Getting The Balance Right

by Bryan Frost

A Champion Jacobin must have the best balance of all the major points.  Not the longest feathered bird, the best coloured bird, the tallest bird, or the best marked Jacobin.  He must be a Champion in all respects or as many as possible. When we talk about the balance in a Jacobin we are primarily saying the hood fits right. The bird has the right chain and mane whip, length of the hood and is a free showing pigeon.

Some of the things we look for when judging birds are the stretch, meaning the birds hood and body are in an upright position at all times.  Balance, that is that the birds hood is in correct proportion to the body and that the feather is long and hard.  A Jacobin that does not have natural type should be an instant candidate for the garbage bin.  We refer to a Jacobin who does not stretch or show as a croucher and it should be culled.

Probably the number one item we strive for in Jacobin breeding is the length of feather. We strive to get the longest hardest feather we can.  We should not settle for long loose feathering, especially around the hood area.  This will cause the hood feather to droop at the top of the chain and lower mane.  The feather quills of the hood must be as strong as possible and one must strive to eliminate the hairy feather near the end of the quill.  The breeding pen is the place to start the chain feathers, they should touch together below the beck extending down to the base of the chain.  The hood as it appears in the profile should be pear shaped.  That is as it comes off the body it is narrow, then it starts to widen gradually until it reaches the top of the head, then a shaped semicircle closing the mane and chain together.

The portion of the hood above the eyes is called the top or top feather. This top feathering along with the narrow or whipped in effect at the base of the hood is the hardest portion of the hood to get and maintain.  Most Jacobin traits such as feather length, colour, type, hood size, hood whip etc. are inherited and can only be improved, upon in the make up of your matings.  In other words, the Jacobin must be made by you using matings with the properties that you desire.