Can someone help identify these fantails please

[Lobzi]

Ive posted my picture around BYC as well as Pigeon Talk and Im not getting in help identifying these birds.I have looked on the Internet for images and all I get are solid white fantails as well as a few pics of white ones with a black tail.

They were rehomed with me by a friend who could no longer keep them.



They are pretty for certain, green and purple iridescence on their chest area. Mama and papa in front and offspring about two years old on right of top pic. That is the dad in the bottom pic.

I am a chicken, quail and dove owner but I dont have any knowledge about pigeons. Id like to know if they have any special care needs and if they are flyers. These do not fly much but then they were kept for 2+years in a small and dark box. Previous owner claims they may have atrophy to their flight muscles due to their cage conditions. Maybe, maybe not. Id like to know if fantails normally fly and perch like doves. These will sort of flutter down from a high roost if I place them up on one but do not return on their own power.

Thank you all for helping me learn more about these birds and how to best care for them.

 

[Hokum Coco]

I am a chicken, quail and dove owner but I dont have any knowledge about pigeons. Id like to know if they have any special care needs and if they are flyers. Id like to know if fantails normally fly and perch like doves.

Thank you all for helping me learn more about these birds and how to best care for them.

Fantails are of the Ornamental group and are poor fliers as a rule. These fantails have a somewhat normal carriage and somewhat feathered feet leads me to believe they are more of the Indian fantail linage but I may be wrong as they could also be some sort of mixed breed.

Indian fantails are much better fliers than American fantails but neither can match a good homers flying ability to say the least.

They should get along just fine with the same care you give your chickens with maybe a little extra whole corn over the winter season.
You will find they will be more tame if you hand feed with whole peanuts (shelled and unsalted) as a treat only.

Most fanciers use fantails as drop birds used to entice birds to fly back to their loft faster as they provide a sense of security much the same as a decoy. Fantails pretty much stay where put on a release. That being said of course there is always exceptions to every rule.

 

[Lobzi]

Thank you so much. I was told and it must be true that these are specially bred. The woman I got them from does have a tendency to exaggerate though so I was skeptical until I could not find any pictures that looked like them. I see a lot of all white and a few with black tails but not one pic of this mottled look.

 

[Hokum Coco]

Thank you so much. I was told and it must be true that these are specially bred. The woman I got them from does have a tendency to exaggerate though so I was skeptical until I could not find any pictures that looked like them. I see a lot of all white and a few with black tails but not one pic of this mottled look.

I would agree with the woman you got them from. Just by my quick observation on the pictures you provided I would have to say that they do not fall exactly into either category of Indian or American fantail breeds that I am familiar with. They due tend to lean more toward the Indian Fantail as I have described. They should be better fliers than the American Fantail I would guess given a chance to get conditioned.

That being said they are still only ornamental birds with little to NO homing ability as a rule

(there are always exceptions to every rule I heard of one Indian fantail the flew home from over 30 miles.)

 

[Lobzi]

Well I will believe her then. Im hoping to someday talk to the breeder. She bought mom and pop from a local feed and pet store. They still get fantail from this person. Currently they have only white ones and then only a pair and lone male. They have had some pretty, collared ones and I do think those were mottled if Im remembering correctly.

 

[rmeltonknox]

I raise quality fans. These birds have feathered legs. They are Indians, not American fans. Any type of fan are not flyers. They nest on the ground if allowed. They are bred for bodies and big tails. not at all for flying.

 

[appps]

They look like the show birds I'm babysitting but with a slightly more elongated frame. Mine also tuck their heads right in like that. They can fly, my sister once chased one all over town trying to recapture it but they aren't very good and would not survive outside a cage.

 

[Lobzi]

Yes, when I first let them have time in the full aviary they did fly a bit. The problem is the bottom of the aviary is home for my quail. I noticed that the male offspring was bullying the quail, pecking them etc. I decided it was not good to take a chance that he would kill the quail so for now the fantail family has two separate cages. Ma and Pa are in one together and have two choices for nesting,. So far they have tried brooding separate times with two pair of eggs without success. This latest pair of eggs I replaced with dud eggs and incubated their good eggs. Both developed, one eventually died. I decided to give the living egg to my ringneck dove pair to hatch and raise since their single egg had broken without finishing developing and they have shown themselves to be excellent parents. They are happy with this nice egg and I expect to see their fantail hatchling either today or tomorrow. In the meantime Ma and Pa Fantail are considering their nesting choices. The elevated one is nicest but if you say they prefer to nest on the ground they will probably use the nest that is below and on the ground. Hopefully they will have a success on this forth try brooding their eggs. I really want to get company for the male who is alone right now.

 

[AZbirddad]

I think you have some laka pigeons. Cool birds!