# Cocks vs Hens



## AlbertoG (Dec 4, 2012)

As a general rule who are usually faster racers cocks or hens?


----------



## Lovelace (Jan 10, 2008)

Both of them


----------



## Granny Smith (Jul 16, 2011)

The one that gets home first. 

Seriously, there's no hard and fast rule. It depends on the bird.


----------



## dennis kuhn (Dec 29, 2007)

I have found that hens typically do better as youngbird racers than cocks overall. If you fly old birds on the natural system (nest position) hens also seem to race better overall than cocks at the distance, but there isn't much of a difference. A top racing cock will always be in more of a demand than hens, as you can get many more young off cock birds in a single year than a hen by having the cock birds on the "bull system" with multiple hens.

Dennis Kuhn 

http://www.pigeonsuppliesplus.com

http://www.whiteracingpigeons.com


----------



## Coocooloft (Apr 20, 2012)

Dennis is right when I race pigeons before its always the hen that comes home first specially if they are on a nest,I don't know if its because they are lighter or much eager,cocks I think gets destructed by the thought of playing with other birds,but every loft is different so who ever comes home first then ask yourself what sex is faster


----------



## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

AlbertoG said:


> As a general rule who are usually faster racers cocks or hens?


 I really don't know how one could determine the answer to that question, other then to say it depends on the individual. The fastest of any specie, on the margin I would imagine would be the males. And I only say that, because typically within any specie, the males are normally the most physically robust. The wimpy males, tended not to reproduce, cause they would get beat up by the larger more aggressive males since the beginning of time.


----------



## AlbertoG (Dec 4, 2012)

Yes that's the theory of natural selection. In the case of humans, males are faster than females in both sprints and endurance races because of their higher testosterone levels and larger muscle mass. Recently however scientist have speculated that females will soon surpass male records in distance races due to their high endurance potential. So while in humans males are still overall faster, does this not translate equally to pigeons. If so this means that physical potential is just as important as motivation to fly back home if it is the case that females can do just as good as male pigeons?


----------



## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

I have only done distance racing in old birds, and you don't just randomely send birds to races. I will set up the birds for a certain race, you have to start 30 days ahead of the race. When the big names in the UK send birds out they don't race week after week, they start 30 days or more befor the race, they will make sure that the hens are on eggs that are pipen, or that the cock birds are on 10 day old babies. So I have done this for several years and usually it's the hen that comes home first, it's all about motivation. I supose if you just send birds to a race then either could be home first.
Dave


----------



## Josepe (Jan 10, 2011)

Not long ago Nobody raced the hens but now Everyone sends them because of their good results compared to the cocks.Look at club results around the Country and you'll mostly see more hens in the upper results then cocks I beleive.Racing hens is something else learned from the Europeans I think.


----------



## First To Hatch (Jul 19, 2009)

I don't think that Americans "learned" to race hens from anyone, in my opinion, it is common sense to pigeon racers that hens are better racers then a cock is, just look at simple results. Widowhood cocks setup correctly will fly much better though, my mentor has a knack for widowhood cocks in old birds and young birds and has found much success with them.


----------



## Josepe (Jan 10, 2011)

Yea those simple results are the ones I was reffering to.A few years back Europeans never raced their hens,but once a few started doing it and getting good results it seem to catch on,including here in the U.S.


----------



## First To Hatch (Jul 19, 2009)

So what your saying is, that people raised their birds and only flew cocks? I find that very hard to believe that people did that in the young bird series, and if they flew young birds then they probably saw their hens do well, I don't think anyone got it from anyone, I believe it just happened.


----------



## ERIC K (Mar 29, 2010)

I think Hens are better and you can race them every week if your on the widowhood system, they seem to recover faster and you can loft fly your hens with your young birds. I fly natural so I set up a hen with eggs like crazy pete said. When they are on eggs they stay in condition longer too. If you don't fly both Hens and Cocks how do you know who your best birds to pair up for next years YBs ?


----------



## Coocooloft (Apr 20, 2012)

Your right for every loft there is a best bird it just matter what sex you fly


----------



## Josepe (Jan 10, 2011)

My European reference was to Widowhood,which I should've stipulated.And my opinion,and others that the hens do better is reinforced by the race results,just as you restated.


----------



## First To Hatch (Jul 19, 2009)

The widowhood system has only been around for a little more then 80 years, therefore before the widowhood system everyone must have flown both sexes, so flying hens and cocks has existed long before widowhood was even in existence. So its not like Europeans discovered flying hens and we copied them (sure we copied them in the broad perspective of actually racing pigeons).

I just didn't think that your statement of "not long ago nobody raced hens" made any sense or had any merit because hens were always raced. Nor do I think we learned it from the Europeans as I haven't seen any evidence supporting that statement because they flew hens all along. I believe one of the greatest in the world Jos Thone doesn't even fly widowhood I believe he flies some form of natural, or celibacy system.


----------



## Josepe (Jan 10, 2011)

Well one Demerit for me I guess.


----------

