I was out of pigeons for about 10 years when I decided to get started again in the late fall of 2001. I
wanted to get back into Norwich Croppers and a few of the other breeds I used to have. I knew then that
I would be putting a few different genetic traits into Norwich from other breeds. I started collecting some
of the "genes" I wanted. Most of these came in rollers and homers. It wasn't until January of 2002 that I
was able to get my first Norwich. These came from Trevor Nau and Don Heller of Minnestota. I was
really happy with the birds. Right from the start, I started crossing some of the birds with rollers and
homers to get the genes I wanted. At the same time I got the Norwich from Trevor and Don, I got a pair
of Czech Ice Pouters from Steve Nelson also of Minnesota. I crossed two of the Norwich with this pair.
Some of the colors I'm working at getting into the Norwich are: Ice, recessive red, gimpel bronze, grizzle,
white grizzle, faded, barless, check, dominant opal, milky, and reduced. I have at least 1/2 Norwich in all
these colors and there are some 3/4 Norwich. Reduced is my favorite "color", and I will have reduced in
combination with most of the other colors I have. I have not seen a reduced pigeon that didn't look great.
2003
I was able to increase my herd with a few Norwich from Steve Nelson. These have really helped my
projects with increased numbers and quality. Steve has been a good friend for almost 30 years, and of
the years I raised Norwich, there was hardly a time that I didn't have a "Nelson" Norwich in my loft. I'd
like to thank Steve, Trevor, and Don for their help in getting me started again.
2004
I met and have traded a few birds with Terry Ward of Williams, AZ. Terry is really into genetics, and has
many of the same projects going as I do.
2005
I have added some very important birds to my loft thanks to Bryan Neuner of Westport, KY. These birds
have given me the resources to make my Norwich Croppers competitive. I have shown some of these
birds at Des Moines where one of the Blue hens was picked Champion Norwich, and a Brown bar hen
was Reserve Champion. At the Des Moines show, I also received several much needed hens from
Trevor Nau. 2006 will be a very interesting year for me. I am hoping to bring the reduced factor up to
show quality with dominant opal soon to follow.
2006
The year 2006 is off to a good start. Two of the birds I got from Bryan Neuner won Champion and
Reserve Champion Norwich at the National in San Bernardino. Now I have the birds mated up and we'll
see how the breeding season goes......
