How do members choose their pairings?

how do members choose their pairings, on performance racing, eyesign, pedigree or handling and putting what they consider to be a good match ie. balance, wing, depth of keel etc....i watched a dvd on ron green and he said about the vent bones being high up indicates to him the bird is good, any thoughts?

watching my birds today noticed a hen was due to lay again, so i put some straw in for them to make a nest and found it funny to watch the two 20 day old ybs in the nest helping the parents to build a new one...

funny wathing these ybs, while the mother is eating some food one of the ybs is very gently moving the eggs into position and half covering them while the hen is away.....

The best way for me is the belgium way best to best all this stain thing does my head in you look at all the belgium fanciers they want performance pigeons and not a name like most of the british fanciers want

i think by putting winner to winner or best to best you wont go far wrong.

totally agree winner to winner best to best

Hi iany yes the best to best just like they do in belgium, you never see them buying pigeons just because they have a fancy name not like us british

I tottaly agree, all the theories in the world , is worth nothing, if the parents arent winners. There is only one thing required , and that is winning.

do you put winner to winner/best to best niel?

Yes David, although i like the yellow eyes more, something in my mind tell me , get the winners together LOL

yes if you are not one for theories i think the best way is simply winner to winner,
( b to b)...lets face it if a pigeon is good enough to win a race it makes sense to breed from it doesnt it, and race the yb.

i know some people will have bred good birds from none winners but lets face it your not going to put two birds together who are half an hour behind the winner every week
are you? (most likely bin them)

Yes, make sense doesnt it? I rest the case.

cant wait till your racing starts niel...interested in the racing in s/africa and how you do...

yes the same goes here look forward to how you fly niel hope you post your results

Thanx lads, i will keep you updated, wish i could have some of your birds in my loft, im not that many years in the sport, but doing my best to sort the birds , get rid of weaklings, and keeping the best, its not that eazy.

im sure youll pick it up niel and with some good advise from our members who knows....you might be top prize winner...

niel tell us what breeds/strains you keep in your loft, and are they short or long distance?

Most of my breeders is Jansen Arendonck pigeons
Then i have pigeons from my dad, which i dont know anything about their strain, i assume it is also from the jansen family related, they doing not so bad.
I have red cheqs
grizzle
blue pieds
mealies
blue bars
blue cheq
And 1 black hen also unknown strain, she has very lare wattle and eyebrows
almost look if she could be related to the english carrier pigeon, she sitting on one chick at the moment, cant wait to see it mature.
We race from 100 - 500 miles so i guess it is more middle distance and sprinting.

This is our oficial race program for 2009:
19-7 180 km
26-7 240 km
2-8 180 km
9 - 8 320 km
16 - 8 180 km
23-8 400 km
30-8 180 km
6 - 9 480 km
13 - 9 180 km
24- 9 610 km final race.

hi niel, any chance of some photos of your birds or loft?

My loft is not so fancy as you guys, but my pigeons looking good, i wil put up some pics sometime.

Hi Niel

It takes time but you will get used to it as time goes on we have all started at some point in this brilliant sport

Thanx Don, maybe as time pass i will upgrade my lofts, im learning everyday, hopefully i will climb up on the charts .

it makes no difference how good your loft is you could fly to an orange box its how you feed and look after your pigeons that counts ,enjoy the sport then your half way there

yes i agree, as long as the loft is dry, free from draughts and has adiquate ventilation then its good enough....the birds will be happy.
ive said my loft isnt that good at the moment but im working on it and it will get there in the end, you know what they say, you dont send the loft to the race....

exactly say no more