German exhibition pigeons are regular participants in pigeon international shows. This type of bird was created not for practical purposes, but for demonstrations at exhibitions.
German show pigeons
the breed of German exhibition pigeons gained popularity on a European scale
these amazing German exhibition pigeons are distinguished by their elegant shapes and proportions
The appearance of the bird
In appearance, it is a noble, stocky dove with a thick and smooth plumage.
Characteristics:
- A small strong body.
- Massive head. Tapering wedge-shaped to the beak.
- Convex expressive eyes from red-brown to dark color (depending on color).
- Closed beak. Medium in length, dumb.
- White elongated wax. Closely adjacent to the beak.
- Long narrow neck (height 1/3 of body length).
- Short rounded chest.
- Strong prominent wings.
- Narrow tail. Extends beyond the wings to the width of the thumb.
- Paws are strong, without feathers. Metatarsus is red.
The colors come in different: bluish, with black and white belts, white, black, blue without belts, red (with and without specks), yellow (with and without specks), spotted, brindle, etc.
Especially appreciated are the pinto colors of Homer. If there are few colored and white feathers in a bird, then we will not call it piebald.
Origin history
Bred in the 19th century. Belgian (Antwerp) and English carrier pigeons prompted breeders from Germany to create their breed. So at the beginning of the 20th century. German exhibition pigeons appeared (another name is German Homer).
In Leipzig, a club of connoisseurs of exhibition pigeons was created before the First World War. New birds were popular, as for other individuals bred at that time, type inconstancy was characteristic. At the first German exhibitions, about 500 pigeons were shown.
The ancestor of a domestic dove is a gray dove. Tamed wild birds about five millennia ago. First bred for eating. Then people noticed that the pigeons were able to return to their home. They began to use them for mail messages. Later, decorative breeds appeared that served for aesthetic purposes.
German zootechnicians conceived to create a look that is different from other exhibition grace lines and forms, beauty and strength. To eliminate the flaws, only purebred pigeons were crossed.
In 1921, the clubs merged into a single union. Scifert and Aschersleben painted the perfect look of the German exhibition pigeon, which became the national standard.
Improving the breed for half a century in the conditions of enclosure has led to positive results: high-quality and proper proportions of the head and body.
From time to time, poultry farmers have suggested revising and clarifying standards. Often there were disputes. In 1948, members of the union at a joint meeting decided to leave the early norms unchanged.
After the war, German pigeons became one of the most popular breeds in the USSR. Over time, interest in German homers in our country began to fade. The attention of Soviet pigeon breeders was aimed at creating and maintaining domestic breeds. This led to the loss of important qualities, crossing with other species of pigeons.
Flight qualities
Flight performance is poorly developed, as it is a decorative bird. When creating the breed, German specialists paid attention to external data and proportionality of forms. In addition, pigeons were kept in the aviary.
Passion for decorativeness in the 20th century. Pigeon breeding was not affected in the best way: many pigeon breeds lost their good flying abilities.
Decorative pigeons adorn the courtyards, parks of culture and recreation, winter gardens. The external structure of these birds differs from common species. Pigeons differ in pattern, color, body shape, posture. Some breeds are similar to gulls, swallows, storks.
Species
One of the main signs of the breed is its festive appearance. The bird should look like a strong flyer.
Exhibitions are usually held in winter or early March, after the breeding period, so as not to harm future offspring. Holding an exhibition during the breeding period can lead to the laying of eggs right in the cages. Take into account the period of molting. At this time, the birds are fed with additives that increase the color intensity of the feathers and luster. For example, pigeons with yellow color, add corn. In order to look beautiful, the bird must molt completely.
The main pedigree features:
- horizontal stand;
- thin straight profile;
- wide distance between the eyes;
- proportional, expressed physique;
- smooth plumage, fitting tightly to the body.
The bluish and black pigeons have a beak of a dark color, while the colorful and light doves have a horn.
The color should be clear and uniform, the belts are narrow, intensely colored. The main color should cover the whole body of the pigeon.
Unacceptable disadvantages
The craze for breeding pigeons, both among connoisseurs and non-specialists, led to the fact that the gene pool of purebred individuals was undermined.
Connoisseurs carefully evaluate purebred pigeons. Unacceptable disadvantages of the German exhibition are:
- rough, rough head;
- unclosed or pointed beak;
- curly plumage;
- protruding Adam's apple;
- white back;
- bent chest;
- uncharacteristic (white, yellow) eye color;
- disproportionately developed torso;
- huge waxen;
- periocular rings of red color;
- tall or too short stature.
There are known cases of crossing German show pigeons with other breeds for meat production.
The first German homers flew well. Now they are weak flyers, but handsome athletes among the breeds of pigeons that are designed to decorate the exhibition.