Description
Lifespan: 7-10 years
A tall pigeon breed known as a big, rounded, and inflated crop distinguishes the English pouter. The bird automatically assumes a standing posture, which enhances its beauty. Its eye should rest above the ball of its foot when it is standing.
The head of a pigeon resembles a dove and is often small in comparison to its bulk. Its tallest pouter breed variety likewise has quite long legs, with most of the length coming from the knee to the feet. The bird is approximately 16 inches tall at the shoulder.
Typically covered in silky feathers, the legs are robust and appear to step high as the bird walks. The crop, or globe as most fanciers like to call it, has a big, spherical appearance. Additionally, it has a highly expanded waist that appears springy. The bird’s wings are lifted high, appearing small and packed closely to the body. This pigeon comes in a range of colors, just as most farmed pigeon breeds. Grey, black check, black, blue, white, blue check, silver, dun and yellow are the most popular colour variations.
Origin/ Habitat
Although the English Pouter’s origins are unknown, it is thought to be British. It might have started more than 400 years ago in England. William Bernhardt Tegetmeier asserts that this bird may have been created by crossing many extinct pigeon species, including the Uploper, Dutch Cropper, and Parisian Cropper. Since the 17th century, each of these breeds has been around. However, according to a different narrative by John Moore, this breed was created by mating a cropper variety with a horseman (both types date back to the 18th century).
A domestic fancy pigeon breed from the United Kingdom is called the Pigmy Pouter. It was created over a long period of time by selective breeding and is truly from England.
Behavior
The peaceful and kind demeanour of English pouter pigeons is well recognized, making them excellent for keeping as pets (additional information coming later). They are also sociable and affectionate, which makes them simple to handle, tame, and entertaining to own. The birds can actually be housed with other pigeon varieties because they are not aggressive towards people or other animals.
As Pet
English pouter pigeons can be kept. However, knowing how to care for them will enable you to grow high-quality birds that are in good health. Make sure your bird has a sufficient living environment by providing it with one. The ideal pouter pigeon loft should be roomy so they have room to fly about and exercise. Additionally, it has to be well-ventilated, safe from harm, and shielded from the weather. And should always be kept tidy.
Another crucial element in taking good care of your pigeon is proper nourishment. Make sure you give it the proper kind of food. If you feed it twice a day, it can run out of food in about 20 minutes. Food leftovers might attract mold and bacteria in the loft, so don’t store them there.
Your bird’s existence also depends on good grit and clean water. Spending more time with these birds can help you form a stronger bond with them because of their social and friendly character. This also aids in taming them. The taming procedure is made more simpler by handfeeding the squabs from a young age.
In addition to everything else, make sure to have a pigeon-experienced veterinarian do routine checks on your birds. This helps to keep your birds healthy. Additionally, it aids in the early detection of health problems before they progress into more significant difficulties.
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