Testing

The testing program at Shewmaker Genetics is the cornerstone of our entire breeding program. It is designed around four important concepts:

There are indeed visible traits that are correlated to race performance (physical conformation being one example).
However, there are other non-visual traits that can not be directly observed that are also correlated to race performance (desire and determination being just two examples).
The best overall evaluator of race performance is the contemporary group test with multiple trials. When this can not be done (such as when you are buying a bird at an auction) grading by visual traits can be very useful. When contemporary group testing is possible, it is the preferred method of evaluation.
For a breeding program, race performance must be evaluated from two perspectives - the individual performance of the bird as well as the performance record of its progeny.

What I am looking for are birds that have all of the tools (both the visual and the non-visual) and who are so homogeneous for these genes that they breed on their winning ways for several subsequent generations.

The concept of the contemporary group test with multiple trials is key. The idea is that in order to measure genetic differences between different birds, the birds need to be tested in groups where all of the environmental effects are as consistent and equal for all of the birds in the group as possible. This means that they have been raised in the same weather conditions, with the same disease exposure, fed identically and placed in the flying loft at the same time. Obviously all of the environmental effects can not be perfectly shared, but that is the goal. This then allows for the differences that are observed in racing results to be more likely attributed to genetic differences and not environmental advantages or disadvantages.

The reason for multiple trials is that the reliability of the results is directly related to the number of data samples (races).

Finally, the inclusion of progeny data in evaluating breeders greatly improves the reliability of this measure since it accounts for the environmental advantages of heterosis.

With this in mind, this is how we conduct our testing program:

Our Testing Methods

Birds are weaned at approximately 30 days of age. They are vaccinated at this time for Pox and PMV.
They are placed in the test loft and given a week to learn how to move in and out of the aviary using the traps.
At 5 weeks of age they are given two days to learn how to use the landing board. This consists of allowing open loft for two consecutive afternoons.
For the next month they are given daily morning tosses as the weather permits. These tosses are in the following order:

1/2 mile
2 miles (North, South, East, West)
5 miles (North, South, East, West)
8 miles (North, South, East, West)
15 miles (North, South, East, West)
25 miles twice
35 miles twice
40 miles once
60 miles once

At this point the birds that are remaining are given electronic bands and weekly races begin. The birds are given at least three 40 mile tosses during the week and more 20 mile tosses if the weather permits. They are never loft flown.
The weekly races are at the following distances and continue until either the contemporary group is reduced to 10% of the starting number or until they have reached 300 miles, whichever comes first:

75 miles
100 miles
160 miles
220 miles
300 miles

The Extent To Which We Test

We perform contemporary group testing on approximately 90% of what we raise.

Our Rating Method

Animals are given "Performance Ratings" on the basis of race records.
The "Performance Rating" uses race data for the individual bird and its progeny to improve the reliability of the "Performance Rating" as a measure of the birds genetic ability to pass onto its descendants an ability to race well.
Performance points are awarded only for races where the bird places in the top 5% of the total number of birds that participated in the race. It is adjusted for ties (multiple birds on the drop).
Two “Performance Ratings” are maintained. The first (Contemporary Group Performance Rating - CGPR) is based on contemporary group results only. This is the one that is most significant for breeding. A second rating (Best Result Performance Rating - BRPR) is maintained based upon the best result for a given race. (e.g. loft, club, combine or federation) “
For the BRPR, points are awarded only once for a given release. In other words, if a bird places in the top 2% at the club level and in the top 5% at the combine level for a particular race, only the club result would be used to award performance points.
The "Performance Ratings" (both CGPR and BRPR) of a bird are running totals of the points earned for all races by that bird or its descendants. Each of these two performance ratings are also expressed as a percentage of the races entered (CGPRP and BRPRP).