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Frillbacks are an old breed, with records of their breeding dating back to
the 1600's. From this early literature, it appears that Frillbacks appeared
in blue grizzles, which this bird is, and also as red grizzles, and white
selfs, which means an all white bird. While Frillbacks have always maintained
a few loyal supporters, the breed has never achieved any great popularity,
and that makes this breed, the breed of curl, an excellent choice if you
appreciate the rare and unusual.
Tally Mezzanatto, who breeds many of the more unique varieties, bred this
young cock, number 152.
In getting birds ready for a show, a breeder shouldn't be too meticulous. While all birds shown should be clean and in good health, it is possible to go too far. Some friends of mine, when first starting out in Frillbacks decided to make sure they were REALLY clean for the show, so they added shampoo to the bath water. This made the frilly feathers unfrill, so their birds didn't do too well in the competition. Remember, birds should look good, but pigeons don't use shampoo.
