Cock.
100% of the time.
Yes the female or 'tail' line is the basis of your family, but once in a million you get a male, be it a stallion, a bull, a greyhound, or for our purposes, a pigeon.
The animal has that rare thing called prepotence. The ability to throw the winning genes into it's progeny. It's offspring have an unusually high proportion of "good ones".
And it can "improve" the progeny of females of lesser ability.
Stumble across a cock like that, boom! You are the next " big new name".
Greetings from the land down under.
Blessed is he who expecteth nothing, for verily, he shall not be disappointed.
For me a champion hen
Iv had running dogs my whole life when I was younger I thought put the best stud dog in uk on average bitch u get top dogs but all you got was a better average dog,
Now you get a champion bitch you can breed to a dog not as good n 6 out 8 pups be just like there mum.
Every top hen iv retired as bred top birds,
Just 2 examples one hen won me good few races n topped open by Miles first yb ever out of her won fed in its first race,
2nd hen won fed for me to 2 different addresses her first yb won fed in he's 7th race but first 6 races never missed first 10 of fed once, first race to this address her son in he's first race topped fed,
So a champion hen for me first but rather both to pair together.