Diamond Dave wrote: ↑Sun Mar 02, 2025 7:34 am
Andy, is the " room" that you refer to on the outside of the iris or the inside or can it be both?
It can be both. More importantly and more often the inside. But if you can see the circle of colouration around the outer edge so much the better. For me the more of the colouration that can be seen under the iris colour the better. You wouldn’t want to pair 2 eyes like that together though. Use these eyes to absorb some of the strength from those that are very full.
The width and depth of the inner circle are still the most important part. Both those 2 eyes that I put up have very good inner circles.
Back just enjoying club racing for the time being.
Andy wrote: ↑Sun Mar 02, 2025 9:10 am
I don’t disagree with your way Mike. It doesn’t make any difference I don’t think pairing the same colour eye signs together, more about one complementing the other. How many good breeders have been brought because of pedigree and never been raced. Or where it’s their siblings that have done the winning?
Well my best ever breeder "Pale Rider" was selected for Stock at 24 days of age
I knew she was spectacular as soon as she hit my fingertips - I didn't need to race her
Everybody has to have a "policy" that they broadly follow.
Mine was based around what happened on a Saturday and that drove my decision making
Andy wrote: ↑Sun Mar 02, 2025 9:10 am
I don’t disagree with your way Mike. It doesn’t make any difference I don’t think pairing the same colour eye signs together, more about one complementing the other. How many good breeders have been brought because of pedigree and never been raced. Or where it’s their siblings that have done the winning?
Well my best ever breeder "Pale Rider" was selected for Stock at 24 days of age
I knew she was spectacular as soon as she hit my fingertips - I didn't need to race her
Everybody has to have a "policy" that they broadly follow.
Mine was based around what happened on a Saturday and that drove my decision making
Can’t argue with that Mike.
Back just enjoying club racing for the time being.
Thanks Andy, that is v3ry helpful.
I would like to 'catalogue' the eyes of all my birds, just for my own reference.
Can you tell me if there is any easy way to take a reasonable photo of the the eye with an ordinary smart phone?
Andy, this is a pic of M.Gilberts southfield gold lady that Mike posted on the distance birds thread.( only using this as a readily available example).
Whilst the iris colour and circle of colouration are simllar, would I be right in thinking that there is plenty of "room" in this eye?
Yes Dave. Actually a difficult eye to judge. At first site you would say the iris is full. But look more deeply and you can see as you say Dave there are 2 very similar colours in the circle of colouration and the iris. The orange is very dark and the red an reddish orange. But there is a difference and the slightly lighter orange can be seen under the reddish orange both around the inner circle and the outer edge of the eye.
The thing to remember though is that these eye photos put up aside the photo of the pigeons are digitally enhanced as much as the photos of the pigeons themselves are.
It is very difficult to take good eye photos. The smart phones are the best way but ideally you need someone else to be holding the bird. There wants to be plenty of light, preferably sunlight, but also trying not to get a reflection of the sun or anything else in the eye. Several photos May need to be taken as the bird may blink at the wrong time or slightly move etc.
The other thing to remember is that both eyes may not be quite the same. Quite often one eye is a bit different from the other.
Back just enjoying club racing for the time being.
Andy, apart from the room in the iris and a wide inner circle is there anything else to look for that would determine an exceptional breeder from a mediocre one.?
You mentioned "good serration" to the inner circle, does this have any bearing on the breeding capabilities?
Diamond Dave wrote: ↑Mon Mar 03, 2025 6:51 pm
Andy, apart from the room in the iris and a wide inner circle is there anything else to look for that would determine an exceptional breeder from a mediocre one.?
You mentioned "good serration" to the inner circle, does this have any bearing on the breeding capabilities?
The serration is an added bonus provided the inner circle is still wide. In some you can see a lot of ripples in the inner circle, another good addition. Where I like to see an open iris the iris that is there wants to look like it’s been put on top of the circle of colouration, the mountainous effect. With this you can also get the iris running into the edge of the inner circle.
There’s no way of determining an exceptional breeder just from the eyesign but I do think it gives a good guide. It’s more a case of using it as a tool for selection.
Back just enjoying club racing for the time being.
The eyesign of Darren 800 that Mike has put up in the Tarbes 2024 post has all the attributes I have just mentioned.
Waves in the inner circle, especially noticeable between 8 & 10 o’clock and 12 & 2 o’clock. Good serration between 7 & 9 o’clock in particular, and the iris coming into the inner circle at 11 o’clock. The gold colouring of the circle of colouration can be seen right out to the outer edges under the red iris.
Back just enjoying club racing for the time being.
