Ah, for us breeders, it’s simpler. A test cross is when you mate your mystery-patterned fancy pigeon with a plain one to see what’s hiding in the genes. A back cross is when you take a good trait from a youngster and mate it back to a parent to lock it in, like fixing that perfect crest. Truth is, with my fantails, I backcross more often than any book says—that reliable old cock bird gives me more consistent chicks than any new fancy import. Sometimes the textbooks are for the lab, not the loft.
#grassroots#parents
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