# Breeding yearlings?



## de Vera Loft (Mar 11, 2009)

Do you breed your yearlings to get racers? Yearlings X Yearlings? Or do you cross them to some of 2 years and up old racing pigeon? Does anyone had success breeding yearlings I'm just confused about this because I'm planning to breed my yearlings from the race, they are just 11 months old after the race and I'm planning to breed them next month.. I've heard some issue that if you plan to breed your young bird team, you should not breed your yearlings, they should get at least 2 years old to breed, is it true? What could be the advantages and disadvantages in breeding yearlings?


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## [MN]eXist^_^ (Feb 13, 2009)

Some yearlings don't know what to do and this is probably what people have problems with. Other than that I don't see a problem with rearing youngsters from yearlings.


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

All of my old birds are allowed to raise one or two babies before racing starts. Yearlings do have some problems at first, but there's a first time for everything.


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## g0ldenb0y55 (Dec 23, 2008)

Through my lack of knowledge I did the yearling to yearling thing and the product of that pairing were slow maturing and undersized birds. The babies were completely the opposite from their yearling parents who matured quick and are on the medium to large size for racing homers. When road training began they were always a step behind the other birds and at 60 miles out I lost them. 

Through my own experience I don't breed yearlings together anymore. You need the vigor and experience of an older bird in the mix to get the results you want.


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## Jimhalekw (Jan 1, 2010)

I have no problem breeding from yearlings myself other than the possible first round or maybe two. After that I scratch them off as breeders, my feeling being that a good breeder will shine early and that is what I am looking for. 11 months is plenty for hens or cocks, although hens will mature to breeding age before cocks depending on the family backround. By that I am saying a hen from the same family will mature faster, but some families mature faster overall. I have bred a cock that is one of my best to two different yearling hens so far this year. I plan on sending the young to money races depending on how they seem to me at shipping time. Jim


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## sandiego (Jan 11, 2008)

i dont have any problem breeding them yearling. they all come out the way i like it. i just pick the very best and try it. you will never know for your self till you try it. good luck


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## Guest (Feb 26, 2010)

I agree some birds are just better at it then others , it all comes down to the parents and how well they raise their youngins , its like something they pass on thru the generations


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## Kal-El (Oct 10, 2008)

Last year, I bred one of my best 2008 young birds. He produced my most consistent young bird this year. 

cc: Jimhalekw, he is an inbred MITM.


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