Are we killing our show birds?

[pjc]

Also Dave, the show racers are not fed for size they are fed for condition, or in some cases you may think for Christmas lunch!

[Guest]

now you are talking about serious colours/breeds!

Tiger swallows are named because of the colour, they moult out a normal colour, i.e blue, black etc and then every other flight is pulled to grow back as white, the same is done on the cover feathers to produce the even pattern.

The practice has been outlawed in many countries so pictures are all you will prob see.

Can't say I agree with the practice but beutiful results!

 

Phil

 

The ones i've seen (photo's only!) were white, with red/yellow/blue/black coloured chequering, absolutely beautiful! Along with those big White Indian Fantails, possibly the most beautiful birds on the planet, certainly to me anyway!  

So are those Tiger swallows and Indians flown out, or fed for size/muscle?

[bewted]

now you are talking about serious colours/breeds!

Tiger swallows are named because of the colour, they moult out a normal colour, i.e blue, black etc and then every other flight is pulled to grow back as white, the same is done on the cover feathers to produce the even pattern.

The practice has been outlawed in many countries so pictures are all you will prob see.

Can't say I agree with the practice but beutiful results!

 

Phil

 

just a query,,,i allways thought if you pull a feather out it will allways grow back to its original colour or is there something else that they do that makes it grow back white if its a coloured bird ?

 

i am just puzzled at this !!!

[Andkar Lofts]

If the constitution of the bird is right then the muscle will form with a high protein diet.

There is no need to break the birds down after each show and as I said your team need to have the same constitution so there is no need to feed birds individualy.

There are a lot of shows in a short period of time and if you keep breaking them down and building them up they will be finished before you get 1/2 way through the season.

 

i agree with you to a degree when it comes to constitution & aiming for uniformity within the team,but as each bird is an individual sometimes requires that a different approach be taken with particular bird , & if done correctly the breaking down & building up routine is one approach,

unless of course i have been doing it wrong for past 30yrs both showing & racing

as has doug mc'clary !

 

 

[pjc]

there are so many fancy breeds, but the ones i'm refering to throw White flights when coloured flights are pulled and return to original coloured flights when moulted.

Andkar, there is nothing wrong with what you are doing if it works for you!

When you have a mixture of familys you may need to treat some differently but we very rarely introduce birds to our family and if we do it is done very carefully so as not to harm the current gene pool!

We have built a family that don't need any help to put on muscle and they are a family that we know inside out.

[Andkar Lofts]

there are so many fancy breeds, but the ones i'm refering to throw White flights when coloured flights are pulled and return to original coloured flights when moulted.

Andkar, there is nothing wrong with what you are doing if it works for you!

When you have a mixture of familys you may need to treat some differently but we very rarely introduce birds to our family and if we do it is done very carefully so as not to harm the current gene pool!

We have built a family that don't need any help to put on muscle and they are a family that we know inside out.

 

pjc i agree with you regarding establishing a team with desired type/body & constitution,& therfore admire you far having built a family the type required...but as we both know that takes years to get to that point...

i merely stated a method that can be used ,goes without saying the need to seek correct body in first place & a method than can be used in pre show prep to enhance that .....as in w/hood racing to cleanse bird bird to prepare it for protein mix,to produce muscle in readiness to return as energy on race day .

but we all have different methods & approach's ,so long as it works for individual fancier ........

 

[pjc]

we all have our methods!

One thing mine never see is anything like conditioning seed, I mix mixes to suit the time of year but again never feed maize or beans and as little wheat as possible!

[Guest TAMMY_1]

 

Aye Phil, we will mate! I've been to the Doncaster Fancy Show before and found it very interesting! I never realized how many different types of fancy birds there actually were!! Some beautiful, some not so beautiful! But, you have to be careful what you say as the lads with the ugly ones get upset! LOL!

I'm fascinated by the not flying out and feeding for size though! This has been a thoroughly interesting thread. The show birds i'm interrested in are called Tiger Swallows, really beautiful they are, would they be able to fly out or would you recommend keeping in and diet? Andkar / Chrissy, anyone else from the Show fraternity for that matter, I would thoroughly appreciate your advice!  

 

Are you talking about Dave here [ANDKAR LOFTS ] ;D ;D ;D ;D

 

 

[Guest TAMMY_1]

 

Aye Phil, we will mate! I've been to the Doncaster Fancy Show before and found it very interesting! I never realized how many different types of fancy birds there actually were!! Some beautiful, some not so beautiful! But, you have to be careful what you say as the lads with the ugly ones get upset! LOL!

 

I'm fascinated by the not flying out and feeding for size though! This has been a thoroughly interesting thread. The show birds i'm interrested in are called Tiger Swallows, really beautiful they are, would they be able to fly out or would you recommend keeping in and diet? Andkar / Chrissy, anyone else from the Show fraternity for that matter, I would thoroughly appreciate your advice!  

 

can see why you are taken by these Davey , fascinating coloured birds

 

 

 

 

[pjc]

great pics, its just a shame they are not a natural colour!

[pjc]

Sorry Chrissy, we seem to have hijacked your thread and gone of on a tangent!

[pjc]

Sorry Chrissy, we seem to have hijacked your thread and gone of on a tangent!

[Guest TAMMY_1]

great pics, its just a shame they are not a natural colour!

 

how do you get that colour then ?

[pjc]

As i said in a message above the coloured feathers are pulled and grow back white, a process banned in many countries. Thats why the markings are so even.

[Guest TAMMY_1]

As i said in a message above the coloured feathers are pulled and grow back white, a process banned in many countries. Thats why the markings are so even.

 

still look great in photos and i only posted them up for davey to have a better look

[Guest]

nothing wrong at all with letting them out rose, just need to pick and choose your days and weather, they love being out but I personally don't see any benefit in letting them out.

The other thing with myself is that I show as part of a partnership and we are often moveing birds between lofts so would be a lot of messing around to let out the birds that would have been bred here.

 

Phil

 

Great to see such an experienced show fancier joining the forum

Which partnership are you part of? and how did you do at Blackpool?

[pjc]

We show as Petty & Crawford, i'm the Crawford half! We didn't show this year as we were judgeing but took BOS there last year with the same bird that took BOS at the Old Comrades.

[Guest]

We show as Petty & Crawford, i'm the Crawford half! We didn't show this year as we were judgeing but took BOS there last year with the same bird that took BOS at the Old Comrades.

 

I bought a silver hen from 1 of you at Nottingham then in 2006,still have her

[Guest]

 

can see why you are taken by these Davey , fascinating coloured birds

 

 

 

 

Aye, they are that, but i'm a bit perturbed with what Dave said about them having the feathers pulled to make them that way! I thought they were already like that!

 

[pjc]

if anybody is interested in he colours and fancy breeds have a look on the pigeon bratt group on yahoo, you will find loads of information and pictures on there.

[Guest TAMMY_1]

 

Aye, they are that, but i'm a bit perturbed with what Dave said about them having the feathers pulled to make them that way! I thought they were already like that!

 

Agree with you on this one Davey, a bit cruel if that's what is happening .

[Guest CS]

if anybody is interested in he colours and fancy breeds have a look on the pigeon bratt group on yahoo, you will find loads of information and pictures on there.

 

Agree with you there, if you have anything to ask on the pigeon bratt group on yahoo, Mick always reply

[Glassfeather]

RE: Tiger Swallows

 

What a curious name for a pigeon. These markings come about as a result of a genetic modifier called "tiger grizzle" combined with the process called "acromatosis". The markings are already there, but as with many marked breeds where designated areas of the plumage are white, not all are suitably marked. In some instances, acromatosis occurs naturally, this is seen in "Whiteside" tumblers, where the wing shields are white, but the bird's juvenile plumage is red, and the white feathers come with the first moult. In black/dun whitesides, the wings are white in the nest. This process, acromatosis, can be induced through plucking, so that if there is a coloured feather where a white feather ought to be, it can be plucked so that the bird will grow a white feather. These markings will not remain throughout the bird's lifetime, in recessive red and yellow pigeons the plumage is often interspersed with white as the bird matures, again, acromatosis. Blue and black Tiger Swallows do not always produce white feathers as a result of plucking and it is much more difficult to obtain the desired markings in these colours.

 

 

 

 

[Guest shadow]

thats cruel to pluck feathers just to get specific markings ??)

[Glassfeather]

Hi Shadow,

 

It is not something I would do myself, just for the sake of Aesthetics, and I don't keep overweight pigeons either. It's not for me to quantify cruelty, but I suspect worse things are done to pigeons, and it seems that depending on where you are standing, some aspects of racing pigeons are considered "cruel". I think the practice is restricted in Germany now. It's like with a lot of things, it probably started with one or two feathers out of place, then snow-balled until the pigeon was almost plucked bare, a bit like father Ted and that car donated as a prize for the church bingo, and he took a hammer to it to straighten out a little bubble, and ended up with a wreck. Did you see that one?