# breeding for white



## darkfur (May 11, 2007)

I have just bought a few more white homers for my white bird release business, one female however is a mis-mark, her parents and sibs were white but she has a black tail and a few black feathers on her face and neck. Wondering who best to pair her up with of my birds - I assume not a good idea to pair her with one of the others I bought from that loft as they may well carry the gene for that mismark. I have available to mate with her - an ash red grizzle male who had a white mother with a few red feathers on her face and white father. A white male with some blue feathers over the "kidney" area, had a white mother and blue father. An ash red male who had a blue mother and a white father (those ash red genes get around!). A pure white male who had a white mother and a white father but the dad had some fantail in him, so may not be the best of homers. The mis-mark female is a very very clever bird and perfect in all ways other than her marks so would like to breed some white from her if possible. Yes, yes I am a bit smitten by her even though she won't be doing releases.


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## Timber (Jan 6, 2009)

I would put her with the first ash red male seeing on how both the parents where white. Do you have any pics of the studs?


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## george simon (Feb 28, 2006)

*Hi DARKFUR, The first thing is many of the birds that are sold as white are infact Grizzle and the bird that you have is what many call a white grizzle.I would mate her to the red grizzle,in this mating you may get what look to be pure white birds but infact are grizzle. You also will get some that are mismarked in varying degree.Keep in mind that grizzle will show it self,Check out the eyes of youe white birds any that have a red/orange eye those will be carring the grizzle gene*GEORGE


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

also if they are showing a speck of color and even color in the tail, you can still use them in a big release and no one would notice, and if they did, big deal. I would go with the ash red also.


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## darkfur (May 11, 2007)

thank you so much guys
I don't have a pic of "Rufus" on hand but did a GIS and this bird though not a homer has the most similar colours to him


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## george simon (Feb 28, 2006)

darkfur said:


> thank you so much guys
> I don't have a pic of "Rufus" on hand but did a GIS and this bird though not a homer has the most similar colours to him


*Very nice Red Check * GEORGE


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## Telessa (Dec 22, 2008)

Good information George. Thanks! I don't have much experience with pigeon genetics so this is very useful information. I do have one question, you mentioned that many birds that are sold as white are acctually white grizzle. Are there any other kinds? I can pretty much gaurentee that all of mine must be grizzle as they all have red/orange eyes.


Darkfur, I had a pure white pair throw off like this. Their first set was all white like them, second set one pure white, other with all tail feathers black, third set, one pure white, the other had a few gray tail feathers. So, I too find this facinating. I asked someone from our white release social group about it, and like spirit wings, they said that they still train them and release them from baskets. They said that when you get 10 of them together, you have to have to know that there is a difference to notice anything different.

I also want to point out that my one that came out with color on it is also a very smart bird...


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

I bought two yb racing homers one grizzle and the other a red splash with not much red, to add to my whites to get some good race blood into my whites...when these birds fly with the rest of the whites you can't even see the color, they are nice birds and can tell the performance difference in them compaird to my whites, they are more athletic and quick to learn the trap and fly more..will be glad to breed them in the future, even if they throw a bit of color.


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## Telessa (Dec 22, 2008)

Found my answer here! I think there are no things that have been not been discussed.

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f41/solid-white-genetics-35184.html


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## darkfur (May 11, 2007)

Telessa said:


> Found my answer here! I think there are no things that have been not been discussed.
> 
> http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f41/solid-white-genetics-35184.html


holy mackerel that is a full-on thread!
I will be glad to breed Rufus as he is a strong smart bird, if he throws whites they'll be smart cookies


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