A racing pigeon pedigree tells you where a pigeon comes from and what its ancestors achieved. If you can read one, you buy pigeons with your eyes open and pair them better.
The layout
A pedigree reads from left to right:
- On the left is the pigeon the pedigree is for.
- Next its parents: the sire on top, the dam below.
- Then grandparents and great-grandparents. The rule repeats: the sire's side on top, the dam's side below.
Most pedigrees show four generations. The first two matter most, because a pigeon inherits most from its parents and grandparents.
The ring number
Every pigeon in a pedigree has a ring number, for example BE-21-4074782:
| Part | Meaning |
|---|---|
BE | the country that issued the ring |
21 | the year of birth, here 2021 |
4074782 | the pigeon's number |
Rings from other countries follow similar patterns. Polish rings also carry the club section, as in PL-0262-25-1180. Ring numbers also show whether the same pigeon appears several times in a pedigree. If it does, the breeder paired related pigeons.
Colour and sex
Each pigeon has a colour, such as blue bar, chequer, dark chequer, red or mealy. In every pair of ancestors the cock is on top and the hen below.
Results in the pedigree
This is the most important part. Look at:
- Position and the number of birds. 1st out of 300 means less than 10th out of 10,000.
- Distance. Results over 500 km show stamina, short races show speed.
- Consistency. A pigeon with several good results is worth more than one with a single lucky one.
- One loft race results. One loft races level the conditions, so the results are easy to compare. Pigeclub imports Polish one loft race results for you.
Be careful with pedigrees that show only famous line names for the ancestors, without ring numbers or results. You can't check them.
Reading a pedigree when buying a pigeon
- Check that the ring number in the pedigree matches the ring on the pigeon's leg.
- Look at the parents' results. A youngster from two good racers is a safer choice.
- Look for ancestors that appear more than once and judge whether that line is intended.
- Ask for the pedigree as a PDF. You can import it into Pigeclub without retyping.
Keep the pedigree safe
Paper pedigrees get lost and fade. Photograph the pedigree and import it into Pigeclub. The pigeon and its ancestors are saved, and you can print the pedigree any time. Prefer paper? Download a blank pigeon pedigree.