Manotte

The Manotte is an uncommon French fancy pigeon, often encountered in references to northern regional pigeons such as the Manotte d'Artois. It is a domestic rock pigeon shaped by exhibition breeding rather than a racing or meat strain. Standards may vary by country or translation, but the bird is generally discussed as a moderate, tidy pigeon in which proportions, carriage, head detail, and the correct color pattern all matter.

Manottes are best approached as preservation and show pigeons. A breeder needs a dry loft, careful parasite control, and enough unrelated stock to avoid narrowing an already small gene pool. Before buying, it is worth checking which standard the birds are bred to, especially for color pattern and feathering details. Pairing notes and hatch results help protect rare regional lines and make exchanges between fanciers more useful.

Colors: Almond, Ash Red, Bar, Barless, Black, Blue, Brown, Checker, Dilute, Dun, Grizzle, Indigo, Mottle, Opal, Pied, Recessive Red, Red, Silver, Splash, Spread, White, Yellow