SELECTION

Diamond Dave · Wed Mar 25, 2026 3:21 pm

A subject I know nothing about.
I have to be honest and say that I dont actually know what to look for apart from the obvious runt in the nest
- especially when it seems thst there are 2 healthy babies in the nest.
Can I ask what it is that you guys look for with babies in the nest....

Anthony webster · Wed Mar 25, 2026 3:41 pm

Diamond Dave wrote: Wed Mar 25, 2026 3:21 pm A subject I know nothing about.
I have to be honest and say that I dont actually know what to look for apart from the obvious runt in the nest
- especially when it seems thst there are 2 healthy babies in the nest.
Can I ask what it is that you guys look for with babies in the nest....

Selection starts there dave
I wouldn't wean a runt my self or baby that tail kicks up or bent Keele bone or a massive wide gap between vents .

CHARLTON34 · Wed Mar 25, 2026 4:39 pm

It's all a gamble from the start when pairing if you have brought pigeons in to try out to find some decent pigeons to build around for the future . I brought in pigeons about 3 year's ago from a good source I paired them up & all the ybs didn't make it to weaning, 1 pair stopped feeding at about 10 day's just left in the nest to die, the other pair both ybs died when about 20 day's just didn't look right .
I admire stockmen that can make things look so easy.
My school of thought is if it doesn't look right from early on then that pair won't be used ever again. Would I gamble & try the cocks with different hens I don't think so. If you do it maybe another year wasted feeding ybs again to not fledge, we all want robust ybs for the future.

Diamond Dave · Wed Mar 25, 2026 5:10 pm

Anthony webster wrote: Wed Mar 25, 2026 3:41 pm
Diamond Dave wrote: Wed Mar 25, 2026 3:21 pm A subject I know nothing about.
I have to be honest and say that I dont actually know what to look for apart from the obvious runt in the nest
- especially when it seems thst there are 2 healthy babies in the nest.
Can I ask what it is that you guys look for with babies in the nest....
Selection starts there dave
I wouldn't wean a runt my self or baby that tail kicks up or bent Keele bone or a massive wide gap between vents .

Thats thr sort of thing I am asking for Ant thanks mate.
So a bent keel is obviously going to cause an imbalance in the bird and I have heard it said that a tail kicking up indicates a weak back but can I ask at what age you determine whether the tail kicks up?
And what does wide vent bones indicate please mate.

Anthony webster · Wed Mar 25, 2026 5:48 pm

Just don't like em dave pal ,,

Diamond Dave · Wed Mar 25, 2026 6:51 pm

MIke Lycett wrote: Wed Mar 25, 2026 6:16 pm In the nest there's things I like to see an things I don't
Obviously the droppings around the bowl should always be good
The runt of the litter is never any good
I agree with Ant on vent bones. I've had outstanding birds in all shapes and sizes but I'm struggling to think of a good one with very open vents

I used to not like a wavy keel (not that I ever had many like that), but I relaxed my view on that after handling a YB that won 2 x 1st Combines in 2 weeks against 2,000 + birds on 2 different winds

The one thing I did watch for was, you know these YB that rear up in the nest and fight you and go ballistic when you go near the bowl? Rarely did one of those go on to be an outstanding pigeon for me. The best ones were the quiet, content ones that never kicked up a fuss

In terms of sexing a pigeon, 24 days is a great time to sex a pigeon I found, because at that age when they come out of the nest they're perfectly in proportion and you can get a real feel for the pigeon that it's going to become. Back in the 1990's when I started racing YB on the darkness for 2-3 seasons I only put the hens on it. The cocks were raced natural.
The hens were darkened as they came out of the nest and the cocks went next door into a "normal" section. In 3 years, so sexing about 125 youngsters I think I only ever get 2 wrong. And one of those didn't know if it was a cock or a hen (but I helped that one with that dilemma)

Thanks Mike got a few things to look for in the nest now apart from the obvious but will still find it hard as they all look robust and healthy.
Will have to try to be a bit more ruthless come training

Steve Howells · Wed Mar 25, 2026 7:12 pm

Diamond Dave wrote: Wed Mar 25, 2026 3:21 pm A subject I know nothing about.
I have to be honest and say that I dont actually know what to look for apart from the obvious runt in the nest
- especially when it seems thst there are 2 healthy babies in the nest.
Can I ask what it is that you guys look for with babies in the nest....

For me as long as the nest is dry when I wean them and there are no obvious health issues they pass the first hurdle.

Anthony webster · Wed Mar 25, 2026 8:38 pm

I don't sit out side late at night but do listen but I basket baby's 3,30 to 4am in dark and let my hands tell me everything I can't see birds but handle them what I noticed 15,16 years back if birds felt great Monday race Saturday was average if birds were average Monday bit better Tues even better weds but Thursday felt unbelievable the race Saturday was unreal,,

Anthony webster · Wed Mar 25, 2026 9:03 pm

NeilA wrote: Wed Mar 25, 2026 8:59 pm I only know if they feel like if I let them go they would float gently to the floor on Thursday there go close
If they feel like if I let them go there drop in a straight line there not going to put in a special performance

My trouble is I have had them perfect Tuesday past it by Thursday
Even if I extend light feeding a day or two it can still go wrong
I can’t seem to control when the light feel comes in the racing season I’m not sure why but I can seem control it better this time of year

Feeling get Neil Thursday they will like they would float on water and if u through them like a paper plane they go 50 meters .