goose1 wrote: Wed Oct 29, 2025 8:12 pm
500 miles and over very few pigeons can do and as you go up in distance even less can do. You don't need scores or percentages they are the pigeons and they select themselves. I'd only ever remove a pigeon before it's been to at least 500 miles if it were ill or if it were showing it was absolutely useless. I don't have any theories in pigeons either, basket answers all them. Only thing I don't like is big pigeons. Apart from that if you can do 500 miles or further in good time your safe here
goose1 wrote: Wed Oct 29, 2025 8:12 pm
500 miles and over very few pigeons can do and as you go up in distance even less can do. You don't need scores or percentages they are the pigeons and they select themselves. I'd only ever remove a pigeon before it's been to at least 500 miles if it were ill or if it were showing it was absolutely useless. I don't have any theories in pigeons either, basket answers all them. Only thing I don't like is big pigeons. Apart from that if you can do 500 miles or further in good time your safe here
Have you had your hands on many of the Jelle Jellema Goose?
They're like little swallows in size and stature
I haven't really Mike unfortunately. Closest I've came to any Jellema blood was when I purchased a daughter of Nick Adsheads 4th Open Pau winner. That youngsters sire was out of a son of Silke paired back to the 4th Open Pau winner. While the 4th Open winners sire was also direct Jellema. Unfortunately that hen got out on us after only 1 season here
goose1 wrote: Wed Oct 29, 2025 8:12 pm
500 miles and over very few pigeons can do and as you go up in distance even less can do. You don't need scores or percentages they are the pigeons and they select themselves. I'd only ever remove a pigeon before it's been to at least 500 miles if it were ill or if it were showing it was absolutely useless. I don't have any theories in pigeons either, basket answers all them. Only thing I don't like is big pigeons. Apart from that if you can do 500 miles or further in good time your safe here
Good post Goose
Obviously totally understand why you lads select differently Neil. There's more skill involved in you lads selection process. The basket does in for me. Our in last year's case we manage to mess it up ourselves
Have you had your hands on many of the Jelle Jellema Goose?
They're like little swallows in size and stature
In the fed futurete sale Kevin Johnson had a nice dark black hen/cock we are still not sure but it is tiny like you said
Obviously totally understand why you lads select differently Neil. There's more skill involved in you lads selection process. The basket does in for me. Our in last year's case we manage to mess it up ourselves
If you sets your sights a little lower say like me 350-480 how would you go about selection at the yearling and 2 year old stage Goose
Any that didn’t come really well in the first 5 races sprinting I used for the middle distance but I parted with 4 that came next day from 412 as I had 8 home on the night they didn’t get in my first 6 at 350 either
Was I harsh ?
I wouldn't like to say Neil as from reading your posts it sounds like you lads get far better racing down there than we get up here. Even the lads who are in to sprinting up here really have to keep what they have left just to make a team up for next year. And to be honest the seasons are so tough up here now any pigeon that survives and doesn't do exceptionally bad is probably worth it's perch. You lads seem lucky to be getting good races where you can confidently judge your pigeons before selecting and then can subsequently breed from them pigeons with confidence. I certainly wouldn't say your harsh mate you obviously know your pigeons and what kind of races they've been in. One thing I will say the ones you've removed can't come back to prove you wrong
NeilA wrote: Wed Oct 29, 2025 10:03 pm
If you sets your sights a little lower say like me 350-480 how would you go about selection at the yearling and 2 year old stage Goose
Any that didn’t come really well in the first 5 races sprinting I used for the middle distance but I parted with 4 that came next day from 412 as I had 8 home on the night they didn’t get in my first 6 at 350 either
Was I harsh ?
I know one thing Neil - those 4 will never prove you wrong
If you sets your sights a little lower say like me 350-480 how would you go about selection at the yearling and 2 year old stage Goose
Any that didn’t come really well in the first 5 races sprinting I used for the middle distance but I parted with 4 that came next day from 412 as I had 8 home on the night they didn’t get in my first 6 at 350 either
Was I harsh ?
I wouldn't like to say Neil as from reading your posts it sounds like you lads get far better racing down there than we get up here. Even the lads who are in to sprinting up here really have to keep what they have left just to make a team up for next year. And to be honest the seasons are so tough up here now any pigeon that survives and doesn't do exceptionally bad is probably worth it's perch. You lads seem lucky to be getting good races where you can confidently judge your pigeons before selecting and then can subsequently breed from them pigeons with confidence. I certainly wouldn't say your harsh mate you obviously know your pigeons and what kind of races they've been in. One thing I will say the ones you've removed can't come back to prove you wrong
Cheers Goose
Just thinking maybe I should have tried them as 2 year olds
We are lucky here but it’s only going one way
I had 5 good birds missing last year 8 laid up with BOP injury by May
6 or 7 years ago we had one or two hit a year
I could have 20 finish with 17/18 cocks
I can’t now
So it’s coming
There's an argument to say you maybe should had Neil, maybe even pushed them to the 500 mile mark? But like us all we make the decision we think best.
Yeah I do fear for the sport up here I really do. Once we get over 200 miles you know your gonna be waiting all day for pigeons. At one point last season we had 21 hens that had been hawked at some point in their life, and a few of them more than once.
