# Inbreeding and navigation



## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

I posted a thread at the feral section which answers many questions about homing pigeons navigation ability. Here is one interesting finding:

"According to the performance recorded through the nine competitions, the pigeon population with the 25% inbreeding co-efficient was characterized with a significantly higher rate of pigeons getting lost than the non-inbred population."

The link is
http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache...eon+homing+distance&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=21&gl=us


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## learning (May 19, 2006)

I think this is where the skill and talent of the breeder comes into play. While it is probably true that, as a rule, highly inbred birds tend to not do as well as "crosses", it is also true that there have been many families that have done well, very well as a matter of fact, with highly inbred populations. Three names that come to mind are Ludo Claessens, David Clausing and Mauricio Jamal. I am sure there have been many others. Our own Warren Smith could probably also be put in this category.

I think it depends on the patience, persistence and skill of the breeder to know how to develop these families to be so successful. There is no doubt that a great deal of time was spent by all of the above mentioned fanciers to carefully and dilligently commit to developing such a family but it can and has been done. No question that these families represent the exception and not the rule, but if successful, what a gold mine they represent!

Just my thoughts,

Dan


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## kalapati (Aug 29, 2006)

RodSD said:


> I posted a thread at the feral section which answers many questions about homing pigeons navigation ability. Here is one interesting finding:
> 
> "According to the performance recorded through the nine competitions, the pigeon population with the 25% inbreeding co-efficient was characterized with a significantly higher rate of pigeons getting lost than the non-inbred population."
> 
> ...



this is a very interesting link Rod. the research was also able to cover a comparison between the feral and homing pigeons in terms of speed and homing ability which was also an argument in this thread a while ago:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=29083&referrerid=6655



kalapati
San Diego
http://bluebarloft.from-ca.com:81/Jview.htm


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

RodSD said:


> I posted a thread at the feral section which answers many questions about homing pigeons navigation ability. Here is one interesting finding:
> 
> "According to the performance recorded through the nine competitions, the pigeon population with the 25% inbreeding co-efficient was characterized with a significantly higher rate of pigeons getting lost than the non-inbred population."
> 
> ...



I have a problem finding this link, is it broken ?

Without being able to look at the research, I find it difficult to comment intelligently. But, that has not seemed to stop me before ! 

I really would like to know some of the details as to what criteria, or standards were used to develop the inbred population of pigeons, which were used in this test ? This may be one of those cases, where one could assume things from the research, which could give the wrong impression, where upon closer examination, a whole different interpretation could be made. Don't know how well I may have articulated this, but perhaps you get my point.

I would like to point out, that a 25% inbreeding coefficient, is a fairly significant percentage, even for those who race a closely bred "Family" of pigeon's. The highest percentage I found of a famous racer in Ludo's Family tree was 30%. (Even so his real star status came from the breeding side) So, by point of comparison, a racer with a 25% coefficient, which is competitive with a population of "crosses", would be fairly uncommon. Most "experts" with whom I have shared notes with over the years, seem to lean more towards a coefficient of 15%, as being the higher end of the scale, where a pigeon would "typically" still be competitive. 

At any rate, I suspect that many of our readers, would have a difficult time, explaining even how the inbreeding coefficient is arrived at, and what a 25% inbreeding coefficient really means. I only know, because I use breeding software which makes those calculations for me, up to a theoretical maximum of 510 ancestors and I don't even know how many generations that would entail, as I rarely go beyond 8 full generations.

At any rate, I would love to see this research, if the link is still available.


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## kalapati (Aug 29, 2006)

SmithFamilyLoft said:


> I have a problem finding this link, is it broken ?
> 
> Without being able to look at the research, I find it difficult to comment intelligently. But, that has not seemed to stop me before !
> 
> ...


i tried pasting the contents of the link but there's a restriction on the quantity of characters. i attached the file instead.



kalapati
San Diego
http://bluebarloft.from-ca.com:81/Jview.htm


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

kalapati said:


> i tried pasting the contents of the link but there's a restriction on the quantity of characters. i attached the file instead.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Well....a computer person I am not. My computer attempted to open with Microsoft works....and suggested the file could be corrupted. Maybe you could offer some additional suggestions ?


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

OK...I did get it open, but it appears to be a very hard read. It will take hours to not only read, but to digest. From what I have seen so far, it appears to me at this point, that drawing any hard solid conclusions, would be premature. 

To tell you the truth, once he starting writing about mixing various percentages of a feral colony into racing stock, in various amounts such as 25%, 50%, 75%...my eyes did sort of glaze over.

If you want a small sample of it, then see below:


.....In the breeding of homing pigeons in connection with inbreeding, there�s a contradictory point of view between breeders, even though there have been only a few investigations employing exact experiments regarding the effects of inbreeding. HESSELMANN (1989) concluded that inbreeding doesn�t influence pigeons� performance significantly. Studying his experiments I determined that the stock he labeled �inbred� had a very low coefficient of inbreeding, it couldn�t be put to numbers, so a decrease on account of inbreeding couldn�t be expected. Through the experiments the population that was purposly created by inbreeding and having a 25% inbreeding coefficient was suitable for measuring the rate of the effects of inbreeding on its merits regarding the pigeons� homing capabilities and speed.During the competition series that consisted of 9 contests the inbred stock didn�t show a weaker performance compared to the non-inbred control group in homing abilities, considering 100 kms or smaller distances. On distances above that, the rate of stocks not returning home significantly got larger compared to the controls. Opposite to that, *the rate of pigeons held back from further competing on account of improper physical condition was significantly higher in the non-inbred stock on distances above 100 kms.* My data shows that when inbred pigeons are not able to return to the coop and get lost, *the non-inbred pigeons are able to return, but on account of the deterioration of their physical condition they can only be released for further competitions after a longer break.* Concluding from the facts above, at the end of the series consisting of 9 contests I had practically the same number of pigeons completing the whole test program at my disposal.� The flight speed of the inbred stocks was significantly smaller than the non-inbred stocks�, averaging out the 9 competitions, the difference surpasses 11%. Consistently, the tendency is that individual dispersion (cv%) experienced in flight speed is considerably larger in the inbred stocks than the control group, on every occasion......

There is much more for me to read and attempt to digest, and as I am not a scientist, I have no way of knowing if his results can or will be duplicated elsewhere. I can't tell if his results are valid, or may be influenced by other variables. From my perspective, I'm not sure it really tells me anything not already known. But, as I said, this will take some time to digest.

Thanks for posting.


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## pigeonnewb (Jan 18, 2008)

*THESES OF DOCTORAL (Ph.D) DISSERTATION*

THESES OF DOCTORAL (Ph.D) DISSERTATION



UNIVERSITY OF KAPOSVÁR

FACULTY OF ANIMAL SCIENCE

Institute of Porcine- and Small Livestock Breeding

Department of Poultry Breeding 


Head of doctoral school: 
PÉTER HORN

Regular member of the HAS (Hungarian Academy of Sciences) 


Head of topic: 

DR. ISTVÁN MELEG, Ph.D 



THE EXAMINATION OF CERTAIN FACTORS AFFECTING THE FLIGHT PERFORMANCE OF CARRIER PIGEONS 




GÁBOR PAKUTS



KAPOSVÁR 

2005 







1. PRELIMINARIES AND GOALS OF THE RESEARCH 

Since the 60’s there has been a worldwide dynamic growth in the significance of some sectors of livestock-breeding, which can be categorized as livestock-breeding functions for raising the standard of living. Several livestock-breeding sections rank in this group, such as race-horse-breeding and carrier pigeon-breeding among others. There is also a fast growth in the sectors of housepet-breeding, such as dogs, cats and other hobby-breeds. For years at a growing rate, the role of these sections of animal breeding has been involving so many people and comes with such a big circle of potential buyers that it became necessary that more and more research and educational institutes took them as essential components of their research and educational programs.

Specialized and promotional literature about dove breeding and carrier pigeon breeding is surprisingly wide and extensive, still it can be ascertained that specialized literature is rather limited and deficient, regarding the dimensions and contents of scientifically based information. The deficiency of factual knowledge about quantitative properties effecting the contest performance of carrier pigeons is strikingly apparent. Then again, I know a lot about the hereditary laws of some qualitative property groups connected to certain effective genes (color of feathers, patterns of feathers, coloration of certain body parts, developmental abnormalities, etc.). (LEVI 1963, VOGEL 1980, HORN 1991, MELEG 2001 and others) 

The target of individual experiment series is 4 topics’ analysis on an exact base, which to my knowledge hasn’t been referenced by international specialized literature – first of all, by experiment publications. Taking this as my starting point, I aimed at answering the following questions in my dissertation: 

1. Amongst pigeon breeders, there’s a wide-spread common opinion that there are so-called short range pigeons, carrier pigeon types that perform exceptionally well at long range competitions, and those which they call all-round types on account of their versatility, more or less defined by external qualities and descent, can’t be categorized as members of a specific phyla, but are represented by groups of pigeons in various aviaries, achieving excellent results at every distance.



This typecasting is fairly similar to the kind known in connection with English thoroughbreds. Then again, there is no specialized literature containing experimental investigations in connection with the validation of these typecastings through planned and carefully recorded competition results and competition series. Thus the first group of my research is the precise comparison of the performance of pigeons in a young pigeon population, ranked as short range, long range and all-round, through short and midrange competition results.

2. Based on much empirical experience, different authors concluded that carrier pigeons participating and succesfully completing the first competition season show an improvement in their performance next year (somewhat past year-old age). Exact data can’t be found in specialized literature, so with the stock mentioned above, I set up an experiment where pigeons that competed at a young age and succesfully came through were put into competition next year on 3 different distances, with the identical meteorological and keeping conditions to last year’s, to get sufficient data partly about their orientational capabilities, partly about their flight performance.
3. Essential works written on a recognized, highly professional level about dove and carrier pigeon breeding (LEVI 1963, VOGEL 1980, HORN 1991, ANKER 1971) are engaged relatively much in questions about the breeding of slightly or moderately inbred carrier pigeons, based on empirical experience. It’s evident that the experiences that had been published are largely contradictory mainly because there wasn’t a single inquiry based on methodologically exact experiments designed for this project to determine the effects of inbreeding to the orientational capabilities and flight performance of carrier pigeons. Thus I felt it was necessary to run a series of competitions aimed at this.
4. From a biological, genetical and breeding point of view the question about the changes in orientational capabilities and flight performance of purebred carrier pigeons and randomly collected feral stocks and their crossbred offsprings with different genetic proportions might be of interest. From the viewpoint of carrier pigeon sports, the practical importance of this query group is marginal. Though I felt that if there’s a chance of running such an experiment, it would be a shame to pass up such an opportunity, because the results based on information won through a precise examination could be instructive and interesting from a general animal breeding point of view. It was natural and understandable that at the time of accepting my doctoral topic, I received several remarks, that finding answers to the questions I was about to study would be tough.

Specialists know it well, that carrier pigeon competitions are run in an environment loaded with risks and factors that are hard to control and influence. I was given the opportunity, partly through the university, partly through the great carrier pigeon breeding establishment and strong financial support of my family, that I was able to produce experimental stocks in a far greater volume than average, and furthermore, the resources were sufficient to enable us to examine every query through the data of competition series consisting of numerous contests. In the forseeable future, there wouldn’t have been even the opportunity of a similar experiment with an exclusively government funding.

Based on studying specialized literature, it was ascertainable that the reason for not having precise and well-founded experimental results in the query groups I investigated, is that individual authors make their conclusions based on very small populations and too few test flights. This means an exceptionally great problem when the intention is the examination of a quantitive property


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## pigeonnewb (Jan 18, 2008)

*Section 2.1-2.3*

2. RESOURCES AND METHOD 

2.1. The pigeon populations 

The parents of the racing carrier pigeons I used in the experiment I bought partly from the aviary of University of Kaposvár, partly got from noted breeders who are active participants of carrier pigeon competition and breeding. At University of Kaposvár’s Anker Test Premises, the pedigree carrier pigeon stock was based on individuals imported from Germany and the Netherlands. The pigeons classified as so-called short range types had the properties of the lines maintained by the Belgian Janssen brothers known worldwide. The so-called long range class pigeons were individuals with properties of the internationally known Arden phylum. Their classification was completed according to ANKER (1971). From both types, there were the offspring of 30-30 active breeding pairs which could be initiated into the examination. The other stocks or groups of stocks needed for the experiment were produced at my breeding and testing premises built to accomodate up to 400 pigeons, where there were continuously more than 200 breeding pairs at my disposal to be able to produce the different experimental groups from their offspring. My breeding premises in Rajka - in the light of the available stock resources - represent the level of outstanding Hungarian breeders’ racing pigeons, which stock - regarding its genetic background and continous connection - corresponds to the stock level of Western European breeders and countries representing high standards. The feral pigeon stock – which played a role in the experiment in topic 4. – was randomly collected from chicks of pigeons living under wild conditions in attics of peasant cottages around Rajka. I avoided any selectional considerations. I completed the breeding of the different gene proportioned parent couples at the same time, so hatching occured in the same time interval. As a result, the second egg laying cycle mostly took place at the same time. Thus the young pigeons were the same age. 


2.2. Place and time of experiment 


I was able to perform the flight test series from both northern and southern directions, thanks to the ideal position of Rajka. The test premises in Rajka are situated in NW Hungary. It has been working as a family undertaking since 1978. The test premises are positioned at the border of Rajka, at the edge of the village, there are no woods or other obstacles hindering the flight of the pigeons. The position of the pigeons was ideal. The garden aviaries’ situation was NW and SE. The release hatches were facing to the SW. The experimental aviary was classified as one of the aviaries of the Rajka Carrier Pigeon Sports Association (F-18). Its operation was directly under the association’s supervision. The F-18 Association belongs to the Szigetköz-Lővér competitional district.

The experiment series took place between 1999 and 2002. 

2.3. Keeping 

I realized my experiments with young and year-old pigeons kept under natural conditions. I kept every experimental population in a supervised environment, in garden race-aviaries established in Hungary and Europe. My garden aviaries consisted of several sections, and in them I placed every examined breeding pair in separate nest compartments. The parent pairs initiated in the experiment representing relative-breeding were placed in a separate aviary section, while there was a separate aviary section for the control individuals. I provided separate aviary sections and nesting compartments for the different gene proportioned feral-carrier crossbreeds too. From first to last, I excluded the possibility of foreign fertilization. The chicks that were raised in the nest compartments were separated from their partents at their 28-day-old age. Then the young individuals intended for experimenting were placed in an aviary section meant for the young, in so-called young „pigeon colonies” for further upbringing. For the pigeons’ resting purposes in the youth’s aviary I provided perches instead of nest compartments. I kept the young individuals of all the examined populations under identical health care and feeding conditions.

Besides the Hungarian Carrier Pigeon Sports Association’s standardized legbands, I supplied the experimental individuals with colored bands making different types easy to differentiate, and upon which the most important data could be read and followed.


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## pigeonnewb (Jan 18, 2008)

*Section 2.4-2.6*

2.4. The method of competing 

The carrier pigeons used in the series of experiments competed by the so-called natural method, namely where the male and female are flown together at certain contests. The natural method was had been described by VOGEL (1980) and SCHINDLER (1995). The young pigeons released by me during the experiments were kept in a way based on the natural method - which is normally employed with mature pigeons – meaning the young females and males were placed in a common coop.

I started to train the young pigeons from the age of 14 weeks, by flying them from further and further but still from small distances before initiating the test program. I determined the short and midrange competition distances of the young pigeons between 10-354 kms, taking HESSELMANN’s (1989) recommendations into account.

According to the program defined for each experiment series, I took the pigeons to the release site by car. Having arrived at the release site individual experimental (treatment) populations were always set off at different timepoints and separate from each other.

Thus I ensured that I could measure individual flight speeds characteristic of certain populations could be measured precisely, avoiding the commonly experienced phenomenon that pigeons belonging to different experimental groups – if the release happens at the same time – group up at once, quasi wait for each other to arrive, thus distorting the order of magnitude of the measurable differences between groups. (LEVI, 1963)

I payed particular attention to provide transportation personnel, and colleagues who’s task was to professionally receive the arriving pigeons.

Every carrier pigeon that did not return from the time of departure (approximately 8 AM at almost every instance) until sunset of the next day, I classified as lost. Considering that in certain experiment series the individual flights were scheduleed with a few days’ difference, the pigeons that arrived, but were obviously phisically unable to start off at the next contest with the chance of a successful return were held back from further competing (were put in the category of „unable to compete further”). The latter discriminations were essential mainly in the experiment series analysing the effects of inbreeding.

Also using my professional experience, flight distances were adjusted to the different query groups. Generally I followed the fundamental principle of starting, flying the pigeons towards different points of the compass, which scaled from SE to NW. This flying strategy serves the many-sided testing of the orientational skills. In English specialized literature this flying method is defined as „around the compass”. 

The relatively short time periods between the releases made it possible that during the competition series, a relatively wide variety of weather conditions could take effect, so I could test the homing pigeons’ abilities from many aspects, among others the abilities that play a role in influencing homing abilities and homing speed, such as sun-azimuth (sun-compass) (SCHMIDT-KÖNIG and colleagues 1991), olfactory sense (PAPI 1991), magnetic fields (WILTSCHKO 1968), sight and visual perception (SCHLICHTE 1973) and also polarized light (VOGEL 1980).

The disturbing atmospheric effects of supersonic military and civilian jets didn’t cause a serious distraction during releases, although according to many studies it may effect the pigeons’ homing abilities due to the shockwaves’ low frequency. (HANGSTRUM 2000). 

2.5. Measuring and calculating flight speed 

I measured the flight speed of individual pigeons with a calibrated Benzing timer which corresponds to the international practice. I determined the flight speed of the experimental pigeons through calculating methods commonly employed at competitions and regarded as standards, and their essence is that the flight duration is defined by the time measured by a Benzing timer, between the exact time of the release and the time of arrival, and the flight distance’s extent - measured as the crow flies - gives a base for calculating the speed of flight in meters/minutes by the quotient of flight distance and the clean flight time (or arrival time) characteristic for every individual carrier pigeon, defining it as flight speed. It’s measurment is meters/minutes. Through the analysis with the proper statistical methods, I calculated the values I needed, from the individual flight speed data calculated for each and every pigeon. 


2.6. General summary of the applied statistical methods 

I separately evaluated each and every parameter that I measured through competitions, in every experimental group. Basically I characterized the flight performance of the carrier pigeons and also the flight performance and orientational capabilities of the groups with 3 measureable parameters. These are:

1. the number of pigeons not returning before the deadline set at the certain contest (quotient of pigeons getting lost)
2. after a phenotype analysis following each and every contest I didn’t let the physically unfit individuals compete at the next and at the following contests, not seeing too much hope for these to return home from the upcoming stepped-up and longer competitions. I held this classification extremely important when I was comparing inbred and non-inbred stocks. This category formed the stock quotient extracted from further competing in every experimental group.
3. I individually calculated the flight speed (homing speed) for every pigeon returning from the particular contest. The first two criteria gave us a point of reference for the orientational skills and constitution of the pigeons. Registered as a resultant of orientational skills and true flight time, those three summarize the realized flight speed (homing speed), and on top of that, the duration of rests some pigeons with weaker abilities took..

Through the competitions arranged in 1999 and 2000, prior to the process of the data I ran a separate analysis in a gender breakdown regarding the flight speed, to determine if the two gender’s performance differs. In the 1999 competition season the average flight speed of the males was 514.54 m/min, the females’ was 513.91 m/min. At the competition arranged in the year 2000, the males reached a 774.78 m/min, and the females reached 782.89 m/min flight speed. At the contests of which PAKUTS AND SZALKA (2004) gave account, the differences between genders were unimportant and naturally insignificant.

For this reason I didn’t account for gender of the carrier pigeons as a separate factor in data processing in the dissertation.

Re-evaluating the experimental results of ARTÚR HORN (1935) with the X˛ test, it is statistically verifyable that there were no significant race performance differences between genders, taking those days’ carrier pigeon breeds. Artúr Horn’s experiments were the first in the world to be looking for answers for the effects of gender.

Taking into account that the number and rate of pigeons getting lost and classified as „unsuitable for further competing” is not a parameter following regular dispersion, for the statistical evaluation of the differences between the experimental groups I employed processes based on chi˛ (HORN, 1978). Thus for example: the X˛ trial – which was taken as basis for the calculation of repetition rates in his hatching experiments by LAUGHLIN and LUNDY (1976) – was defined by FISHER (1948) as the following: 

X˛ = (ad-bc)˛*(a+b+c+d) 

(a+b)*(b+c)*(b+d)*(c+d) 

where „a” and „c” is the number of lost pigeons, and „b” and „d” means the number of pigeons that returned.

Usually the distribution of individual average flight speeds approaches the normal distribution, so during the statistical process of the flight speed parameters, besides the statistical trials based on variant analysis, I could employ the T-trial in simpler cases. Where there was a logical or professional reason for it, the utilization of regression-analysis took place too. Employing statistical processes, I followed the processes recorded and described in standard biometric specialized literature (SVÁB 1985, STEEL and TORRIE 1980). For the computer procession of experimental data I used SPSS 9.0 1998 software. During the variant analyses I regarded the treatments (types, genotypes, competitions) as fixed effects, and I extended the inference space according to that (ANDERSON and McLEAN, 1974).


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## pigeonnewb (Jan 18, 2008)

*Section 3.1-3.3*

3. RESULTS 


3.1. The comparative examination of the performance of different types of young pigeons. 

In this series of experiments, I included 125 young pigeons, and tested them through 13 competitions, on distances ranging from 10 to 354 kms. I included 42 short range, 45 long range and 38 all-round category young homing pigeons. The complete test-program ran between June 19th and September 29th, 1999. From the test series I was able to conclude that during the 13-testflight-program, regarding the performance of descendants of short range, long range ad all-round populations, in the range of 10 to 354 km flight distance, no repeatable or statistically significant performance differences appeared in the rate of pigeons becoming lost or the different populations’ flight speed. It seems that categorizing young pigeons by descendance or fenotypical characteristics to short, long or all-round types does not lead to repeatable performance differences in young pigeons tested between 10-354 km flight distances.

Based on the test results, we can say that the actual development and selection of young homing pigeon types can only be expected after the year-old age, when the competition distances can be raised significantly. During the test, it was notable how great the differenceswere regarding homing speed, and how often the different test populations’ changed rank orders in the various test flights. Trials based on only few races can lead to false conclusions. 



3.2. The changes in performance between young and one year old homing pigeons. 

Continuing to raise the pigeons that successfully completed the previous series of experiments, I put them through further experiments in the next competition season: I released them from distances of 175, 236 and 354 kms. Through the program, I made sure that the release site and the flight distances were identical to the ones these same pigeons had successfully been through when they were younger. The time of test flights was chosen to correspond as closely as possible with last year’s wheather conditions. The one year old pigeons performed significantly better than they did at a younger age. This difference shows well in homing rates (the rate of pigeons getting lost was 14 times less than at a young age), and also in their flight speed, which was significantly faster in their year-old age (+20%) than what they were able to perform a year earlier. At the same time the recorded individual variability in the flight speed was greatly reduced.

There is a positive and strongly significant phaenotypic correlation between the flight performance of young and year-old pigeons, independently of flight distances (r=0,96 on a distance of 175 kms; r=0,98 on a competition of 237 kms; r=0,91 on a flight of 354 kms; P<0,00). 

The young age and year old age performance repeats well on an individual level too, independently from the fact that the pigeons’ flight performance realizes on a higher level, regarding their absolute rate. Due to the very close phaenotypic correlation between young and one year flight speed performance, the early own performance records can be used as a good pre selection information by the breeders. 

3.3. The effects of inbreeding on the flight performance of homing pigeons. 

The pigeon population that was needed for this experiment had been bred using breeding pairs chosen from my aviary in Rajka. 38 breeding pairs were selected in such a way as to avoid mating relatives (parent-offspring, fullsibs -half-sib, grandparent-descendance offspring). For producing the inbred pigeon stock I selected 38 full sib breeding pairs to produce offspring with 25% inbreeding coefficient (F=25%). I made sure that the performance of both parent population types corresponded to the average level of my aviary stock. I programmed the breeding season to consist of three egg laying cycles so I could surely produce enough of young pigeons ready for the competition season. In the stocks descending from inbred and non-inbred pairings, I recorded the fertility and hatching parameters, the rate of abnormalities, and measured the squab weight at weaning. In the fertility and hatching properties of the eggs I experienced similar tendencies to the more detailed published findings in this area, of HORN and MELEG (2000).

I observed great differences in squab abnormalities, favoring the non-inbred stocks. The weaning-weight of the inbred squabs was significantly smaller compared to the control stock, similar to the conclusions of the authors mentioned above. From the same amount of hatching eggs from inbred and non-inbred pigeon populations (228) 145 inbred and 194 non inbred squabs hatched. In the test program consisting of nine competitions, I released 86-86 homing pigeons through distances ranging from 10 to 202 kms. The time period for the test program was between May and September, 2001. According to the performance recorded through the nine competitions, the pigeon population with the 25% inbreeding co-efficient was characterized with a significantly higher rate of pigeons getting lost than the non-inbred population. The difference is greatly significant from a statistical point of view also. In this experiment, I evaluated the returning pigeons for their physical condition after every single contest, to see if they were fit for the next competition. The ones with the non-adequate physical conditions were held back from further competing. The rate of young pigeons withdrawn from competing was significantly higher in the non-inbred stock. It was notable that I was not able to prove differences in the relation mentioned on distances of 100 kms and below. In the light of this, the effect of inbreeding had proven to be an attribute greatly dependent on flight distance. Longer flight distances increase the differences between inbreds and non inbreds. Through six test competitions, the average flight speed of inbred stocks was significantly slower than that of the non-inbreds. In three contests, the average flight speed of the inbred population surpassed the control groups, although the difference was significant only on one occasion. Averaging the whole test program’s nine competitions, the non-inbred stocks’ average flight speed surpassed that of the 25% inbred stocks’ by 11%.

Consistently, in every test flight the variability of flight speed was much greater in the inbred populations (cv%) compared to non inbreeds. This phaenomenon was not dependent on distance of flight. Unfavourable wheather conditions further increased the variability of the inbred population.


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## pigeonnewb (Jan 18, 2008)

*Section 3.4*

3.4. The comparative test of feral pigeons, homing pigeons and their different crossbreeds. 

To carry out this experiment, I produced five experimental pigeon populations. A purebred feral pigeon stock and a purebred homer pigeon population, a 50%-50% (F1) generation, and two stocks with a 25% and a 75% homer gene-proportion. The feral stocks was collected from squabs of pigeons nesting at houses in the vicinity of Rajka, I raised them and produced the populations needed for the experiment with the proper crossbreeding procedures. The raising of the necessary breeding stocks took place during 1999-2000. Pigeon squabs from the five genetically different stocks were raised from parents nesting at the same times, and were prepared for competition with identical methods (contemporary groups). Considering that no scientific literature gave me any hints about recommended competition distances for these kinds of populations, I programmed the first contest with a distance of five kilometres, and the rest with 10, 15, 25, 40, 50, 100, 160 kms of flight distances. In the test program I had 46 purebred feral pigeons, 42 of the 25%, 41 of 50%, 39 of the 75% homer-gene pigeons and 46 purebred homer pigeons at my disposal. As a result of the differences recorded in the performance of the stocks with different homing pigeon gene frequencies, the homing ability and rate of pigeons getting lost decreases practically linear according to the proportion of the feral pigeon genes.

Approximately 50% of the purebred feral pigeons did not find their way home from distances over 5 kms, and the 40 km distance is so great for them that every pigeon will get lost. In order for a young pigeon to find its way home from a distance of 100 kms, a minimum of 75% homer gene proportion is needed. The flight speed of the populations with a 100-75-50-25% feral pigeon gene proportion does not reach even the half of the purebred homer pigeons’ performance (104 m/min and 215 m/min) within the distance where most of the stocks still find their way home (5 kms).

Considering the mean performance in homing speed attained in the test flights between 50-160 km distances the population having 75% homing pigeon gene proportion was still far behind the purebred homers in flying speed (241 vs. 720 m/min).

At the same time 58% of the former and only 8% of the latter group was lost during the test flights.


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## pigeonnewb (Jan 18, 2008)

*Section 4.1-4.3*

4. CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS 

4.1. Differences experienced in the performance of different types of young carrier pigeons 

From the program set for the analysis of the question group consisting of 13 testflights, I was able to conclude that in the performance of descendants of short range, long range and all-round populations, in the range of 10 to 354 km flight distance, no repeating or statistically trustworthy performance differences appeared in the rate of pigeons becoming lost or in the different populations’ flight speed. It seems that stereotyping through fenotipical characteristics will not bring essential and undoubtedly expected performance differences in the offspring.

This conclusion of my experimental data applies to young pigeon stocks and to those competition distance ranges, which characterize short distance contests, and those which belong to the first domain of midrange competitions. 

According to experimental data I can confirm that the development and selection of the young short range, long range and allround homing pigeon types can only be expected after a year old age, when the competition flight distances can be significantly extended.

During the experiment, it was noticable how great the differences were regarding homing speed, and how often the different test populations changed rank orders in the various test flights. Data collected through the series of contests revealed the dangers of drawing conclusions after single competitions instead of series, even if –regarding single competitions- statistical evaluation justifies a significant difference between populations.

The competition program executed with the participation of young pigeons points out why in specialized literature -regarding homing pigeon base types- they only draw conclusions from the performance of older pigeons (HORN A., 1935, HESSELMANN, 1989, LEVI, 1963).

These conclusions and typecastings possibly have the fault of referring to a strongly selected stock portion (the individuals with the best performance from the total number of pigeons flown, 10-20%), which are not nearly enough to mirror the potential abilities of base populations. 

4.2. Difference in performance of young and year-old carrier pigeons 

The one year old carrier pigeons perform significantly better than they did at a younger age. This difference shows well in homing rates (more than 10 times the difference), and also in that their average flight speed is more than 20% better compared to what they were able to perform a year earlier, measured through competitions over the same distance and under very similar weather conditions.

The recorded individual dispersion in the flight speed of the year-old pigeon populations is significantly smaller than what I experienced competing these same pigeons at their young age, taking into consideration every single flight distance and competition, respectively.

There’s a positive and highly significant connection between the flight performance of young and year old pigeons, independently from flight distances (175 kms distance r= 0,96; 237 kms competition r=0,98; 354 kms of flight r=0,91; P<0,001), which verifies that the young age and year old age performance repeats well on an individual level too, independently from the fact that the pigeons’ flight performance realizes on a higher level, regarding their absolute rate. Due to the very close phaenotypic correlation between young and one year flight speed performance, the early own performance records can be used as a good pre selection information by the breeders.

The results of the experiment series are also interesting from another point of view, namely because in other experiments that are known to me and are well respected by professionals, the performance changes depending on age were evaluated through the performance of one year old and several years old pigeons, concluding that the two and three years old pigeons perform better compared to one year old ones (HORN 1935, HESSELMAN, 1989). My data is worthy of attention because recently competitions with the participation of young pigeos bare becoming more popular, so the informative value of individual performance gained through releasing young pigeons is becoming more significant. 


4.3. The effects of inbreeding on the flight performance of carrier pigeons 

In animal breeding, inbreeding - similarly to crossbreeding - has been looked upon with interest since the beginning of the modern era. In the breeding of homing pigeons in connection with inbreeding, there’s a contradictory point of view between breeders, even though there have been only a few investigations employing exact experiments regarding the effects of inbreeding. HESSELMANN (1989) concluded that inbreeding doesn’t influence pigeons’ performance significantly. Studying his experiments I determined that the stock he labeled „inbred” had a very low coefficient of inbreeding, it couldn’t be put to numbers, so a decrease on account of inbreeding couldn’t be expected. Through the experiments the population that was purposly created by inbreeding and having a 25% inbreeding coefficient was suitable for measuring the rate of the effects of inbreeding on its merits regarding the pigeons’ homing capabilities and speed.During the competition series that consisted of 9 contests the inbred stock didn’t show a weaker performance compared to the non-inbred control group in homing abilities, considering 100 kms or smaller distances. On distances above that, the rate of stocks not returning home significantly got larger compared to the controls. Opposite to that, the rate of pigeons held back from further competing on account of improper physical condition was significantly higher in the non-inbred stock on distances above 100 kms. My data shows that when inbred pigeons are not able to return to the coop and get lost, the non-inbred pigeons are able to return, but on account of the deterioration of their physical condition they can only be released for further competitions after a longer break. Concluding from the facts above, at the end of the series consisting of 9 contests I had practically the same number of pigeons completing the whole test program at my disposal. 

The flight speed of the inbred stocks was significantly smaller than the non-inbred stocks’, averaging out the 9 competitions, the difference surpasses 11%. Consistently, the tendency is that individual dispersion (cv%) experienced in flight speed is considerably larger in the inbred stocks than the control group, on every occasion. The phenomenon is independent from flight distance. The differences are more pronounced under unfavorable weather conditions. The deterioration of performance experienced in the flight speed of the pigeon stock characterized by a 25% inbreeding coefficient fits in with the results that were published by MELEG and colleagues (2005), that they showed a 22,5% deterioration of average flight speed performance in a stock characterized by a 37,5% inbreeding coefficient, compared to the non-inbred control stock.

In the reproductional parameters of inbred and non-inbred pigeon populations, I experienced a similar depression to what HORN and MELEG (2000) discovered in stock of a larger population with a different origin.

It is noticable that the rate of young inbred pigeons getting lost surpassed the non-inbreds’ rate through the practice flights at the beginning.

Using experimental and practical experience based on other poultry breeds and taking my experimental data in account can be very useful in breeding practices. Possibly breeding the inbred pigeons showing a good individual performance with their non-related counterparts with a similarly good performance can be used to produce crossbred offspring with an exceptional individual performance through specific crossbreedings.

Thus we can exploit the heterosys that we can securely count on, because in attributes in which the deterioration connected to inbreeding is significant, there is also a considerable heterosys. In this sense as a stress-selection procedure, we can use the competing of inbred individuals – as testing – for producing competition pigeons expressly.


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## pigeonnewb (Jan 18, 2008)

*Section 4.4*

4.4. Examination of the standards of value of different gene-proportioned feral pigeon and carrier pigeon stocks 

From a theoretical point of view I was interested in a question, namely during the crossbreeding of feral pigeons and carrier pigeons, what is the gene rate that ensures orientational skills and flight speed comparable to carrier pigeons’. For this reason I produced 5 experimental groups, a purebred feral population and a purebred carrier pigeon population, an F1 50% feral, 50% carrier, and two, 25% and 75% carrier gene-proportioned populations. Pigeon chicks from the five stocks were hatched at the same time and were prepared for competing through being raised with identical methods.

Considering that I haven’t found a single publication in the topic in question through studying specialized literature, deviating from usual, I programmed a flight distance of five kilometers, and 10, 15, 25, 40, 50, 100, 160 kms of flight distances following that. Based on the experimental data, I measured extremely large and significant performance differences between experimental groups, regarding both the rate of lost pigeons and flight speed. The purebred feral pigeons all got lost during the first 5 flights, within 40 kms of flight distance. Technically I’m able to state that in order for the population’s essential percentage to return, a minimum of 75% carrier pigeon gene rate is needed. Also in the light of flight speed, I found a very substential difference between the experimental populations. Under a 75% carrier pigeon gene rate the flight speed reduces extremely, so the orientational ability fixed in the homing pigeons can’t prevail. Data shows that even a 75% homing pigeon gene quotient is not enough to come close to the performance of purebred homing pigeons, since this stock’s average flight speed is only the 1/3-1/4 of the homing pigeons’. According to the results, the carrier pigeon gene rate shows a very close connection with both the stock portions getting lost at competitions and average flight speed. This tendency was to be expected, but it’s level is surprising.


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## pigeonnewb (Jan 18, 2008)

*Section 5*

5. NEW SCIENTIFIC RESULTS 

1. Comparing the offspring of pigeon stocks classified as so-called short range, long range and allround types, examining young pigeons according to their type, analysing distances between 10 and 354 kms, I didn’t discover a significant difference in the homing ability and flight speed of the carrier pigeon.



2. Comparing young pigeons’ homing ability and flight speed to their performance at their year-old age I determined that their average flight speed increased significantly (20%), and the individual dispersion measured in flight speed was greatly reduced. The difference in the rate of lost pigeons was 14-fold between the young pigeon population and the leftover –and thus pre-selected- year old homing pigeon stock.



3. There was a close and significant correlation between the homing pigeons’ young age and year old age flight speed, independently from the flight distance (at a 175 kms contest r= 0,96; at a 237 kms contest r=0,98; at a 354 kms flight r=0,91). Every r-value is considerably significant (P<0,001).



4. Up to a 100 kms flight distance there was no noticeable inbreeding-deterioration in the homing abilities of 25%-rate inbred pigeons. Although, homing abilities worsen significantly compared to the non-inbred controls on distances above 100 kms.



5. The flight speed of the inbred stocks (F=25%) falls behind significantly compared to the non-inbred ones, the average rate of this surpasses 11%. In the inbred stocks -compared to the controls- the dispersion of flight speed is considerably higher, independently from distance and weather conditions.



6. The measurable differences in the performance of stocks with various feral and homing pigeon gene rate (0, 25, 50, 75, 100%) – depending on the scale of the feral pigeon gene quotient – decrease approximately linear on flight distances ranging from 5 to 40 kms. About 50% of feral pigeons won’t find their way home from a distance greater than 5 kms, and from a distance of 40 kms none of them return. 

For the return of a pigeon from a 100 kms distance, a minimum of 75% homing pigeon gene rate is needed.

The flight speed (homing speed) of different feral pigeon populations doesn’t even reach half of the purebred homing pigeons’ performance (100,4 m/min and 215 m/min) within the flight distance where at least 50% of all populations will find their way home (5 kms).


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## pigeonnewb (Jan 18, 2008)

*Section 6 (End)*

6. SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS AND LECTURES ON THE SUBJECT OF THE DISSERTATION 

6.1. Book chapter 

Pakuts G.: A postagalamb tájékozódó képessége. In: A galamb és tenyésztése 2. (szerk.: Meleg István), 2001. Gazda Kiadó. Budapest, 19-22. 

6.2. Publications in foreign languages 

Pakuts G.-Meleg I-Pakuts K.: The effects of relief and large water surface on the homing pigeons’ flight performance. Acta Agronomica Ováriensis (2001) Vol. 43.No.2. 128-134. 

6.3. Publications in Hungarian 

Pakuts G.-Szalka E. :Fiatal postagalambok röpteljesítményének

Összehasonlító vizsgálata. Acta Agronomica Óváriensis (2004)

Vol.46.No. 1.70-76. 

6.4. Publications published in proceedings, in full 

Pakuts G.-Meleg I.-Szalka É.-Pakuts K.: A postagalambok tájékozódóképességére és röpteljesítményére ható néhány genetikai és környezeti tényező vizsgálata.VI. Ifjúsági Tudományos Fórum 2000. Március 29. Keszthely Állattenyésztési szekció 3.9. / CD kiadvány,előadásként is / 

Pakuts G.-Meleg I.-Pakuts K.-Szalka É.: Ugyanazon postagalamb populációk röpteljesítményének összehasonlítása fiatal és éves korban 1999-ben és 2000-ben. VII. Ifjúsági Tudományos Fórum Keszthely 2001 március 29.Állattenyésztési szekció 13. / CD kiadvány ,előadásként is / 

Pakuts G.-Meleg I.- Pakuts K.-Szalka É.: Parlagi galambpopulációk ill. fiatal postagalambok röpteljesítményének összehasonlító vizsgálata. Georgikon Napok 2001.szeptember 20-21.Vidékfejlesztés-Környezetgazdálkodás-Mezőgazdaság II. kötet 697-704. 

Meleg I.-Pakuts G.: A rokontenyésztés hatása a postagalambok teljesítményére.XXIX.Óvári Tudományos Napok 2002.oktober 3-4.Mosonmagyaróvár Állattenyésztési szekció / CD kiadvány,előadásként is / 

Meleg I.-Pakuts G.: A rokontenyésztés hatása a postagalambok röpteljesítményére.VIII.Ifjúsági Tudományos Fórum Keszthely 2002.március 28. Állattenyésztési szekció / CD kiadvány,előadásként is / 

6.5. Lecture 

Meleg I.- Pakuts G.: Rokontenyésztett postagalambok fejlődésének és röpteljesítményének vizsgálata. II. Nemzetközi Baromfigenetikai Szimpózium, Gödöllő 2001. Szeptember 14-16.


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

Thanks for posting...mine was corrupted with vast sections looking like this:

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But as you can see, at least from my point of view, the sections you posted, is not something I can read in 5 minutes and then stand at the front of the class and give a book report on ! .........


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

Thanks guys for posting those! 

The inbreeding done was siblings. I think the author just assumed that we know what he was talking about on how to get those percentage. The mixing of ferals with homers was another experiment. He was trying to figure out whether the homer gene percentage affects the performance as well as navigation. There was several experiments done. It is a theses for PhD dissertation so they wont just let you do a simple experiment. LOL!

In the end he is concluding that inbreeding reduces performance at higher distances. They also perform less and less healthier. Obviously he used different family of birds--Janssen for short or middle distance and Arden for long distance.

What surprised me is that young birds seem to have the same speed at any distance, but only changed once they become older. Their navigation and speed improved after 1 year old. I think people's experience backs that one up. Older birds can travel/race farther.


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

RodSD said:


> .....In the end he is concluding that inbreeding reduces performance at higher distances. They also perform less and less healthier..... .


Hello RodSD,

He may have concluded that...but can we really assume that also ? I mean perhaps what we can only conclude, is that at some higher % of inbreeding, some % of the population will show some % of decline in vitality....in some % of the already inbred population. I think by definition, any family of racing pigeons which are identified by a strain name, are already related are they not ? 

What this "research" may in fact be showing, is that some % of a particular strain, may not adapt well at higher levels or % of inbreeding.This type of research may earn a university student a passing grade. But, for the breeders in the pigeon fancy, I'm thinking it simply provides more questions then answers. 

My only point, is that on the surface, a reader could wrongly assume, that the breeding of any related pigeons, will reduce performance. What I think this research really indicates, is that at some percentage, performance begins to decline. This would then validate what we already know, that at some point a cross must be used to reverse the negative effects of inbreeding depression. 

Very much enjoyed the posts.


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

You are welcome Warren. I think the paper just verified what we already know. LOL! 

I have also heard anecdotally from fanciers that certain crossings are not good. Have you observed that one, too?


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

Yes....I have found, that just like not all attempts at inbreeding bear fruit, the same can be said that not all inbred lines when crossed will bring forth the benefits desired. Some family lines are "known" to cross well generally, and/or with other specific families. I think it is also fair to say, that some family lines can withstand inbreeding better then others. Ludo Claessen as an example, has stated that he thought vitality was a characteristic, which could be maintained by specifically selecting birds which were inbred and displayed great vitality. But, one must keep in mind, that he did not inbreed for the sake of inbreeding, he used only truly remarkable birds until such time he either produced, or otherwise secured something better. He was not afraid to remove very good birds from his loft, in order to make room for even better. He also once said, that he had bred a very close family line, due in part, because of the difficulty in finding birds which were superior to what he already had. 

For me at least, the methods and statements of this particular Master pigeon breeder, puts the concept of inbreeding into perspective. He maintained a very small breeding colony of only his best and brightest stars, and removed them constantly as newer, better, greater stars were discovered. All carrying something from the past, but always moving upward and forward to ever higher levels of perfection.

Contrast this with traditional forms of "inbreeding" or "line breeding" where methods are used to maintain a particular gene pool of a particular individual, often around a famous Grand or Great Grand Parent or two. This in some cases is carried to the extreme, as when someone maintains a "pure" line of XYZ, when XYZ may have died generations ago, in which case there may be many, many Great's in the title leading up to Grand Parent. In such cases, the best that one can hope for, is a sort of time capsule....where one hopes to maintain a particular make and model from years past, perhaps by today's standards a Model T. 

I didn't intend to, but I started to write a book here. And the time is now very early on Christmas morning, and my friend Santa and I have chores left to do.


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