how many

[Guest grizzler]

got three pairs of stock birds and four latebreds, only just started with the racers.but also have six pairs of flying rollers and nine pairs of fancy pigeons.

[GRAHAM MITCHELL]

Ive 3 lofts 20x6  18x6 8x6 with a total of 48 pigeons. Plenty of room for them.

[Guest bakes]

12ybs 1 stock hen 10ft by 8ft loft with another 10ft by 8ft going up soon

[carlsberg]

got 18 racers and 18 l/bs in my loft

[Roland]

Well a proven stock / strain needs only 12 pairs to fly through out the race season. More than enough to fly both routes of North and South plus prepare and enter any nationals etc. Indeed is more than enough to clean and feed and take proper care of.

Comes a time when the excess is weeded out surely! When only the birds worth keeping are breeding and racing! Each year then - after race season, and before the moult, one should sit down and take stock just what and which are going to have the perches and 12 nest boxes.

A good loft cuts down and keeps a minimum.

Use to be 12 race birds was enough.

Now fanciers seem to breed quantities to offset the culls they are going to lose.

Yes admitted C- rap happens and hits the fans every so often, and if say one year you have few y/b's left, it will mean A. less worrying about selecting and the year after a few yearlings short possibly.

Just ask ones self How many winners does the average loft have in it?  :-/

Then ask your selves 'How many does the 'Mob Flyer / Seller' have in theirs'? Not many, 8 would be a flipping good number of winners in most lofts.

Then ask your selves just who is buying up the culls and trying to excel with them.... Indeed just who is buying up to fill up and complement the 'Townies' every new season?

The hard part is attaining such birds and such a loft.  But numbers kept is never going to achieve this. Like John West, keeps only the best. Then the quality – with a good introduction from time to time can only improve.

Sure may well come the time when you have 36 pairs because you now wish to offset some costs and sell a 12 or so every year.

Would be good eh, to say to any fancier ‘these are the 12 (6 pairs) I am keeping because…. But you can choose from any of the 12 pairs just what you want, FOR I know that they are all on parr…’!