The Scottish Pouter

4408 Views 18 Replies 6 Participants Last post by glasgowtrucker, Feb 10, 2010

Barra

Discussion Starter · Apr 11, 2009 (Edited)

Hi

Hi all, great site you have going here.

1 - 19 of 19 Posts

tuxedobaby

· #2 · Apr 11, 2009

great account!im also in scotland(fife)i have looked on the"glasgow doos"site,,and also looked with interest at the roadside "doocots",i grew up in leith(edinburgh)and as a kid a few folk flew the doos from windowbox type things(spuntniks???)i look after a mixed bunch of pigeons,including an ex racer,a brown roller type,not got any pouters or horsemen but im real interested in them,do you know of any pouter shows(or fancy breeds)coming up in scotland???

cheerz
elayne

tuxedobaby

· #3 · Apr 11, 2009

our roller? (caramel log) "adopted"us,she became a part of local roof flock of ferals who i look after(LOVE all pigeons)we thought,because she was so tame(she handfeeds and comes when called)she was a pet,shes quite a fast flyer and turns well and is often "in the lead"i didnt know what type of pigeon she was but after a bit research i conclude shes def roller/part roller,shes prob freindliest of the bunch,our other "unusual"pigeons "amigo" a very pretty ex racer,light checker coloured,she was lost,and came to us,we fed her and got in touch with her club in england,despite phoning and e mialing the club,no one has ever got back to me to claim her,that was over 1 year ago,so she seems happy enough with us(she "taught" the other birds to use the feeding hopper lol)we often get "waifs n strays"(tagged birds)who stop for a rest and go on,there are a couple of pigeon keepers in my town,i dont race but like to go to shows and would like to get more involved in the world of pigeons,my daughter(7)is pigeon crazy too and loves croppers and pouters(she calls them"inflaters"lol)id like to visit the shop at parkhead next time im in glasgow,the horsemen fascinate me,its a completly different game to regular racing,it originated in spain i think.im sure theres a few lofts in the south of edinburgh and some of the wee outlying towns and villages,are pouters hard to keep,i know they can encounter some probs with the crop area(hanging crop etc)

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mr squeaks

· #4 · Apr 11, 2009 (Edited)

HI BARRA!

WELCOME TO PT!!

One thing I like about this site is the diversity of members and their home states and countries!!

Quite interesting posts!! I learned things I never knew!

I hope you will be able to post some pictures.

Will look forward to hearing about your further adventures and hope you will keep us updated!!

Shi and Mr. Squeaks/Dom/Gimie/WoeBeGone

P.S. Thanks, Elayne, for your input too!! I have seen Pouters at our State Fair and find them quite fascinating. Well, OK, they always make me smile when they "puff!"

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tuxedobaby

· #5 · Apr 11, 2009

pouters used to be popular in mining communities here in fife,but as the mines closed the whole way of life here changed and the "doos"are not as popular now,mores the pity,theres still quite an active racing contingent here in fife,we went to a show recently in a wee mining town about 7 miles away,the older guys were delighted to answer questions (mostly from my kid) and were happy to let her handle some of the birds,a school in ayrshire is sponsering a loft and letting the kids care for and rear the birds,real hands on stuff,its nice to see youngsters involved in pigeons and hopefully dispel some of the myths about them(disease etc)

tuxedobaby

· #6 · Apr 13, 2009

hi,caramel log was named after that famous tunnocks biscuit(i called her "brown sugar"after the stones song(big fan)but she was renamed caramel log by my daughter,she answers to "loggy" or "caramel"lol,im studying scottish history(edinburgh)just flunked an exam on architecture(1st failure in 2 yrs lol)so taking a few mths off to rewind and back in sep,im interested in social history and have also done reminiscence training and hope to work in this field later on,have keen interest in social history of edinburgh and leith(hometown)and am involved in local history society etc (i work p/t too)!im interested in pigeon advocacy and have written to places such as our parliament about the treatment of pigeons,culling,removal of birds from cities(to be culled!)etc,i feel really stongly about it and follow "pigeon news"in scotland and further afield(eg birds being used in game shows etc)i hate to see animals and birds lives cheapened and plan to continue doing what i can,im at present trying to find out more abt local loft,the owner died and an old guy is "caretaking"it at present,im off later to track him down and ask if i can help out(you dont get if you dont ask lol)i would like my daughters school to have something like "doo the right thing"a few kids could benefit from the responsibility and involvement in keeping pigeons(also teaches kids respect for nature etc),im prob known as"crazy pigeon lady with tattoos and red hair"in my town,but dont care,pigeons and wildlife give untold pleasure,can i ask,,,,, do teh pouters"inflate"when happy or just to impress a mate? cheerz

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lukem

· #7 · Apr 13, 2009

in from greenock but now i live near edingburgh will i be ok to start with ferals as i no a old shed than belongs to no one an it has a few ferals in it

tuxedobaby

· #8 · Apr 13, 2009

lukem said:
in from greenock but now i live near edingburgh will i be ok to start with ferals as i no a old shed than belongs to no one an it has a few ferals in it

ferals are great!you have to get them to trust you and get used to you as they can be shy at 1st,,,go daily and feed them,get them used to your voice and try to feed at same time each day and they will associate you with good things,in time they will get to know you an dlose the fear.is shed secure?and clean?these things are important!i would also say,,please band your pigeons,so people realise they are "owned" if you dont have bands i can send some to you (pm me)read all you can about pigeons,get book from library and read what folks say on this site,visit other pigeon keepers,most are happy to give help and advice to people starting up with pigeons,you need basic equipment such as feeding bowls(can be bought cheap from £ shops!(plastic ones,like mixing bowls) you can make up own mix for feeding with dried peas,corn,seeds and plain unsalted peanuts(they LOVE them!)

lukem

· #9 · Apr 13, 2009

its got some craits in it but they can be chuckd away ther is a gap in the brick were they come and go ther is one young one just now

tuxedobaby

· #10 · Apr 13, 2009

who owns shed?are they nesting in crates?is it near to your house? pigeons can live in most basic of sheds and stuff,some of ours roost on an old disused crane at the docks(where the crane operators equipment is,its enclosed and high enough for predators to keep away)go down each day and check out the pigeons,leave some food and a bowl of clean water,is shed accessable for you?try not to disturb them too much at 1st especially if there is youngesters in the nest.

lukem

· #11 · Apr 13, 2009

no one ones the shed the guy is long dead there is some bricks sticking iut the wall and they are nesting on them its like 5 mins away or if i jump the wall and run throu thr doctors car park i can get ther in 3 mins

tuxedobaby

· #12 · Apr 13, 2009

that sounds good and close,,dont try to move them just now just keep on feeding and building trust with them,,takes time,but they will get to know you in time!our ferals now hand feed and come when called(i shout,"come on pigeons" and they come down to feed )how many ferals are in the shed and how big is shed?is it just regular garden shed?

lukem

· #13 · Apr 13, 2009

its a brick shed its about 15 ft by 10 ft ther is only 5 i can see

mr squeaks

· #14 · Apr 13, 2009

lukem said:
its a brick shed its about 15 ft by 10 ft ther is only 5 i can see

And, if I know pigeons, there will soon be more!

Hi Barra,

If you do come to the States and are anywhere near Phoenix, AZ, let me know! However, June through September, is a very HOT time...especially if you don't like heat!!

To answer your question about my pigeons...I have 4 in a 1 bdrm apt along with two cats.

Briefly...I found a racing homing pigeon in 2003 with a badly broken wing. His wing did not heal and had to be partially amputated. Due to his attitude, he had no problem showing 4 cats who was boss and considers me his mate! If any pigeon epitomizes "attitude" - it's Mr. Squeaks (no named because I found him as a Squeaker).

Dominic (Dom) and Gimie (for Gimpy) came from across town and are non-releaseable ferals. Dom has a droopy wing and Gimie, a poorly healed broken leg - both can fly. Dom and Gimie lived together until...

...along came WoeBeGone, a Tortoiseshell West of England Tumbler, who had a broken wing. Gimie and Woe took one look at each other and Dom is now a "bachelor," although he still gets time outs with Gimie while Woe sits on non-fertile eggs.

Now, with 2 cats and 4 pigeons, life in a never ending adventure with fur and feathers!

Hugs and Cheers

Shi and the gang

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tuxedobaby

· #15 · Apr 14, 2009

lukem said:
its a brick shed its about 15 ft by 10 ft ther is only 5 i can see

if its brick thats good!it will be more weather proof

RodSD

· #16 · Apr 15, 2009 (Edited)

Do you have any pics of your pigeons? I enjoyed the "article", but obviously it was a long read. Nevertheless, it is good to know what other people do somewhere around the world. With your question about fancy breed I think I can share my observation. The fancy breeder breeds those birds as a challenge to create a bird that follows a sort of a standard. The challenge and fun is in the breeding. It lets you use your genetic knowledge. Obviously, you enjoy their beauty, too. Now I fly homers and homer crosses. But I also wants beautiful looking birds. Those pouters may not be good in speed, but I believe they are good in bed.

mr squeaks

· #17 · Apr 15, 2009

I can certainly understand your preference for the cooler temps! Seems to be cooler/cold and warm/hot people in this world. Of course they live accordingly! Guess you would just have to visit during our so-called winters where temps can get nippy in the high 50s or 60s!

Squeaks took a looong time to heal from his broken wing and he and the cats became "acquainted" with each while he observed them from his home. I wrote his story and first cat "encounter" as a "free" apartment bird. Check out the Story section if you wish to read more.

The Pigeons book by Blechman is very good! We had quite a discussion about this book in a thread quite awhile back.

Sure look forward to hearing about your future Pouter adventures. Don't think we have another member who is in to them like you wish to be.

Wishing you all the best!!

Shi/Mr. Squeaks/Dom/Gimie/Woe

tuxedobaby

· #18 · Apr 16, 2009

Barra said:
Hi all, thanks Mr Squeaks, think I'll miss the really hot months when I do eventually get over, as I'm a tipical Scot -always complaining about the weather being cold and wet over here but then being unable to stand the heat when I go abroad. Can't believe you have a pigeon that stands up to cats! ha ha, I've seen people who have managed to get dogs and cats to live together but not a bird with a cat. It just shows you what is possible, for if animals that are pre-programmed to prey upon and avoid the other for survival can learn to get along and especially given that they don't have the same mental capacity of humans, then why are us humans, with our supposedly great ability to reason, constantly intolerant of so much and constantly involeved in conflict?

Hope everything goes well with your resit Elayne. I studied social history and sociology at Strathclyde before doing a msc in social research at Glasgow. Really enjoyed it and would have liked to have continued but my funders would not agree to me going
part-time in order to spend more time with my daughter and so I was forced to leave. If your thinking of doing postgraduate study after your degree, your best to begin thinking of your research proposal early as it is this which you submit to win a scholarship which means you don't have to fund everything yourself. Look on your Uni website for info about this and also the economic and social research council's website. This latter organisation provides the best funding. Does R. J Morris and E. Breitenbach still work there? Can remember reading some of their stuff on the history of gender and
social-class in Scotland.

My old postgraduate supervisor, Arthur McIvor, is heavily involved in the use of oral testimony and reminiscence work. He favours this approach because it brings out aspects of the past that are not usually documented in official records. I suppose the Scottish pouter sport is a part of our social history that could only be explained in this way. Hey, there's an idea for your dissertation, I don't think its been done much and you could easily get interviews and recollections through websites and by visiting doo-huts! I once used tapes of the Govan Reminscence Group that are held in Glasgow Uni's archive. Loads of stuff of interest in them.

Crazy pigeon lady with the red hair and tatoos, ha ha! Nothing wrong with caring about something. Seen a book that might interest you called Pigeons: The fascinating Saga of the Worlds Most Revered and Reviled by Andrew D. Blechman. Hope the guy with the loft is not a pigeon man and is only looking for someone to look after it. That would be a nice bit of luck. Not sure about the pouters crop thing alway they must be happy when it inflates because it happens when they are putting on a show for a hen just like ferals. Although with the pouters its always there, it gets bigger when its showing out. If you bob your head or click your finger they do it to us humans as well, so maybe its more than just a mating thing.

Thanks for the info, RodSD, and I know what you mean about the size of the post but was wanting to make sure that other people would be able to understand what the Scottish pouter sport was about after noticing some confusion surrounding it. I'm just starting back up myself so won't have any birds till I get the loft and everything else sorted.

Lukem, hope your plans are beginning to take shape and you have a better idea of what you wan't to do now.

Cheers,

Barra

esther breitenbach is still there,,,i have one of her books,used it as a source for essay last year,yeah i believe the pigeon sport is important,whether it be racing or pouters,,theres a great wee book in local library("doos ,dugs n dancing")produced by local history group up cardenden way!,got a few pigeon books,(mostly ordered from "blackwells"in edinburgh)gonna look out for the one you mentioned,always keen to read more.oticed a wee feral in garden for last couple of days,,hes dark spread colour,and looks"inflated"he stands more erect than ordinary pigeon,he doesnt have any rings on his leg,he is cheeky wee guy,my daughter hand fed him this morning,his crop is inflated in flight also,but not to extent of norwich cropper,not like a globe,,its more even and longer,,could he be a wee pouter??/ cheers

glasgowtrucker

· #19 · Feb 10, 2010

pouters in glasgow

hi iam looking to see if i can get a pair a pouters in the glasgow area.iam new to this am looking for some where local if possiable.if any one knows anywhere please pm me

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