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THE PORT NEWS
Ken Sharratt
Archie Price wins top place for the Vic in the Federation

Archie admiring his Mosaic young bird.
Archie & Sue Price have been consistently knocking on the Federation door and this week it opened to give them first place with a home bred
Gaby Vandenbeele hen flying paired and showing to her mate. She is
bred down from Jester & Carrie via Jerster 74 and also carries the
bloodlines of stock from Jim Mannion of Liverpool similar bloodlines
that have proved successful for this loft throughout 2012.
Next week will be her last race and she won't race again as this loft
flys pure widowhood. The cocks are normally stopped at a 100 miles
but Archie felt that they showed form so he was tempted into sending
them into Yeovil and it wasn't necessary as his first pigeon was a hen and she topped the Fed.

The young bird Fed topper for Archie & Sue Price.
There have been some alterations in the young bird section and boxes
have been adapted into Pippa boxes with the intention of creating the
motivation as the team are constantly being stimulated by subtle
changes. Keeping them interested and preventing them getting stale.
The loft and set-up is very organised and routine is an essential part
of the system with attention to detail. I had the opportunity to see
quite a few labour saving and loft maintenance ideas.
The Gaby Vandenbeeles have proved themselves successful in a
relatively short period of time and even so Archie does not stand
still and he is already thinking ahead and I know that the Winter is a
time when he looks at what has happened and plans for next year.

Archie Price's method of providing water for his YBs is
simple and effective and great training for drinking in the basket.
Mosaics
Whilst at Archie's loft, I took a picture of a mosaic young bird sat
on a huge nest of hay. The colour of the bird was fascinating and I
felt that it might be interesting to discuss the genetic reasons for
the production of this colour. In short, the word Mosaic has different meanings to different folks of different walks of life. However,
since this is a story about how it happens in our lofts, the Mosaic
types I want to talk about here are strictly biological. Note I said
types as there is more than one cause for mosaics in our pigeons.
Biology uses the term mosaicism as a condition exhibited by an
individual displaying tissues of genetically different types, hence
the colour in our birds.When a difference in colour, pattern or
physical structure exists for these two genetic makeup's we see a
mosaic. I will try to briefly explain it and say that it happens at
conception and is similar to what happens to identical twins, but this
is only happening to the DNA that controls colour. One theory and
explanation is that a mosaic was formed when two separate sperm cells
fertilise the same egg, resulting in a'' mosaic.''
Perhaps we should just enjoy this treat of nature and forget about the
complex reasons for it happening. Like many things that happen in
pigeon racing if we think to deeply about it we can't see wood for
trees.
Victoria HS
Result for race held 1st September 2012 from Yeovil 11 members sent 263 birds liberated into a SW wind.
Mr & Mrs A.J .Price are first on 1399 ypm and S. Arathoon is second on
1395. Third place goes to P.Coombes on 1389 ypm and Griffiths &
Sandland are fourth on 1385 ypm.
My Scottish mate Andy Minto came down to Ellesmere Port for a couple
of days' rest with his wife Joan after having an operation on his
shoulder. He gave me a hand doing a few jobs around the loft and came
with me on some training tosses and we got stuck in traffic around
Chester for two and half hours taking the birds for a 10 mile chuck.
Well I was always having to translate in shops etc. I thought this
would make Andy and you laugh.
One for those who understand Scottish. Scene: In an Ellesmere Port butcher's shop.
The butcher has just come back through from his cold store, and was
standing with his back to the heater, thawing himself out.
Andy comes in and says,
"Is that your Ayrshire Bacon?"
Regards and email me: kensharratt@ntlworld.com
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