Tailfeather selection

[Skull Lofts]

Hi all

 

Yesterday a fellow fancier visited my loft and we had a great afternoon going through the birds.

He is an Old Hand in the game and this year he came 5th in our Union which concists of 180 memebers.

 

He showed me something on the birds tailfeather, the top middle one that i never even noticed.

If the shaft of this feather isnt in the middle of the feather, he would not breed from it.

 

He said that this is where the birds balance statrts if i understood him correctly.

 

What are your thoughts on this?

 

Skull

[Tony C]

I think what your refering to is called a pin tail. I've heard of fanciers pairing pigeons together where ones top tail feather lays to the left to a pigeon that has a top tail feather laying to the right with the aim of breeding pigeons with the so called pin tail. Not for me I'm afraid.

[Novice]

I understand exactly how this theory could arise but I could never be sure if it is accurate.

[jimmy white]

i would say this fancier [in my opinion] is right,,,, this could be blamed on im-proper management of the moult,  or in fact just a weekness in the bird,, as all the other birds would seem ok , i would go for the latter,,

[Guest rodders]

an old boy i met told us that he wont breed of a bird if when held in the handm the tail was more than 1 feather wide as you look at it anybody heard that before??

[jimmy white]

an old boy i met told us that he wont breed of a bird if when held in the handm the tail was more than 1 feather wide as you look at it anybody heard that before??

 

i would say theres much truth in this when the bird is completely moulted off course,, to me this would show a good moult and a well balanced pigeon also, in good condition,,,

 

strange thing is we all know that a racing pigeon has 12 tail feathers,, so their cant be a" middle one", so to see only one feather , as mentioned, one must over lap the other, either the left middle or the right middle , ,, in looking at many birds ,some have the left middle tail feather  overlapping, some have the right middle tail feather overlapping,,, ,,, ive often wondered why,,   :)

[Guest phillip]

"an old boy i met told us that he wont breed of a bird if when held in the handm the tail was more than 1 feather wide as you look at it anybody heard that before??"

 

Yes , it is common practice here in the Eastern Cape in South Africa .

Especially with the older pigeon fanciers .

When holding the bird in hand and opening the wings , the tail feathers should also not go sideways

[steve d]

I strongly believe in this after reading a book by D V Belding, go and handle your best birds in loft and see the result.

[Guest lvlasked]

any pics on this or a video on you tube so i can se what u mean ect ?

[DAVIDL]

I strongly believe in this after reading a book by D V Belding, go and handle your best birds in loft and see the result.

 

 

remember reading something by d.v.belding re tail feathers......but didnt he say if the quill goes one way its a short distance bird, and if it went the other its a long distance bird ? cant remember exactly, will have to look for the old pictorial its in........

 

[slinky slitheroe]

Hi all

 

Yesterday a fellow fancier visited my loft and we had a great afternoon going through the birds.

He is an Old Hand in the game and this year he came 5th in our Union which concists of 180 memebers.

 

He showed me something on the birds tailfeather, the top middle one that i never even noticed.

If the shaft of this feather isnt in the middle of the feather, he would not breed from it.

 

He said that this is where the birds balance statrts if i understood him correctly.

 

What are your thoughts on this?

 

Skull

An old wifes tale.