Secret #5: Let the Basket and Races Cull For You
The only fair and impartial methods of selecting intelligence that gives true satisfaction and results are the training basket and long races.
In my opinion, no individual can measure mentality and the degree of homing instinct of a bird from looking at it, feeling or handling it, or looking into it’s eyes. Don’t waste your time or money! You already have the best graders in the world, “The Basket” and “Long Races”.
Over the past years, I have had several famous fanciers and graders visit my loft. Their differences of opinion were so great that what one called a champion, the other called a cull. This only strengthened our opinion that no one human being can evaluate nor grade your pigeons. Those that profess this ability have done more harm than good to our sport over the years.
Secret #5: Let the basket and races cull for you By Bob Prisco
Sign up for the Pigeon Insider Pigeon Racing Newsletter, click here to learn more.
Related Articles:
Featured Product - Easy to Build Aviary Plans and Designs
Learn How To Easily Build An Affordable & Attractive Aviary. Would you like to save $200, $500 or even a $1,000?
The average aviary costs $700 to buy, with high end aviaries costing over $2000 or more. During these tough economic times, you just can’t afford to throw away this amount of money.
But if you choose to build an aviary yourself, you can cut costs by up to 80%. This new aviary building ebook will save you money and gives you detailed step-by-step plans and designs for constructing aviaries that will last for years to come. You'll find literally everything you need to know about how to build an aviary, by yourself, on the cheap inside this ebook. If your a serious pigeon fancier I highly recommend it. 
my biggest fear is loosing my few birds to hawks i already lost two in my loft . there is nothing i can do i guess just take them out and let them go and prey that the hawks don’t get them
Completely agree, as long as the birds are in top shape. What we must remember is pigeon health is a 24/7 respondsibility. If we do not keep them housed/fed and trained properly we are only doing an injustice to our birds, and will never climb to the top of the race sheets. Even a unhealthy champion will be beat by a so so bird in form, so stick to health and the rest will follow……….Keepem flying.
i have raced one year, the basket did my culling for me. i raised 50 young birds last year, i only had 26 at the end of the race season. but my birds where all given to me. but i will try again. hay billy karapiperis of florida call me 270-233-5848, your phone is not working.
Yes I Agree,Thats the best way.Keep the Idears Coming
yes i agree the basket should and will cull your birds, but not all go flyers will breed good birds why ?
One of the caveats of the basket cull is that the predatory birds will randomly get some of your best, and then you make decisions in the breeding loft based upon some false information that a bird was not good because he was “lost” training or in a race.
NOT if you keep good records, and remember the reason for the lost or hawk caught bird.
This is a great post!
Race results, race results, race results.
Okay and the training tosses
Yes I agree thats very true but I think we are missing a point here. The basket can reveal which birds have pontential or are already champion racers but only of your own stock. Although one can be very surprised by a not so good looking birds at time, some qualities have been evident to the eye of an experiences fancier and they are guidelines for when you are aquiring stock. Saving for buying birds with a track record what else is there to go by in such cases?
Regards Tony
I AGREE . VERY WELL SAID KEEP THE IDEARS COMING.
Letting the basket do the culling for you is the only sure test that can provide the right results. Judging birds by by feel and appearance only satisfies your personel preference for what a champion should look and feel like. The basket over time never lies. Training tosses and the actual races will show you who’s who. If all your race birds follow the same training schedule,and are fed and medicated the same,the basket will eliminate those who are their just for the free ride. It makes perfect sense to use the basket for choosing those who deserve the limited amount of real estate in your loft.
Thanks for reading, Nick Demas
It is always a pleasure to read from the greats! Consensus is breed from your first birds back and don’t get led astray by unproven theories and fancy myths. Have you read Mortvedt’s comment on eyesign? Check it out…
http://www.pigeonsport.net/eyesign/response_09112000.htm