Stock Birds And Breeding

[REDCHEQHEN]

Touch wood - for the first time in years - all stock birds have laid within a couple of days - nothing as yet smashed

It has been a nightmare the last few years and we have barely had half a dozen babies out of the stock loft for atleast the last three years.

 

A couple of the stock hens who are settled have been paired up in the race loft.

 

This year we have paired granddam to grandson - as they both have a few 1sts between them - what type of breeding is this?

Is it 'line breeding'? I never really understood the term. Or is this 'inbred' (the grandson is out of her son who also has 1sts hen>son>grandson)

though the son was paired to a hen from an entirely different family - to get the grandson

[Kyleakin Lofts]

It is a form of line breeding. The easiest line to follow is the male line, it goes direct from sire to son. Female line breeding is a bit more complicated. If you really want to get into it read Old Hand's book, The Strain Makers. He lays out the genetic connections in that work and it is timeless, in that the rules of genetics have not changed and I don't expect Mendel will be proven incorrect.

While the lines of inheritance are laid out, the variations within the genes transmitted are tremendous, that's why it is so chancy.

[chris1984]

fantastic book that strain makers.im just getting into the pigeons such a welth of info the book has im now going to go and get the rest of the series of books.

[Kyleakin Lofts]

Some would say the other Old Hand books are too dated, but given that, there is still some good information to be garnered. The racing scene has changed quite a bit since then, so I very much doubt that following Old Hand's methods will make you winner.

[just ask me]

old hands book is good but victor vansalens book is even better i cant remember which one covers breeding and genetics its either Champions Reveal Their Untold Secrets or Masters of Breeding and Racing both are the best reads ive read on pigeons there very hard to get hold of but well worth the hassle

[peter pandy]

Reading books can be influencial but I find the more you read the more confusing it all becomes and contradiction is guaranteed by most authors.