Note by editor. The following article is from the 1934 issue of the American Pigeon Keeper, and is being reprinted at the request of Gerald F. Champ of San Diego California with this comment:It's on a Fantail subject that I consider most timely and the article is just as applicable today as in 1934.
Until the year 1889 there were varied opinions. Some fanciers preferred one type and some another. The Scottish fanciers lean towards as small highly-actioned bird, almost regardless as to size or tail, whereas the English fanciers went all out for tail and paid less attention to size or even so much thought to style and action. How the two distinct types " the Scottish was the most taking bird. It's jaunty style and high action, coupled with its smallness was certainly more attractive than a large, slow, big-tailed English type. But, after all, what is a fan tail with out a tail? Certainly the name is derived from the tail, and quite naturally a good tail is expected. But just a tail on a pigeon, with all the power to show it to the best the advantage, leaves very much to be desired, and so it was in those days. The good Fantail was there in combination of both, individually neither could be called at Fantail in comparison with the Fantail of today.
Such was the state of Fantaildom, and no definite step forward was taken, no concerted effort made until the formation of the Fantail Club in 1889. Then was the endeavor made to unite forces can combine the two types, embodying in one bird the best that was seeing each. The standard was set out and became, and still is, the recognized authority as to what a Fantail should be. As as a result the Fantail has emerged, the combination of both surpassing anything that was ever before seen. He has brought into line the many fanciers who now concentrate efforts in the same direction. Such standard was the salvation of the Fantail, and much credit is due to do is fanciers of old who did so much to bring about.
The Importance Of Littleness
Right at the start, then, we must get it rooted in our minds that the Fantail must be a small pigeon. It is almost useless exhibiting a large bird and show. No recognized judge would give a large bodied bird the premiere award, even although perhaps it was rather better in other properties than the smaller bird, it is smallness that is required and when this is lost sight of the Fantail is doomed.
The Standard demands a small round body. A small body that is not round it is indeed a bad fault and I am afraid not sufficient importance has been attached to this all-important property during the last few years. If you imagine a cricket ball on two match sticks, giving that roundness, from which ever angle viewed, then you add some idea of what the standard requires the body of a Fantail to be. To reason is very obvious and was well thought out, because rotunity of the body can allow allow other property so necessary in the Fantail to function as they should.
Can you a full,broad rump, capable of carrying a well-packed cushioned on a narrow pear-shaped body? The reason of a badly-carried tail, or bad shape tail a is because the base or cushion, is not strong enough to support it, and the rump and questioned are absolutely dependent on the roundness of the body. One bad point in a Fantail can throw every other property out of gear, and a body that is narrow or a a wedgey or pear-shaped is how about the worst fault there is to be found in a Fantail, because it must affect every other part of the makeup. We shall deal with this matter as we discuss other points, and I shall attempt to prove how this body fault is the beginning and ending of Fantail if troubles. When looking at a Fantail from which ever angle, whether from the front, side, or from above, curves should should be seen from either direction. The Fantail is a creature of curves and these curves are provided by the correct formation of that round ball-like body I have attempted to describe.
We are told that the Fantail must be the full-chested. That is true to a point, but not full -chested to the degree that the body is more the shape of a jam roll. Width and fullness, yes, but extending underneath in similar proportion, completing the shape of a ball, without any falling away underneath. A broad chested Fantail and there are a good number about, which cuts away underneath, it is almost as bad as the narrow-bodied bird, and such a failing must, and does affect the leg-setting on which so much depends. An experienced fancier can tell by merely a handling the bird whether or not it has the correct body, and as a guide I would ask you to experiment. Handle say, half a dozen Fantails one after another with your eyes shut one a new will immediately be able to pick out the best bodied birds quite easily. Really, I think the handling of the Fantail to ascertain correctness of body is even better than sighting them, but that depends on the quality of feather which we shall deal with in its turn.
Look for the Round- Bodied Birds
When next at a show look out expressly for the round-bodied birds, and it the Judge knows his business, even only in the elementary stage, you will find the round bodies well up in the winning list, and not alone merely because the bodies were round, but because that roundness accounted for the perfect ness of other properties, which, although perfect in themselves, but only allow that perfect ness to function in conformity with the round body. I hope we have made myself clear, but let me elucidate my point. The wing butts and the wing setting may be perfect, the because they are attached to a wrongly shaped body both the wing butts are thrown completely out of the gear and loose thier perfectnesses because they will not fit on a body that is not round; or again, the legs maybe all that is it wanted, but because of faulty body are thrown completely out of balance and lose their perfectness because there is no conformity with the body to which they are attached.
I repeat, then, so much depends on the roundness, of the body that no time or thought is wasted by giving it our most careful attention.