Old German Cropper
The Old German Cropper is a large German fancy pigeon, a domestic form of the rock pigeon, Columba livia, kept in the cropper or pouter group. Known in German fancier circles as the Altdeutscher Kropfer, it represents an older style of inflated-crop pigeon: substantial body, upright bearing, a full rounded globe, and steady station rather than the extreme height of some modern pouters. Birds are bred in many standard pigeon colors and patterns, including blue, black, ash red, dilute, checker, bar, grizzle, and almond lines.
In the loft it needs room to display and move without rubbing the crop or damaging flights. Feed is ordinary pigeon grain, but cropper keepers watch body condition and do not reward overinflation that interferes with breathing, mating, or feeding young. Pairing choices usually balance globe size with fertility, posture, and calm handling. Buyers should look for active birds with clean nostrils, a well-supported crop, and parents that rear squabs reliably, since showy cropper type is only useful when the pigeon remains sound.
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
