articles-and-discussions

Die Teler en Genetika

Wed, 02 Oct 2013 14:01:58 +0100

Dit is baie goed om die wette van Mendel te bestudeer. Dit gee vir ons die teoretiese sy van teling, en weet ons waaroor dit gaan. Maar om dit prakties toe te pas, is ‘n perd van ‘n ander kleur. Ons kan nie vir die duif vertel watter van sy chromosome ons verlang nie. Ons wil graag ons duiwe innerlik(geneties) reg hê, en ook uiterlik(foneties). Al kry ons die duif foneties min of meer reg, kan daar geneties nog baie skort. Dit is dan hier waar prestasietoetsing inkom. Hier haal ons uit die duif wat in hom is. ‘n Belg het ‘n ware spreukwoord gehad : “Jy kan nie uit n fles neem wat nie daarin is nie.

Die teler moet sy duiwe haarfyn ken en bestudeer. Dan praat ons nie net van die uiterlike nie, maar ook wat die teling van die karakter van elkeen van hulle is. Families het hulle bouvorm, maar ook sekere karaktertrekke, en dit is juis laasgenoemde wat die uitslae van die wedvlugte grotendeels beinvloed. Daar kan baie goeie vliëers onder hulle wees, maar wat sku is om in die hok in te gaan. Dit is ‘n gebrek aan die regte karakter, temperament of afrigting. Baie wedvlugte word verloor deur swak afrigting. Besluit nou self waar die fout lê. Daar kan duiwe wees wat maar gewoonweg laat is, en hier is dan ‘n tekortkoming wat met die teling reggestel kan word.

Wyle oom Bill Morkel het gesê: “First look for the winning genes.” Dit kan nie oorbeklemtoon word nie.

‘n Stukkie oor oom Bill se duiwe: Alhoewel ek die afgelope tyd weens finansiele redes nie kan duiwe vlieg nie, het ek maar besluit om die pen op te neem en oor dit wat ek weet te skryf. My duiwe loopbaan het al op skool op Hopetown begin toe ‘n verdwaalde duif by ons huis opgedaag het. Ek het altyd met belangstelling gekyk as die ouens hulle duiwe oefen om die hok, en dit het my vreeslik gefassineer. Ek het met die tyd vir my ‘n hokkie gekry en toe ook sommer n paar duiwe aangeskaf van plaaslike duiweboere. Daar was nie geld nie, en met my moeder se hulp kon ek vir die duiwe kos gee en by die plaaslike duiweklub aansluit. Tcp, Lintex, Terremycin, Bio Plus, en Dubble Bennix was my medikasie wat ek plaaslik by die skaapboere gebedel het. Verder het my duiwe net geel mielies gekry om te eet. Dit het nie baie goed gegaan in die wedvlugte nie, die duiwe wat ek gekry het by ander duiweboere was nie van uitstaande gehalte nie, en was ek gelukkig om so nou en dan ‘n plekkie te vlieg, tog was ek tevrede, want ek het my eie duiwe gehad. Ek moes my duiwe om die hok oefen na skool en soms het ek hulle uitgeneem vir oefening met my fiets, en het ek gewoonlik lank na die duiwe by die huis aangekom, doodmoeg. So het ek vir drie jaar aangegaan. Ek het een skoolvakansie by my oom Willem Venter in die Transvaal gaan kuier. Hy was op daardie oomblik ‘n afgetrede duiweboer, en die gewese kampioen van die Vaal Driehoek, en het hy duiwe opgegee weens sy gesondheid. Toe hy verneem dat ek duiwe vlieg, het hy my meegedeel dat ek een aand by sy ou huis moet gaan kyk, want hy dink daar het van sy duiwe teruggekom wat hy by ‘n veiling verkoop het nadat hy die sport vaarwel geroep het.

Ek is toe daar weg, en nadat ek al ‘n slag van die huis se dak in die swembad beland het, twee aande later met twee duiwe, by sy huis opgedaag. Die trane het in sy oë opgewemel, toe hy die duiwe hanteer. Hy het my meegedeel dat daardie duiwe van sy ou bloubloed, afkomstig van wyle oom Bill Morkel was, en dat alhoewel die duiwe al redelik oud is, dit van sy beste teelduiwe was en ek so gou as moontlik met hulle moet teel. Ek is terug huistoe met die duiwe, en ek het n paar jong duiwe gebruik om hulle kuikens uit te broei en te voer. Nie minder as twee jaar daarna, eindig ek tweede in ons klub met agt van hul kuikens. Hieruit het ek geleer dat kwaliteit duiwe saak maak en dat ‘n mens reg van die begin af, reg moet begin met duiwe wat karakter het.

As ons so selekteer dat ons op wenners konsentreer, dan is ons op die regte pad. In S.A. het ons nie so baie wedvlugte per seisoen nie. Jy word ook nie toegelaat om in meer as een klub te vlieg nie, en dan is hier nie klubs wat net op kort tot middelafstande spesialiseer nie, of net op langafstande nie. Daarom kry ons nie hier duiwe wat dertig of meer wedvlugte gewen het nie. Dit weerhou die duiwe om oor hulle verskillende afstande te spesialiseer. Maar dit is geen verskoning om na die wenners te soek nie. Hier in ons land is daar net sulke goeie duiwe as oorsee, indien nie beter nie, maar net minder. Vergelyk ons land met 20000 duiweboere in vergelyking met Belgie se 85000. Die duif moet geneties reg wees om die aangewese karaktertrekke te openbaar. Soms kan ons vasstel wat daardie karaktertrekke is, deur net stip na die duif te kyk. Vergelyk dit met die mens, jy kan gou sien of iemand befoeterd is van geaarheid, en of iemand innemend is, of teruggetrokke is. So kan ons met goeie waarnemingsvermoë dinge opmerk. Hierdie is een van die mees uitsonderlike eienskappe waaroor ‘n teler moet beskik. Dit tesame met die kennis van die duif is van die uiterste belang om sukses met teling te kan hê. ‘n Goeie teler moet ferm wees. Wees ferm in jou afrigting, maar wees ook ferm in teling. Raak gou ontslae van die negatiewe faktore en raak onslae van duiwe met swak hokmaniere. As hy nie dadelik reageer om jou sein nie, is hy besig om sy wil teen joune te meet, en moet hy dadelik uitgeskakel word. Hoe fermer jy optree, hoe groter is jou kans op sukses. Doen dit want sentiment gaan jou niks in die sak bring nie. ‘n Hollander het met so ‘n geval na hy gesukkel het om die duif in die hok te kry, hom dadelik nek omgedraai en gesê:” Liewer hy dood as ek, want hy gaan my n hartaanval laat kry.”

Aan die begin het ek gesê dat jy jou duiwe goed moet ken. Hulle sal almal foute hê, net soos ons mense, is hulle nie volmaak nie. Daarom moet jy soek na goeie oordraagbare eienskappe. Met ander woorde, kyk na die swak eienskappe van jou duif, en soek ‘n maat wat nie daardie fout het nie, maar nie een wat n teenoorgestelde fout het nie, dit sal sake net vererger, en ‘n groter fout laat ontstaan. Gebruik een wat nie daardie fout het nie, maar wat reg is. Dit sal een wees wat die regte genes sal hê, en dit sal oordra. Ons weet dat die jonge 50% van sy eienskappe van die vader en 50% van die moeder ontvang. As die jonges dan nog daardie fout oorgeërf het, is die een wat gekies was, nie goed genoeg nie, want die foutduif se fout is dan dominant, en behoort dit liewer uitgeskakel te word. Hier is die verskil tussen ‘n goeie en ‘n gemiddelde teler.

Die teling is die interesantste deel van duiweboerdery. Dit kan n mens soveel bevrediging gee as wat daarmee behaal is, maar ook net so frustrerend wees as jou resultate nie na wense is nie, en jy altyd langs die muur moet bly staan, as die klokke gelees word en die pryswenners aangekondig word. Dit gaan nie net om twee duiwe bymekaar te sit nie, dit gaan veel dieper. Net soos n mens meer aangetrokke voel tot n sekere mens, net so moet jy aangetrokke voel by die duiwe na jou keuse. Die groot mikpunt hier is prestasietoetsing. Die duif is een van die diere wat die strengste daaraan onderwerp word, en dit is jou plig om uit te sorteer, watter paar die beste jonges gaan teel om daardie gesogde karakter te teel. Die resultaat van die teling hang altyd af van die hantering daarvan. As dit suksesvol was, het ons die doel bereik. Stel dus vir jou n spesiale doel voor oe, en streef daarna.

Maak eers vir jou die saak uit wat jy wil bereik, voordat jy jou keuse maak. Besluit dan watter metodes gebruik gaan word. Daar moet voorraad gehou word, van dit wat ons het, en dit moet geevalueer word. Dan moet ons besluit wat om in te bring om daardie doel te bereik, en of so n dier wel beskikbaar is. Ons eindoel is sukses. Dit maak nie saak of ons vinnige kortafstand duiwe wil teel nie, of juis vir die harde pad nie. Ons sal sien of die mannetjie goed by die wyfies gaan aanpas, aldan nie. Dit is in ons hande om te verbeter, en die doel is nie net op voortplanting nie. Sonder om die eindoel voor oe te hou, is die resultaat doelloos.

Ons begin by die stamboom van die duiwe. Dit vertel vir jou uit watter familie die duif kom, of daar wenbloed in is aldan nie. Daar is bloedlyne waar die duiwe goed aanmekaar verwant is sodat die genepoel beperk is .Diere wat verwant aan mekaar is, met hul beperkte genepoel, sal minder afwykings toon as diere wat uit verskillende lyne kom. Die groot sukses gaan daaraan toegeskryf word, dat die voorouers bekend is, en in n sekere rigting geteel is. Strewe daarna om altyd die perfekte een te teel. Dit kan gedoen word as sekere vereistes nagekom word. Dit is n kuns om n kampioen te teel, en dikwels kom so n dier onverwags voor, en word as n onnatuurlike wese beskou, omdat hy bo alle ander uittroon. Dit kan ook een wees waarna gestrewe word, maar dit word aanvaar, en op stoet gebruik. As hy oor die voortreflike einskappe beskik, sal hy ook oor die genes beskik om dit weer oor te plant. Daar moet maar altyd gesorg word dat daar variasie in die stoet bestaan, want variasie kan verbetering teweeg bring. Dit kan deur twee faktore beinvloed word, naamlik : erflike en omgewingsfaktore wat gepaard gaan met die voeding. Geen duif wat hongerig grootword kan ooit n kampioen wees nie, want die ontwikkeling van die metabolisme het daaronder gely.

Die erflike tipe wat die genotype genoem word, en die omgewingsfaktore, die fenotipe. Dit is die fenotipe wat ons kan verkry deur die genetiese samestelling wat vir ons van groot belang is, om dit reg te kry. Dit is die rede waarom die teller as n ambagsman beskou word. Selfs in die dae toe genetika vir die mens duister was, was daar reeds na sekere einskappe geteel. Vandag nog is genetika n jong wetenskap. n Goeie kennis daarvan kan vir ons tellers van onskatbare

waarde wees, en die stoet kan met ongekende snelheid ontwikkel.

Dit is die genetiese samestelling wat die spesies binne in die ras basies na mekaar laat lyk.Dit is

daar gestel deur oorerwing. Hierdie proses het reeds sy oorsprong in die bevrugde eiersel, maar die omgewingsfaktore speel ook n rol. Dit is veral opmerklik by perde. Waar ons die groot Percheron in die berge gaan los , sal ons later met n verpoonde diklyfperd te doene kry. Aan die ander kant, ons kan die Basoetoepoon uit die berge na vlaktes bring, en die perd gaan groter word. Die ontwikkeling van die dier is van uiterste belang, reg van die bevrugtigingstadium af, want van die stadium af speel dit n belangrike rol in die eindproduk. Die genetiese samestelling is die matetiaal wat van die ouers af verkry word. As die eiersel wat van die moeder afkomstig is, deur die spermsel wat van die vader af kom, bevrug word, bevat hierdie bevrugte eiersel n groot aantal bestanddele van albei ouers. Dit wil se dat die eienskappe van die ouers geerf word sodra bevrugting plaasvind, en is daardie eienskappe onherroeplik vasgele. Daaraan kan nie meer verander word nie, want die genetiese samestelling is alreeds bepaal.

Raw Peanut’s: An Important Part of a Racing Pigeon’s Diet

Tue, 01 Oct 2013 12:27:29 +0100

Peanuts are superior to any other grain we can give our birds for racing
You should feed them in raw form or what i do is to mix 2 desert spoons of smooth Peanut butter with some hot water, untill it is a past, which I mix through the pigeons food for the evening meal.
Peanuts contain the highest oil content, more then grains like sunflower seeds, linseed, hemp seed, and rape seed, which are all very high in oil content.

Peanuts contain an extremely high FAT content 47%, compared to CORN 4%, WHEAT 2%, PEAS 1%. Peanuts are high in PROTEIN 30%, CORN 10%, WHEAT 12%, PEAS 23%.

CORN, WHEAT and PEAS are high in carbohydrates 55-70% as compared to PEANUTS 12%. This is important because when carbohydrates turn into energy, they give us 1/2 amount of energy as do grains high in fat.

Therefore, peanuts give our birds over 2 times as much energy or fuel to race than corn, wheat or peas. The nutritional value or energy our birds receive from peanuts is 2 times greater than normal feeds.

During the race, the birds store energy in the form of “GLYCOGEN” in their muscles and liver. The glycogen, much like gasoline in your car changes to energy to move the vehicle. When the glycogen tanks of our birds are empty, they have no more fuel, and our birds are still on the wing, they start to burn up their body protein. This means the pigeon has to use up its own muscles, in the process losing weight. In extreme cases, they may come home as just feathers and bones, or they may never return. Birds that are fed peanuts (47% fat), instead of the normal feed (5-10% fat) low in fat content, can handle the tough races without losing weight or using up their own muscles. They return home in excellent condition to race again the next week.

The peanut is the first class fuel for our pigeons’ racing engines. These nuts far exceed other feeds (grains) in energy value by 2 to 1, or twice the value. The night of basketing, we give the pigeons as many peanuts as they want. One helping of peanuts equals in energy value two crops full of regular feed. The birds are actually eating for two days. If you were comparing it to your car, you would have 2 tanks of gas with peanuts and only 1 tank of gas with normal feed.

The “peanut pigeons” have less need for water than the birds that have been fed ordinary grain rations, because the grains have to stay longer in the crop, while soaking up water, until they are soft enough for the muscles of the stomach to be able to

grind up. This process takes quite a bit of energy. Peanuts do not need soaking, which means they need little water and leave the crop relatively fast. They are soft so it takes little energy to digest them. Thus, peanuts are an advantage to our racers because they are faster to digest than regular grains. Fanciers who feed peanuts agree that their pigeons are less thirsty, even on hot days. When they return to loft on these hot days, they are more alert, active and less fatigued.

As with other feeds that pigeons are unfamiliar with, it takes a while to get to eat the peanuts. It is an advantage for the fancier to feed peanuts to his breeders. They are excellent for both healthy breeders and to develop nice young, but more important, it introduces the young birds to peanuts. They love the taste. The birds become tame, with no trapping problems. They admire their fancier and become more motivated to return to their loft and perches.

How do we feed this valuable grain to our birds to achieve success? We still feed our regular grain mix (15%-17%) and add peanuts to the birds’ diet. You will notice in a short time that the birds will eat less when you start to feed them. When the birds are in training, developing and racing, the owner hand feeds them all they want to eat. The fancier stays with the birds, giving them grain until they are full, making sure that they take a good drink and on their own perches.

You should give breeders 1 – 2 lbs. of peanuts per 20 pair of breeders. The fancier should take the time to place 5-10 peanuts in the nest bowls of cocks or hens sitting tight on eggs or young. You should feed the pigeons as close to equal amounts. This is difficult because of fast eaters in the loft. You should hand feed small amounts at a time to make sure each birds gets his fair share.

The race team should have no problem with eating peanuts, because they have acquired a taste for them while fed in the nest. They are excellent for young birds at any age and you should give a few to the birds every day. As training gets tougher, you should add a few more peanuts to birds’ diet. As we approach qualifying races and the first race, we should increase the amount of peanuts each day for 5-6 days before a race. The day of basketing or shipping, the birds should have free choice to eat as much as they want. We always send the birds to the club (night of shipping) with full crops, full of food and water. We are careful not to feed too close to the travel time to the club. Some birds will vomit up food, which is of no value. Give the birds time to eat and drink at the loft and time to rest on their perches before basketing and traveling to the club. We like to keep our birds in the loft as long as possible before we go to the club. They can rest and are not fighting in the club baskets. We place a few birds in each carrier when we travel to the club. We like to give them plenty of room. It is foolish to crowd the birds when you can take 2 carriers with plenty of room.

When the races are long and tough, and the birds are on the wing for several hours, the pigeons with large supplies of peanuts do not suffer from muscle loss or loss of weight. Peanuts provide the energy to protect their muscles, to keep their proper weight and to stay in form to race another day.

Apple cider vinegar or just plain vinegar

Tue, 01 Oct 2013 11:38:11 +0100

Why should a fancier use vinegar for his pigeons?

Apple cider vinegar or just plain vinegar will

acidify the contents in the crop and discourage the multiplication of trichomonas organisms. It will, however, not cure pigeons of trichomoniasis. Also, bacteria which do not like an acidic environment such as Salmonella, for example, are discouraged from multiplying in the crop. Acid loving bacteria like the lactobacilli, on the other hand, will find this a hospitable environment and can continue on their way to the colon where they will find favourable conditions for growth and multiplication. I am certain that any acid such as vinegar cannot survive its journey into the colon. It can probably pass the stomach but the very basic pancreatic juice emptying into the small intestine will most certainly neutralize it to allow the absorption of the resultant water and acetate.
Although none of the vinegar ingested arrives in the large intestine how can it possibly then result in the acidification of the colonic contents? The answer lies in its favouring lactobacilli to survive the journey to the colon at the expense of bacteria like Escherichia coli and Salmonella who like a more neutral or basic ph. These lactobacilli will consequently colonize the colon and their metabolic products such as lactic acid are responsible for this observed increase in acidity.
acidify the contents of the gizzard, leading to better digestion.
lower the blood pressure and cholesterol level.
ameliorate muscle cramps and
decrease the concentration of

Escherichia coli
Salmonella and
yeasts in the colon.

disinfect the drinking water.

It is advantageous to be somewhat sceptical in our world where so many salesmen and would-be salesmen try to take advantage of gullible people and separate them from their money. Any sceptic should make the following experiment: Give some of your pigeons apple cider vinegar for 3 weeks and treat the others as usual. You may find that the group receiving the vinegar has now softer feathers and more oil spots on their feathers than the other group. You are aware, I am sure, that soft plumage and oil spots are a sign of good condition which was contributed to by the use of apple cider vinegar. You will also find them to take their exercise with more enthusiasm attesting to their better condition.

The following schedule was recommended:
In the flying season: on the 2^nd and 3^rd day after a race
In the off season: every day for 3-4 weeks
During moulting: 3-4 days per week
If diarrhoea: for 5-7 days

Recommended Dosage: from 5ml to 15ml vinegar per 1000ml H₂O but this depends on the ph of the water. The more basic the water, the more vinegar will be required.

A dosage of 15 ml vinegar per 1000ml H₂O can be used for giving them a bath, no other salts and powders being necessary, and this is said to effectively eliminate ectoparasites.

It wasn't too many years ago that the droppings in some nests in my loft were excessively wet. I blamed the parents of those youngsters for feeding them too much water. Checking the crops of those youngsters revealed way too much water or not enough grain. I shouldn't have gotten angry at their parents. It would have been better to look into a mirror to find the one who was guilty of this state of affairs. The old ones were looking for salt and minerals. Since the source of these nutrients did not appeal to the old ones they drank excessively. They tried to supply their youngsters with these nutrients, a tiny amount of which could be found in the water.
Adding enough vinegar to the water will result in less water feeding also as will many other substances which make the water almost non-potable. Birds won't drink too much of this stuff but it would be much better to correct the deficiency than just treating the symptoms. Vinegar is just acetic acid which will be neutralized easily by the feed in the crop since it has no buffering capacity. Adding it to the drinking water results in the birds drinking less as they do not like this acidic taste. Less water will consequently be available for the body's response to a deficiency of salt or minerals or to intestinal irritation which would normally result in diarrhea. There will therefore be less diarrhea visible and the fancier may fool himself into thinking that all is well.

Useful Information - Proven Facts

Mon, 30 Sep 2013 20:04:27 +0100

Characteristics and Attributes:

Pigeons can fly at altitudes of 6000 feet or more
Pigeons can fly at average speeds of up to 77.6 mph but have been recorded flying at 92.5 mph
Pigeons can fly between 600 and 700 miles in a single day, with the longest recorded flight in the 19th century taking 55 days between Africa and England and covering 7000 miles
Pigeons are thought to navigate by sensing the earth’s magnetic field and using the sun for direction. Other theories include the use of roads and even low frequency seismic waves to find their way home
Pigeons (and all the columbidae family) drink by sucking water and using their beaks like straws. Most birds sip water and then throw their head back to swallow
Pigeons, like humans, can see in colour, but unlike humans they can also see ultraviolet light, a part of the spectrum that humans cannot see. As a result, pigeons are often used in search and rescue missions at sea because of this unique sense combined with excellent all-round vision
Pigeons have been found to pass the ‘mirror test’, the ability to recognise its own reflection in a mirror. The pigeon is one of only 6 species, and the only non-mammal, to have this ability
Pigeons are highly intelligent and can recognise all 26 letters of the alphabet as well as being able to conceptualise. Pigeons can differentiate between photographs and even two different human beings in a single photograph.

Dis you know ? By Dr Colin Walker

The average weight of a racing pigeon is 400 grams.
Pigeons drink on average 45ml water per day
Cocks have two testicles but hens have only one ovary.
Pigeons eat on average one- tenth of their body weight in grain daily
Pigeons have several kidneys on either side of their abdominal cavity.
Pigeon milk is not actually milk at all but is mainly composed of superficial cells. packed with fats and other nutrients, that flake from the surface of specialized areas of the crop lining.
Pigeons feet resemble reptile feet because, like all birds, pigeons are direct decendants of the Dinosaurs.
Pluging a feather is more painful for a pigeon than cutting its skin.
Pigeons have special glands in their eyelids that produce a mucus that makes their tears stick to the front of the eye. This means that they can fly at the speeds they do even in hot conditions without the surface of the eyes drying.
Blind pigeons can still find their wat home. In experoments in which pigeons were temporarily blinded by putting black discs ocer the surface of the eyes, the birds still homed from 80 miles. It seems that vision is only necessary for the final approach to the loft.
A pigeons eyelashes are actually little feathers.

Fresh air enters a pigeon’s lungs when it both breathes in and breathes out. When a pigeons breathes in, some air goes into its lungs and some air goes into its back air sacs. When it breathes out, the air in the lungs moves into the front air sacs while the air in the back air sacs, which is still fresh, moves into the lungs. This makes for an extremely efficient respiratory system and is part of the reason why pigeons can out - exercise horses, greyhounds and men, with fit birds able to beat their wings for hours without fatigue.
In Pigeons, the lungs connect with the cavities of some bones, including the bones of the wings, legs, spine, and ribs. If a pigeons’ wing is broken and the broken bone sticks out through the skin, it cab breath through this if its mouth and nose are taped shut.
When a pigeon breathes in, the top of its windpipe moves up and almost sucks onto the slot (choana) in the roof of the mouth.
A pigeon's vision is very sensitive to colour and movement. When we look at the face of a watch, we can only see the second hand moving, while experiments have shown that pigeons can also detect movement of the hour hand.

Story of The Painter Putteries

Mon, 30 Sep 2013 19:00:37 +0100

Few other pigeon families have managed to equal the impact of these birds in South Africa
Once upon a time, a pigeon loft would be considered fortunate if it produced a true champion racer once in 10 years. This is no longer good enough given the demands made by pigeon racing today. Due to skilful breeding, the gap between the 1st and 30th position in pigeon racing is narrower than ever before. Winning margins are often milliseconds apart. If your pigeon stops to blink before trapping, it might end up in the 2nd or 3rd position. Between the contrasting worlds of ‘sprint’ and ‘plod’ – the stayers that win a marathon race with an hour or more to spare – are a new generation of super breeders and racers. They’re unstoppable and change the fortunes of struggling fanciers by putting beginners on the map.

Specialist selection
The prime lesson of the performance gene pool is the fact that despite occasional crossing, good genes are passed on. This proves what can be achieved when one uses superior stock and does selective matings. Fewer than a handful
of superior breeders dominate as hereditary transmitters in which multiple winners and a champion racer show up in virtually every generation. Take the Painter Putteries, for example.

This produced Fairthorn, the Sun City Million Dollar Pigeon Race winner against 29 countries in 2001, and few other pigeon families have managed to equal the impact of these birds in South Africa. Rooted within the various pedigrees of super racers and breeders, the Painter Putteries tower above all.

From the outset, Ds Gert Painter set out to combine all the desirable ‘champion characteristics’ into one pigeon family. In his 2005 sales catalogue, he describes how, over 40 years, he selected according to exceptional character traits – silky feather quality, will to win, high performance hit-rate, and so on. The pigeons that failed to meet his standards were culled ruthlessly.

Space prevents us from telling the entire story, but the following highlights of how this super pigeon family was formed should provide enough insight into its extraordinary gene pool. The development of the family can be divided into three phases: the 1960s, 1970s and 1990s. The first pigeons – of Putterie Slimme origin – were acquired in the early 1960s by Gert Painter’s brother, Wilkie, who obtained them at great expense from the late Sonny Kippen.

These birds were direct or second generation descendants of great pigeons such as The Lady Dudley Cock, Grootte, The Queen, Louis, Lorraine, Young Slimme, Shirley, Combine Lady and Lady Superior. Whilst Wilkie dominated with these pigeon in the West Rand for years, Gert dominated pigeon racing in Upington during 1962 and Port Elizabeth’s strong Union in 1966.

Pure Old Putteries from the late Koos Bantjes was introduced in about 1966. These birds further improved on the performances of the mainly Kippen-based strain. Gert moved to Johannesburg in 1970 and began dominating the pigeon scene in three clubs: Pirates, Randburg and the Northern Districts Homing Society.

In the late 1970s, Gert bought two pigeons from the late Les Spark. Both were out of Danie Cilliers’ famous Golden Eye Hen that originated from the old Putteries of Lou Holbert and Chris Neethling. One of these chicks, 2248/77 – later known as the Golden Eye Cock – laid the foundation of the Painter Putterie strain of today.

Warmbad cock
The first crosses between the Painter Putteries and descendants of the famous Warmbad cock (830/78) and its son Sprint (44297/81) from ‘Klein Chris Marais’ lofts were made in 1992. Within three years, more than 40 winners, distributed over four lofts, were bred this way. “It was like throwing a burning match into a tank of petrol,” says Gert. These Marais-based introductions of Delbar/Putterie/Slimme/Ducheyne were the final piece of the foundation for the Painter’s Sun City win in 2001.