Pigeons and Genetics?

Today we had the opportunity to pet a pigeon!  Mr. Warren Smith brought a flock of Homing Pigeons to our class (racing pigeons) and explained their role in history and their current use in the sport of Pigeon racing.  Mr. Smith also gave  us a great illustration of selective breeding and the use of genetics in improving racing pigeon performance.

Did you know that some homing pigeons are still used to transport blood samples to research facilities in remote locations?  And in WWI and WWII, homing pigeons were used to carry thousands of messages.  At one point the German army began fighting them with falcons!

Here are some fun pics of our time with Mr. Smith of Smith Family Loft USA, based in York, PA