The Yoz kit

Sekeri (candy like) - Cock / DN 17

Unfortunately, I had not realized the value of the yoz breed appropriately back in the years when I was no more an armature but starting to keep pigeons with some level of knowledge. At that time, the numbers of yoz was much greater. In those years the yoz breeders would only keep yoz in their lofts. All of the breeders were older and mostly lived in our neighborhood. Event though I lived very close to our neighbor Necmi Semerci who lived in Sirakapilar. I was not even able to land one of his Yozs to my loft. In great numbers, yoz would kit tightly and keep circling like clouds above us. It was an unusual event if one of the pigeon guys has landed one of these birds on their loft. I had visited his loft many times to buy some but over all those years I was able to get only two birds. From what understood, they would not give them to us kids thinking we would not understand the value of them.

Arap (Arab) - Hen / DN 06

People who I knew from our neighborhood like Seref Kepenek, Hasan Hamamci, Mehmet Günbek, Halil Sevil, Ahmet Kara, Ismail Düldüloglu, Hulusi Karaman and other Yoz masters have all passed away now. Only live members of this group Nazmi Semerci and Süleyman Akdil are the only two people that keep yoz but nothing else. If I can ever manage I would like to be the third one. I am saying if I can manage because yoz with its characteristic qualities makes its owner go through some hard times and I still have not been able to get one pair of young from them. Unfortunately, when I saw them at the Istanbul Edirnekapi pigeon bazaar being sold as the "Denizli Bangos" I did not even imagine them one day becoming extinct. Today, one or two of them might be seen in different lofts in Denizli but it saddens me to see no effort to save them. I am waiting to see what results I am going to get in 2002 from our old and precious friends.

Gümüsi (Silver like) - Cock / DN 19

Even though yoz breed has obvious differences from other short faced breeds, maybe due to not being strong fliers, they were never a competition in popularity for breeds like azmans. Because, in recent years they were sold in big numbers to fanciers out side of Denizli and also Azman breed is more obtainable financially, their disappearance has been speeded up. Ones sold to Istanbul were used on bettering the qualities of Baska by mixing together with the Boncuri breed. Boncuris are a breed created by mixing from the Bango breed. In short, today even in Istanbul it is not possible to run into yoz. The reason for this is the huge popularity of baska and bango breeds in Istanbul and surroundings. Therefore because it is not known much yoz could not compete with these breeds as far as the financial values of the birds go.

Çakalboyun (Jackal-neck) - Cock / DN 40

Main differences from other short breeds: -They only come in self colors. -Round and pushed down at the back head shape. -Natural short beaks. -Normal sized grayish yellow eyes. -Pinkish color of the eye rim. -In an obvious degree, short and stubby toes. -Absolutely no muffs or grouse. -Rim of the eyes and beak being elegantly covered by a spongy material with time.

Nohudi (garbanzo bean like) - Hen / DN 42

The yoz I keep and the others can not fly for long periods. Ideal flight time for yoz lasts around 20 minutes. However, with short rest periods they will not say no to your repeated flight attempts. They behave happy and agile in the air just like on the ground. Cracking their wings starting their flight and gliding as group in the air are some of the things they do which should be seen by every fancier. They don't like change at all. It is not a possibility for them to land anywhere but the ground or the roof top they are used to land. On the ground they always look happy and you can always see the pairs in movement. Seeing the males showing their loyalty to their mates by walking on their toe tips, always made me think of them as a very different breed.

Kirmizi (red) - Cock / DN 39

Giving many difficulties to get them used to a new mate and a new loft yozs, once settled in the new loft, are a very good parents. They can be bred with out any feeders. Because of the difficulties of finding breeders, it is better to go with yozs that have a rose on the chest than mixing them with breeds like boncuri, in my opinion. Blood lines with chest rose have never been preferred since the old days. For health reasons the most important places to check on yoz are the inside of the beak and the tail areas. Cotton mouth (or canker) and parasites around the tail region can take over quickly in weak and skinny birds. Yoz does not bring out any other health problems and my goal on them right now is to increase their numbers.  I recommend to Denizli's fanciers and if they have it other fanciers to take ownership of our birds before it's too late.

Zeytini (Olive like) - Hen / DN 05

Fore more information on Yoz you can visit the appropriate page of the Pigeons of Denizli site.