The Racing Plan

Start next season's racing plan prior to breeding. Stay the course, and only make small, fine adjustments as required. Patience!

Twenty words or less TCC Loft series

Search This Blog

Search this blog found in the right hand column not only searches this pigeon blog site, but also searches the links to this site. Once the search is entered, a new window will open up with two tabs: 'This Blog', and 'Linked From Here'. Give it a try. You'll be surprised with the results.

Why Do We Inbreed?

We inbreed in order to retain desirable traits while attempting to generate animals homozygous for these traits. Note, however, that resistance to disease, fertility and size are reduced in inbred animals. Therefore, we must be especially selective and take care that only healthy birds are used for breeding. After all, vitality, endurance and the desire to fly are the mainstays of the sport.

Taken from Pigeon Racing Today & Tomorrow

by J.W.E. Stam, D.V.M, Ph.D.

Scheduled Blogs

I want to thank everyone that follows these blog pages, and I hope they're helpful. Currently I have over 100 new blogs written and scheduled to post. My daughter says that's scary. If something  happened to me, I would continue to haunt everyone with scheduled blogs popping up on their own.

Blogs that will appear between now and the end of the year include;

• Tail Grand Dam
• A Good Moult
• Diatomaceous Earth
• Stupidities
• Quality Feed
• The Cross
• Speed
• Super Good Health
• Potency
• Golden Eggs
• Thick Legs
• Suppleness

Health Program

Your Health Program should include Natural Product. Only use antibiotics when advised by a veterinarian.

Twenty words or less TCC Loft Series

The Weather

We saw snow today in Barrie, and I've had the pool closed for almost two months. The weather is a changing. Maybe I should take a round or two out of this one.

This SION not for sale

Eliminate the By-Laws

On the way home tonight, I was listening to the Fan 590's Bob McCown discussing an initiative to introduce hockey to 'new' Canadians. The last generation was introduced to hockey through 'road hockey', which today is almost unseen due to the by-laws put in place over the last 10 - 20 years. We will soon see a push to eliminate these by-laws across Canada, which will surely see growth to our national sport.

Are pigeon fanciers and our national organizations also ready to fight back? Will green backyards, the re-introduction of poultry, vegetable gardens, and cloths lines within test municipalities help set the stage for us to make the same push?

Food for thought!

Judgement

It is unwise to judge a bird on one point of its physical constitution, and particularly on a characteristic that can be seen or felt, and thereby classify it as an outstanding ace or a reject. A pigeon is a whole entity and one visible defect can not condemn it. Is this defect compensated by unseen qualities? Only the race basket will answer that question.

Jules Dehantschutter discusses in his book

The Road To Success

Will Offer SION on Choice Pigeon

On November 7, 2010, I will offer on Choice Pigeon

CU 04 BORD 4325 Red Grizzle SION Cock
Starting Bid $500.00 Canadian 

John Pfeiffer Jr. - Gemini Loft, picked out two pair of SIONS to re-introduce the SION blood back into his loft, and "4325" was one of the two "TCC Loft" cocks picked out by John.

Medium, well bodied, with a beautiful eye, this cock the best of Tony Paszterko and John Pfeiffer SIONS.

SIRE: 0948 is off Tony Paszterko's foundation "Triple 870" cock mated to John Pfeiffer's direct daughter of Joe Bates "National Hero", also Grand Daughter of Fountainhead's "Lee's Faith" & "Virgo". The "Triple 870" is Double Grand Son mated back to Daughter of CHAMPION CU 70 BAR 870, 16 x 1st, and 1972 CU Old Bird Champion. "870" is inbred Chas. Heitzman. "National Hero" 3rd Open Fed, 64th Open U.N.C. Bourges, 555 miles, 3,595 birds, 46th U.N.C. Lillers, 330 miles, 17,000 birds, British Record Holder, 8th Open Section "K" 175th Open Pau, 788 miles, 5,330 birds, and a velocity of 941. "Lee's Faith" 1st open Thurso 565 miles, and 6 x 1st club wins. "Virgo" British Record Holder, Winner of 1st North-East 700 Mile Club and 1st Flying Club YB from Rennes.

DAM: 17676 is down from Tony Paszterko's "Woodpecker" and "Maroon Eye" Heitzman lines, and John Pfeiffer's "Frenchie" lines thru Sam Marshall's Champion "BADDER". 17676's parent's are brother and sister to winners. These HEITZMAN SIONS not only produced race winners, but were also successful in local shows. There's only one non-Sion cross in 4325's pedigree from Rolf Bachmann's "KADET" imports, and this crossing produced a combine winner in first year of pairing.  

Yesterday's Paszterko SIONS Today - Part 1

National Hero

Paszterko's 0948 Pedigree Also includes Champion "Virgo"

Sam Marshall's - French Cock - AU 55 55010

Rolf Bachmann's - CU 94 HV 490 Bronze Wft Cock

Today's Currency Converter

Red C

A few years back, Dave Ottaway introduced me to this product. Back then it was called 'Red Cell'. I use 'Red C' or 'Wheat Germ Oil' a couple of times a week to bind other feed supplements to my feed mix.

Label

Vitamin and Trace Mineral Supplement For Horses

For Animal Use Only

Caution Keep Out of Reach of Children

Density at 20 degrees C 1.08Kg / L

This feed contains added selenium at 27 mg/kg

GUARANTEED ANALYSIS - Per Kg - Per 30 ml

Vitamin A - 782,650 I.U - 25,000 I.U

Vitamin D3 - 109,516 I.U - 3,500 I.U

Vitamin E - 1,408 I.U - 45 I.U

Thiamine (Vitamin B1) - 1,720 mg - 55 mg

Vitamin B12 - 3,128 mcg - 120 mcg

Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) - 876 mg - 28 mg

Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) 313 mg - 10 mg

Vitamin K - 78 kg - 2.5 mg

Folic Acid - 313 mg - 10 mg

Biotin -  0.781 mcg - 0.025 mcg

Choline - 6,247 mg - 200 mg

d-Pantothenic Acid - 1,564 mg - 50 mg

Iron - 9,381 mg - 300 mg

Copper - 1,377 mg - 44 mg

Cobalt - 70 mg - 2.2 mg

Manganese 1,100 mg - 39 mg

Zinc - 3,392 mg - 110 mg

Iodine - 9 mg - 0.25 mg

Fluorine - 2,066 mg - 0.066 mg

Red C is a palatable Vitamin and Mineral feed supplement for horses formulated to provide supplemental vitamins and minerals that may be lacking or are in insufficient quantities in a horse's regular feed.

Feeding Directions

CAUTION: Directions for use must be carefully followed. This feed contains sodium saccharin and shall not be fed to lactating cows.

1 ml = 1.065 grams

Horses in Training: 60 ml of Red C daily

Horses not in Training: 30 ml of Red C daily

Feed Red C by mixing into daily feed ration.

IMPORTANT: Store in a cool, dry place. This product must be agitated while being fed. Shake well before using. Keep from freezing. Close container after each use. The viscosity of this product will vary inversely with temperature.

Feeding vitamins other than Vitamin A, D, E, riboflavin, pyridoxine and thiamine to horses may not have a beneficial effect.

INGREDIENTS:

Water, Citric Acid, Ferric Ammonium Citrate, Choline Chloride, Sorbitol, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Carbonate, Magnesium Sulfate, Potassium Chloride, Zinc Sulfate, Thiamine Hydrochloride, d-Pantothenic Acid, Sodium Sacchain, Manganese Sulfate, D-alpha Tocopherol Acetate (Source of Vitamin E), Vitamin A Acetate, D-Activated Animal Sterol (Source of Vitamin D-3), Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Potassium Sorbate (as preservative), Sodium Benzoate, Niacinamide, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K), Cobalt Sulfate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Selenite, Dehydrated Seaweed Meal, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Cyanocobalamin (Source of Vitamin B-12), D-Biotin, Cherry Flavor

(Reg. No. 980676) and FD&C Red #40

Manufactured for:

Farnam Companies, Inc

301 West Osborn Road

Phoenix, AZ 85013

1-800-548-2828

Canadian Representative:

Wellmark International

100 Stone Road West, Ste. 111

Guelph, ON N1G 5L3

Product Code: 70101 RM# 2008989 07-1707



Loft Odor

Suspect problems if your loft feels damp or you can smell pigeon.

Twenty words or less TCC Loft series

Mosquitoes

During the hot summer months, many mosquitoes enter the loft and they spread many kinds of diseases. There is not much anyone can do about these pests, but they can be controlled to a great degree. An insect strip, changed every three weeks, will control most of the mosquitoes. Most strips are supposed to be effective for three months but when placed in the loft, which is really outdoors, they are effective for three weeks only.

Taken from Rotondo Racing Pigeons

1980

A Classic book

Welded Wire

TCC Loft - Main Building

I utilized a building already on the property. Building size 12' x 24' with aviary at the back south end, and across the entire east front. One change if doing it again, would be to use 1/2" x 1/2" welded wire instead of the 1" x 1" used.

Signs of Condition

No bird should be raced except when in the most perfect physical condition. Such a bird invariably has a CLEAR WHITE WATTLE and CERE about the eye. The EYE itself should SPARKLE WITH LIFE AND STRENGTH. The feathers ought to FIT CLOSELY to the pigeon's trim body and possess an EXQUISITE PURE SHEEN. The FEET of healthy birds are always a DEEP RED. Male birds when in prime condition DO MUCH COOING AND CROWING. They also FLAP THEIR WINGS as if conscious of their strength for long and sustained flights.

Taken from Young Bird Training Methods

by Chas. Heitzman

Charlie also goes on to say, The trained ear can hear which pigeons are in form by listening to the different tones and sounds of the circling birds.

Uninvited Guests

Now is the time to check the perimeter of the loft for breach's!

What are the chances of Producing two Champions?

What is the chance of one pair of breeders producing two CHAMPIONS, when a pigeon has 80 pair of chromosomes, that each contain hundreds of gene pairs. The number of possible genotypes is essentially unlimited.

This question is covered in J.W.E. Stam's

Pigeon Racing Today & Tomorrow

Idle Breeders

To prevent disappointment, do not let your Idle Breeders miss more than one breeding season.

Twenty words or less TCC Loft series

A Flying Dutchman - No Bull Shit

Ad Schaerlaeckens, writer of the world famous "Janssen Book", hundreds of magazine articles, and a successful web site, is featured in Jim Jenner's 2009 complimentary video accompanying the "Secrets of Champions IV" Paccom video.

When discussing this video with an acquaintance, it was mentioned that the video had little content. I'm fortunate to own a large library consisting of hundred's of sport related videos, books, and magazines, and consider this Schaerlaeckens interview as one of the best videos in my collection!

I hope this bullet review will prove this is a must own video to be watched several times. Be sure to buy two copies, and pass one to a friend.

• Some of the BEST birds have been FREE
• Breed many, race many, and eliminate many
• Get rid of the bad ones, sell the good ones, and breed from the SUPERS
• Introduce new blood from lofts with heavy competition
• Every two years buy 4-5 young ones from a new source, or a round if you have the room
• Let the breeder select the pairing, they know their birds best
• Ad owns several breeding sections and describes how he pairs up
• Paper doesn't make a good pigeon
• Big name lofts usually share birds between them
• If a pair produces one SUPER, they're considered a good breeding pair
• Ad can't pick a good one, but certainly can eliminate the bad ones
• A bad one has no natural health, no balance, and does not possess soft feathers
• The birds that have the most difficulty flying up after a bath should be eliminated
• There's no Magic Pills or Powders
• Garlic and Vinegar, but not during racing
• Be a good observer
• We pay too much attention to details that don't matter, forget the small stuff
• Beware of the Power of Media / Internet, everyone has a motive within their message, pretty websites sell more pigeons, 80% of the Old Belgian Lofts don't own a computer
• Animal Protection shut down the world famous ORLEANS, FRANCE race, said event tortured birds
• Loft design, function, and essentials is discussed
• Loft must promote natural immunity
• Loft should be dry, no smell, provide fresh air, and be warm
• Corn Cobs as floor dressing
• Ad's very simple feeding program
• Fresh grit every second day
• Train your young birds with selected old birds
• Peanuts, Grit, and Small Seeds are placed on his trapping antenna for returning race birds
• Don't leave basketed birds in the sun
• Don't ship birds that have a crop full of water
• Create jealousy by mixing up your widowhood pairs prior to shipping
• Don't use the same jealousy tricks every week
• Droppers to help trap returning racers
• Light manipulation for young and old birds
• Darken 6-8 weeks from Mid-March, with a total day light of 9 1/2 to 10 hours
• YB's come into super form two weeks after darkening system stopped
• Racing Hens the new STRONG SEX
• Breeding / Selection criteria Natural Health Vs. Speed
• Everyone complains they have a bad location, and the toughest competition
• Enjoy your birds, but don't sacrifice family or events
• Learn to spend less time with your birds
• Gain Success thru balance of good birds, health, loft, handler, observation, and selection
• Usually the fanciers with poor results are the ones using the most medications
• Good Vet's only prescribe medication when required
• When treating ailments, never use the same drug for three years
• Salmonella treatment won't interfere with the moult
• Don't needle during moult, best time to needle is 5-6 weeks prior to breeding
• Adeno and Ad's cure
• Giving medications during winter vs summer

There's alot more discussed on this video, and the value is there!

Appetite & Form

Contrarily to what most fanciers believe, the pigeon in good form has good appetite and those that have previously flown well and now seem to refuse food must be cared for in particular because it is a sign that form is diminishing.

The Practical side of Pigeon Racing

by Leon Petit

1952

Manage Canker

Treat prior to Breeding, be prepared to treat racing team and fall. Manage with regular use of Garlic and Vinegar.

Twenty words or less TCC Loft series

Estopina Method for Nocturnal Flights

Estopina was an officer of the Spanish Marines. He was in his time an eminent fancier. He was one day requested by the organisers of the International Exhibition of Valencia, to install in the centre of this exhibition a pigeon loft from which 400 pigeons would fly by night. Estopina accepted. He succeeded completely. He worked in the following manner: 400 young pigeons for weaning were placed in the pigeon lofts of the exhibition. Their food was distributed to them solely by night in lamp light, and to the sound of the same whistle. The pigeon lofts, closed all day long, were only opened in the evening for the compulsory flight.

He always released the pigeons 30 minutes before darkness. The first flight lasted 15 minutes, then 16 minutes, 17 minutes etc. One minute more each day. One month later the pigeons were then flying for 45 minutes, this being 15 minutes in complete darkness. Each flight ended with blowing a whistle for recall, whilst the doors were wide open, lighted, and the food was distributed. All the pigeons entered the loft. The flights continued to be lengthened. The release took place later and later. They now went out about 10 o'clock in the evening, and flew one hour in full night darkness.

In the starry night of the exhibition, it was a magnificent spectacle for the public, who were amazed and admired these pigeons of which the undersides of the light coloured wings sparkled in the light of the innumerable lamps, and the rustling of the beating wings attracted the glances of the interested visitors.

At the first sound of the whistle, the pigeons came back, flying at full speed and landed through the open doors of the pigeon loft which were illuminated. It was admirable: a circus training brought to perfection.

Taken from Pierre Dordin, The complete Fancier, His Life, His Pigeons, His Studies, by Dr. Tim Lovel

Genetic Link

Is the "Champion Racing" gene simply linked to the "Color" gene?

I don't know, but pull out your pedigrees, identify your foundation Champion, and move forward through the generations. An answer could be there.

Longevity

Major A. Neilson Hutton "Longevity and fertility are pointers to a sound constitution and resistance to disease; furthermore, they are passed from one generation to another. On the other hand, the loss of fertility, decrease in hatchibility and young going wrong before maturity are danger signs which cannot be ignored. Cocks retain their fertility to a greater age than hens which, by reason of their sex, are prone to disorders of their generative organs and experience a higher mortality rate than cocks. However, the old hen which lays regularly and produces normal-sized and shaped eggs without apparent distress, from which hatch vigorous well formed youngsters is well worth breeding from just as long as she does so."

Ad Schaerlaeckens suggests that we weaken our birds by selecting only by performance. Longevity is proof of the natural health and vitality within the body. These birds survive and thrive in spite of our well planned health programs. Champion breeders naturally carry that special longevity gene, and can produce their like into a second decade.

The Old Masters knew how important it was to keep the old Stalwarts in the breeding loft (where they died)! They represented the best of natural vitality, and had nature's approval to survive. Health and vitality must be the first selection criteria within the breeding loft.

Longevity helps identify which being's possess this all important natural health and vitality.