Purebred Pigeon Sept/October 2025

Breed of the Issue - AMERICAN GIANT HOMER GIANT HOMER – Page 27 – Purebred PIGEON The Simple Formula For Breeding Excellence in Recessive Reds by Alan Gorby F irst let me qualify myself, I have been breeding Recessive Reds since 1978, off and back again. I am in my 4th “tour of duty” working with them and I feel I finally figured it out. Meaning I am getting the great color we all are breeding for in Recessive Reds. Many have written articles on them, and I have read many more. I disagree with some and others just seem to complicate the whole process for the readers. I am just sharing with the readers how I have found success. The secret is Homozygous Blacks. Mating Black on Black will give you 25% plus Homozygous Blacks. They are jet Black with no albescent strip on the outer two tail feathers. Knowing that Black masks pattern and Recessive Red masks color, it’s just a simple formula and process. Once you get some homo- zygous Blacks, breed them to your best Reds. You will need 3 or 4 pair of these Blacks, and that’s what you’ll get, and want. (They all carry Recessive Red, and you know both parents have to be or carry RR in order to produce RR.) Homozygous Blacks clean and spread the Red color through out the bird, the rump, tail and under color. Keep a small number of pairs and linebred your family, uncle x niece, aunt x nephew and so on. If your reds aren’t red enough, mate them back to homozygous Blacks that carry Recessive Red (e). Eventually you will see better color. Always keep some of these Blacks(e) to breed back to. Homozygous colors are very clean and pure for their color and pattern. Homozygous Blue Bars are very clean, bright with thinner bars. Homozygous Ash Red bars are also very clean and pretty with the almost silver like necks. And the cocks will show no ash flecks. Homozygous checks show a clean, distinct t-pattern that is very noticeable and a pleasure to view. Just mate like colors and patterns to get these beautiful homozygous expressions. They are a great asset for improving others colors, such as the Recessive Reds.•