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- Pigeon glossary
Glossary
Pigeon glossary
The words Egyptian fanciers actually use — from kantara and abshad to ring and race — with their English equivalents and a plain definition.
All categoriesAnatomy & bodyColours & markingsBreedingHealthGeneticsShowing & judgingRacing & flyingLoft & equipmentGeneral
7 terms
B
- Bathالحمّام (الحوض)Loft & equipment
- A shallow pan of clean water offered once or twice a week (more during moult). Bathing keeps feathers in condition and reduces external parasites; remove it after an hour…
G
- Gritالغريت (الحصى المعدني)Loft & equipment
- A mix of small stones, crushed shell and minerals in a separate dish. Stones help the gizzard grind grain; shell supplies calcium for eggshells and bones — a common cause…
L
- Leg ring (band)الحلقة (الخاتم)Loft & equipment
- A closed metal or plastic band fitted in the squab's first week carrying a unique number and year. The ring number is the bird's official identity in Ghuzar and cannot be…
- LoftاللوفتLoft & equipment
- The pigeon house — a room, tower or rooftop cote. A good loft is dry, ventilated, shaded, protected from cats and rats, with enough nest boxes and space for bathing and f…
N
- Nest boxالعُشّLoft & equipment
- A compartment inside the loft for each pair to lay and rear in. Two boxes per pair are ideal (the hen lays again while squabs are still in the first) and easy cleaning ma…
R
- Rooftop cote (gheya)الغيّةLoft & equipment
- The Egyptian folk name for a rooftop pigeon house, usually built of wood and wire — one of the oldest forms of pigeon keeping in Cairo and the Delta.
T
- Trap (loft entrance)الفخ (المدخل)Loft & equipment
- An entrance that lets birds in but not out, essential for racing so arrival is clocked. Common types are bob wires and the sputnik cage.