"Dyeing" white pigeons.

[Diamond Dave]

I have a family of white grizzles that fly extremely well as young birds but more often than not go down as old birds and I am convinced they get picked off by bop because they are white.
I'm not saying this is the reason they go down but it could be and I have had more of them come back injured than I have any other colour.
I dont breed for colour but I think this family has the potential to do well as other colours that have come out of them have done but most years I am left without any of the whites.
In my work as an antiques restorer I do a lot of french polishing and can suspend lots of different pigments in a liquid form to match most of the pigeon colours.
I have done a few experiment on moulted flights and stock birds and dont think it harms the flights or the quill and am confident that I can change the colour of any pigeon but wondered what everyones thoughts are....
so would welcome any comments.....

[Buster121]

There is a spray you can get, would not recommend using other products especially stuff for timber etc

[king]

I have a family of white grizzles that fly extremely well as young birds but more often than not go down as old birds and I am convinced they get picked off by bop because they are white.
I'm not saying this is the reason they go down but it could be and I have had more of them come back injured than I have any other colour.
I dont breed for colour but I think this family has the potential to do well as other colours that have come out of them have done but most years I am left without any of the whites.
In my work as an antiques restorer I do a lot of french polishing and can suspend lots of different pigments in a liquid form to match most of the pigeon colours.
I have done a few experiment on moulted flights and stock birds and dont think it harms the flights or the quill and am confident that I can change the colour of any pigeon but wondered what everyones thoughts are....
so would welcome any comments.....

If it's BOP why aren't they getting hit as YBs? You don't say what % the whites are in your team? If they are the majority of your birds the odds would increase that they would be the ones hit by BOP.
My own view on changing the colour of birds, is don't do it. A birds flight should be natural and you don't want anything thing on it that stops the natural bloom forming. This changing colour is ok for fantails, or fancy pigeons, but these aren't been asked to RACE are they?

[Diamond Dave]

There is a spray you can get, would not recommend using other products especially stuff for timber etc

Thanks Buster, these are natural earth pigments that are suspended in alcohol which would evaporate off very quickly. I'm reasonably confident it wouldnt affect the feathering.

[Diamond Dave]

I have a family of white grizzles that fly extremely well as young birds but more often than not go down as old birds and I am convinced they get picked off by bop because they are white.
I'm not saying this is the reason they go down but it could be and I have had more of them come back injured than I have any other colour.
I dont breed for colour but I think this family has the potential to do well as other colours that have come out of them have done but most years I am left without any of the whites.
In my work as an antiques restorer I do a lot of french polishing and can suspend lots of different pigments in a liquid form to match most of the pigeon colours.
I have done a few experiment on moulted flights and stock birds and dont think it harms the flights or the quill and am confident that I can change the colour of any pigeon but wondered what everyones thoughts are....
so would welcome any comments.....

If it's BOP why aren't they getting hit as YBs? You don't say what % the whites are in your team? If they are the majority of your birds the odds would increase that they would be the ones hit by BOP.
My own view on changing the colour of birds, is don't do it. A birds flight should be natural and you don't want anything thing on it that stops the natural bloom forming. This changing colour is ok for fantails, or fancy pigeons, but these aren't been asked to RACE are they?

Ah, I agree with that King, I wouldnt want to stop the bloom forming but I thought the bloom came from the sjkin.... also wouldnt want to affect whatever happens with the oil gland.
It would only need a very weak solution of colour which I dont think will affect any of the natural functions.
My other concern would be what the bird would think if it was white and suddenly changed to a blue or black.
Your comments also got me thinking if there is a particular colour gets hit more than others and wondered if anyone has carried out a poll on the subject. Ppl used to say that reds were more vulnerable because bop sees them in the negative format.
Happy to be put right on the bloom thing mate

[king]

I have a family of white grizzles that fly extremely well as young birds but more often than not go down as old birds and I am convinced they get picked off by bop because they are white.
I'm not saying this is the reason they go down but it could be and I have had more of them come back injured than I have any other colour.
I dont breed for colour but I think this family has the potential to do well as other colours that have come out of them have done but most years I am left without any of the whites.
In my work as an antiques restorer I do a lot of french polishing and can suspend lots of different pigments in a liquid form to match most of the pigeon colours.
I have done a few experiment on moulted flights and stock birds and dont think it harms the flights or the quill and am confident that I can change the colour of any pigeon but wondered what everyones thoughts are....
so would welcome any comments.....

If it's BOP why aren't they getting hit as YBs? You don't say what % the whites are in your team? If they are the majority of your birds the odds would increase that they would be the ones hit by BOP.
My own view on changing the colour of birds, is don't do it. A birds flight should be natural and you don't want anything thing on it that stops the natural bloom forming. This changing colour is ok for fantails, or fancy pigeons, but these aren't been asked to RACE are they?

Ah, I agree with that King, I wouldnt want to stop the bloom forming but I thought the bloom came from the sjkin.... also wouldnt want to affect whatever happens with the oil gland.
It would only need a very weak solution of colour which I dont think will affect any of the natural functions.
My other concern would be what the bird would think if it was white and suddenly changed to a blue or black.
Your comments also got me thinking if there is a particular colour gets hit more than others and wondered if anyone has carried out a poll on the subject. Ppl used to say that reds were more vulnerable because bop sees them in the negative format.
Happy to be put right on the bloom thing mate

There is NO colour bird that is safe. I read a piece about this and it said BOP will target a single bird in a flock and only focus on that one bird. The reason many say that reds, whites are hit is simply because they stand out if in a flock of darker birds. A single blue in a flock of whites would stand out. So it's NOT a particular colour BOP attacks, but a bird which is a different colour to the rest of the flock. If a fancier has birds of all one colour they will still be hit. The piece I read said that birds with white on ie pieds, white flighted or with white rumps had the best chance of escape as the flash of white takes the BOP by surprise. That's why Wood pigeons are attacked less than feral/racing pigeons.

[Buster121]

My reds and mealies got hit more than others I also have plenty grizzles

[Winfort Lofts]

The only way to find out for sure would be for you try you idea and document the results!

Would be a difficult thing to try and document though I'm sure!

[Buster121]

My reds and mealies got hit more than others I also have plenty grizzles

I remember a chap moved to Wales and did a article for the BHW
He had all colours the whites and pieds went to the BOP then the reds etc then the blues and darks that’s as average obviously not completely in order
So he concluded the BOP hits them in colours but still took them when only the cheqs/ darks were left

They will take them all as we know it is just that a red, grizzle or mealy stands out more in a group

[Diamond Dave]

The only way to find out for sure would be for you try you idea and document the results!

Would be a difficult thing to try and document though I'm sure!

I have already dyed a white grizzle stock cock as an experiment. I have dyed it to a dark grey grizzle.
I will do a couple of racers for next year - one of which got hit as a yb.
I've been thinking of dying all of them to disguise them as woodys LOL