ORIGIN: Hungary, thought to have been developed from pigeons brought from Turkey (1540 - 1686). Rare in the U.S. but its introduction date is unknown.

GENERAL IMPRESSION: Very large, broad, and solid. The body is powerful and symmetrical. Shell crested and muffed. Note: plainheaded, peak crested, and clean legged specimens do occur although they are not acceptable.

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TYPE: Thick set with a muscular breast. The station is nearly horizontal, slightly raised in the front. Overall length is about 22 inches with a weight ranging from 28 to 39 ounces.

HEAD: Powerful, broad, and slightly long. High curved forehead, the top of the skull is broad and gently slopes to the rear to the nape of the neck.

CREST: Shell crest about 2 cm in height. The feathers are to be rich and thick. The crest resembles a semi-circle running from ear to ear and ends in a rosette on both sides. The back of the neck is divided by a shallow trench.

EYES: In white selfs and white splashes the eye coloration is reddish brown. In other colors the eye is a bright lustrous yellow.

CERE: Narrow and smooth in texture. In whites and white headed birds the cere coloration is dark red. In other light colored birds the cere coloration is an orange red. In dark colored birds the cere coloration is slate gray.

BEAK: Thick and strong, a little above a medium length, proportional to the body size (beak size 2 - 5 cm in length). The upper mandible is curved slightly downward. In dark colored birds the beak coloration is dark horn, in other colors the beak coloration is flesh or rose colored.

WATTLE: Well developed and white in color.

NECK: Medium in length, thick and powerful in appearance. Carried perpendicularly, thickly feathered and well cut.

BREAST: Broad, deep and plump, curved and slightly raised.

BACK: Broad across the shoulders, sloping gently towards the tail.

WINGS: Wing span up to 40 inches. Powerful carried close to the body. The flights are slightly curved and rest on the tail but should not reach the end of the tail nor should the wings cross.

TAIL: Follows the line of the back without touching the ground. The tail is thick, containing from 12 to 16 retrices which should be tightly closed to give a slender appearance. An oil gland is present.

LEGS: Short, thick and straight being fairly well set apart.

MUFFS: Formed by 3 layers of feathers laid one atop the other. The middle layer is longest and supported by the layers of shorter feathers. Length of muffs are 4 to 6 inches. Feathers are thick and close.

HOCK FEATHERS: Well developed.

PLUMAGE: Well feathered, not too tight on the body. Self colored feathers or with two colors.

COLORS: All colors to be full and deep in appearance. Self colors in white, black, red, and yellow. Blue with white bars., yellow with cream bars, blue and black checkered with symmetrical checkering. Marked birds in monk marked, magpied, white flight and white tailed. Grizzled, white with blue crest, white with black nape and crest. Also A.O.C.'s.

FAULTS:

• More than 2 colors on individual feathers.
• Small body.
• Lack of power.
• Crossed flights.
• Flights carried below the tail.
• A raised, broad, curved or bent tail.
• Short muffs and hock feathers.
• Irregular crest.
• Lack of rosettes.
• Long legs.
• Peak crest.

DISQUALIFICATIONS:

• Eye colors other than what are called for in the standard.
• Odd eyes.
• Sick or deformed specimens.
• Signs of cross breeding.
• Lack of muffs.
• Lack of crest.

ORDER OF JUDGING: General impression - Size and type - Crest and muffs - Color and markings