As the breed name suggests the Indian Fantail is believed to have originated in India. Having said that it is interesting to note that there is information on the World Wide Web that suggests a similar type of bird may have existed in Egypt long before it appeared in India. Hieroglyphics in Egyptian tombs show drawings of pigeons with a peak crest, grouse muffs and a fantail.
It certainly is a beautiful pigeon with quite a unique shape and combination of features. It is available in most of the recognised pigeon colours ranging from the classic white to the striking almond.
I kept a lovely pair of black saddle backs in about 2002 which I bred from but never showed. I found them to be a really lovely breed to have around and I must say they made excellent parents. They are quite a big solid pigeon and not very strong flyers. One description I read called them 'a robust, shuttlecock of a bird' and this seems very apt. Mine were let out daily and would fly onto the shed roof and very occasionally the house roof. In this respect (flying habits) I have found them very similar to the King pigeon.
I could actually walk up to my birds in the garden and pick them up off the floor. I always made sure I was in the garden with the birds when they were at liberty because this lack of aerial athleticism leaves them vulnerable to predators. The plus side to the lack of strong flight is their tendency to accept, and even prefer, a lower nest box. With some of the racier breeds I have found cocks in the lower boxes reluctant to settle and keen to fight for higher boxes.
Something else to note about giving Indians access to the great outdoors is the effect this has on the 'muffs' (feathered legs). My birds literally wore their muffs away over a period of time and although this has no ill effects for the pigeon it would obviously affect one's chances in the show cage. They are quite a strong feature of the breed and all the breeders I spoke to keep their show birds inside on a thick bed of sawdust.
Some breeders trim away the large tail feathers at breeding time to increase the chances of fertilization. I never did this yet still found every egg was filled.
