Many fanciers have found that certain matings give consistently better results based on prior pedigree information and race results.  The term “nicking” has often been used to describe this phenomenon.  It is based entirely on the racing and breeding performances of the past.  It works on the theory that history tends to repeat itself in terms of both proven and failed results.

The concept of bloodlines that have unique compatibility is very appealing to the fancier, because it is easier for him to select his pairings for the breeding loft.  However, a nicking pattern is not a crystal ball, but it can give you an accurate picture of the past.

Most breeding programs or methods are a form of inbreeding, line breeding, crossbreeding (outbreeding) or a combination of all of the above.  A simple explanation of each is below:

Inbreeding is the mating of related individuals, usually not more than two generations removed from one another.  You can achieve the maximum inbreeding in a single mating by breeding brother to sister.

Line breeding is usually considered a form of inbreeding.  Line breeding is the breeding of an individual to one of his or her ancestors.  Line breeding causes the offspring to resemble one particular individual in their family, more closely than the others.  You can obtain the strongest possible line breeding effect by breeding a sire to his own daughters for several generations.

Crossbreeding (outbreeding) is a mating between birds that are less closely related than the average.  A mating is considered outbreeding when the two birds show no common ancestors in a four-generation pedigree.  Outbreeding is closely related to a phenomenon known as “Hybrid Vigor”.  This is when a cross is made between two different inbred families of birds; the crossbreeds often prove to be superior to either of the original families.  Hybrid Vigor does not always occur.  However, crossbreeding has produced excellent racers.  This method is basically to select the best to breed to the best, regardless of relationship.

Actually, the percentage of good pigeons that are bred by most of these theories is no greater than is obtained from plain “hit or miss” breeding.  It is hard for us to accept that “mother nature” may know more about breeding better birds.  Letting the birds select their own mates and breeding boxes has produced many excellent birds, without the aid of human intervention.

With the unique style of racing in Taiwan, no long range-breeding program is possible.  We must develop a program one generation at a time to evaluate our results.  This is due to the 3 season young bird race series at different times of the year.  We must plan our mating according to the conditions of each race series, due to the changing weather conditions of each racing season. We are dependent upon the method of survival of the fittest to guide our future breeding plans for each race series.  Therefore, the theory of nicking patterns plays an important role in our selection process.  We base the knowledge and wisdom to select the best breeding pairs for improvement of the birds on past experiences.  Our breeding goals fall into a few simple categories based on these past experiences:  excellent health, homing ability and navigating skills, racing toughness and determination and easily motivated birds with proven race results in that particular race series, for that time of year at the young age of 3-6 months.

 

Those racers and their closely related bloodlines that have achieved the highest standard of performance and great race results have consistently proven to be outstanding breeders.  It is very common to find that a full brother or sister to a top performer produces better offspring than the ‘CHAMPION” in the breeding loft.  Breeders that stay with a group of birds and their closely related ancestors that have been competitive in the race series have had more then their share of success in large prizes and pools.

 

The theory “Likes produce Likes” can be very true, but we must understand that “No two birds are ever identical”, even those from the same sire and dam.  Therefore, a selection process is necessary.  It is the responsibility of the breeder to only select from the best of the bloodlines that have proven themselves in the race series or have produced birds that have been successful.

 

One or two pair of proven breeders can make a fancier very famous and rich for several years.  If he selects the best of their children, he can continue that success for several generations.  The successful fancier only breeds from the bloodlines of racing performers.  Any fancier that concentrates on any other criteria is doomed to failure.  A fancier’s ego is very important to him, as well as how others see him.  He either wins the prizes, or he goes home empty handed.  There is no middle ground.  For that reason many selection theories have developed to select the best birds, including eye sign, wing formation, body conformation, etc. All have failed.  There is no substitute for success and great race results.  Therefore, buy the birds that have already been successful.  Do not try to invent a replacement for the wheel.  If you know the birds and bloodlines that have had great results, then buy them and save yourself a great deal of time and money.  These birds’ bloodlines must be in the 1st or 2nd generation of the pedigree.  There is no genetic influence past the 3rd generation.  The probability of going past the 4th generation is a scientific absurdity.

 

We know that a parent passes on an average of 50% of its genes, while a grandparent passes on 25%, a great-grandparent 12.5% and so on.  For every time the “Champion” appears in the pedigree, you can add up the percentage genes that it passes on and estimate the percentage of its blood.  In many champion birds, an influential bird may appear in several generations.  It will appear several times and can contribute a large proportion of its genes to the pedigree. This bird plays a great role in the genetic makeup.

 

You must destroy all undesirable birds and keep only the best birds for breeding.  Both good and bad hereditary traits are present in every bird. Our goal is to keep and produce the desirable characteristics, while eliminating the bad traits.  Always keep in mind that your end product can only be as good as the foundation it was built on.

 

You get no second chance in a race series in Taiwan; a bad race performance eliminates the bird.  It will never compete again.  A breeder must look for frequency of success of a bird in a race series, and the frequency of success of its closely related ancestors, before he breeds from such a bird.

 

A great deal of publicity and fame has been achieved and credited to the HVR’S in Taiwan racing history, both past and present.  This fame is justly credited to a great family of birds and their ability to fly at all distances and speeds.  However, we must remember that not all HVR’S are great racers and breeders.  You must select and cull them based on their performance and proven results, like any other family of pigeons. Fanciers must remember, you are buying the bird, not the family name.  It must show you race results, not just a pretty pedigree from a famous family.

 

The big problem we have today is the “COMMERCIAL BREEDERS”.  They breed for sales appeal instead of racing ability.  Most of them are only selling feathers, not quality birds that can handle the tough style of racing in Taiwan.  We see several hundred birds a year being offered to fanciers from these commercial breeders.  They are only breeding large numbers from several pairs of unproven breeders.  There is no fancier or breeder in the world that has that many quality birds to have auctions and sales several times a year, advertising that he sells hundreds of birds to fanciers from his best breeders.  These feather merchants have taken advantage of many and caused a big disaster in the breeding of quality racers.  They are the cause of poor race results and many bad genetic disorders.  Most of time, their large advertising campaign is 100 % better than the birds they offer.  It has always been my belief that you should go to a small breeder with a few select pairs of proven breeders to obtain your new birds. The selection is small, but the quality is great.