32 THE PIGEON BOOK 



The idea that pigeons always breed a pair in a nest 

 is fallacious, as I have known pairs that have been 

 regular cock-breeders in nest ifter nest giving nothing 

 but males, and strange to say the following year this 

 same pair have thrown a preponderance of hens. No 

 reliance can be placed on the breeding of pigeon pairs, as 

 some suppose. 



In selecting birds for reproduction soundness must be 

 one of the first considerations. Let me warn the beginner 

 against breeding or attempting to breed from very old, 

 worn-out stock, or to attempt to reproduce from immature 

 young birds; both will give equally disappointing 

 results. 



You can only obtain healthy offspring from healthy 

 stock. In the case of show birds that have been run off 

 their legs they will not give anything like good results. 

 The same thing applies to old racers. Birds that have 

 been raced year after year on the road will not give such 

 sound young as the more youthful ones that have not 

 had such exhaustive journeys to make. 



I do not despise young birds bred from yearlings — 

 that is to say, pigeons of a year old. In fact, providing 

 the ascendency is right, I find the best way to breed to 

 line is through the yearling descendants of champions. 



The beginner, having purchased his stock, having mas- 

 tered the many details of rearing, is anxious to produce 

 a champion. Can he the more speedily do so by crossing 

 or in-breeding? 



My own opinion is that the easiest method to reproduce 

 form, colour, and type is by close in-breeding. The 

 better bred the stock the easier is the reproduction of the 

 good typical pigeon. But here let me point out that 

 excessive in-breeding leads to loss of constitution, and I 



