DESCRIPTION
6. General Appearance
Pigeons must look healthy, well-balanced, alert, intelligent, and
showing abundance of rich feathers and sheen. Figure 1 shows the main
parts of the homing pigeon (the right wing is extended for ease of
description).
7. Weight
A cock weighs from 14 to 17 ounces; a hen, from 13 to 16 ounces.
8. Plumage
Rich, abundant, and soft plumage should cover the entire body. The
color itself is of no importance, but rich shades, with the checkered
pattern (if present) standing out brightly and distinctly, usually
indicate good health and satisfactory condition. For classification of
pigeons according to color see paragraph 26.
9. Head
The head should be of a medium size, round or oval shaped, of broad
structure and strongly set. It should not be tight or drawn at any one
place.
_a._ BILL. The bill should be of medium length with small to medium
wattles and set well into the head. No openings should be noticeable
when the bill is closed.
_b._ EYE. See section VI.
_c._ EAR. The ear seems to play an important part in the bird’s sense
of direction. It includes three parts: external ear, middle ear, and
inner ear. At the top of the inner ear there are three semicircular
canals which appear to be the nerve conductors of orientation. Although
no one knows just what helps homing pigeons find their loft, it is
possible that the great sensitiveness of their ears enables them to
receive magnetic and atmospheric impression, and thereby to determine
direction either at departure or during flight. This theory is based on
the fact that atmospheric disturbances often cause the bird temporarily
to lose its way.
10. Neck
The neck is of medium length, with no sign of dewlap at the throat. It
tapers to a wide, well-sprung chest.
11. Body
_a._ BREAST. The breast (or chest) is broad and full in front; depth of
breastbone should not exceed the width.
_b._ SHOULDERS. The shoulders are heavy and strongly reinforced with
muscles.
_c._ BACK. The back is well-feathered, strong, flat and broad at the
shoulders, narrowing toward the rump.
[Illustration: _Figure 1. Parts of homing pigeon._
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_d._ KEEL. The keel is strong, arched in front, and of medium length
and depth. Width of keel denotes strength.
_e._ ABDOMEN. The abdomen is reduced to the smallest proportions.
_f._ WINGS. The wings must be medium-sized, strong, well-proportioned,
and rounded at the butt, with plenty of muscle. Primary flights should
be of a good width, with plenty of overlapping space and a pronounced
curvature towards the body. See _i_ below. Secondary feathers should
also be long and wide to provide a good covering for the entire back.
Covert feathers should be sturdy and abundant, because they supply
additional wing strength, as well as protect pigeons against adverse
weather.
_g._ PELVIC BONES. The pelvic bones (or vent bones) are very firm,
close together over the vent, and extend toward the keel on each side
of the vent. These bones form a body girdle by which the legs are
joined to the body.
_h._ RUMP. The rump is wide and continues the line of the back. It is
well covered on all sides with fine, soft feathers.
_i._ TAIL FEATHERS. The tail feathers, 12 in number, are short, wide,
overlapping, and do not extend farther than 3/4 inch beyond the wing
tips.
_j._ LEGS. The legs are of medium length and well muscled. Thighs are
chubby. Lower leg is red and stout, and toes are short with firm nails.
=12. Respiratory Channels= (fig. 2)
[Illustration: _Figure 2. Respiratory channels of homing pigeon. (Air
sacs are named in accordance with McLeod and Wagers. Other names are
given in parenthesis.)_
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Respiratory channels are highly developed, enabling the pigeon to fly
continuously from 12 to 15 hours. Air circulates through the bronchial
tubes and lungs and also through nine air sacs, from which other small,
irregular cavities extend under the skin between the muscles, and even
into the inside of the bones. These small air sacs contain a reserve
of warm air which feeds the lungs during flight when the muscular
apparatus consumes a large amount of oxygen. They inflate and collapse
alternately, acting as a lift and force pump which renews air in the
lungs.
13. Digestive Organs
Digestive organs of the pigeon are shown in figure 3 (for functions see
par. 50_b_).
[Illustration: _Figure 3. Digestive organs of homing pigeon._
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14. Bloom or Milt
This white, chalky powder is one of the means provided by nature to
protect feathers against moisture during flight. When the pigeon
bathes, the bloom is deposited in the form of a white scum on the top
of the water. If a bird is caught and held closely, the bloom rubs off,
leaving a white substance on the clothes. Absence of bloom is a symptom
of poor health.
[Illustration: _Figure 4. A flight._
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15. Molt
Molting is nature’s way of shedding feathers and furnishing new ones
for the entire body. Thus, feathers lost or injured the preceding year
are replenished, and a perfect coat is insured for the coming year. An
imperfect molt indicates an unhealthy condition which will reduce the
pigeon’s efficiency and result in the breeding of inferior offspring.
_a._ TIME OF MOLT. Every pigeon should molt once a year. Mated pigeons
start molting approximately 1 week after the second set of eggs has
been laid in the new season. Unmated old pigeons ordinarily begin
molting in May or June. The time young birds molt depends primarily on
the date of hatch. Those hatched during the early part of July begin
with head and neck feathers very soon after leaving the nest, and later
during the year partially molt all feathers. The process is completed
the following summer. Various influences hasten or retard molting. For
example, exceptionally warm weather may hasten it. Poor health retards
and may prevent a complete molt. Early breeding ordinarily hastens the
process, while late breeding tends to delay it.
[Illustration: _Figure 5. Tail feathers of homing pigeon._
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_b._ ORDER OF MOLT. Feathers are shed in the following order (see par.
16 and fig. 1):
(1) Primary flight No. _1_ is shed first, and new feathers begin to
grow in its place.
(2) As soon as new feathers are one-half to three-quarters grown,
remaining primary flights are shed in numerical order.
(3) When flights Nos. _5_ or _6_ have been shed, molt spreads to neck
and shoulders.
(4) By the time flights Nos. _6_ or _7_ have been shed, the tail-molt
begins with feathers No. _2_ (fig. 8), then continues in the following
numerical order: _1_, _3_, _4_, _6_, and _5_.
(5) When the last flights have been shed, the molt is practically
complete, except for a few fine body feathers.
_c. Care during molt._ The molt is a great physical drain on pigeons;
therefore, if practicable, hard flying and breeding activities should
be temporarily abandoned during this period. Exercise flights should
be only as long as is necessary for the pigeon’s health. When weather
permits, the birds should be allowed to bathe regularly, because this
will soften the skin and help feathers drop. The only sure method
of correcting an unsatisfactory molt is to restore the pigeon to
a healthy, vigorous physical condition. No attempt should be made
to aid the molt by plucking the next feathers in order, as in all
probability the new feathers will be inferior, or may not even appear.
The substance which creates new feathers is lacking in the sockets
for about 2 months after the molt is completed. During the molting
period, it is especially necessary that birds be fed rich, oily, easily
digested food such as grain (hemp, canary, flax or linseed) and greens.
This food will keep weight up to normal and insure a good growth of
feathers.
16. Varieties of Feathers
Feathers grow in definite areas on the body. These feathered areas
or strips are known as pterylae. Bare spaces in between are called
apterylae. Feathers are divided into four types: contour feathers, hair
feathers, fluff feathers, and down feathers.
_a._ CONTOUR FEATHERS. Contour feathers are large feathers covering
the pigeon’s body. When the bird is not in flight or excited, they lie
close to its body, normally overlapping and presenting a smooth outer
surface. The larger ones are the flight and tail feathers. The average
pigeon has 12 main tail feathers; on each wing there are 10 primary
flights and 12 secondary flights. The bases of these large feathers
are covered by shorter feathers called coverts. These give a rounded,
smooth, and continuous line to the body.
The main tail feathers act as a rudder in flight, controlling the
bird’s direction. Flying is possible because every flight feather
overlaps, presenting a solid surface on the downbeat of the wing.
Besides, flight feathers provide lift and pull for the bird’s
propulsion. On the upbeat of the wing, the large flight feathers rotate
in such a manner as to cut through the air with little resistance, and
at the same time to permit escape of air.
The general structure of a contour feather can be best observed in a
primary flight from the wing or a large rectrix from the tail. The
stiff, hollow, cylindrical portion emerging from the skin is called
the quill. The bare quill proper extends only to the webbed portion
of the feather. It has a small hole (inferior umbilicus) at the end,
penetrating the skin. Nourishment for the feather passes through this
opening. The expanded portion of the feather, from the tip to the
quill, is known as the vane. The central portion of the vane, which
is called the shaft, is solid. Extending laterally from the shaft is
a web or webbing composed of barbs or rays. These rays are blade-like
in structure. The web of most feathers is generally wider on one side
of the shaft than on the other. The barbs are connected by a series of
cross structures called barbules which can be seen only with the aid of
magnifying lens. To see the barbs, however, apply a slight tension on
the webbing of the feather, causing it to spread apart. The invisible
barbules will split if too much tension is applied. Barbs can be
repaired so that little or no evidence of the split can be detected, by
stroking the feather between the index finger and thumb. Pigeons repair
a split in the barb by squeezing oil from the oil duct with their beak,
and then spreading it on the injured feather.
Feather textures vary greatly with the breed of the bird and the part
of the body from which they grow. When selecting homing pigeons, try to
select those with strong, firm feathers.
_b._ HAIR FEATHERS. Also known as filoplumes, hair feathers are
hair-like structures interspersed among the regular body feathers. They
are so fine that they are usually overlooked.
_c._ FLUFF FEATHERS. Sometimes called semiplumes, fluff feathers are
soft and fluffy because of the absence of a rigid feather shaft and
barbules in their web. The barbs are also long, soft, and fluffy, and
present a downy appearance. Fluff feathers grow only on certain parts
of the body.
_d._ DOWN FEATHERS. Down feathers are the soft, hairy, yellow feathers
on young pigeons. They are extremely fine, almost filamentous in
structure. These feathers drop off all through the period of the young
bird’s growth; a few, however, may remain after complete feathering has
taken place.