Each month, the Arizona Pigeon Club would like to focus on one particular breed of pigeon. It is our hope, by providing this feature, that we can improve the quality of our birds and also that we can generate new interest in our hobby. This focus will act as a periodic measuring stick for our birds. Pigeon Show competition is a big part of our hobby. Those of us who want our birds to be the very "best of the best" will continually refer to the standards of our breeds, and will breed our birds to improve their quality. Let's raise the bar of excellence!

This month we spotlight the Brunner Pouter. Check out the Brunner Pouter Standard.

The Brunner Pouter is the smallest of the pouter family. Originating in Czechoslovakia it is very fine boned, has a delightful personality, can be bred in a variety of colors and is clean legged. The globe ( inflated crop ) should be round on the Brunner giving nearly the appearance of a ball on a stick. The great difficulty in breeding Brunners is keeping the bulk of the bird fine boned while attaining the round globe. Brunners are very popular in Germany and, as a result of this popularity, have achieved a high level of quality in that country. The undisputed Master Breeder of Brunner Pouters is Eugen Krampen of Germany who is currently in his late eighties and still breeding his white Brunners. In the Arizona Pigeon Club we have top Brunner breeder Jack Forney and two novice breeders Mary Ladd and Gary Miller.