My Favorite pigeon
By Steve Joneli,
Red
Rose Lofts
I
think every fancier has at one time has had a favorite bird.
That special pigeon with some inner quality that catches your heart.
May be he’s the champion racer in your loft. Or maybe he’s the tamest bird, the one that always fly’s
to greet you, landing on your shoulder. Studly
is my favorite pigeon.
When I started flying I
fixed up the end eight feet of a storage building that is on my property.
It made a nice 8X8 foot loft. I
had a large window on one side and built some nest boxes on the other side.
Nothing special, just a nice comfortable home for some birds.
Now all I needed was some pigeon.
I
had been told about the Washington State Racing Pigeon Show and Auction that was
coming up so I made plans to drive to Puyallup to look for some birds.
This show is held on Thanksgiving weekend every year along with the NPA
fancy bird show. I spent the day
looking at all the fancy show pigeons and racing homers and making new friends
with people I met. I ended up
coming home with four pair of racing homers and some assorted show birds.
The show birds later moved to other homes as my interest developed in the
racers. One of the cocks I bought
was a magnificent looking blue bar. I
was told by the gentleman selling him he had come from Montana from a flyer that
had quit flying and moved to warmer climates. I was told he was a long distance bird that used to fly from
the Cascade Mountains in Wash home to Bozeman, Mont. I don’t know why but for some reason this one cock really
caught my eye. He had a way about
him, such a proud looking bird.
When I got them home
and turned them loose in their new loft it was termoil for a couple of days.
But when the dust had cleared my Montana cock had chosen a top nest box
and had picked out the best looking hen in the loft. Since he had the top nest box and the best looking hen I
naturally assumed he was the toughest cock, king of the loft, top Stud.
That’s how he got his name “Studly”.
In his first year
breeding because of a late start he only raised two young.
One young bird , flew really well in her first race but was lost in her
second race, big smash. But his
other daughter 701, won several diplomas and was neck and neck for champion bird
right up until the last race. At
the Wash. State show this year we entered Studly in the “Eye Sign” class and
he took a third. So I think
there’s definitely some quality there. But
that’s not what makes him so
special.
There is nothing in
life Studly loves more that being a dad. When
he’s sitting eggs and especially very young babies he just won’t give up the
nest. Many a time we have seen him
all spread out on his nest with his hen trying to squeeze in next to him.
One leg in the nest bowl and one leg out.
And then there was the time we saw her actually sitting right on top of
him. Because he just wouldn’t
give up his babies. His babies are always the fattest in the loft.
Most babies squeak because they’re hungry.
Studly’s babies squeak because there over filled and are begging for
mercy. Last year I wanted to re do
the nest boxes in my breeding loft. I
had 7 babies still in the nests all about 20 days old.
I chose this time to separate the pairs and put the hens in the “Hen
Loft”. I locked the cocks out in
the aviary and boxed up the babies. I
removed the old nest boxes and built twelve nice new nest boxes with doweled
fronts. I put the babies on the
floor thinking their dads would come down and feed them and then let in the
cocks. The new nest boxes were a different arrangement than before so the cocks
had to go through they’re pecking order choosing their new boxes.
I returned to the loft a few hours to see how everyone was doing and boy
what a surprise. Studly hadn’t even picked out a box. Instead choosing to be on the floor feeding all seven babies.
When one of the babies natural dads came down wanting to feed his young
Studly would run him off. He just
wasn’t letting anyone near his newly adopted family.
Later after it was dark I again went to the loft to check things out and
what another surprise. Instead of
taking his top box, Studly was on the floor in a corner with all seven babies
snuggled in around him. He was just
sitting there with his wings spread out covering his new family all proud,
smiling from ear to ear.
Studly
has become one of my most valuable cocks. And
my favorite. He is such a gentleman with his hens, and so laid back and
easy going. I like to think he
enjoys it when I stroke his belly as he’s standing there, but he’s probably
just being polite and putting up with me. And
anytime if you need to move a baby just give it to Studly and it’s immediately
adopted.
Studly
is eight years old now but still fit as a fiddle and going strong.
His young this year look top notch and are flying super.
He’s defiantly a one in a million bird in my heart and will always be
“My Favorite Pigeon”
AU 92 ARPU 21893
"Studly"