flown in and also judge how each individual will race or react on the day.........

To be honest David I was thinking similar.

If a yearling that has raced amazingly has a perfect eye, exactly what someone would look for, then eyesign enthusiasts would say it raced well due to it's eyesign.

Now, what I would like to see is something you don't hear done and it is :

Someone intrested in eyesign/ knows what they are looking for breeds their ybs, then before racing them look at their eyes and send the one with the 'typical' good eyes you hear of and see how the bird performs.

If eyesign is then proven that you can see the winners then surely just send them. Would like to know why they don't do this, because if eyesign works as they say then surely you can tell the winners as the eye doesn't change.

got to say I have been looking at eyes for years and I can not tell by an eye if it will race and win, today has confirmed this even more, however I have picked out breeders and bought birds based on my eyesign theory and they have bred me good winners. Ian I will pay you paypal now...thanks

if eyesign was a proven science there wouldnt be the need to breed 80 ybs each every year...........

:Dtrue

hi martyn, i still like to look at a pigeons eye....and still judge myself its value, but as i say i wouldnt put any actual racing worth on it, altho i do think the eye could be more benefit for breeding purposes if it had certain qualities.

p.s. the two new stock pairs ive got, one hen and one cock have pearl eyes and the other two yellow eyes.........even i am going to pair yellow to pearl and not the pearls togeather...........

i have to admit i have been reading alot about eyesign of late and its another interesting angle on the sport which is why our sport is so interesting ,wing theory ,eyesign and the easiest of all the basket theory which i feel is the most important

Another interesting point, this fancier has bred from this birds parents for 3 years and bred nothing, he was a bout to get rid of, and they have been together for 3 years, so birds dont breed equal quailty each year.
Also I have heared fanciers say, If a bird grunts and sounds alarm every time you pass it by or handle it..they would get rid of it as it upsets the lofts peace.
This same pigeon was grunting for the full 10 minutes I handled it, more than any other pigeon I have ever seen, it was quite anoying. Now how many fanciers would have disposed of such a bird when it was a youngster, well not me anymore..lol

i think most, if not all of these so called theories are just made up by fanciers who are looking for something which isnt there, searching for a magic solution to pick winners......

only thing i look at when the birds are in the pen at the auctions are does it have 2 legs, wings, eyes. only thing with the eye i look at is if it is bright, and check the bird is not lethargic.

I bought one and only saw it from a distance in the auctioneers pen its the birds performance that intrests me.

a red cock which ive just got is a grunter martyn, it agravates me but ive no intentions of getting rid of him as he could breed some good ybs.........

as it happens last year i got a yb the same bred as the grunter and he is the tamest friendliest bird ive ever had......so im wondering if these grunters are "made" by the life they have lived, possibly by not been given time by the previous owner maybe...? i know i have spent time sitting in with my birds so thats maybe why they are very tame.