Which type or breed - the revenge

[Jiggs]

I borrowed a really bad camera so the pics are not to good (I am not going to comment on my photographic abilities LOL). Seems as I look at them according to the gallery they are Show Homers (as per previous posting) Am I correct.

Why call them Show Homers (5th from bottom on the Gallery). The picture under Racing show homers is not close. I was told they come from winning racing stock so why just called show not racing?

[go4pigeons]

Looks like a normal racing pigeon to me. Show racers are usually more refined, have larger more developed heads, necks and bodies. The first picture you posted in the other thread looked like a show racer to me.

Al

[Jiggs]

Fair enough Al. (I was hoping for more replies though). My question was not quite what you answered though. I know they are Racers. I am trying to figure out what type they are as there are (according to the info that I have read) many different types. and why are there words as show racers, show homers, homers etc. What I would like to know is why their features differ from all the pics on the net. A lion in Kenya and a lion in a zoo in England look the same. So if no answers I need to imagine that I have racers the same as everyone else but that they look different. And by different I mean shape of head posture etc.

[Pigeonpal2002]

Hi Jiggs,

That is just how the different breeds of pigeons are distinguished from one another. Show racers differ from regular racing homers in their size and head shape. Each breed is a little different from another one by these specific traits. For example the show homing pigeon, also known as the giant homer, was created using the blood of a regular racing pigeon and cross bred with say a king and other breeds. Over many generations this is how each new breed has been established. Colour doesn't really matter much in terms of specific breeds of pigeons. It's mostly governed by size, feathering, beak shape and size, stance, posture etc. There are over 300 individual types or breeds of domestic pigeons. It takes time to create a spefic and unique breed and it has to be acknowledged by the pigeon community at large. I hope this is a little more specific to your questions.

[go4pigeons]

The differences between various breeds of pigeons with the name "Homer" in them (and related breeds) can be confusing at times.

Exhibition Homers a product of Great Britain (early 1900's) bred for show, developed from the racing homer
Genuine Homers an English (early 1900's) breed, developed from the racing homer as a show bird
Giant Homers originated in America (early 1900's) created from large squabbing (racing) homers with outcrosses to Show Homers
Racing Homer created from breeding various breeds together (Smerle, Cumulet, Dragoon, Horseman, Carrier) Belgian and English origins
Show Homer another product of Great Britain (late 1800's) Beligian Antwerp outgrowth
American Show Racer developed in the U.S. (early 1900's)
Show Pen Racers U.S. developement (also know as Show-Type Racing Homers and sometimes called incorrectly Show Homers)
German Beauty Homers a German (early 1900's) product using the Show Antwerp and the Show Homer

As I said before I believe from the pictures you posted you have the "basic" racing homer. Now what strain it may be is unknown. There are many, many different strains of racing homers in the world today. Perhaps a racing homer fancier could tell better what it might be.

Accessing some of the various web pictures might help you identify the different homer breeds better too.

Still not sure if I am answering your question or not. Al

[gws_1963]

I'll add my 2 cents here:

Birds bred for show are bred for looks, and birds bred for racing/flying arent really looked at as closely for how they look, but how they perform. As long as they fit the general appearance AND perform well, thats what counts.

So... racing pigeons arent bred for their looks, they are bred for the way they fly home.

[SmithFamilyLoft]

Hello Jiggs,

A VERY good question, but one which is hard to answer. For a couple of reasons. I doubt if I can articulate these reasons, but I will try.

If I took you down to the race track, and we were looking at throughbred race horses. Very few people, could point to a horse, and say that is a bloodline from so and so.

When you look at a racing pigeon, very few people could say that bird is a so and so strain. The exception would be a "Trenton", for example. You can spot them at 20 yards, no problem. Because they have unique color and markings, most strains do not.

I for one, like to own beautiful racing pigeons. I only race for 10 weeks out of the year, but I look at them every day for 52 weeks, so I want them pretty !! I favor reds and very dark velvets. Most of my fellow club and combine members can point my birds out in a crate. Besides the color, I like frills, and they are of a particular body shape and style. This is due in part, because I use a good deal of line and inbreeding. Everyone is related in my primary breeding loft. Some look so much alike, they are like "clones". I can spot my birds and their ancestors, in another guys loft. Because they have that "look". Many strains, look like any other, to me at least.

Hope that helps.

[upcd]

Did you say this guy you got the birds from showed or raced? There beautiful Birds. What are you going to do with them? Breed them, Show or Fly them? Maybe both?

Debbie

[Jiggs]

Thank you for the replies. That was informative. Debbie they are racing, the bloke I got them from races regularly in our area and he has quite a few tropjies under his belt.