BENEFITS OF TESTING A FAMILY OVER MANY YEARS
With nearly 40 years of race testing at all levels of distance and weather, I have made some conclusions. The generations of some proven birds inspire confidence in the bloodlines-you believe there is some potential there in some of the birds. The sobering reality is that few ,great birds will be bred, each one is different ,and a family is not pure for producing good racers at any specific distance - i.e. to think that all my birds are distance birds is a fallacy and a nonsense. You will find a minority of good birds from any fancier, when put to the test. All our birds are tested and other than saying the genes, you never are sure of a good one until you race it or breed from it. When I get some birds in for outbreeding, it is always a case of testing the unknown and when you have a good breeder it becomes the exception and an aristocrat in your loft-I always base my breeding around these, irrespective of outward appearance.
Jim Emerton
INBRED GDT OF TWICE BARCELONA INTERNATIONAL 710 MILES AND A DTR. OF 3 TIMES TARBES 671 MILES - EMERTON/HARVEY STRAIN
LOOKING FOR AN INBRED FOR OUTBREEDING
There are some good marathon men about who keep a family of birds alive. In doing what they have done all the birds are tested and they are masters at and perfectionists in their quest for quality. Some individual birds of sound genes, I have experimented with are from Donaldson, Denney, Denys and T. Robinson, whilst maintaining the core inbred element of the strain. It is an ongoing leap of faith and a shot in the dark to produce another performance champion. These are rare from birds of any origin and produced by good management. I like inbred birds to the main performances of the flier and then you have potential to play with. We are now consolidating and concentrating on what we have, as the other mans grass is always greener cliché can apply. If you persist with the basic plan then results may happen.
4 DIRECT CHILDREN OF THE POLISH BARCELONA NATIONAL WINNER IN THE INTERNATIONAL OVER 1000 MILES - WITH MICHAEL FEENEY IN IRELAND SEE SQUILLS
Jim Emerton
