Joe Murphy Article 2nd February 2024

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I came across an old article written by the late Owen McIvor of Carnwath in 1982 and was quite staggered
to find the problems back then are more or less the same as we have at the present time within our sport. We
have now moved on 42 years and yet you would think we were stuck in an imaginary time warp.
Owen wrote; It is now a decade since I last wrote an article for the Homing World Stud book and I feel very
honoured to be asked for a further contribution. In the 1971 book I gave a breakdown of my experiences
over the previous 30 years as regards Feeding, Breeding, Racing and Showing, and I propose to past further
comment on some of these topics in this article.
Feeding;
There is not much I can add on this subject. I still feed on a good sound mixture of Beans, Maize and a few
peas. This year I got the chance of a few bags of wheat at a reasonable price from a local farmer and this was
included in the mixture. It didn’t do the birds any harm. I have heard from various sources that peanuts are
the feed nowadays, and the number of wins attributed to the birds fed on them would suggest that this is the
case. However, being a humble working man, now retired. I am afraid they are a wee bit pricey for me. If by
chance, I am offered some that may have ‘fallen off the back of a lorry’ I will certainly try them out.
Breeding;
Now here is a subject that I have always maintained is the most important part of pigeon racing and I stand
by that statement. I am a great believer in the saying that ‘Blood will tell’; and I have made a practice of
keeping a stock bird from my best pigeons. This I did in the belief that I could in time, reproduce
grandchildren with the same winning genes and the character of these good birds. To give you one example
of how successful this thinking has been I will quote my good blue chequer hen SUHW63 11558; ‘Tinto
Sweetheart’. She won five times across the Channel including 2 nd section SNFC Avranches. By the way I
don’t want to digress, but as matter of interest, she was bed from a red chequer cock and a mealy hen and
according to the theorists, any blue chequers b red from such a mating will be hens, and are recessive and no
use for reproduction. At least so I have been told. Anyway, I bred a red chequer hen, SU69L 19517, from
her and kept it for stock. From 19517 I bred a red chequer hen SU72L15530, which also won 2 nd section
SNFC Avranches like her grandmother among good national wins. This hen SU72L15530 then produced a
blue chequer hen SU75L18595, which won 7 th section 13 th open SNFC Avranches. This year’s winner of 6 th
section SNFC Avranches a blue chequer pied hen SU79SN 9602 is a full sister of blue chequer hen SU75L
18595. The sire of these two hens is a blue cock SU71L 10286 which is also sire of my 1 st section SNFC
Nantes winner this year. Blue Cock SU71L 10286 was bred from stock from ‘Tinto Goldmine’ and ‘Tinto
Never Say Die’. ‘Tinto Goldmine’ was five times across the Channel in two year including 5 th open SNFC
Avranches. ‘Tinto Never Say Die’ won six times across the channel in six years including 1 st section 4 th open
SNFC Avranches.
So, you see, grandchildren and great grandchildren of these good birds are coming up trumps now simply
because I kept a stock bred from them to ensure the bloodlines were continued. Many fanciers don’t believe
in breeding from birds over 5 or 6 years of age. The consider that young birds bred from older stock are not
as vigorous as those bred from young stock. I’m afraid I cannot go along with this as I have bred equally as
good birds from both young and aged birds. The details in the previous paragraphs are a good example of
this.
A further example is seen in my blue hen SU79 9011 which was in the prize list from SNFC Sartilly this
year being timed at 9-55pm on the day of toss. She is a grand daughter of one of the original blue hens,
SURP58L 1656, with which I started the Carnwath loft in 1958. That is a span of 21 years between the
grand dam and its grand-daughter.
Last year I decided to prepare for the next ten year, I bred a pair of late bred’s from my stock cock
SU71L10286, and his sister SU71L 10298, also stock. I have now two very robust blue cocks which I
reckon should ensure the continuity of the strain for some time to come.
Racing;
As I stated in my previous article int eh 1971 Stud Book, I am primarily interested in 500-mile races. Since
1971 I have had varied success but in 1979 and 1980, although still winning the odd SNFC Certificate, I felt
I was struggling and I went through a very bad patch. In these two years I lost six birds that had each won
from 500 miles some of them four times. These birds were all lost from training tosses and short club races.
You will appreciate that my performances suffered accordingly.

However, I retired from work at the end of the 1980 season and, during 1981, I was able to give my birds a
bit more attention than they had been getting previously. I am pleased to say they have responded.
I have often sat and contemplated on the changes that have taken place in the racing of pigeons since I first
started in 1939. Then, all transporting was done by rail. The birds were race marked at railways stations and
put on to special pigeon vans.
The convoyer’s travelled in these vans with the birds and, on arrival at the race point, the vans were put into
a siding. The convoyer’s then unloaded the baskets on to the platform about an hour or so before the
liberation. This allowed the birds to orientate and they knew when they were going before, they were
liberated.
How the scene has changed. Nowadays the railways don’t want to know us and practically all pigeon racing
is done be means of road transport.
The birds are put into baskets or crates which, in most cases, are so constructed that very little daylight gets
in once they are placed in the transport. In the modern transporter the baskets or crates are left in the
daylight in the release flap which normally runs the full length of the basket or crate.
This flap is usually closely woven cane in case of the baskets or Hardboard where crates are used. In either
case birds have no chance of orientation before release. However, we still get good races but it intrigues me
to see fanciers, when training their birds, take the baskets out of the car boot and let them sit in the open for
ten minutes before liberating. Why don’t they simulate the conditions in the transporter and liberate their
birds straight from the car boot? Is it the case of ‘Old Habits die hard?’ It certainly poses the question, do
pigeons require the opportunity to orientate before being released?
In recent years there seems to be an increasing number of losses, especially with young birds. These are not
confined to federation races, where it has been known for practically a whole convoy to disappear, but to
individual fanciers tossing their birds. They pick a day which they think is ideal for flying and alas, very few
home that day with some struggling back the following day, and at the final count half of the team is
missing.
There is considerable controversy as to the cause of these losses. One prominent fancier said to me that we
used to breed a dozen young birds and expect to have 10 of them left at the end of the season. Now, he says,
it is the practice to breed 50 youngsters and hope to have half of them left when the season ends. If this is the
case then it follows that the more youngsters that are bred contain proportionately a bigger number of duds
and therefore more losses.
Another school of thought maintains that the losses are caused by atmospheric conditions, possibly man-
made. The point is that we don’t know how a pigeon finds its way home, but we do know that certain
atmospheric disturbances, i.e. thunderstorms, with their accompanying electrical discharges, do interfere
with their homing instinct. This is the age of technology and, as a result, we are constantly receiving signals
from satellites. We are striving to perfect our radar system as witness the regular appearance of very low
flying jets which, during the last three years, have been thundering over our fields and villages frightening
the life out of livestock and humans. I nearly dropped my pigeon clock the other day when a jet screamed
over my loft at, it seemed, less than 100 feet. My pigeons flew for two hours that day. Now I can’t image
these pilots are flying at this height without a purpose. Might they be testing out our lates radar system?
Who knows, but I have a feeling that immature pigeons, i.e. young birds, could possibly be influenced by
radar or similar signals.
I think that the Confederation of Racing Pigeons Union should approach the Minister of Defence and ask if
this was a possibility. I don’t think they would be giving any defence secrets away by making a statement.
After All, pigeons were a valuable aid to communications during the last two wars, and the fanciers who
supplied these birds are surely entitled to have their fears answered. I have no doubt I will be accused of
talking a lot of nonsense. Maybe I am; but I feel that we must explore any avenue which might lead us to the
cause of these unexplained losses. In the course of this article, I have touched on a few subjects each of
which, I have no doubt, could be the topic of a good going debate and if so, I have attained my objective.
Owen McIvor.
I found an interesting article written by Alec Ross of Laurieston from the North West Federation on A Tour
Of Scotland in 1966; this was a blast from the past with some household names covered in this story; and I
hope readers of my column find this of interest.
Our coach left Laurieston Club Rooms on our way to Wick after accepting an invitation from the members
to spend a week-end with them. You can imagine the pigeon stories which were told. However, on our

arrival at 7am we were met by eager fanciers, who had breakfast laid on in one of the biggest hotels.
Afterwards we were introduced to our hosts, with whom we spent the weekend. We were amazed at the
spirit which prevails in the North. As I have said on several occasions before, there is no incentive
whatsoever to fly pigeons into the north, except for their own competition. They have a trophy to be won
from Rennes within 10 days, a distance approximately 800 miles. Nevertheless, they carry on with this great
sport of ours unknown to thousands of fanciers, without any chance of winning our classic races. I have not
mentioned any names, but to the older school the name of the late William Miller (master baker and fancier),
Arthur Bruce, A Rosie, J Sinclair etc, who tried for years without success. Basketing birds two days before
we sent ours away, was even a bigger handicap. Mr Miller used to say the greatest danger was from the
hawks and falcons that infected the coastline, hence the reason every fancier had to breed large teams of
youngsters and a round of late-bred’s every year. Before taking leave of Wick, may I again say thanks to our
fancier friends and their families.
Still in the North, if you are ever near Elgin, stop and inquire for any of the fanciers. You will be made
welcome, but like our Wick friends something should be done to encourage them in National races. My first
visit was in the company of George Pollock and son George Junior, Alex Stobbo and William McIntyre, all
from Bridge of Weir area. We were welcomed by Sandy Mutch, taken to his home and given the freedom of
his house. Mrs Mutch, his mother, like Mrs Miller of Wick, couldn’t do enough for us. If you ever meet
Sandy and he takes you to see the pigeons don’t be surprised if you spend most of the time looking at his
rabbits.
Their annual show, which is named the Moray Racing Pigeon Show Association, held around the beginning
of December, in the Drill Hall, brings an entry of over 500 birds, ranging from Wick, Thurso, Fraserburgh
and Montrose with names such as Ritchie Whyte (Cairnbuig) T Ralph Lossiemouth show secretary; A
Clayton, A Anderson & son, Grant Brothers, C Mackie, R Hadden, Charlie Ironside, A Munro and others,
all from Aberdeen. A Bruce, R McDonald, C Fraser from Fraserburgh; and from Inverurie names like R
Duguid, G D Smith, H Petrie, Young & McLeod, Eric Yule etc. (Who is still showing his pigeons along with
this son; and winning even at Blackpool Show of the Year)
I am sure of one thing, if they ever come another 150 miles or more south to keep birds, some names you
have just read would be prominent in our National results. Back to the show; which is usually opened by the
Lord Provost or a civic official of high office who also presents to the winners an array of trophies which
would grace many a bigger show, north or south of the Border.
A most interesting point up North is the time limit on having their clocks checked. A penalty of 5 shillings is
imposed after a certain hour which they pay gladly, even if only to win a certificate, as the monetary side is
almost nil. Another point which might help some of us, the Council or Burgh has laid down a rule stating no
more than 20 racing pigeons during the breeding season. This, of course, eliminates the mob fliers. The
Elgin fanciers are most fortunate in having a lawyer, Mr Purcell, as their president.
A wee story before leaving the North; Sandy Mutch, waiting on birds from a race, saw one circling, race for
a clock to his house, discovered he had left it in this care and went to the garage, remembers a mechanic
from the local garage had taken same to have it serviced. He managed to get a lift from a van coming to his
house, when he got down to the garage, he found is car was up on the ramp and the boys had gone home, so
he had -had it.
Near at hand, at Lossiemouth, I had the privilege of handling one of the 500 milers belonging to J Spence,
Coastguard, and like most fanciers to the north or south of them their aim is to have a 500 miler on the day.
Fraserburgh; Here if you happened to be fortunate enough to visit any of the fancier, the same atmosphere
exists. The name of Mr Donalson, foremost in my memory along with Sinclair Brothers of Plean club. Here
we were amazed to find in most lofts a great number of 500-mile pigeons. Whether this was mainly due to
the position of Fraserburgh on the East Coast, or to the first-class fancier, I do not know, but I must admit the
fanciers hear are most keen and technically minded. I shall not forget the lighthouse keeper’s wife; who
keeps an excellent loft.

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