WHEN I FIRST STARTED TO STUDY THE EYE IT WAS
WITH A 5X POWER JEWELER'S EYEPIECE. AS I BEGAN TO GET MORE INVOLVED AND
WANTED TO PIN POINT SPECIFIC AREAS 0F THE EYE WITH ITS MANY CIRCLES AND
COLORS, I REALIZED THAT I WOULD NEED A STRONGER GLASS WHICH COULD GREATLY
MAGNIFY JUST WHAT I WANTED TO SEE, SO I WENT TO 10X POWER LOUPE.
SOME PEOPLE WILL TRY TO USE A 15X POWER
GLASS BUT I FEEL THIS DOES NOT LET YOU FOCUS PROPERLY OR LET IN ENOUGH LIGHT
TO GET A GOOD VIEW. I DO NOT RECOMMEND A HAND HELD GLASS BECAUSE IT
MIGHT BURN THE BIRD'S EYE WHEN YOU HAVE THE SUN GO THROUGH THE GLASS TO FOCUS.
FOR THOSE THAT CAN NOT HOLD THE LOUPE IN THEIR EYE THERE ARE WAYS TO FIX THE
EYEPIECE LIKE A MONOCLE BY USING VELCRO TAPE OR A PIECE OF RUBBER WHICH
WILL HOLD THE LOUPE IN THE RIGHT PLACE TO LOOK AT THE BIRDS EYE.
NOW I USE A 12X POWER GLASS. IT IS THE BEST MAGNIFICATION BECAUSE YOU NEED TO
HAVE SPACE ENOUGH BETWEEN THE TIP OF YOUR GLASS AND THE BIRD'S EYE TO ALLOW
ENOUGH LIGHT TO HIT THE EYE. THIS ALLOWS YOU TO GET THE CORRECT READING
AS YOU LET THE SUNLIGHT HIT THE EYE FROM OVER YOUR LEFT SHOULDER.
REMEMBER WHEN LOOKING AT THE BIRD'S EYE WITH
LOUPE TO TURN THE BIRD'S HEAD AND ALSO DO THE EXACT OPPOSITE TO THE
RIGHT EYE OVER THE RIGHT SHOULDER. THAT IS, TURN FOR EACH EYE TO SEE THE
DEPTH AND REFLEX ACTION AS IN THE LEFT EYE ON THE RIGHT SIDE FOR THE RIGHT
EYE.
THE MAIN IDEA WHEN PUTTING THE LOUPE IN YOUR
EYE, IS
TO BLOCK OUT AS MUCH LIGHT AS POSSIBLE, SO THAT YOU GET A GOOD LOOK AT THE
REFLEX ACTION THAT TAKES PLACE THE INSTANT THAT THE SUN HITS THE EYE. IT
IS IN THIS FIRST "SECOND" THAT YOU WILL LEARN THE VALUE OF THIS BIRD AS THE
PUPIL GETS SMALLER. THIS IS YOUR BEST WAY TO FIND A BREEDER THAT YOU
WILL BE PROUD TO OWN.
"REFLEX" IS THE ACTION
OF THE EYE MUSCLES PULLING THE IRIS PROPER DOWN OVER THE HOLE WHICH WE CALL
"PUPIL", GIVING THE IMPRESSION OF THE "PUPIL GETTING SMALLER,
WHEN IN REALITY IT DOES NOT MOVE. THIS REFLEX ACTION IS WHAT ALLOWS US TO MAKE
OUR JUDGMENT OF THE EYE AND ITS VALUE BY ALLOWING THE CIRCLES TO BE SEEN IN AN
ENLARGED STATE. THIS IS THE ONLY PROPER WAY OF MAKING A GRADING, UNLESS
YOU HAVE AN EYE BOX (EYE BOX PLAN TO FOLLOW).
WHEN YOU CHECK YOUR BIRD'S EYES IT SHOULD BE
DONE AT HIGH NOON, THAT IS, BETWEEN 10 AM AND 2 PM. CHECKING ONLY
WITH THE BRIGHTEST SUNLIGHT WILL GIVE YOU THE MOST ACCURATE READING EVERY TIME
YOU CHECK THEM. THINKING THAT YOU CAN DO IT AT ANY OTHER TIME IS A WASTE
AND YOU WILL NOT SEE WHAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO SEE IN THE REFLEX ACTION OF THE
EYE. ALWAYS REMEMBER TO CHECK BOTH EYES. NO TWO BIRD'S EYES ARE THE SAME
JUST AS BOTH EYES OF THE SAME BIRD ARE NOT THE SAME.
IT
IS ALSO
VERY IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER TO LOOK AT BOTH EYES BECAUSE THE LEFT EYE WILL
GENERALLY SHOW YOU THE BEST EYESIGN QUALITY OF EACH BIRD LOOKED AT.
IF YOU KEEP A RECORD OF YOUR BIRD'S EYES IT
WILL BE MUCH EASIER TO SEE WHEN THE BIRD IS HEALTHY OR SICK. ALSO
KEEPING THIS RECORD SHOULD HELP IN PAIRING THE COUPLES FOR BEST
RESULTS WHEN RAISING BABIES. YOU WILL KNOW INSTANTLY WHICH EYES YOU WANT
TO PUT TOGETHER.
USING THIS EYESIGN METHOD TO PICK YOUR BREEDERS IS THE ONLY GUARANTEED WAY THAT
I KNOW OF. THE GRADER CAN PICK THE BIRD, BUT THE OWNER, TRAINER, AND
DIETICIAN IS THE ONE TO MAKE IT WORK.
EVEN THOUGH MANY PIGEON
FANCIERS CLAIM THAT THEY CAN SELECT YOUR BEST BIRDS WITHOUT USING EYESIGN, IT
HAS BEEN MY EXPERIENCE OVER MANY YEARS OF STUDYING EYES THAT SELECTING USING
EYESIGN IS THE BEST METHOD OF SELECTION. KNOWLEDGE OF EYESIGN CAN
GREATLY ASSIST YOU IN BREEDING BETTER BIRDS AND STAYING ON TOP.
HAVING THE PROPER KNOWLEDGE ABOUT EYESIGN WILL ALLOW YOU TO KEEP FEWER AND BETTER
BIRDS RATHER THAN A LOT
OF WORTHLESS ONES AND SAVE YOU TIME, MONEY AND FRUSTRATION.
MYRON KULIK (EYESIGN 101)
