ClayHaven Farms | Racing Pigeons | Pure Paul Sions

Donnie Zehr Feb 07, 22

All varieties of pigeons descend from the original wild Blue Rock Pigeons. Pigeons have been domesticated by man for centuries and in the process of descent they have branched off into many varieties. A variety of pigeon is an expression used to classify a distinct group that has established characteristics such as the Fantail, the Pouter and the Tumbler. These varieties have been formed by man through the careful breeding together of pigeons with unusual characteristics until, through many successive generations, the offspring appeared definitely different from the original Blue Rock Pigeon and from other varieties,

Not unlike other varieties of pigeons the Homing Pigeon is a recent creation of man accomplished by cross breeding about six other varieties of pigeons. The period of time in which this cross breeding took place is not more than 200 years past, although it will be borne in mind that the ancestors of the modern Homing Pigeons were themselves in turn produced by the cross breeding of other earlier varieties.

The object in cross breeding the several varieties to produce the modern Homer was to obtain a bird that would fly to its home when taken away and liberated for longer distances at faster speed and with dependability of return. The present breeder of Homing Pigeons selects certain birds to mate together to accomplish the same purpose.

Many fanciers select mates at random and this author believes that some definite knowledge along these lines might be of interest to those who would desire to place their mating's on a more scientific basis. To possess a masterful skill in mating Homing Pigeons it is essential to know what we might say would constitute a perfect Homing Pigeon and then possess the scientific knowledge of individual birds in order to intelligently select those which when mated will breed in the desired selection.

Of the several original varities used to breed together to produce the Homing Pigeon none had the equal flying ability over distances and at speeds of the modern Homer. It may therefore be concluded that the perfect modern Homer is a blend of its several ancestors.

It is well know fact that by continuously breeding Homers together of certain cahracteristics they can be bred out and back to a respective ancestor. As an example of this we were to continuously, for many generations, breed short faced Homers with frills on their chest, we would ultimately breed back to the Owl pigeons, which are among the ancestors of the modern Homer. We, of course, know that when we had bred this Owl it would not have the flying ability of our present Homer and therefore the breeding would be in the wrong direction to acquire the desired purpose of longer and faster homing flight.

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