Eyesign

Eyesign is to me one of the more controversial theories of our sport. For those who are not familiar with the subject it's a method from which some claim they can assess the potential of a racing pigeon for both racing and breeding ability from various aspects of the birds eye. I suggest beginners in the sport devote themselves to learning the basics of loft management and health care before trying to digest this or any more advanced subject.

Following are the results of a poll taken on the internet. If those responding have a web site their name is linked to the sits.

Is eyesign a consideration when selecting your race team? When mating your birds? Have you had an eyesign "expert" grade your birds and if so was it beneficial?

Steve Joneli No. Absolutely Yes, Jack Barkel, from South Africa, twice, 2001 and 2002. The 1st year everything I knew he confirmed, and everything he suggested I did with great success. Every one of his suggested pairings did very well. The 2nd year his gradings confirmed what he suggested the 1st year.

Tom Makowecki No Yes No

Me No I do try to mate the birds using some of the basics such as mating dissimilar eyes. No

Rick Knowton Minor Major Once, but only a small sampling of birds, so nothing conclusive.

Mike Lycett No No Yes And it WASN'T beneficial. It proved beyond doubt to me that two things & two things only make a good pigeon (What's in the head and what's in the heart) - Neither can be seen with an eye-glass

Dr. Larry Lucas No No Yes, and it did not produce anything worthwhile. My birds which I paired by family lines and performance (without regard to their eyes) raced and bred much, much better than the "eyesign" birds. The same "experts" missed those potential pairings, even though they examined these birds as well and rejected them!

Chris Sutton No Yes No

Wim Brom No No No

Tim deweerdt No No No

Steve Patrick No No No If a so called eyesign expert comes to grade a fanciers pigeons and tells the fancier to dispose of the ones the so called expert says are no good. Then he cannot be proved wrong with the pigeons already disposed of, so which ever way you look at it he is the winner, Clever People who will take your Cash and run, You have a better chance of breeding winners by opening the loft doors and letting them choose there own mates.

Jesse Simpson No Yes I have never had my loft graded by an expert

Ron Walley No Yes, at R&E Lofts we try not to mate birds with the same color eye. Yes, we are very close friends with an eye sign enthusiast that has been into pigeons since 1953 with much success in racing and showing, very beneficial.

Peter Hill No No No

Steve Souza No No No.

Arjan van Gent No No I do not believe in eyesign..... I do believe in birds with colorfull eyes, but that's is something completely different

Webren van Stralen No No Eyesign is a nice pasttime for discussion

Eric Mebis No Yes Yes

James Muckerman Yes Yes Yes

Mike Makaimoku "TOP GUN LOFT" No!! Only for health!! No!! Only for health!! Yes and they always missed all the good or best Racers or Breeders.

Roland Zacharias NO I fly what I breed Absolutely, but it is one of the last things looked at. The late Leo Sonnenburg in our club had been studying eyes for 40 years. He came over and impressed me enough that I started to pay attention

Ian McKay No Yes No I would only pick a breeding pigeon by it's EYE.

Thomas Van Handel No No No

If you decide you want to look at the eyes of your birds the first tool you will need is a loupe. The loupe is an eye piece that magnifies the eye so you can see the smallest details. With the older loupes you had to wait for a bright sunny day and take the bird out of the loft in the sun to really see the eye. Recently a loupe with built in led lights was developed and is available from this company www.universaloptic.com Click on "LL360 & PIGEONS" at the top of the page. With it you can get a good look at the eye no matter when and where you want to look. I just started using one and find it much better than the older type. I did have a problem keeping it in my eye so I took and old pair of glasses, cut a 1"hole in one lense with a hole saw then enlaged the hole with a hand file so that the loupe fit snugly. These are pictures of what I did.

It works great for me.

The basics of eye sign

Links to eyesign sites.

The Alberta Classic - Jack Barkel - Josef Hofman - Steven van Breemen - Nigel Cowood -

LeTour Des Maritimes Several links available.

If you would like your opinion expressed at this site please email your reply to the three questions.
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	Is eyesign a consideration when selecting your race team?	When mating your birds?	Have you had an eyesign "expert" grade your birds and if so was it beneficial?
Steve Joneli	No.	Absolutely	Yes, Jack Barkel, from South Africa, twice, 2001 and 2002. The 1st year everything I knew he confirmed, and everything he suggested I did with great success. Every one of his suggested pairings did very well. The 2nd year his gradings confirmed what he suggested the 1st year.
Tom Makowecki	No	Yes	No
Me	No	I do try to mate the birds using some of the basics such as mating dissimilar eyes.	No
Rick Knowton	Minor	Major	Once, but only a small sampling of birds, so nothing conclusive.
Mike Lycett	No	No	Yes And it WASN'T beneficial. It proved beyond doubt to me that two things & two things only make a good pigeon (What's in the head and what's in the heart) - Neither can be seen with an eye-glass
Dr. Larry Lucas	No	No	Yes, and it did not produce anything worthwhile. My birds which I paired by family lines and performance (without regard to their eyes) raced and bred much, much better than the "eyesign" birds. The same "experts" missed those potential pairings, even though they examined these birds as well and rejected them!
Chris Sutton	No	Yes	No
Wim Brom	No	No	No
Tim deweerdt	No	No	No
Steve Patrick	No	No	No If a so called eyesign expert comes to grade a fanciers pigeons and tells the fancier to dispose of the ones the so called expert says are no good. Then he cannot be proved wrong with the pigeons already disposed of, so which ever way you look at it he is the winner, Clever People who will take your Cash and run, You have a better chance of breeding winners by opening the loft doors and letting them choose there own mates.
Jesse Simpson	No	Yes	I have never had my loft graded by an expert
Ron Walley	No	Yes, at R&E Lofts we try not to mate birds with the same color eye.	Yes, we are very close friends with an eye sign enthusiast that has been into pigeons since 1953 with much success in racing and showing, very beneficial.
Peter Hill	No	No	No
Steve Souza	No	No	No.
Arjan van Gent	No	No	I do not believe in eyesign..... I do believe in birds with colorfull eyes, but that's is something completely different
Webren van Stralen	No	No	Eyesign is a nice pasttime for discussion
Eric Mebis	No	Yes	Yes
James Muckerman	Yes	Yes	Yes
Mike Makaimoku "TOP GUN LOFT"	No!! Only for health!!	No!! Only for health!!	Yes and they always missed all the good or best Racers or Breeders.
Roland Zacharias	NO I fly what I breed	Absolutely, but it is one of the last things looked at.	The late Leo Sonnenburg in our club had been studying eyes for 40 years. He came over and impressed me enough that I started to pay attention
Ian McKay	No	Yes	No I would only pick a breeding pigeon by it's EYE.
Thomas Van Handel	No	No	No