PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES OF PIGEON BREEDING 83 



less individual family of a certain breed or varicly. To build 

 lip a strain is not such an easy task as some arc inclined to 

 think for it takes time, forethought, energy and one must apply 

 the soundest breeding iiraetices. Some novices will purchase 

 a few pair of birds and as soon as they have raised a icw 

 youngsters and mated them they offer these birds for sale as 

 of a certain strain, giving them a name \\hicli is usually that 

 of their owner such as Fred Smith Strain of Homers. This is 

 not a strain. \\"hat individuality have they? Profiably none; 

 no outstanding featui'c at all very likely. Strains are not made 

 in one generation nor two iiut they are made from several 

 of them wherein the hi-eeder has sought for and has accom- 

 plished som(> one or two things which will make his birds 

 stand out pre-euiinenth'. Do not misunderstand me. I do not 

 mean that he has gone so far as to create a new tyjie of bird 

 nor a new color in his birds because if he were to do this he 

 would go further than to build uj) a strain, his newly made 

 type would not fit the standard for the breed nor would the 

 folor. That is not what is desired at all. \Miat he has done 

 when he has made up a strain is that he has selected certain 

 specimens that are within the limits of the standard and which 

 possess to a more or less mark(^d degree certain desired charac- 

 teristics and has, In' careful line breeding, improved these 

 charactei'istics until they stand out pre-eminently. Certain 

 strains are noted for excellent type, which is handed down from 

 one generation to another; others for excellent color, others for 

 good ceres, etc. Having Ijred such birds that are traceable back 

 to a few and which have been bred with no introduction of new 

 blood he has established what is known as a strain. 



INBREEDING: Inbreeding is the lireeding together of birds 

 which are related either closely or distantly. Some think that 

 inbreeding is wrong, that it will work against the laws of 

 nature, etc. This is true to a certain extent >('t authorities on 

 pigeon and poultry breeding agree that inbreeding is the cpiick- 

 est and siu'cst way of estalilishing and making more or less per- 

 manent the ability of Iiirds to reproduce desired characteristics 



