I would like to talk about some common terms we use when the conversation is about our Show King Pigeons. Most of you will be familiar with these terms, but for the beginner or novice King breeder this might be of some interest and will help you to better understand some words or phrases used by veteran King breeders.
Some of these terms will apply to most breeds of pigeons, while others may be specifically used in describing Show Kings only. I will list some terms and follow with a short definition of each.
The Standard: The official written description which describes the ideal Show King.
Colored Bird: A King that can be of any color or pattern other than white.
Mask: A genetic term used when a pigeon appears to be one color (or white) but is actually another color that you don’t see. Some white Kings are actually ash red, but they “mask” the ash red and appear white.
Soft Feathered: A King that has feathers that are too long and feel soft when held. They should be shorter and smoother or harder to feel.
Feeder: A different breed of pigeon used as foster parents for Show Kings. Hubbels, Racing Homers, Utility Kings are some of the common breeds used as feeders.
Dilution: A genetic term for a factor in pigeons that will lighten the color of the pigeon. An example of dilution is yellow, which is the dilute of red. You can dilute any color.
Spread: A genetic factor that indicates a solid color bird. A blue bar is a silvery blue coloured bird with black bars on the wings. If you “spread” the black bar, the bird becomes solid black. You can spread almost any color.
Paint Brush Tail: Common term used to describe a long tail in a King. This is undesirable.
Sucking: When a King pulls it’s head down and rests it’s beak on the frontal. An undesirable trait.
Pinched Head: A King head that is too narrow over the wattle, as viewed from the front.
Smutty: A genetic factor that will add flecking of colors in barred birds, making some Kings appear to be a cross between a bar and a check. Not a clean, crisp pattern,undesirable in Show Kings.
Step Down: When the keel is higher than the rump, giving an uneven line under the King. Ideally, the undercarriage should make a nice circle.
Parade of Champions: The final judging at a King show (USA) that consists of every first place King, with the last remaining bird being the Grand Champion.
Fault: An undesirable condition or trait in show pigeons. A pigeon judge will look for the most obvious faults to narrow down a class when judging. Breeders must be aware of different types of faults when mating Kings, and try to eliminate the major faults.
