High flying pigeons breeding techniques to produce great flyers

Pigeon's Breeding techniques is the most demanding and important topic of pigeon's fancy. People from all over the world try to find out the best techniques to produce great flying pigeons. Remember, it is not impossible to produce pigeon with great flying and homing abilities. All you need to have experience, bird’s understanding and your own desirable requirements. In this topic, I will discuss Highflying pigeon's breeds, pairing, structure, diet, breeding season, cage and breeding accommodation. 

In my last topics, I have already discussed regarding different highflying breeds and their differences. In this post I will more be more focused on the difference of structure and their impacts on flying pattern. It is ironic that definition of breed is different in sub-continent and totally opposite in western or developed countries. People in subcontinent name the breed after their color but not their body structure. Therefore it is very difficult to standardize one breed. However, to keep myself in the boundaries of our topic I will be focused on body structure without getting into argument of breed. For understanding major difference in structure by breed and their flying pattern you can learn more here

There are few very important points to be considered before starting breeding program.

Breeding Season:

IN sub-continent like India and Pakistan, people prefer to start breeding in moderate weather. In case of wild dove or wild pigeons, they breed throughout the year but they minimize their breeding in humid weather like moonsoon. I have also seen in case of domestic pigeons that raining season is never be suitable for pigeon's breeding. It is moist, very humid, so it consumes for energy of breeding pair. Due to moist weather and cool breezes sometime it become difficult to keep breeders healthy. The biggest reason for this is that pigeon fanciers in this region do not have extra money to make ideal lofts for their breeding pigeons. So it is better to avoid breeding in moonsoon season. One more reason that in rainy season pigeon start molting which enforce extra burden on pigeon's health and consume more energy. The ideal breeding season in my opinion is fall from September to November or you may continue this to early winter. Definitely not in case of cold areas. 

Diet and medication:

It is very important that your pigeons should be vaccinated before getting into intense breeding period. There are number of vaccination available in the market, I have found that

vaccines containing Enrofloxacina is the most effective for prevention of very harmful diseases like - Coccidiosis ,Salmonellosis, Infections caused by bacteria, Respiratory infections, Diarrhea, Gastro, intestinal tract infections Ornithosis. I found Baytril made by Bayer is the most effective vaccine for prevention of all above disease. If you cannot find Beytril, you may order here

Another good vaccination for respiratory infections is Tylosin. It is also the best vaccine and help to minimize the chances of respiratory problems like ornithosis, watery eyes, dirty or wet infected nose, distemper, coryza, dirty airways, colds, breathing sounds, red throat and wet, flying with open beak. It increase the resistance power of pigeon. You can order Tylosin vaccine here

Now lets move to procedure of picking and developing great highflying pigeons

Your existing force:

At first, check your available birds. Do they have some records? Have anyone of them done something exceptional? Do they belong to good bread?

Selection by structure:

Have you ever seen a jet fighter plane and a passenger plane? Who fly with super speed? Off course fighter plan. Why? If I ask why fighter plane fly at high speed answer would be due to jet engines. Yes answer is right but not 100% right because it is not the only reason. Body structure, wing structure, feather quantity all together plays vital role to set up a bird’s flight pattern. Here is the different flying patterns of flying pigeons

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Review their past record.

This is very important to check pigeons past record. In racing pigeon fancy, fanciers consider fastest racer pigeon as their breeder. Same technique should be used in high flying pigeons. Fancier should test their pigeons at all scales, e.g: stamina, flying pattern, duration, fighting abilities against hot weather and cold weather. Fancier should have appropriate knowledge of his bird’s behavior in the training process, at the time of special feed-ups and stimulation etc. 

Breed:

Fancier should have good knowledge of it's breed stock. (Again I want to say that never run after breeds because it will not help you in developing best endurance flier)

After reviewing your existing stock, list down your best birds (male first) and then females. Please remember, even if you find out one best pair stick on it do not run to the market and no need to find new birds. In case, if you think that your whole stock is useless. Then you should sale all of them at first and then find good birds for yourself.

Pairing pattern

Always remember never breed same birds for different results. If you want to increase strengths, intelligence and most importantly to get brilliant flyers, follow few pairing tips.

If you have selected e.g: 5 males. Now take out best 5 females for them. Now below are the points you need to understand before making their pairs.

I will again emphasize on the point that you should understand your needs and requirements.

For instance: If your existing stock had a problem in homing instincts. Then you should focus on the intelligence of your birds. If you have flying issues then you should focus on the flying and intelligence both because in case if one of these things is lacking your whole efforts will be useless. 

See my below videos, Watch four very important points that need to be considered before pairing up new pigeons.

This is the series of 4 videos where I described in details four important points that need to considered before pairing up new pigeons

1) What color you are looking for in younf birds
2) What Structure you are looking for in young birds

3) What intelligence you are looking for in young birds
4) What Flying Structure you are looking for in young birds

There are three breeding methods,

1.    In breeding

2.    Line breeding

3.    Cross breeding

In breeding:

It is kind of breeding program where siblings are paired together. For example: pairing of brother sisters, father/daughter, mother/Son etc. This system is actually considered best when you are trying to achieve same result from YBS. I call it photocopier system.

It has certain advantages and disadvantage. Like you don’t get extra ordinary things, it also increases the chances of genetically diseases time by time due to using same blood.

Line breeding:

This is best breeding system to have same qualities plus some other varieties with in a family. This is actually a process when pairing to be done between family members’ cousins, uncle and aunts etc. It produces very intelligent and powerful breeds. This process is used to produce same off spring with same qualities. In case if you have bloodline which produces great YBS always use line breeding system in order to keep same properties in all birds.

Cross-breeding

When two species from different blood, family, even breed are bred is called cross breeding. In world of pigeons it is like crossing two different breeds like high flying with racer pigeon to produce totally different breed can named as cross breeding. For better understanding take example of LIGER. A cross bred animal and a totally separate breed came into exist by crossing a tiger with a lioness. 

So the reason for cross-breeding is to achieve two totally different expects in a single breed.

If we take examples from pigeon world than we can see number of breeds but teddy is one of the most famous breed in high fly pigeon world. History tells that this breed was also produced from cross-breeding between qasoori and sialkoti pigeons.

The reason behind explaining all above three breeding systems is to just understand the correct procedures of breeding. Now let us discuss the most important expect to find out best breeder pigeon for your breeding stock.

It is easier to find out best bird from your stock rather finding in market. It has already discussed that what qualities you should see in your existing flying team. Good bird selection from market is an art. One should have great judging skills and experience to find out the best breeder.

One should consider below things before buying any pigeon.

Always make a standard for bird size and body structure. Here in Karachi we mostly have very windy season. It is also the major reason behind pigeon fancy changed towards low flier pigeons. In windy season it is really difficult for high flyer to fight with the wind while flying and landing at home. The main reason behind it is high flyer structures. Now breeders has come over to this problem at some extent and now existing high flying in Karachi has abilities to fight against air flow.

Let’s come back to our topic. For selection a pigeon without having its background knowledge, fancier should consider below points.

Body structure

While choosing a bird must look into the body structure very carefully. Remember few points that bird should not have extra weight. It should not have very broad chest with hard surface. My preference is always to choose bird with V-shaped chest structure. This kind of bird does not have much fats and protein layers on his chest. Bird should also do not have fats and meat on the wing joint. Mean if you try to check its wing and elbow joint you should feel its bone, with only one layer of muscles that are folded over to join wing with the shoulder.

Remember this that body structure also varies from breed to breed but standards are always same. For example Mercedes and BMW launch a sports car with two different shapes colors and systems but to achieve their goal of speed and beauty they must have similar system inside. System always works commonly. So pigeon from all the breeds can be good but identification of your requirement is very important.

Wing structure

The most important element of any flying pigeon is its wing structure. One should understand its functions according to designs. Good wing of a pigeon is a key of successful flyer. Its design and structure varies bird to bird. Even siblings have been seen with two different wind designs and structures. There is few birds in same family are seen to have same structure. As it is completely different chapter I will share with you about wings details in separate post. Right now just note important attributes.

Watch bird’s wing very carefully, hold bird’s wing from its shoulder and open its wing. Check feather shape of the bird. Good bird does not have any gap in the primary feather and all feathers would be very nicely settled. Middle feather should have same shape with same end round. Then outer feathers mean main 6, to 10 kali should be inner side. This kind of wing structure has always performed well. To check wing span of the bird, use very easy way by checking the length of 10 primaries with the length of tail. No need to and hold the pigeon in your hand just look while he is sitting. Learn more about pigeon wing patterns here and here

There can be number of other methods to produce great highflying pigeons. You can also share your experiences by posting your comments. 

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