Succesfully breeding with old pigeons.

Using old birds for for breeding purposes.
I know this is a subject of much debate and sometimes can be a little hit or miss.
The true fact of the matter is can be done.
Back in the late 90's we used to have a line of Janssen pigeons, from the famous James Bond 007. We managed to buy a son of this famous pigeon. I must say at the time he was by far our best stock cock. He filled eggs every year. He died in 2003 at the age of eighteen. We never used any sort of fertility treatments on him whatsoever.
I put his success, down to how he was fed, just prior to pairing him up. No yeast tablets, no zinc. Just as I put in a post some time ago, I used manuka honey in the drinker and wheatgerm oil on the corn, I used make a mixture of minerals and grit and just a very small amount of unrefined salt.
This I believe is the key to all of our successful breeding seasons.

interesting reading gary, thanks........

will you be feeding the old timers this way which you have brought home ? and will you keep us informed as to the % of fertile eggs they have with them being 95 birds onwards........

Just started them on it today mate. Will keep you updated. Lol, the hens should be here by the end of the week.

will you be pairing the old cocks to young hens ?

david im sure if you had the option of a younger hen your take it over a old one haha

i certainly would chris your right, old stock hens are quickly past their best arnt they.........

lol

I certainly am mate, with the exception of my Bullet Hen. she's a 2003.

how long after pairing up pigeons do you normal get your first egg ?

Kev's lot within a week he has 9 pairs down now, but he has boxed the eggs for five days, just to slow it down a bit. Oops let summat else slip.

just i dont waan pair to early and i dont get my rings in time lol

The biggest reason, we pair up early is to get a bit of age on the youngsters before training. As we don't use the darkness system, we use the light system, where they are in constant daylight, almost. This together with our training programme makes them hold off the moult.
Why not order them off the RPRA, sometimes your lucky and get em really early.

they shud give the clubs them for dec haha

there not 2012 birds then are they chris lol

lol

Like the 1st of Jan.

yer to long haha i so wanan start breeding haha

It's all part of the process mate. People have different ideas as and when to put their birds down, you can always slow down the process by 5 days, by removing the eggs and putting them in a box and putting the birds on dummy eggs, or even ten days if you want to take a chance. I sometimes give a mate of mine eggs from some pairs that are being foster parents.

i might just pair them up haha and let them sit pot eggs for the first round lol i just wanan pair up lol

im planning on pairing up round the 1st of feb.........did pair around the 7th last year and all went well so this is why im pairing round about the same time again......

i just carnt wait haha

go have a cold shower lad............

alrdy got a man cold haha

2 weeks and iam pairing early youngsters for me

David wrote:

im planning on pairing up round the 1st of feb.........did pair around the 7th last year and all went well so this is why im pairing round about the same time again......

i,ll be a little earlier than last year.these early ybs are no better than the rest in my eyes,they become lazy as well,but this is just my opinion but i do understand these that want it out the way for work commitments and so on but not me.i think you get a better yb a bit later on in my opinion