Getting Started Breeding Show Pigeons
The first step you must establish a good home for your pigeons (The Loft). It does not have to be fancy, but it must have several key points:
- Must be predator proof
- Try to face it south so plenty of sunshine can be enjoyed by your birds, and also will keep the floor dry preventing sickness.
- Must be well ventilated, you should not smell the pigeons at any time
- Install a fly pen, off the ground with wire bottom.
- Feeders and water containers must be covered and off the floor to prevent contamination, also feeding and watering will have to be a daily routine, twice a day if possible, also keep your loft clean and dust free.
Start with two pairs, the best you can buy
within your budget. Start with the same color or same color
family, eg. blue bar, check or grizzle, or recessive red
and yellow. Stay away from buying dozens of five dollar birds,
quantity does not count in this hobby, quality does!
Try to get
your new birds in the fall as it will give you the whole winter to
gain experience with management of your loft/ birds and also lot
of good birds are available at this time of the year at a better
price.
Learn the basic color genetics, know your dominant
and recessives, intense and dilutes, patterns etc. There
are some good and simple books in the market, like Axel Sells BREEDING AND INHERITANCE IN PIGEONS
or Joseph W. Quinn The Pigeon Breeder's Notebook An Introduction to Pigeon Science
.
or Joseph W. Quinn The Pigeon Breeder's Notebook An Introduction to Pigeon Science
. When March comes around
you will be ready for your first breeding season, make sure each
pair has a nest box that is big enough to hold two nest bowls filled
with nesting material, shavings, pine needles, hay which ever
one is readily available to you.
Do not expect instant
results the first year, be patient and stick with it. Concentrate on the little things and the big things like winning
shows will come on their own if you do all the little things
right. Inbreeding will be necessary when a novice, you are still
evolving that family. Inbreeding should not be practiced
for more than one or two generations.
Do not be afraid to keep
birds for breeding with minor faults, but excel in other
features (Stock Birds). Once your birds start improving in type,
discard of the older inferior stock instead of breeding it back
to better young birds, which would erase the progress you have
made. Keep accurate records and pedigrees they will become
very useful as you gain experience. And do not forget to
have fun.
Guido Madrusan AKTC/NPA Master Breeder.