Giant Homer

The Giant Homer is a large domestic pigeon that traces its roots to American racing and homing lines. Breeders moved away from selecting for flight ability and instead worked toward body mass, so today the breed is raised mainly for utility purposes and for exhibition. Mature birds are heavy-bodied, broad-chested, and calm in temperament.

Among utility pigeons, the group where body weight, fast growth, and a steady disposition count for more than speed in the air, the Giant Homer ranks among the largest. It grew out of the standard racing homer, and generations of selective breeding pushed it toward a bigger frame and a deep, well filled body. Even with all that added bulk, the breed has held on to the even, manageable temperament its homer ancestors were known for.

Giant Homers adjust well to loft confinement and stay calm when handled. They cannot match a racing pigeon in the air, which is why most raisers keep them housed in a loft instead of flying them for sport.

Who should raise this breed

Giant Homers suit raisers who want a heavy, calm pigeon for a utility loft or for the show table. Because the breed is so steady, it is a fair choice even for first-time pigeon raisers, provided they can keep a secure loft, feed on schedule, and clean it regularly. Anyone hoping for a racing bird or one built for long free flights should look elsewhere.

The story of the Giant Homer begins with the racing and homing pigeons kept throughout Europe and North America by the late 1800s. Those birds were bred for stamina and a strong sense of direction, and they became the foundation stock for several utility breeds that followed.

American breeders started selecting homer lines for size instead of speed in the air. What they wanted was a bigger, heavier bird with a deep body and solid growth, one suited to utility use rather than racing. Generation after generation, they kept the biggest and best built birds for breeding, and a distinct large type eventually took shape under the name Giant Homer.

American pigeon clubs and utility associations promoted the new breed and drew up type goals that favored weight, body width, and a calm temperament. The standards they wrote described a substantial bird on a broad frame, clearly setting it apart from the lighter racing homer.

The Giant Homer is still a recognized utility breed in the United States today, and show fanciers keep it as well. Exact founding dates and the individual breeders behind it were never consistently recorded, so it is best described simply as a twentieth century American development out of homing pigeon stock.

Everything about the Giant Homer's build points to size. The chest is broad and deep, the back is wide, and the body is full and well rounded on a sturdy frame. The head stays smooth and in proportion to the body, with a medium length beak and a moderate wattle. The overall look is heavy and solid rather than slim and athletic.

It stands fairly horizontal, body held level and legs set well apart to carry the weight. The wings sit close to the body, and the tail lines up with the back. Taken together, the bird gives the impression of a large, well balanced utility pigeon.

Feathering and color

The plumage lies smooth and close to the body. The standard type has no crest, no frills, and no feathering on the feet. Giant Homers come in most of the common pigeon colors and patterns, among them blue bar, blue checker, silver, red, ash, and white, plus assorted mixed patterns. In utility selection, color takes a back seat to size and body type.

The Giant Homer has a reputation for a quiet, even temperament. Utility and show standards for the breed favor calm birds, and most individuals stay gentle and confident around the people who care for them. They settle into a loft routine fast and rarely show the nervousness that shows up in some of the lighter breeds.

Most Giant Homers let a handler pick them up and check them over without much of a struggle, which makes both daily care and show preparation easier. They generally get along with other pigeons in the loft, though cocks defend their nest boxes and breeding pairs stake out their own space once the season starts. As flock birds, they do best raised alongside other pigeons rather than on their own.

Giant Homers are neither strong nor eager fliers, so they tend to stick close to the loft rather than range far. That steadiness, combined with how well they take to handling, is a big part of why raisers value the breed.

Grooming

• Give the birds a shallow bath two or three times a week to help keep the feathers clean.
• Check feet and toenails on a regular basis, and trim overgrown nails with care.
• Inspect the smooth plumage for parasites, broken feathers, or scale, especially during the molt.
• Beyond routine bathing and parasite control, no trimming or special feather care is required.

Exercise

• Give the birds room to move around daily in a roomy loft or an attached aviary.
• Set perches and nest boxes at different heights to keep the birds active.
• Supervised flight inside the loft or aviary is enough, since the breed is heavy-bodied and not a strong free flier.
• Do not rely on long free flights. The Giant Homer's build simply is not made for it.

Environment

Giant Homers need a secure, dry, well ventilated loft that keeps out rain, drafts, and predators. In the Philippine setting, that calls for a roof and walls strong enough to stand up to typhoon season, with enough airflow to handle the heat and humidity without letting in drafts. Keep the floor dry and clear the droppings often to hold disease down. Give each bird adequate space to avoid crowding, and set up separate nest boxes for breeding pairs. The loft should give shade in hot weather and shelter in cold.

Giant Homers eat a mixed grain diet, much like other utility pigeons. A good mix combines cereals such as corn, wheat, sorghum, and barley with legumes such as peas, beans, and vetch for protein. Because the breed is large-bodied and grows quickly, getting enough protein matters during breeding and when new feathers are coming in. Insoluble grit has to be on hand so the gizzard can grind whole grains, and a calcium source such as crushed oyster shell helps breeding hens form strong eggshells.

Treats and supplements

Small amounts of safe greens and seeds work fine as an occasional treat, but they should never replace the balanced grain mix. Keep grit and a calcium source available year round. Most agrivet stores carry vitamin or mineral supplements, which are worth adding during breeding and molting if the grain quality is in doubt. Clean drinking water should always be within reach.

The Giant Homer is a sturdy utility breed. Given clean housing and proper feeding, it usually lives about 8 to 12 years. Most of the health problems raisers run into come from the diseases and parasites common to domestic pigeons in general, not from any defect specific to the breed. Good loft hygiene, clean water, and quarantining new birds before they join the flock are the main ways to keep a loft healthy.

Preventive care

• Keep the loft clean, dry, and well ventilated.
• Provide fresh water daily and clean feeders to keep contamination out.
• Quarantine new or returning birds before letting them join the flock.
• Set a routine for droppings checks and parasite control.
• Follow a vaccination and deworming plan that suits your area and your flock.

Training a Giant Homer is mostly about loft management, not flight performance. The breed is calm and picks up daily routines fast, so a raiser can settle birds into a loft, teach them to trap in for food, and get them used to handling for inspection and shows. Since the breed is heavy and not built for sustained flight, nobody trains it for racing or long free flights the way racing homers are trained.

Basics

1. Settle young birds into the loft so they learn to recognize it as home and as their source of food.
2. Train birds to trap in by feeding them inside the loft at the same time every day.
3. Use a consistent call or feeding signal so the birds learn to respond to it.
4. Handle the birds gently and often so they get used to being picked up and examined.
5. For show stock, practice posing and basket time so the birds stay calm at events.

Giant Homers live in a loft, an enclosed structure that shields them from the weather and from predators while still giving them room to move, perch, and nest. Since the breed runs large, each bird needs more floor space and perch space than a smaller pigeon would. Good ventilation without drafts matters a great deal, since stale, damp air, all too common during the rainy season, invites respiratory disease. An attached aviary or flight pen gives the birds fresh air and daylight while keeping them secure.

Setup checklist

• A secure loft with predator-proof walls, mesh, and doors.
• Enough ventilation, without letting in drafts.
• Wide perches and individual nest boxes for breeding pairs.
• Feeders and waterers that are easy to keep clean and dry.
• Containers for grit and a calcium source.
• A shaded area for hot weather and shelter for the rainy season and cold.

Like other pigeons, Giant Homers normally incubate and raise their own young without much help from the raiser. A hen typically lays two eggs per clutch, and both parents share the incubation, with the cock usually sitting during the day and the hen taking over at night. The eggs hatch after roughly 17 to 19 days. Newly hatched squabs get crop milk from both parents for the first few days, then a mix of crop milk and softened grain as they grow. Since Giant Homers are a large breed, a well fed pair can raise heavy, fast growing squabs.

Hatching steps

1. Give breeding pairs a quiet nest box along with nesting material.
2. Let both parents incubate the clutch without disturbance.
3. If needed, check the eggs for fertility by candling after about a week.
4. Keep the nest area clean, dry, and free of parasites.
5. Let the parents feed crop milk to the newly hatched squabs on their own.
6. Make sure the parents have plenty of food and water to raise the young.