Hello, and welcome to Little Bluestem Loft! We're a small-scale pigeon loft, currently focusing on Frillbacks.
About:
Our breeding operation is small by pigeon standards, with a maximum of five breeding pairs.Socialization of peeps and young birds is a focus, with peeps being socialized from the day they open their eyes. From the time that they are able to choose whether to interact, they are allowed to choose and are not forced into interaction with people. This makes them more independent and doesn't force learned helplessness.
Breeding Plans:
We have one main breeding pair of Frillbacks. We are planning to expand our Frillback breeding within the next few years, and we will likely end up with two or three pairs by the end of 2022. Our main focus with the Frillbacks is temperament and function.We will also be getting a pair or two of Old German Owls and/or Lucernes after downsizing our project pairs to refocus on purebreds.Current Pairs:
Opuntia x Bergamot (Ash Red Grizzle Frillbacks)Prospective Pairs
Yellow/Silver Grizzle Frillback Pair (Late 2022)
Yellow/Silver Old German Owl Pair (Late 2022 or 2023)
Screening/Policies:
There is a fairly standard screening process for our loft. This is to ensure birds are going to good homes and are less likely to 'bounce' from a home.Available birds can be viewed on our Facebook page.Birds can be shipped to anywhere within the lower 48 states of the US (though local pickup is preferred). Shipping usually runs from $40-$60 for a 2-bird box, and buyers are charged the actual price of the box ($15) along with actual price of shipping. As we are located very close to a regional airport (GJT), pigeons generally have very short trips to anywhere in the western/midwestern US.Peeps are not rehomed until they are 8 weeks old. They will also not be shipped if temps are over 90 degrees on either end. These are in place for greater safety during shipping.Prices for 2022:
- Adult pet temperament birds: $30
- Skittish or Non-breeding birds: $20 (Certain birds will be free to a good home based on how skittish they are)
- Project/OGO peeps: $40
- Frillback peeps: $50
- Adult Frillbacks: $50-$100 (Varies based on quality and temperament)Note: All of our birds are regularly treated for common parasites/diseases in pigeons, and peeps are socialized from week one. The prices directly reflect this.Skittish birds will not be adopted out out as single pet birds, and we will require proof of you already having a loft or pet pigeon if you are inquiring about only one skittish bird. Birds who are unsafe to breed will need to be a single pet bird, housed as a same sex pair, or be strictly hatch controlled.You will be heavily encouraged to get a pet pair if you are not able to spend a large portion of time around a single pet bird.
New Breed Project Info:
We are breeding toward a new distinct breed of pigeon, one that caters to very specific tastes in pigeon looks and temperament. Below is a mockup of the breed standard drawing (not necessarily final, but close to the ideal bird from this project)
Written Standard (again, not final):
General Impression: Birds should have a very horizontal carriage, with their tail parallel to the ground when at rest. They should be slightly larger than an Old German Owl, but not large enough to be difficult to hold in one hand. The body should be stocky, but the bird should have an overall streamlined appearance, giving the impression of a bird who could perform when flying as well as in a show cage.Head: The bird should have a well-arched head that rises nearly perpendicular to the beak. The beak should be between medium and long, and should show distinct thickness. The beak should be light on shield-marked birds, and showing appropriate color on self-marked birds. The eye should be fairly large, with small and underdeveloped cere preferred. The eye should be bull on shield-marked birds, and orange or red on self-marked birds. The bird should have a moderate but distinct shell crest, with more attention given to the quality of the crest than its size. This crest should have small rosettes, again, quality taking precedence over size.Neck: There should be a decently-sized dewlap that begins just in front of the junction of beak and head, not large enough to be a defining feature but noticeable. The neck should be wide and give a triangular look to the top half of the bird, but width is preferred. The back of the neck should have an unbroken mane.Body: The bird should look stocky but fairly streamlined. Longer flights and tail are a must, as it aids the general look of the bird greatly. There should be a heft to the bird, they should be well-muscled, and harder feathering is preferred. The wings should be set close to the body and the tail should be held tightly. This needs to be a bird that could, in theory, be an active flyer.Legs: The legs should be medium-length and grouse-muffed. These muffs should reach at least mid-toe and can never be long enough to impede walking and/or landing in any way. The toes themselves should be medium to long, and never short enough to give issues with landing after a flight.Color:
- Shield-marked: Birds should have clean, distinct marking of the wing shields, with three colored thumb feathers on each side. There should be 7-10 white flights, with closer to 10 preferred but not highly important as long as distinct shield coloration is achieved. Coloration behind the leg is permitted but a bird with no color except for on the shields is highly preferred when applicable. With bars, clear and even bars are preferred, with a clean coloration to the rest of the shield. With checks, an even and distinct checking is preferred, with a clear contrast. For T-checks and spread, even and deep coloration on the shield is preferred.
- Self: Self birds should have a solid coloration, with any pied areas being undesirable. The coloration should be very solid and show depth, and any marking should be very clean if it is present. For spread and t-check birds, even coloration is needed, and an underlying pattern should not show on spread birds.