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Genetics
matters.
Gyrfalcons
don’t come cheap, and probably never will. When you invest many thousands
in a white gyrkin, would you like to know whether or not its progeny will
be white?
We thought you
would. Some of the whitest gyrfalcons in the world got that way by line
breeding (a technique used by many breeders of all kinds of animals) which
involves mating related individuals. This is acceptable up to a point. But
taken too far, negative traits begin to present themselves. This is what
led many North American falconers to assume that an Ungava
Bay gyr would die “the minute you looked at it.” Our most
coveted lines have been outcrossed for hardiness, while still retaining the
“white-on-white” genetic background.
Many of our
breeders were selected based on field performance. It is no secret that
falconry “wash-outs” appear all too often in breeding projects. Let’s not
forget why we spend the time and money: these birds are our hunting
companions. We are keenly aware of the fact that you count on us to produce
a bird that is aggressive on game and spectacularly beautiful.
Here’s to the
hunt.
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