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West of England Tumblers – Page 23 – Purebred PIGEON
Breed of the Issue - West of England Tumblers
West ofEnglands
AFewTips for
Success
By Josh Zilles
I
have been breeding West of England Tumblers now for 22 years.
The West of England Tumbler is the first breed of pigeons I started
raising. I have always loved this breed of pigeon and am excited to
be part of the history of this breed and club here in America.
I started with three pair of Wests. I would like to share a few of
the things I learned that made a difference when I started raising
West of England Tumblers.
Wests are great breeders and are good parents to their young.
I have always enjoyed them for this reason. I usually keep 8 to 10
pair to breed each year and they range in a few colors from Almond,
Lavender, Black and Brander Bronze. I love working with my birds and
seeing the improvements I can make each year. In Idaho I have to deal
with multiple factors when it comes to breeding my birds and usually
don’t start breeding until March each year so that I don’t lose as many
babies due to cold weather. Since I start so late in the year breeding, I
usually breed until July in order to produce enough babies to move me
to the next level for the following year.
A few things that have worked great for me when it comes
to producing a good quality West of England are the following.
Make sure when you select your breeding pairs that you have
birds that carry good station traits. This one thing I always look
for in my breeding pairs for next year. I firmly believe that good
station in a bird is bred and not trained and if you select that
trait, you will have more success in the show room.
Next it is important that you have a good environment for
your birds to condition and get ready for shows. It is important
that you don’t overcrowd your birds. I like to use lollipop perches
to keep my bird’s muffs and tails in better condition. I also like to
bathe my birds regularly to keep their feathers in better condition.
West of England Tumblers are fairly easy to breed and
there is a lot of good breeding stock in the United States. Most
members can get a new breeder started with a few quality pairs.
Everyone has the chance of breeding a champion and its import-
ant that you always try your best. I was told when I first started
that it cost the same amount to feed a champion as it does a
poor-quality bird, so always keep champions. I feel that it’s im-
portant to always keep the best quality you can and then work on
adding birds to improve that quality.
These are just a few tips I have learned over the years breed-
ing pigeons in Idaho and what I do may not work for everyone.
I hope everyone will consider breeding Wests in the future
and joining the National West of England Tumbler Club. •