My plan was to pair in November but as you know I've not been that mobile, so I've only just paired stock up, I've asked Mike his thoughts about this so will see what he thinks is achievable.
If it's dead in the water with my original plan then I will race my obs what I have, & get some of this year's ring to put on my ybs, only breeding from stock nothing from my racers.
Who has paired there racers and stock
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CHARLTON34
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Hello Neil, it's not my intention to as I'm just interested in my stock pairings but if any pair up as a love match from the yearlings then I'll let them have those babies & split them after. But will just play it by ear.
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Champbourke08
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Me and Phil have paired are stock birds and just paired are races on Blackpool weekend same as you neil we just let are racers pick a pair
Ill be pairing the stock 14th feb and the last few years ive paired my racers first weekend in march when i come back from belgium, i do this so i can train the cocks driving then together with the hens when there on eggs and split after the first race
No it's not a daft question Pete. In my 50+ years of breeding I have paired early in very cold weather maybe as cold as -10. If pigeons are fit and prepared well, when paired cold weather has NO impact on breeding.
That said the number one problem most fanciers experience is clear eggs, especially with older stock.
My reason for not pairing early anymore, is several reasons. I no longer race, have a lot of very old birds and with ill health, fanciers who I breed birds to race for me, get them when I choose to breed them. With copd I don't like to spend more time than I have too in the cold.
king wrote: Mon Jan 19, 2026 1:53 amNo it's not a daft question Pete. In my 50+ years of breeding I have paired early in very cold weather maybe as cold as -10. If pigeons are fit and prepared well, when paired cold weather has NO impact on breeding.
That said the number one problem most fanciers experience is clear eggs, especially with older stock.
My reason for not pairing early anymore, is several reasons. I no longer race, have a lot of very old birds and with ill health, fanciers who I breed birds to race for me, get them when I choose to breed them. With copd I don't like to spend more time than I have too in the cold.
Ah ok King thank you. I’m pairing today for a couple of reasons. 1. I’ve bought marathon stock birds that I want to get as many viable rounds as possible from (so will be swapping first round eggs out from some of my middle distance pairs). 2. I’m away to New Zealand and Australia for best part of a month soon so need to get breeding underway.
Someone was telling me that snow is heading back again in a week or so, which had me thinking I was going to be caught between a rock and a hard place !