Rough start.

[Murray]

My mate David had one of my rings left, and announced that he had put it on a baby off the good yearling cock which won three races and was in the top three nearly every week last year. He's a Heremans x Van den Bulck x Pitbull type of thing. Real speedster, and tough and hardy.
Beautiful pigeon. Faultless.
I went to his place and handled her when she was in the nest. Super youngster. David was adamant, it's for racing, not for keeping.

It kind of went a bit pear shaped.

He came in to fill up one of his vehicles one day, and told me he would bring the baby to me that evening, as it was being knocked around a little bit. I did a bit of arithmetic, and thought it was a bit soon. But, okay, it is what it is.
He dropped it off in the evening, it was pretty small, fully feathered under the wings, but had been chased and was jittery. I put her in a hamper with food and water and left her in the garage for the night. Next day I put her in the loft and the big youngsters chased her and she ended up pecked on the back of the neck.
So for the next week we have been putting ointment on the back of her neck every night, and putting her in a box with food and water, and putting her in the shed for a bit longer every day.

Today it bucketed down rain while they were out. They were all upside down on the roof and in the garden, the wee one got soaked and it washed the ointment off her neck, it is healed up lovely. When I called them in they were very good, all in except the wee one, who mucked around for a minute and then dropped in the sputnik.
I was going to put her back in the garage for the night, but no! She was in a feed tray having a good feed, and bashing any big youngster who tried to push her out.

I was so proud of her!

[Andy]

Great little story Murray. Look forward to hearing how she goes on.

[Devo1956]

Murray i love the Van Den Bulcks, you will find many of them pear shaped. The pitbull lines are a very good, if you get the right lines. I hope this help you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0WB08y4Oiw

[George and Morgan]

great story

[Murray]

The little one, who needs a name, is really doing great.

I was standing at the side of the loft when I saw her fly up onto the shelf and have a good drink from the drinker. I had been putting her head in the drinker for a few days.
She has taken a perch in a sheltered place and is very happy.
She is a lovely little pigeon, very intelligent and 'small but perfectly made'.

[Trev]

Great story Muzza and good to hear the wee one has made a good recovery and has established her place in your loft, obviously a gutsy little lady so being English I would have to call her Maggie after the strongest leader this country has ever had
As far as her breeding goes everyone and their aunt around here seem to have Pit Bull lines at the moment, I have been offered some but I won't be joining them as I've always hated following the masses lol I might not win much but I'll enjoy just trying to improve my own stuff lol

[Murray]

Of course the 'Pitbull' is just another of the same lines that made good, and clever people are making a fast buck out of it.
That said, after a decade of breeding of the same thing year in and year out, they were a family, but nothing special.
These pigeons which are the absolute latest thing are better. Faster and smarter. Every generation that goes by, the poorer ones, i.e. the slower, dumber ones, are eliminated.
These things are half human. The wee hen in this story comes in through the sputnik on the call, after 3 or 4 days of it, like it has a chip in it's head.
It's unnerving. I can stand in the loft with a tin of feed, call them, and they pour in the sputnik and through the door, everything in in 30 or 40 seconds. It doesn't matter that they really aren't terribly hungry, they seem to have the imprinting of 150 generations in them.
I remember having youngsters spending hours messing about, even if you kept them hungry.
Not these things. They come out of the nest pre programmed.

[Murray]

Great story Muzza and good to hear the wee one has made a good recovery and has established her place in your loft, obviously a gutsy little lady so being English I would have to call her Maggie after the strongest leader this country has ever had
As far as her breeding goes everyone and their aunt around here seem to have Pit Bull lines at the moment, I have been offered some but I won't be joining them as I've always hated following the masses lol I might not win much but I'll enjoy just trying to improve my own stuff lol

Thanks Trev, but I already have a Maggie. And I agree, another Iron Lady is needed like never before.
I am a fan of Boris, if for no other reason that he is committed to what is best for the UK. Sadly, he isn't coherent enough to achieve it.
We live in worrying times. But, we still have pigeons.

[Murray]

I think I shall call her Ashley, after Ash Barty, who is not only a champion tennis player, but a champion person. She has achieved greatness in her sport by sheer effort and determination.
Yep, that'll do.

[Trev]

I think I shall call her Ashley, after Ash Barty, who is not only a champion tennis player, but a champion person. She has achieved greatness in her sport by sheer effort and determination.
Yep, that'll do.

Sounds good to me mate