The English Carrier
Note: We have made a few slight changes in the original standard which was
handed down to us by our predecessors in the fancy and which we believe is
decidedly for the betterment and popularity of this grand old variety.
GENERAL CONDITION: Condition and inherited constitution is of a very great
importance in the modern English Carrier and should be passed upon carefully,
before structural points are considered. The bird must be strong, active,
and free from bodily defects or ailments of any kind.
SIZE: Large, measuring as nearly as possible 17 2 to 18 inches from the tip
of the beak to the end of the tail and 4 inches to 5 inches across the widest
part of the body, from shoulder to shoulder. Weight: 20 to 23 ounces.
BODY: Chest wide and full but not projecting to the front to any great extent.
SHOULDERS: Wide and well filled out, showing muscular power. Wing butts
protruding slightly beyond the chest.
BACK: Long and straight, sloping from shoulders towards the rump and showing
a slight hollowness rather that the reverse.
BREAST BONE OR KEEL: Long and straight, showing moderate depth and free from
indentations.
SYMMETRY AND STATION: All points should harmonize, giving the bird a well
balanced appearance, being not too extreme in any one point. Station is one
of the best characteristic features about a Carrier pigeon. The body must
be as erect as possible without allowing the tail to sweep the ground when
standing in a natural position. The head must be held well up, giving the
bird a very alert, game-like appearance.
FEATHER FORMATION: The wing and tail feathers should be strong and well webbed
throughout and of good width and length in proportion to the sizes of the
bird. The body feathers should be abundant and very firmly set (tight feathered)
showing luster finish, especially on neck and breast.
NECK: The neck should be long and rather slender in proportion to the size
of the bird, and cut away clearly at its junction from the chest and throat,
the latter being free from gullet. Reach is the length of the neck when the
bird is standing at attention. This is one of the chief characteristics of
the Carrier and is somewhat enhanced by the high station of the bird and
should always receive careful attention.
LEGS: Legs must be of good length - heavy in bone and well placed so that
the bird may move easily without unusual effort. Cow-hocked, light boned
birds are considered very faulty. There should be no feathering below the
knee joints.
FEET: Large, with toes will spread. Crooked or defected toes should be looked
upon with suspicion. Color of the nails is immaterial.
FACE: Length: Measuring from the pupil of the eye to the tip of the beak
should not be less than 2 inches in hens and less than 2 2 inches in cocks.
STRAIGHTNESS: The tip or center of the beak should be on an absolutely straight
line with the pupil of the eye and at right angles to the floor level.
BEAK
FORMATION AND MANDIBLE FITTING: Long and very stout in both mandible and
proportionately thick to the very tip, both sections closing tightly showing
no spacing at any age of the bird. This is known as a box beak and is a very
important point.
COLOR: A light fleshy hue regardless of the color of the bird.
WATTLE
SIZE: Large, however, mere size is not desired, especially if other points
are weak.
SHAPE: Rounding and slightly oval at the top extending equally on each side
of the beak.
TEXTURE: This is an extremely important point. It should be very hard with
the folds closely set and filled in, and a powdery white finish on the outer
surface.
LOWER SECTION OR JEWING: This should conform in every way with the upper
wattle and to complete the rounding shape desired. (NOTE: Soft, flabby, or
so called "beefy" wattles should be severely condemned.
EYES: Deep rich red in the iris, except in white which should be black or
bull eyes.
EYE CERE: The eye cere should spread in a perfect circle to about the size
of a quarter and extending slightly above the level of the skull. The texture
should be very fine and free from heavy folds of flesh. The color should
be the same as the wattles and should be the same in all Carriers including
whites.
SKULL: Width between the eyes about % inch, being equal in measurement at
the front and back of the ceres. Length from the tip of the beak to the back
of the skull not less than 2% inches. Shape - the top of the skull should
be straight and narrow, and as level as possible from the back of the skull
to the base of the wattle. Parallel formation - The sides of the head should
be parallel, not tapering (wedge shaped) before reaching the base of the
beak.
DISQUALIFICATIONS: Strong indication of Dragoon cross. Absolutely down-faced.
Faking in any manner. Infected eye cere or wattle. Physical deformities.
OTHER OBJECTIONABLE FEATURES: Under size, extremely wild, full gullet, poor
feathering large soft wattle, crooked toes, blind eye.
COLOR:
White: As pure as possible with satin like luster on the hackle and breast.
Black: Ebony shade with a deep beetle green sheen. Off color in either outer
feather or under color or fluff will constitute a cut in color points.
Dun: A smooth even shade of steel gray throughout with no signs of checking
or barring in the wing shields. The feathers should also possess a beetle
green luster or sheen. (Brown selfs should not be shown in this class as
was done in the past. This class is for true duns only and no other color
is acceptable).
Blue bar: A clean, even blue-gray free from sootiness, with no signs of running
light or turning white on the rump. The neck feathers should be
dark and lustrous with a metallic sheen. The wing and tail bars shall be
a dark black and well defined.
Silver bar (Dilute of blue bar): A silver bar bird will have a light silvery-gray
breast, back, and wing shields with the remainder of the bird adarker shade
of silvery gray. The wings have two distinct dun bars with the tail also
ending with a dun bar. (Under no circumstances should the birds in this class
have brown bars).
Red: Color should be rich, deep chestnut red color very similar to the modern
Carneau. All areas should show luster and sheen being most intense in the
neck.
Yellow: Color should be a deep clear golden yellow again very similar to
the modern Carneau showing much luster and sheen.
Brown (Formerly shown as dun): Should be an even shade of dark brown throughout,
with birds coming in various shades from light to dark chocolate brown. The
darker varieties being preferred. The overall color is not as important as
having a bird that is one uniform shade throughout. Remember, these birds
are not dun.
Brown bar (Formerly shown as silver bar): Should have a light brownish-gray
breast, back, and wing shields with the remainder of the bird a darker
brownish-gray. There should be some evidence of a green sheen on the darker
portions of the bird, especially the neck. The wings should have two distinct
dark brown bars with the tail also ending with a dark brown bar.
Grizzle: An even peppery combination of base color and white throughout the
entire body, with wing bars or checks being as dark as possible. This class
will include all types of grizzles including grizzle bar, check, and tortoise.
Acceptable colors will be blue, silver, black, dun, red, yellow, brown, and
khaki carrying grizzle.
Any Color Check: A light even ground color throughout with the neck and head
being a darker more lustrous shade of the base color. The wing shields should
have dark even checkering showing two distinct bars. The tail should also
have a darker even bar in most colors.
Pied: Pied birds must be at least 1/3 white and will also include splashes
and mottles. This class is not for mismarked birds, such as a blue bar with
white flights, but for true pieds which must be between 1/3 and 2/3 white.
AOC: For any bird that is a specific color, such as almond, opal, lavender,
but not yet recognized by the NECC. This class is not for pied or mismarks.
Pieds have their own class and mismarks should be shown with their base color
class and just cut in color points. For example a blue bar with white flights
would be shown in the blue bar class and cut in color points.