Breeding Strategy
Building your loft around a Foundation Cock:
The problem with most of us pigeon breeders is that we don't have a clear strategy in mind when paring our birds. Most of us are depending heavily on lady luck to produce us a exceptional breeder. We randomly cross and inbred best with best in search for the one that produce the goods. Most of us are not very patient in testing out breeding birds and every year a few more lines and birds are introduced. We may have one or more good breeding cocks, but before we know we find ourselves a few years down the line and with no time left to replace our good breeding cock. A randomly selected son or brother of the exceptional bird is not necessarily going to replace him. I am convinced that one should select one or more foundation cocks and slowly start to build your loft around them. Test the bird with some of your best hens. If the foundation cock bred some exceptional offspring and have the rare future of superior genetic dominance (winners in the F2 and F3 generation), begin immediately your search for NEO. (NEO IS THE ONE that will eventually, not only replace your Foundation Cock, but also will be better because you have put into him winning genes from exceptional hens). As I explained, you may have noticed that I am in favor of using the sire line. The hens are equally important, but they are only used to strengthen the sire line.
Well, that sounds fairly easy... but to put it in practice is a story of another kind. I tested a few lines the past 10 years and are now at the point that I want to concentrate on a few foundation cocks. I don't race on my own but in partnership with two different EXCEPTIONAL fanciers. I can place up to 40+ birds at each racing loft. In 2019 I want to concentrate on 5 Cocks, using them in the stud system and produce 16 babies out of each with 4 different hens. Each stud cock will have 3 Feeder cocks that I am going to use as pumpers for the babies of the first 3 hens. After being paired to the first 3 hens and the eggs are placed, each stud cock will raise one set of eggs with the 4th hen (taking care that he don't loose interest in the hens). The process will then be repeated. The Feeder cocks are young cocks bred for stock or they did well in the race loft or are already proven breeders themselves. They will raise two sets of eggs from the Foundation Cocks and then one of their own with the feeder hen. These round will be placed at other fanciers lofts for testing and eventually finding NEO. Each year the old and none producing birds will be taken out and replaced with good ones out of the race lofts or a few hens from other fanciers. I thoroughly hope that my current cocks is good enough that I don't have to bring in a different cock line from another fancier. Old Foundation Cocks will be replaced strategically. None producing foundation cocks must be taken out of the breeding program with their progeny.
The problem with most of us pigeon breeders is that we don't have a clear strategy in mind when paring our birds. Most of us are depending heavily on lady luck to produce us a exceptional breeder. We randomly cross and inbred best with best in search for the one that produce the goods. Most of us are not very patient in testing out breeding birds and every year a few more lines and birds are introduced. We may have one or more good breeding cocks, but before we know we find ourselves a few years down the line and with no time left to replace our good breeding cock. A randomly selected son or brother of the exceptional bird is not necessarily going to replace him. I am convinced that one should select one or more foundation cocks and slowly start to build your loft around them. Test the bird with some of your best hens. If the foundation cock bred some exceptional offspring and have the rare future of superior genetic dominance (winners in the F2 and F3 generation), begin immediately your search for NEO. (NEO IS THE ONE that will eventually, not only replace your Foundation Cock, but also will be better because you have put into him winning genes from exceptional hens). As I explained, you may have noticed that I am in favor of using the sire line. The hens are equally important, but they are only used to strengthen the sire line.
Well, that sounds fairly easy... but to put it in practice is a story of another kind. I tested a few lines the past 10 years and are now at the point that I want to concentrate on a few foundation cocks. I don't race on my own but in partnership with two different EXCEPTIONAL fanciers. I can place up to 40+ birds at each racing loft. In 2019 I want to concentrate on 5 Cocks, using them in the stud system and produce 16 babies out of each with 4 different hens. Each stud cock will have 3 Feeder cocks that I am going to use as pumpers for the babies of the first 3 hens. After being paired to the first 3 hens and the eggs are placed, each stud cock will raise one set of eggs with the 4th hen (taking care that he don't loose interest in the hens). The process will then be repeated. The Feeder cocks are young cocks bred for stock or they did well in the race loft or are already proven breeders themselves. They will raise two sets of eggs from the Foundation Cocks and then one of their own with the feeder hen. These round will be placed at other fanciers lofts for testing and eventually finding NEO. Each year the old and none producing birds will be taken out and replaced with good ones out of the race lofts or a few hens from other fanciers. I thoroughly hope that my current cocks is good enough that I don't have to bring in a different cock line from another fancier. Old Foundation Cocks will be replaced strategically. None producing foundation cocks must be taken out of the breeding program with their progeny.
Five Foundation Cocks to be used