Schmalkender Moorhead
Encyclopedia
The Schmalkalden Moorhead is a breed
of fancy pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding
. Schmalkalden Moorheads, along with other varieties of domesticated pigeons
, are all descendants from the Rock Pigeon
(Columba livia).
It was developed at Schmalkalden
, Thuringian town in Germany
.
Breed
A breed is a group of domestic animals or plants with a homogeneous appearance, behavior, and other characteristics that distinguish it from other animals or plants of the same species. Despite the centrality of the idea of "breeds" to animal husbandry, there is no scientifically accepted...
of fancy pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding
Selective breeding
Selective breeding is the process of breeding plants and animals for particular genetic traits. Typically, strains that are selectively bred are domesticated, and the breeding is sometimes done by a professional breeder. Bred animals are known as breeds, while bred plants are known as varieties,...
. Schmalkalden Moorheads, along with other varieties of domesticated pigeons
Domestic Pigeon
The Domestic Pigeon was derived from the Rock Pigeon. The Rock Pigeon is the world's oldest domesticated bird. Mesopotamian cuneiform tablets mention the domestication of pigeons more than 5,000 years ago, as do Egyptian hieroglyphics.Research suggests that domestication of pigeons was as early as...
, are all descendants from the Rock Pigeon
Rock Pigeon
The Rock Dove or Rock Pigeon, is a member of the bird family Columbidae . In common usage, this bird is often simply referred to as the "pigeon"....
(Columba livia).
It was developed at Schmalkalden
Schmalkalden
- Notable people :*Christoph Cellarius, scholar, born 22 November 1638, died 4 June 1707 in Halle*Christian Karl August Ludwig von Massenbach, colonel, born 16 April 1758, died 21 November 1827 at Białokosz...
, Thuringian town in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Standard
- Origin: Germany, especially Thuringia and the Saxon Erz mountains.
- Element Characteristics:
- Head: Arched, somewhat high in the forehead.
- Eyes: Dark.
- Beak: Long and black on blacks and blues; flesh colored on reds and yellows.
- Neck: Proportionately long; the feather structure starts its beginning from a more or less stamped out separation at the lower half of the sides of the neck. The feather from this separation extends forward, then above, which forms the supporting feathers, which then enclose the neck, to the sides of the even lying chain as well as over the back of the neck to the mane. The mane extends unbroken into the hood, which lies behind the top of the head. The whole structure should be as long feathered, rigid, and thick as possible.
- Breast: Low, well rounded.
-
- Wings: Long, closed, the flight tips not crossing when resting on the tail.
- Tail: Long, carried closed.
- Legs: As low standing as possible, muffs as large and thick as possible.
- Colors and Markings: The head, bib, tail, rump, and wedge under tail are colored. The remaining feathers are white. Black, red, and yellow are lustrous in color. Blue is light and even in color with a black tail band.