Oriental Frill

The Oriental Frill is a fancy pigeon kept for showing and ornament, not for racing or the table. It is a small, stout bird with a short, owl-like head, and two features set it apart from every other loft bird: a frill of curled feathers running down the chest and a heavy covering of feathers over the feet, known as muffs. Between the two, it is one of the most decorative pigeons any fancier is likely to keep.

Temperament is where this breed really earns its keep. Owners find Oriental Frills affectionate, gentle, calm and biddable, easy enough to manage in a loft and well able to tolerate handling once they know a person. They are not strong on the wing, so they are kept in an aviary or loft rather than let out to fly free.

Given good care, an Oriental Frill will generally see 8 to 12 years. Being an ornamental breed, it needs steady attention paid to its frill and foot feathering, so it suits an owner who does not mind regular grooming and who can keep a loft clean and dry.

Who it suits

This breed suits a keeper who wants a calm, decorative pigeon and does not mind the upkeep that its frill and foot feathering demand. It suits show fanciers well, and anyone who would rather have a settled loft bird than an active flier. It is not the bird for someone wanting a free flying or homing pigeon, nor for a loft that cannot be kept clean and dry enough to protect the foot muffs.

The Oriental Frill has its roots in Turkey and the wider territory once held by the Ottoman Empire. Decorative pigeons with a curled chest frill and feathered feet were kept there for generations, and the Oriental Frill belongs to that broad family of frilled fancy pigeons.

Birds of this type made their way to western Europe through trade routes and diplomatic contact with Ottoman lands. Once there, European fanciers took a shine to the frilled, feather-footed pigeons and set about breeding for the traits now tied to the name: the short head, the chest frill, and the heavy foot muffs.

The type was gradually fixed within the show fancy, with colour patterns and feather structure settled through selective breeding over many generations. Because the Oriental Frill is so often grouped with related frilled breeds sharing the same broad background, pinning down exact dates for its early development is not straightforward.

These days the Oriental Frill is kept chiefly as an exhibition and ornamental breed among pigeon fanciers. It was never much of a flying or working bird, and its standing has always come down to looks and a gentle nature rather than any working ability.

The Oriental Frill is a compact, rounded pigeon with a short, broad head and a short beak giving it a distinctly owl-like face. The neck is short, and the body sits low and stout. Two features stand out above all else: the frill, a band of curled feathers running down the front of the chest, and the muffs, the long feathers covering the feet and lower legs.

Taken together, the impression is of a small, tidy, decorative bird that carries itself calmly and upright rather than looking built for speed.

Coat and colours

The chest frill and the feathered feet are what mark this breed out. The frill wants to be even and well curled, and the foot muffs full and clean. Body colour and markings vary across the recognised varieties, which can run to patterned shields on the wings and laced feather edges. Since the foot feathering trails close to the ground, keeping its colour and condition good comes down largely to a dry, clean loft, particularly through a wet Irish winter.

The Oriental Frill has a mild, even temperament. Fanciers describe the breed as affectionate, gentle, calm and docile. The birds are not flighty, and they tend to stay settled in a loft they know, which makes them a good deal easier to handle than the more active flying breeds.

Handled gently from a young age, an Oriental Frill will generally accept being held and looked over without fuss, which counts for a good deal in a show bird. The breed gets on well with other pigeons too, and pairs settle into a shared loft easily enough. They are neither strong nor eager fliers, so they are kept in an aviary or loft rather than let out to fly free.

Like most pigeons, the Oriental Frill is a sociable bird and does best with at least one companion. Left on its own without company, a pigeon can turn withdrawn.

Grooming

• Check the chest frill regularly and keep it clear of food, droppings and matting.
• Inspect the foot muffs often, and trim or clean off any feathers that have picked up dirt or damp.
• Put out shallow bathing water once or twice a week so the bird can keep its feathers in order.
• Keep an eye on the toes and nails under the foot feathering, since the muffs can hide them well.
• Handle the bird gently while grooming so it stays calm and tame.

Exercise

• Give the bird a roomy aviary or loft section where it can move about, perch and stretch its wings.
• Fit perches at a few different heights and leave landing space, rather than counting on free flight.
• Allow some time off the perch each day within a secure flight space.

Environment

The Oriental Frill needs a dry, well ventilated loft free of draughts. Dry flooring matters a great deal, since those feathered feet pick up damp and dirt in no time. Keep the loft clean, guard the birds against predators, and steer clear of muddy or wet patches on the floor that would ruin the muffs.

The Oriental Frill does well on an ordinary pigeon diet built around a mixed grain and seed blend. A good mix brings together cereal grains and legumes such as wheat, maize, peas and small seeds, balanced so the bird gets enough protein and energy without piling on weight. Clean, fresh water should be available at all times, along with grit to aid digestion and a source of minerals.

Treats and supplements

Small amounts of leafy greens and the odd safe seed treat are fine now and again, but the grain mix should stay the mainstay of the diet. Offer grit, crushed oyster shell or a mineral block for calcium, and add a vitamin or mineral supplement during breeding and moulting if the diet alone is not quite enough. Keep treats to a minimum so the bird holds a healthy weight.

Given good husbandry, the Oriental Frill is a hardy little pigeon that typically reaches 8 to 12 years of age. Its one particular weak spot is the feathered feet, which gather dirt and damp easily and can lead to foot and skin trouble if the loft is not kept dry. Outside of that, it is prone to the same ailments as any pigeon in any loft.

Preventive care

• Keep the loft clean, dry and well ventilated.
• Check feet and muffs regularly for dirt and sores.
• Provide fresh water, clean grain and grit every day.
• Quarantine any new or returning bird before mixing it in with the loft.
• Keep to a routine worming and parasite programme agreed with a vet.
• Stay up to date on vaccinations where pigeon paramyxovirus or similar diseases are a risk locally.

As the Oriental Frill is an ornamental loft breed and no great flier, training here means taming and getting the bird show ready rather than anything to do with racing or homing. The breed's calm, docile nature makes this a straightforward job. What you are after is a bird that stays relaxed when handled, sits steady for inspection, and takes to a show pen without fuss.

Basics

1. Spend a quiet spell near the loft each day so the birds get used to you being about.
2. Offer favoured grain by hand to build up trust.
3. Practise gentle, short spells of handling, supporting the body and the feathered feet.
4. Bring in a show pen or cage gradually so the bird stays calm once penned.
5. Keep sessions short and frequent rather than long and stressful.
6. Always finish on a calm note and put the bird back in its loft.

The Oriental Frill is kept in a loft or aviary rather than flown free. The first priority is a dry, well ventilated, secure space, since damp and dirt do real damage to the foot feathering. Give the birds enough room to move about and perch in comfort, along with nest boxes for breeding pairs and shelter from predators and the weather.

Setup checklist

• Dry, clean flooring suited to feathered feet.
• Good ventilation without any cold draughts.
• Perches and landing boards set at several heights.
• Nest boxes ready for pairs come breeding season.
• Fresh water and a shallow bath.
• Grit and a mineral source to hand.
• Predator-proof construction and doors that shut securely.

Like other pigeons, the Oriental Frill usually lays two eggs to the clutch, and both cock and hen share the incubating. Eggs take roughly 17 to 19 days to hatch. The newly hatched squabs are fed crop milk by both parents for the first few days, then moved gradually onto softened grain as they grow. Most keepers are happy to let the parents incubate and rear the young themselves, pigeons being reliable parents, though an incubator can be used if the need arises.

Hatching steps

1. Let a settled pair get on with incubating their clutch of two eggs.
2. Keep the loft quiet, dry and at a steady temperature.
3. Check the eggs around the halfway point of incubation to see how they are developing.
4. Leave the nest well alone as hatching draws near.
5. Let the parents feed crop milk to the squabs once they hatch.
6. Give the parents extra protein and minerals while they are rearing the young.
7. Wean the young onto a grain mix at about four weeks old.