Very well, the loft is constructed and we must acquire some inhabitants. Easy - pop down to Tom,Dick and Harry and purchase some "super champions" from them (normally at "reasonable prices" - "to help a beginner"), shove them into the breeding loft and breed some Grand champions -
Beware my friend - you will keep on dreaming for the next three years !
I'm not an expert in the story telling field, however I had to share this experience with you because I would hate to see you falling into the same pit.
I have two proposals for beginners in respect of the acquisition of birds of which I favour the first:
1. The stud loft method:
Accumalate results of races flown in your area on at least Union or federation level and study them for at least the past two years.
The information you have gathered would definitely indicate some top lofts in your area as well as some consistent birds over certain distances.
Arrange a loft visit with the fancier/s who own the bird/s that you favour and enquire about the bird's pedigree. Investigate the results of the bird's family - not only the sire and dam - the whole family for at least three parentals, the brothers and sisters, cousins, uncles,aunts - the whole lot.
In the event of the majority of these specimens flying noteable you could consider a purchase. It is common knowledge that this initial cost will be excessive but, rest asured,the expense will be even higher if you do start off as I did.
On purchasing birds from the fancier, you need not buy the superstar that arose out of your gathered statistics. Purchase related birds - uncles, aunts, cousins,grandparents, brothers and sisters. The benefit of this is vested in the cost factor and you would collect more of this (please allow me) "champion blood", which will place you in the favourable position of commencing linebreeding in your first year.
I have found that birds normally favour a specific distance and you should ensure that the birds you are purchasing show a tendency for performing over this distance, allowing approximately a 100 km deviation. It rarely happens that birds fly well all round however these birds are few and far between and entire families normally would not express this trait.
Although I will discuss breeding in another chapter I need to alert you that with your initial purchase you would soon be in a position where you would "run out of blood" i.e. your birds would become inbred to such an extent that the performance will deteriorate. In order to avoid this I strongly recommend that you also purchase birds( based on your statistics) from another fancier with ability over the same distance.
You would therefore have two outstanding families which you will line and crossbreed, ultimately creating your "own" outstanding family.
For a start it would probably be adviseable to obtain sprinters and to look at the long distance "guns" when you are more experienced.
2. The race loft method:
This method is based on the "hit and miss system" and the same principal as to highlighting fanciers to purchase from as described in the stud loft method are utilised.
The idea is to purchase approximately ten squeekers from a number of top fanciers in your organization and to put them to test yourself.
Your family would thereafter be built on the fancier/s' birds that accumalated the most positions and you could obviously acquire more of the family from the relevant fancier.
The benefit of this method is that you will know which birds do adapt to your loft and methods.
Do not hesitate to mail me should you have any questions or comments.
Good luck
Jean-Pierre Buys