May I clear up some things?
First of all, Tiger swallows do NOT have to be plucked. There is a gene called tiger grizzle which will cause some of the feathers to be solid white, and an otherwise colored area. If you're lucky, they'll moult out to where they actually look tigered (alternating white and color). Tiger swallows were bred for that gene to stay true and fine-tuned.
The way tiger grizzle works, is with each moult, more and more white feathers come in. In fact, their first feathers may look normal colored, but within a year or two, they may be almost the complete opposite!
So plucking the feathers and forcing new to grow in more quickly, would speed up the tigered look. However, it is not necessary.
Pulling feathers IS painful to the bird. More painful than cutting the skin. There is a non-painful way however. And that is cutting the feathers you want to pluck first (like clipping chicken wings). Then after a couple weeks, those clipped feathers 'die' and they can be more easily removed (much like our dead hairs that just fall out painlessly).
Now on birds WITHOUT the tiger grizzle gene, repeatedly plucking the same feathers can cause them to turn white because you destroy the melanin (sp?). So it's kind of like bleaching those desired feathers. But that's just cruel to the birds!
Tiger swallows are gorgeous birds. So by all means, go get some if you'd like. I'm sure you aren't nearly as strict about having each and every feather perfectly alternating. They'll still be pretty either way! There are also Fairy Swallows and Silesian Swallows. All are beautiful
And yes, Valencian Figuritas are the smallest domestic pigeon breed to date.
First of all, Tiger swallows do NOT have to be plucked. There is a gene called tiger grizzle which will cause some of the feathers to be solid white, and an otherwise colored area. If you're lucky, they'll moult out to where they actually look tigered (alternating white and color). Tiger swallows were bred for that gene to stay true and fine-tuned.
The way tiger grizzle works, is with each moult, more and more white feathers come in. In fact, their first feathers may look normal colored, but within a year or two, they may be almost the complete opposite!
So plucking the feathers and forcing new to grow in more quickly, would speed up the tigered look. However, it is not necessary.
Pulling feathers IS painful to the bird. More painful than cutting the skin. There is a non-painful way however. And that is cutting the feathers you want to pluck first (like clipping chicken wings). Then after a couple weeks, those clipped feathers 'die' and they can be more easily removed (much like our dead hairs that just fall out painlessly).
Now on birds WITHOUT the tiger grizzle gene, repeatedly plucking the same feathers can cause them to turn white because you destroy the melanin (sp?). So it's kind of like bleaching those desired feathers. But that's just cruel to the birds!
Tiger swallows are gorgeous birds. So by all means, go get some if you'd like. I'm sure you aren't nearly as strict about having each and every feather perfectly alternating. They'll still be pretty either way! There are also Fairy Swallows and Silesian Swallows. All are beautiful
And yes, Valencian Figuritas are the smallest domestic pigeon breed to date.
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