A Genetic Program for Breeding Racing Pigeons

Transcription

1 A Geetic Program for Breedig Racig Pigeos Dave Shewmaker Shewmaker Geetics PO Box 460 Elk Grove, CA shewmaker.com shewmaker.com

2 Overview My biases Urba Legeds vs the Scietific Method Key Geetic Priciples Key Strategies Key Techiques A Case Study The Biggest Lessos I ve Leared October 13, 2001 Greater Utah Combie Semiar 2

3 My Biases 11 species, 43 years viruses, bacteria, flies, mice, rabbits, sheep, hogs, cattle, dogs, horses, pigeos I strogly believe that the priciples of geetics are essetially the same for all of these species. I am a practitioer ad propoet of ibreedig. This semiar is FYI. I am hear oly to share what I am doig, ot to say this is the oly way. October 13, 2001 Greater Utah Combie Semiar 3

4 My Biases I pigeo racig I believe there are seve factors that determie your success. Oe is beyod your cotrol (luck - as i ot hittig the wire or particular wid coditios o race day), five are pass/fail (fuel, fitess, traiig, motivatio, health) ad oe represets ulimited ad largely utapped potetial (geetics). October 13, 2001 Greater Utah Combie Semiar 4

5 My Biases I years past may of these pass/fail factors were ot widely perfected withi the sport ad so whe someoe advaced our uderstadig or came up with a improved techique, the early adopters had a huge competitive advatage. Two examples of this are widowhood ad the darkeig system. I am of the opiio that we are just about as far alog as we ca get with respect to the pass/fail five. The oly frotier left for carvig out a sigificat competitive advatage is geetics. October 13, 2001 Greater Utah Combie Semiar 5

6 Urba Legeds vs the Scietific Method Urba Legeds probably origiate with somethig close to the truth, but quickly grow to fictioal status as the stories are passed from perso to perso. The apparet validity of the leged rests almost exclusively i the credibility of the story teller ( I had a fried who... ). October 13, 2001 Greater Utah Combie Semiar 6

7 Urba Legeds vs the Scietific Method The life of the leged ca be thought of as a very liear process by which it keeps gettig further ad further from the truth the more ofte the story is told ad the loger this has goe o without the story s credibility beig checked. Some of our thoughts ad cocepts o the racig ad breedig of pigeos may have origis very similar to these Urba Legeds. October 13, 2001 Greater Utah Combie Semiar 7

8 Urba Legeds vs the Scietific Method The Scietific Method is somethig you probably leared i school, but may ot have had the occasio to use o a regular basis. It is a circular process which (whe properly executed) takes the ivestigator closer ad closer to the truth with each cycle: October 13, 2001 Greater Utah Combie Semiar 8

9 Urba Legeds vs the Scietific Method This is the Scietific Method : Observatios are made. A hypothesis is put forth that attempts to explai the observatios. A experimet is desiged whose outcome is predicted by the hypothesis. The results of the experimet are aalyzed to see if they are cosistet with the hypothesis. These results are i fact ew observatios ad the process is repeated over ad over util a clear uderstadig is achieved. Most importatly - Eve the, the process is ot really over. Ay future observatios which are ot 100% cosistet with the hypothesis will trigger a ew roud of experimetatio. October 13, 2001 Greater Utah Combie Semiar 9

10 Urba Legeds vs the Scietific Method My poit is that we eed to costatly evaluate what we thik is true about racig ad breedig pigeos. Whe someoe tells us a Pigeo Leged we eed to the test it agaist what we actually observe ad wheever possible cotrol the circumstaces uder which we make those observatios. October 13, 2001 Greater Utah Combie Semiar 10

11 Urba Legeds vs the Scietific Method Eve more importatly, whe we stock a bird, it eeds to be because the scietific evidece idicates it is a solid breeder cadidate ad ot because it is just the beeficiary of usubstatiated beliefs. October 13, 2001 Greater Utah Combie Semiar 11

12 Key Geetic Priciples Expressio = Geetics + Eviromet Progress = Selectio Itesity X Number of Geeratios Pheotype vs Geotype Not all traits are visible It s a umbers game - The Bell Curve Gee scramblig Heterosis The reality of materal Ifluece The myth of pateral ifluece October 13, 2001 Greater Utah Combie Semiar 12

13 Key Strategies Clearly idetified objectives Meaigful selectio criteria Accurate records Applied cosistetly over a prologed period October 13, 2001 Greater Utah Combie Semiar 13

14 Key Techiques Liebreedig to stack the deck Ibreedig to improve cosistecy Cross breedig to maximize performace Outcrossig to raise the bar Radom matigs to maitai the status quo Selectio to shift the bell curve Testig to validate selectio Cotemporary group testig to miimize the evirometal factors October 13, 2001 Greater Utah Combie Semiar 14

15 Key Techiques Liebreedig to stack the deck Useful whe a key aimal is t available died, goe sterile, lost or culled before its value was kow, uaffordable A techique for cloig A techique for stoppig the agig process Example: I have foud i my DeVriedt s that the more I put Lodi i the pedigree, the better they perform. The same has bee true of Super 73. Cosider this pedigree: It poits out the value of a pedigree, eve beyod 2 or 3 geeratios! October 13, 2001 Greater Utah Combie Semiar 15

16 Key Techiques October 13, 2001 Greater Utah Combie Semiar 16

17 Key Techiques Ibreedig to improve cosistecy By breedig related aimals there is less geetic diversity i the resultig offsprig. If the ibreedig is accompaied by selective pressure, the gee pool will arrow. This meas certai gees will fall out of the pool ad those that remai will be more cocetrated. Sice the ext geeratio has a arrower gee pool from which to draw, the resultig offsprig ted to exhibit less variability (or i other words more cosistecy). October 13, 2001 Greater Utah Combie Semiar 17

18 Key Techiques Ibreedig to improve cosistecy This resultig cosistecy is good if the right gees have bee cocetrated ad ot good if they have bee excluded. Sometimes bad gees ca be cocetrated (e.g. udesirable recessive traits such as web feet). However, with additioal selectio, they ca be removed from the gee pool i subsequet geeratios. Remember vigor is directly related to geetic diversity ad so we will have to deal with the loss of vigor whe usig ibreedig to produce racig pigeos. October 13, 2001 Greater Utah Combie Semiar 18

19 Key Techiques Cross breedig to maximize performace Cross breedig is simply the breedig of urelated aimals. Sice all aimals of a give species are related to some degree, cross breedig is a somewhat relative term. I geerally cosider two racig pigeo lies to be urelated if there are o commo acestors i te geeratios. The HUGE beefit of cross breedig is that it egates the decrease i vigor that ca be produced by ibreedig. Example: Most field cor is produced from a cross of two barely viable ibreed lies which are themselves are almost completely urelated. October 13, 2001 Greater Utah Combie Semiar 19

20 Key Techiques Outcrossig to raise the bar Lets review where we are: Liebreed coupled with kee selectio to develop a exceptioal lie Refie this lie with ibreedig to make it cosistetly reproducible Cross this exceptioal cosistet ibred lie with aother exceptioal cosistet ibred but urelated lie to produce a uiform crop that exhibits 100% heterosis. Ufortuately we ow have a problem... October 13, 2001 Greater Utah Combie Semiar 20

21 Key Techiques Outcrossig to raise the bar If we have bee perfectly successful we ow have two lies which cross to produce birds which out perform everythig else that our competitors are flyig. The problem is we ca o loger improve. We have reached a plateau. I the theoretical extreme, every bird will be exactly the same with o variability. Eve if they are all good, o oe will be better or worse tha aother. It will be impossible to move forward. This is where we use outcrossig. October 13, 2001 Greater Utah Combie Semiar 21

22 Key Techiques Outcrossig to raise the bar Outcrossig is the itroductio ito the breedig loft of a bird that is geerally urelated to the other birds. The advatage is that the ew bird brigs diversity to the gee pool. This will result i variability. We ow have to re-establish a ew arrow gee pool which is icremetally better tha the former oe. It is a kid of 1 step back, 2 steps forward approach. We lose some of our cosistecy, but we ca ow improve by careful selectio of the resultig birds. October 13, 2001 Greater Utah Combie Semiar 22

23 Key Techiques Radom matigs to maitai the status quo Be aware that i a populatio where matigs are completely radom ad where there are o selective pressures, the populatio will remai i a equilibrium (meaig the populatio either improves or degrades) So if your flock is ot improvig, it might be because your matigs are ot properly correlated to what you are tryig to itesify. Remember the Scietific Method here. Test the validity of your matigs by the performace of their offsprig. October 13, 2001 Greater Utah Combie Semiar 23

24 Key Techiques Selectio to shift the bell curve October 13, 2001 Greater Utah Combie Semiar 24

25 Key Techiques Testig to validate selectio Eye Sig? Throat? Hadlig? Basket? Pedigree? Purchase Price? Race Results? Demad? October 13, 2001 Greater Utah Combie Semiar 25

26 Key Techiques Testig to validate selectio I ca t tell you how to test. Just make sure that you are i fact measurig your progress ad weighig that measured progress agaist the goal of your breedig program. October 13, 2001 Greater Utah Combie Semiar 26

27 Key Techiques Testig to validate selectio This is what I do: Test fly 90% of what I raise. Test i cotemporary groups (e.g. equal opportuities). Subject the test group to sufficietly severe selective pressures such that the results are a ormal bell curve (e.g. I do t wat groups o the drop). Look for patters (e.g. multiple wis from multiple mates). Keep excellet detailed accurate ad ubiased records. Retai the top 1% for test breedig. Retai for stock the top 10% of the test breeders who demostrate a ability to breed o. October 13, 2001 Greater Utah Combie Semiar 27

28 Key Techiques Cotemporary group testig to miimize the evirometal factors The goal is to evaluate performace i a test eviromet where everythig is equal amog the competig birds except geetics. Similar hatch dates Same feed, medicatios, traiig methods Same disease exposures ad opportuities for atural immuity Ibreds are compared to other ibreds Devriedts are compared to Devriedts; ; Va Loos to Va Loos ad so o. October 13, 2001 Greater Utah Combie Semiar 28

29 Key Techiques Cotemporary group testig to miimize the evirometal factors Results ca oly be evaluated with respect to the test group. For example, speeds ca ot be compared betwee groups. I ll brag as much as ayoe about a combie wi. However, I oly use loft results for evaluatig performace. If I race oe est mate ad my eighbor races the other, we ca NOT compare them! October 13, 2001 Greater Utah Combie Semiar 29

30 A Case Study This is what I am doig - The Breedig Program: Idetify goals Build the gee pool Idetify key lies Itesify the gees of key idividuals Idetify key crosses Narrow the gee pool Exted the lies October 13, 2001 Greater Utah Combie Semiar 30

31 A Case Study This is what I am doig - The Breedig Program: Hofkes - Hofkes, Traets Grodelaers Va Loo - Louis, Super 73, Zootjes Jasse - Brothers, Jemal,, Va Moorsel,, Va Herpe, Calia, Lumachi, Verazza, Smeulders,, De 46 Devriedt Ja Aarde Thoe October 13, 2001 Greater Utah Combie Semiar 31

32 A Case Study This is what I am doig - The Testig Program: Two seaso breedig program, year roud testig Cage breedig with pellets ad 17 hours light: 15% Chicke Lay pellets (2 oz per bird per day) util hatchig the 28% Pigeo pellets (free choice) Weaig at 30 days Purge spray Free choice 28% pellets ad grai/grit Water with large access opeigs Vacciate PMV ad Pox October 13, 2001 Greater Utah Combie Semiar 32

33 A Case Study This is what I am doig - The Testig Program: Trap Traiig - 7 days 3 days with water i loft ad o ladig board 4 days with feed i loft ad water o ladig board Ladig Board Traiig - 2 days Two cosecutive afteroos the ladig board scree is opeed util dark It is key that they leave o their ow October 13, 2001 Greater Utah Combie Semiar 33

34 A Case Study This is what I am doig - The Testig Program: Loft Traiig - 14 days Morig tosses prior to feedig Oce they eter the traps they ca ot retur to sky Day 1 Basket ad release from 100 yards i view of loft Day 2: Release from 1/2 mile Days 3-6: Release from 2 miles i 4 separate directios Days 7-10: Release from 5 miles i 4 separate directios Days 11-14: Release from 10 miles i 4 separate directios (small group tossig wheever possible) Day 14: Worm with Ivermecti i water October 13, 2001 Greater Utah Combie Semiar 34

35 A Case Study This is what I am doig - The Testig Program: Selectio for orietatio, itelligece - 1 week: place electroic bads o birds remaiig at this poit 5 daily tosses of miles with all returs scored by the electroic trap eve large drops are worth scorig! Selectio for desire ad race skills - 4 weeks: daily tosses wheever possible with three each week beig coditioig tosses of 40 miles. A weekly race o Saturday with Suday for rest: Week 1: 75 miles Week 2: 100 miles Week 3: 125 miles Week 4: 160 miles Weekly baths October 13, 2001 Greater Utah Combie Semiar 35

36 A Case Study This is what I am doig - The Testig Program: Selectio for the top 10%: Cotiue the weekly race program extedig the distace util it is clear which birds comprise the top 10% of the test group. Remember my goal here is breeder selectio ad NOT race team traiig. I do t wat large drops! I evaluatig the top 10% I look for cosistecy as well as multiple istaces of top 5% placemet. October 13, 2001 Greater Utah Combie Semiar 36

37 A Case Study This is what I am doig - The Testig Program: Selectio for the top 10%: From the graduates: Exceptioal cocks ad hes are placed i the breedig program for testig as breeders The top hes of those remaiig joi my Old Bird team The top cocks of those remaiig are offered for sale. All others are culled. The breedig pairs are evaluated o the basis of their offsprig s performace i the testig program. I am lookig for cosistecy ad multiple top place fiishes. Iterestig Note: There is a strog correlatio betwee birds who do well i this 60 X 60 program ad those who do well as old birds at the traditioal race distaces. October 13, 2001 Greater Utah Combie Semiar 37

38 The Biggest Lessos I ve Leared There is a HUGE geetic compoet behid the exceptioal birds which wi big or wi ofte. This effect is much larger tha I thought it would be. There are geetic compoets to virtually every aspect of racig, icludig speed of orietatio ad eve the ability to be motivated. To move forward i a sigificat way we must be extremely selective. Breedig from the top 1% is ot too extreme. October 13, 2001 Greater Utah Combie Semiar 38

39 The Biggest Lessos I ve Leared Virtually all pairs produce birds which eed to be culled. Expect eve the top pairs to produce at best 1 i 10. Test, test, test! Coformatio is importat, but sigificatly less importat tha brais ad heart. Remember Rudy ad ufulfilled athletes The D.J. Foster bird. Vetilatio is critical for health. Health is of course critical for flyig success, but it is also critical for maitaiig ibred lies. October 13, 2001 Greater Utah Combie Semiar 39