Many fanciers are still wondering which birds should they breed from? Easy access due to technology does not seem to help much. Beautiful and attractive pedigrees steal the eye of the buyer and “big names” are more attractive than ever. Despite this, the disappointments are greater than ever and much too often the “golden goose” proves to be just a common crow.
So what should really matter for a fancier? What should we look for when purchasing pigeons? First of all, we should take a look at the competition!!! The bigger the better! It’s not just the numbers that matter but also who is part of the competition. How many “big names” are in that ranking? Secondly, we should look at the winner’s family! Does he have other brothers and sisters that are also champions?
Thirdly, at the speed of the races and especially at how many difficult races the pigeon had! Whenever he got back alone or he arrived with the flock and was lucky.
Fourth, we need to look at the navigation system of the pigeon and its family. There is still no consensus on how pigeons “navigate”. How do they know how to get back home? There are different theories but there is still nothing confirmed for sure. It’s probably a set of organs that help with orientation. But what we know for sure is that some pigeons orient themselves better than others, and there are pigeons that can’t orient at all!!!
That is why we must introduce this criterion in the selection when purchasing pigeons!!! How many races did the pigeon participate in? How many he won, how many he was among the firsts and, especially, how many heavy races he had in which he arrived alone. The “navigation” system is probably transmitted genetically and is therefore worth considering.
Remember that, in the economy of the race, every minute counts and a few extra seconds can make you a winner! That’s why we have to evaluate every aspect and choose the right pigeon.
Good luck!!!