Last night I finally got brave enough to open the racing pigeon loft and let my 2013 young birds out for the first time.  Ideally this would be done early in the morning which would give the birds all day to trap.  The area I live in has strong winds each morning so I decided to do this a couple of hours before sunset.  This way we wouldn’t be battling the wind.

I dread this day every year.  Are they too strong on the wing?  Are the new ones settled?  Always a nerve racking experience.   I feel that I prepare them well by giving them several opportunities to figure out the trap in a settling cage on top of the loft.

This time only about half of the birds ventured out of the safety of the loft.  I didn’t want to force it on them.  There was a moment when they all spooked for no apparent reason.  Most flew to the ground and some went to the roof.  There were 5 or 6 that made a couple of laps around my house.  And a couple that really got up and flew.

By the time it was getting dark, most of the birds had trapped.   There were about 10 birds still sitting on my house and on the loft.  As of this morning, there were still a few sitting on the loft.

I’ll repeat the whole process again tonight and the next few nights going forward.  Hopefully by some time next week, I’ll have them all up and flying well……  and (cross my fingers) with minimal losses.

content from: Ashby Loft | Racing Pigeons | Pigeon Racing | © copyright www.ashbyloft.com 2011-2012

Here’s a pair of youngsters I’m quite excited about for this year’s young bird team.  This is a fine example of the quality of racing pigeons I am breeding this year at Ashby Loft.  I can’t wait race these two in the coming young bird season.  I thought it might be fun to do a write up on these nest mates periodically and follow them through this season.

Both of these youngsters are handling spectacular, lively, active, and have a little bit of attitude.  The band numbers are AU 2013 OGN 4538 and 4539.  Both are blue checks with 4539 being slightly darker.  The feathers under their wings are almost in and soon I will move them to the floor of the loft.  Then they will stay in the breeding loft for a week before moving them into the young bird loft.

I wish I had planned ahead or thought of this earlier.  I would have started this on a different set of youngsters from the first round instead of third round babies.  Also, I’ve probably jinxed them now and they will get lost on the first training toss.  In any case… I’ll try to have some fun and keep you updated on these two birds.  My good friend Matt May at Southtown Racers has already staked his claim on 4538, but I told him he had to let me race the bird first.

The sire of these nest mates is “Kid Bourges”, a super dark check cock I purchased from Sal’s loft late last summer.  He handles like a million bucks and has a pearl eye.  He is a grandson of the great “Den Bourges” who was a full brother of “De Kannibaal” and an outstanding racer for Van Dyck.  He is also grandson to “Kid Kannibaal” and “Kenny’s Girl” both direct children of  “De Kannibaal”.  I expect nothing but the fantastic pigeons from this cock.

I haven’t yet taken the time to get a photo of the dam, but she is “Double Stack”.  A nice 2012 blue check hen that I purchased last fall from Ray Schoors.  She is a double granddaughter of “Stack of Dollars” from a brother/sister mating.  Highly inbred to “Stack of Dollars” with a little bit of “Witoger 720″ in her pedigree.  Just a really nice medium sized hen.

That’s all I have for now.  Stay tuned for part II of “Double Trouble”.  Please check out and “like” my Facebook Page!

content from: Ashby Loft | Racing Pigeons | Pigeon Racing | © copyright www.ashbyloft.com 2011-2012

We’ve been having some great weather here in Utah.  On Sundays I like to put out bath water for the racing pigeons.  The young birds love it.  I add a little Virkon S and Borax to the water.  The pigeons always look spectacular when the dry off and I never had a problem with lice or mites.

Virkon S is a virucide and disinfectant.  Sickness can be easily spread through bath water.  Adding a little Virkon S greatly reduces the chance of anything being spread or contracted from the bath water.  You can read more about Virkon S here.   I add about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon to the bath water each time.

I also add Borax or “20 Mule Team Borax” to the bath water.  The amount I use amounts to about 1 tablespoon per gallon.  Borax cleans up the birds feet and makes their feathers clean and soft.  This also is a great natural deterrent to lice and mites.

Your birds will look spectacular!

Please check out and “like” our Facebook page www.facebook.com/ashbyloft

content from: Ashby Loft | Racing Pigeons | Pigeon Racing | © copyright www.ashbyloft.com 2011-2012

Here’s 4 new young birds for the 2013 race team at Ashby Loft.  My good friend Matt May won’t be able to race this year due to a move.  I’ve offered to race a few for him on my team.  Look out!   These are some awesome birds.  This latest group took 3 days to get here in the mail.  I’ll keep a close eye on them for a few days.

Matt and I share similarly bred birds, philosophies, and goals.  Plus, he is a heck of a nice guy.  Check him out at www.southtownracers.com .

content from: Ashby Loft | Racing Pigeons | Pigeon Racing | © copyright www.ashbyloft.com 2011-2012

Took the pigeons out for a midweek toss today.  Really looking forward to the race this weekend.  We are forecasted to have some good weather.  Our first two races have been really tough conditions.  It will be fun to see how they do.

Check out our Facebook page and Like it!  www.facebook.com/ashbyloft

content from: Ashby Loft | Racing Pigeons | Pigeon Racing | © copyright www.ashbyloft.com 2011-2012

Here’s some 2013 young birds bred this year at Ashby Loft.  I am expecting great things from these pigeons!

content from: Ashby Loft | Racing Pigeons | Pigeon Racing | © copyright www.ashbyloft.com 2011-2012

This is actually kind of a forced reduction.  I ended up owing more on taxes this year than we had planned, so I’ve decided to sell off some birds.  Every single one of these birds is directly off my race team or out of the breeder loft.  Birds down from Sure Bet, Witoger 720, Smittie, Clausing 410 and more!

I had intended to keep using these pigeons at Ashby Loft.  There are some very nice racing pigeons for sale for super prices.  I am trying a new auction site (American Pigeon Auctions) with very low fees.  Please check out my auctions at the following link.  ASHBY LOFT CURRENT AUCTIONS

Please contact me with any offers/questions or try your luck on the auction site.

Thank You,

Rob Ashby

content from: Ashby Loft | Racing Pigeons | Pigeon Racing | © copyright www.ashbyloft.com 2011-2012

After several years of studying racing pigeon pedigrees, Ive noticed one characteristic that many great producers have in common: they all have great mothers as well as super racing sires!  So in my search for a super producing foundation cock, I decided to look for the best living hen in the world today, and try to purchase a son of such a good producing hen mated to a super racing cock.

After extensively researching, Ive never read of a better producing hen than the Hofkens hen that Mike Ganus calls Breeders Best. Breeders Best has produced 2 National Aces, Hollywood, and Monty Carlo,, along with E.T., the super 1st National winner and fastest of over 90,000 birds, and countless other winners of smaller races, which were never talked about much.  Now sons and daughters of Breeders Best are producing super racers and breeders for fanciers all over this country as well as in Holland, Germany and Belgium.  The nest sister to Breeders Best won a 1st National over 33,000+ birds, so this is a family thing.

One of Hollywoods daughters is producing super racers for Mike Ganus, a son, as well as a daughter of E.T. are producing many money winners for my friend Bob McCarty of Houston, and he has earned as much as $28,000 in one season.  Another son of  E.T. has produced well for William Tarver of Louisiana.  E.T. himself, has produced many money winners for William, including the 200-mile winner of Americas KingCup in 2000, and the Dash for Cash in Dallas.

Breeders Best is a product of 2 Hofkens bred by the master of the old Hofkens breeders, Maurice Verheyen.  Verheyens Hofkens has been nominated to more Olympiads than any other loft in Belgium.  To be nominated to an Olympiad, your bird has to have been the best at its distance and category for 2 years in a row.  That takes a special bird! The Kliene Merckx of 1980 was even nominated to the Olympiads twice! Now as a breeder, Verheyen is not new to breeding super breeders; his old line Hofkens have bred great birds for many, many years.   Old Merckx of 75, his fabulous Olympiad winner, is world renown for producing super breeders such as De Rocket,, the Kliene Merckx line, Young Merckx (sire of Breeders Best), and many super producing hens.  De Portugees (Olympiad), Old Violet Eyes, Kliene Merckx (Olympiad), De Princess (daughter of Old Merckx), Blauwe 3 Bander of 83, , Old Pol,  Top Man, De 500 (Olympiad), and De Coppie, all Verheyen breeders, and are all world renown for their super breeding capabilities.

Hollywood, the best racing son of Breeders Best, was named the 1st National Ace WHZB of all Holland 1997, Old Males!  Not only was he 1st Ace Pigeon of his club 4 years in a row (1994, 95, 96, 97), but he was a prize-winner 34 times in the top 5 places with 14 firsts!  What a racer!  As a breeder, Hollywood is one of the best ever.  Hollywood has produced more than 25 top foundation breeders for lofts in Germany, Belgium, and Holland.  More than 100 of his grandchildren have won races!  They cross well with Janssen and other Hofkens blood.  His daughter, GFL 363-99 bred the 1st place IF Convention winner in 2000 winning more than US$10,000.  Wally Tienprasid of Westerville, OH has bred several winners off his direct son of Hollywood, and says, Hollywood is the best!

In March 2001, Jimmy Smith and I took a trip to the Michigan/Indiana area to visit with Mike Ganus, Harold Lamons, and Leon Patton.  I wanted to visit Mike Ganuss famous loft to see Breeders Best, Hollywood, and to find a son of Breeders Best which I could purchase before she was done laying.  Mike suggested a young son he had just weaned, and had named The Golden Nugget.  Holding him is like holding a nugget of gold in your hands, I have no better, says Mike.   Hollywood sired Nugget, when he was mated back to this great hen, his mother.  This mating has produced some super hens for Mike, but he knew of only one other full brother.    We were able to handle Breeders Best, Hollywood, and many of Mikes National Aces.  Breeders Best was one of the best handling hens I have ever had my hands on, what a body!  I was able to look at her eye also, and her eye is even better than the pictures Ive seen.

Jimmy and I were both totally amazed at the quality of birds Mike Ganus had in his loft, and the care of these birds were nothing but the best.  Never have I ever seen a loft that was so organized, clean, and nothing but the well being of the birds in mind!  Every single bird was in perfect health.  Our host, Mike Ganus, had put aside a few hours to spend with us and show us his operation, and what a host he was.  Mike answered all of our questions, showed us, and let us handle any bird we wanted to see.  Mike even told us stories of how he was able to buy some of the birds, and about his travels in Europe.  It was a very information and enjoyable afternoon; I was like a kid in a candy store for the first time.

Jimmy and I also visited several other lofts in the Michigan/Indiana area.  We visited Leon Pattons loft and Harold Lamons loft my friends and some super racers up in the Michiana Combine.  Harold has some of the nicest birds from Mikes Ganus Family Loft Ive ever seen and handled, he is also a top breeder of 969 and Ganus Grizzles.  This was too much, we saw and handled so many top birds, and all I wanted to do was go home and cull most of my birds!  I just had to have more of these birds for myself, so I brought home The Golden Nugget, GFL 311, a winner Mike has raced, a daughter of Harolds best 969 pair, and several other birds to breed more of these for myself!  All in all this was a very memorable trip, and we still talk about it often.  We call it, The Cajun Connection!

I brought Nugget home with me, and have been putting him on some of the fine Hofkens hens I have from the Verheyen and the Leo Broeckx line.  I pride in having one of the most complete families of the smaller Verheyen Hofkens hens in America.  A list of a few of the Hofkens hens I have are; several daughters of Kliene Rocket (a super son of De Rocket), a granddaughter of De Coppie/ Old Violet Eyes, a granddaughter of Top Man, and a daughter of Mr. Bourges.  I am also breeding Nugget to several Janssen hens to make sure I dont disturb that wonderful Janssen/Hofkens cross that has turned the world of racing pigeons upside down in breeding statistics.  The Janssen hens are; a top producing daughter of Trail Blazer (1st x 12,000+ birds) x Quick Star (National Ace of Belgium), a double granddaughter of 969 from Harold Lamons fabulous Pair One, and a super producing daughter of Champion Home Alone, Alex Cornellas American Ace Pigeon.

My knowledge of super producing hens led me to believe Breeders Best is, and will be known for some time as The Greatest Producing Hen Ever!  If anyone can challenge that statement, with statistics, of a hen that has produced better, or more National Ace Birds than Breeders Best, please let me know, I dont think there is.

By Gerald Hebart

Published in the RACING PIGEON DIGEST  Jan 15 ’02 Vol 11 No 19 pg 44

content from: Ashby Loft | Racing Pigeons | Pigeon Racing | © copyright www.ashbyloft.com 2011-2012

I sent 7 Pigeons to a new One Loft Race this year.  The Amazing One Loft Race is managed by Dan Hash of Kaysville, UT.  He is new to racing with the Ogden Racing Pigeon Club, but he has raised pigeons for many years.  He purchased a spectacular racing loft from Scott Saunders.  2012 is the first year for this race and Dan has had a lot of issues on this race.  I believe he has learned a lot through this process and this race should improve next year.

The problems for the race this year have been low participation, lack of updates, and no training results.  They plan to move to using wincompanion next year, which will be very nice and bring this race up to the level of other One Loft Races in the country.

This is a 3 race series from distances of 150, 250, and 300 miles.  There are payouts for the top 10 pigeons in each race.  The results from the 150 Mile race are in.  I was very pleased that 3 of my birds finished in the money.

Ashby Loft Results:

AU 2012 OGN 3943  3rd Place Money Winner!

AU 2012 UTE 122 6th Place Money Winner!

AU 2012 OGN 3905 8th Place Money Winner!

AU 2012 OGN 3940 18th Place

AU 2012 OGN 3937 31st Place

There are still two more races to go.  Looking forward to seeing how these birds do.

content from: Ashby Loft | Racing Pigeons | Pigeon Racing | © copyright www.ashbyloft.com 2011-2012

The second race in the Fly For the Fight Series was held last Saturday.  This is a fun race.  You don’t send your own birds into this particular race.  You get to sponsor a bird or birds in the race.  Proceeds go to benefit Cancer Research.  The Pigeons are all top notch birds from Don Paltani.  After the race series is complete, you can pay to have your sponsored pigeons shipped to you.  My sponsored Pigeons are highlighted below in red.

Fly For the Fight

Race Two Results 100 Miles

WinSpeed-1                           ATO FFTF                    10/03/12-11:38
                                 Weekly Race Report                      Page 1
                            Open and Sportsman Category
Name: KICKAPOO 2                   Young Bird Race            Flown: 09/29/2012
Release(A): 07:30  Birds: 95    Lofts: 1                    Station: KICKAPOO 2
Weather (Rel) Clear, S @ 5, 44 degrees   (Arr) Clear, S @ 5, 55 degrees
good day

POS NAME          BAND NUMBER        CLR  X ARRIVAL   MILES  TOWIN      YPM  PT
  1 ATO/95          96   IF 12 CURE  SP   C 09:39:50  95.512 00.00 1294.740 100
  2 ATO              9   IF 12 CURE  BB   C 09:39:51  2/ 95  00.00 1294.574  99
  3 ATO            194   IF 12 CURE  BB   C 09:40:15  3/ 95  00.24 1290.598  98
  4 ATO             10   IF 12 CURE  BC   C 09:40:28  4/ 95  00.38 1288.455  97
  5 ATO            185   AU 12 CURE  RC   C 09:42:42  5/ 95  02.52 1266.770  96
  6 ATO             51   IF 12 CURE  BLK  C 09:42:45  6/ 95  02.55 1266.293  95
  7 ATO              5   IF 12 CURE  BB   C 09:42:46  7/ 95  02.56 1266.134  94
  8 ATO             25   AU 12 CURE  BB   C 09:42:46  8/ 95  02.56 1266.134  93
  9 ATO             36   IF 12 CURE  BLK  C 09:42:47  9/ 95  02.56 1265.975  92
 10 ATO            187   IF 12 CURE  BC   C 09:42:47 10/ 95  02.56 1265.975  91
--------------------------------- Above are 10 percent ------------------------
 11 ATO            186   IF 12 CURE  BC   C 09:42:53 11/ 95  03.03 1265.022  90
 12 ATO             57   AU 12 CURE  BCSP C 09:45:01 12/ 95  05.11 1245.034  89
 13 ATO             19   AU 12 CURE  BBWF C 09:45:03 13/ 95  05.13 1244.727  88
 14 ATO             65   IF 12 CURE  BLK  C 09:45:03 14/ 95  05.13 1244.727  87
 15 ATO            183   AU 12 CURE  BBSP C 09:45:04 15/ 95  05.14 1244.573  86
 16 ATO              4   IF 12 CURE  BB   C 09:45:05 16/ 95  05.15 1244.420  85
 17 ATO 13 AU 12 CURE BLK C 09:45:05 17/ 95 05.15 1244.420 84
 18 ATO             26   AU 12 CURE  BLK  C 09:45:05 18/ 95  05.15 1244.420  83
 19 ATO            190   AU 12 CURE  BC   C 09:45:06 19/ 95  05.16 1244.266  82
--------------------------------- Above are 20 percent ------------------------
 20 ATO             29   AU 12 CURE  BB   C 09:45:09 20/ 95  05.19 1243.806  81
 21 ATO             35   IF 12 CURE  BB   C 09:45:09 21/ 95  05.19 1243.806  80
 22 ATO             40   IF 12 CURE  BC   C 09:45:10 22/ 95  05.20 1243.653  79
 23 ATO            193   IF 12 CURE  BC   C 09:45:10 23/ 95  05.20 1243.653  78
 24 ATO             95   IF 12 CURE  BB   C 09:45:12 24/ 95  05.22 1243.346  77
 25 ATO             56   AU 12 CURE  BB   C 09:45:13 25/ 95  05.23 1243.193  76
 26 ATO             91   AU 12 CURE  BB   C 09:48:21 26/ 95  08.31 1215.037  75
 27 ATO              9   AU 12 CURE  BC   C 09:48:22 27/ 95  08.32 1214.891  74
 28 ATO              1   IF 12 CURE  BC   C 09:48:23 28/ 95  08.33 1214.744  73
 29 ATO             23   IF 12 CURE  BCWF C 09:48:23 29/ 95  08.33 1214.744  72
 30 ATO             35   AU 12 CURE  BLK  C 09:48:23 30/ 95  08.33 1214.744  71
 31 ATO             15   IF 12 CURE  BB   C 09:48:25 31/ 95  08.35 1214.452  70
 32 ATO              1   AU 12 CURE  BC   C 09:48:26 32/ 95  08.35 1214.306  69
 33 ATO             54   AU 12 CURE  BC   C 09:48:26 33/ 95  08.35 1214.306  68
 34 ATO            191   IF 12 CURE  BB   C 09:48:26 34/ 95  08.35 1214.306  67
 35 ATO             57   IF 12 CURE  BBSP C 09:48:27 35/ 95  08.37 1214.160  66
 36 ATO              7   IF 12 CURE  SLV  C 09:48:28 36/ 95  08.37 1214.013  65
 37 ATO 200 IF 12 CURE BB C 09:48:29 37/ 95 08.39 1213.867 64
 38 ATO              8   AU 12 CURE  BCWF C 09:48:30 38/ 95  08.40 1213.721  63
 39 ATO             20   IF 12 CURE  BLK  C 09:48:30 39/ 95  08.40 1213.721  62
 40 ATO             28   IF 12 CURE  BCWF C 09:48:30 40/ 95  08.40 1213.721  61
 41 ATO             25   IF 12 CURE  BCWF C 09:48:31 41/ 95  08.41 1213.575  60
 42 ATO             30   IF 12 CURE  BB   C 09:48:32 42/ 95  08.41 1213.429  59
 43 ATO             14   AU 12 CURE  BB   C 09:48:33 43/ 95  08.43 1213.283  58
 44 ATO             16   IF 12 CURE  BLK  C 09:48:33 44/ 95  08.43 1213.283  57
 45 ATO             39   AU 12 CURE  BC   C 09:48:33 45/ 95  08.43 1213.283  56
 46 ATO             20   AU 12 CURE  BB   C 09:48:34 46/ 95  08.44 1213.137  55
 47 ATO             54   IF 12 CURE  BBWF C 09:48:34 47/ 95  08.44 1213.137  54
 48 ATO             22   AU 12 CURE  BC   C 09:48:35 48/ 95  08.45 1212.991  53
 49 ATO 3 AU 12 CURE BB C 09:48:36 49/ 95 08.45 1212.845 52
 50 ATO             19   IF 12 CURE  BB   C 09:48:36 50/ 95  08.45 1212.845  51
 51 ATO             21   IF 12 CURE  BBWF C 09:48:36 51/ 95  08.45 1212.845  50
 52 ATO             24   AU 12 CURE  BB   C 09:48:37 52/ 95  08.47 1212.700  49
 53 ATO             65   AU 12 CURE  BLWF C 09:48:38 53/ 95  08.48 1212.554  48
 54 ATO            182   AU 12 CURE  BB   C 09:48:44 54/ 95  08.54 1211.680  47
 55 ATO             62   AU 12 CURE  BC   C 09:50:41 55/ 95  10.50 1194.885  46
 56 ATO             11   AU 12 CURE  BC   C 09:53:37 56/ 95  13.47 1170.480  45
 57 ATO            196   AU 12 CURE  BC   C 09:53:37 57/ 95  13.47 1170.480  44
WinSpeed-1                           ATO FFTF                    10/03/12-11:38
                                 Weekly Race Report                      Page 2
                            Open and Sportsman Category
Name: KICKAPOO 2                   Young Bird Race            Flown: 09/29/2012

POS NAME          BAND NUMBER        CLR  X ARRIVAL   MILES  TOWIN      YPM  PT
 58 ATO             21   AU 12 CURE  BLK  C 09:53:38 58/ 95  13.48 1170.344  43
 59 ATO             26   IF 12 CURE  BB   C 09:53:39 59/ 95  13.49 1170.208  42
 60 ATO             12   IF 12 CURE  BC   C 09:53:40 60/ 95  13.50 1170.072  41
 61 ATO             15   AU 12 CURE  SLV  C 09:53:44 61/ 95  13.54 1169.530  40
 62 ATO              2   AU 12 CURE  SLV  C 09:53:50 62/ 95  13.59 1168.716  39
 63 ATO             22   IF 12 CURE  BC   C 09:53:55 63/ 95  14.04 1168.040  38
 64 ATO             52   AU 12 CURE  BLK  C 09:53:55 64/ 95  14.04 1168.040  37
 65 ATO            187   AU 12 CURE  BC   C 09:53:57 65/ 95  14.07 1167.769  36
 66 ATO             99   IF 12 CURE  BB   C 09:53:58 66/ 95  14.08 1167.634  35
 67 ATO            184   AU 12 CURE  BB   C 09:54:01 67/ 95  14.10 1167.229  34
 68 ATO             61   IF 12 CURE  BC   C 09:54:03 68/ 95  14.12 1166.959  33
 69 ATO             18   IF 12 CURE  BBWF C 09:54:05 69/ 95  14.14 1166.689  32
 70 ATO              8   IF 12 CURE  BC   C 09:54:09 70/ 95  14.19 1166.149  31
 71 ATO             94   AU 12 CURE  BC   C 09:54:20 71/ 95  14.30 1164.668  30
 72 ATO             53   AU 12 CURE  BLK  C 10:27:20 72/ 95  47.30  947.935  29
 73 ATO            186   AU 12 CURE  BC   C 11:24:21 73/ 95  01:44  717.305  28
 74 ATO             24   IF 12 CURE  BB   C 13:20:05 74/ 95  03:40  480.172  27
 75 ATO             16   AU 12 CURE  BC   C 14:44:14 75/ 95  05:04  387.120  26
 76 ATO 3 IF 12 CURE BC C 18:03:37 76/ 95 08:23 265.303 25
 77 ATO             51   AU 12 CURE  BCWF C 18:03:42 77/ 95  08:23  265.268  24
 78 ATO            182   IF 12 CURE  BC   C 18:04:21 78/ 95  08:24  264.996  23
 79 ATO             58   IF 12 CURE  BB   C 18:04:35 79/ 95  08:24  264.899  22
 80 ATO             11   IF 12 CURE  BB   C 18:04:40 80/ 95  08:24  264.864  21
 81 ATO             55   AU 12 CURE  BC   C 18:12:24 81/ 95  08:32  261.676  20

content from: Ashby Loft | Racing Pigeons | Pigeon Racing | © copyright www.ashbyloft.com 2011-2012