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West of England Tumblers – Page 37 – Purebred PIGEON
Breed of the Issue - West of England Tumblers
all-white bird looking bigger than a non-white bird. So, whites
are at a disadvantage in shows, unless the judge is aware of that
illusion. Feather type is very important in breeding whites. The
standard states “Feather texture should be medium to hard and
smooth and silky in texture and appearance, not coarse, loose, rag-
ged, or frizzy.” In addition, it states” Wing butts and wing line to
blend well into the chest so as that the wings and chest appear as
one.” In white west, if the texture is anything but smooth and silky,
especially over the eye, on the neck and wing butts it will be very
noticeable. if the feathers are long, and not laying smooth along
the contours of the body, the shadows created by unruly feathers
diminish the desired smooth look. This is especially true when the
light source is directly above the bird, as in the show cage situa-
tion. In my opinion, this shadow effect is more obvious in whites
than with other darker varieties or patterned birds.
White birds show everything! Not only do they show the dirt
on the muffs from the soiled perches and loft floor, but they will
also show stains at the beak from additives to the water and min-
eral supplements. In addition, if there are any lice in the loft, you
will see them on a white bird! So, the strategy for keeping them
white is simple-keep the loft floor and perches as clean as you can
(v-perches can be helpful) and remove supplements that might
stain the face on your show team. And of course -give them lots of
options to take baths with bath salts.
If you have taken care of the items mentioned above regard-
ing keeping them white, you are 80% ready for the show. The final
consideration is transporting and keeping them clean at the show,
which is no different than any other variety!
So, if you are interested in a rewarding challenge and would
like to get involved with White West of England Tumblers-go for it!
Start out by joining the National West of England Tumbler club. It
is a great group of fanciers who are very welcoming. You can also
join the National club’s Facebook page. •