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The Hole Roller
by Corey Salery
I think many try to hard to discredit the hole and what
it represents to the True Birmingham Roller fans. I have heard many referance the hole as being something which is common
place or simple to achieve. The hole itself is not the challenge to produce, it is the hole roller that also performs with
"inconceivable rapidity" while showing the hole. The real challenge is actually creating the bird through selective breeding
that is capable of spinning with the highest velocity while also showing H or higher wing placement, the hole, a proper exit
from the roll and return to the kit. It is always a combination of all of the above and not just a single one. I know that
there have to be several pigeon men that raise a high average of true spinning birds, but I have been to flys and heard watchers
ooohing and Awing at birds that really don't deserve that type of notoriety. If these are what folks call beyond the hole
rollers I will stick to trying to create the hole rollers I am accustomed to
seeing. The hole is no guarentee to speed
but a true varification of the birds correctly designed body. The ones that are built right will give the illusion of the
hole. Symmetry, balance, type are all words related to the hole roller. The ideal comes when you have a physically balanced
bird that also possesses the motor to rip off high velocity spins, come out of them and do it again and again. The birds were
merely rolling hard with some depth. There is a quote that reminds me of this: The quote came from Joe Houghton's book
and reads:
"To witness a bird execute a classic velocity spin with depth is breathtaking. While at the same time to
see a bird whose only claim to
fame is depth, is insulting." also: "Velocity spinning is the single most important factor
in the roll! A bird may have everything else, but
without velocity of spin in its repertoire it has nothing".
Many
roll birds and they are quick rollers but lack greatly in real true speed. It is not to say that birds possessing this speed
don't exist in their family of birds but many times the owners never notice them due to lack of depth or infrequency and a
host of other reasons. But it is this true hard rolling bird that they should really be after. On one fly I
heard an individual
boasting on how one of the really good birds in that kit used to crash after 20 30 foot spins and get back up after a little
recovery time. This is exactley what I am referring to. I have had birds die from 5 feet off the ground. They hit a spin at
the wrong time and bang dead. This is speed/velocity. The good ones usually don't make it after an accident unless they are
saved by a bush high grass or some other freak cushion that was a blessing to them. I am a follower of what Pensom said in
regards to the hole. "It has to be there". I feel that the hole is the part that most people don't get
easily and therefore
discredit its merit in the true performer. It is a free world but I will stick to this understanding and work at perfecting
my birds to be those of outstanding velocity and the hole. That is my journey and I am sticking to it!!
Corey
Salery
Backyard Pigeon Breeding
By
Corey Salery
There are many things to take into
account when one decides to begin raising roller pigeons. I feel it is very important
to decide what you want out of the hobby. Are you planning on competing or just
enjoying the birds in the confines of your own back yard? I feel that there are
certain things you must decide on before you even take on the hobby, if you desire to have any success. SUCCESS <n> that which comes after, hence, consequence, issue or result, of an endeavor or
undertaking whether good or bad. Plan out what it is that you want from your
birds. Are you looking for the frequent roller or the true Birmingham Roller? What traits do You want in YOUR
pigeons? Dont look to others for their ideas look inside your self and determine
what you want.
Now, if you understand what you want,
how are you going to get there? Look towards the things that make your desires
possible. I personally look for the bird that turns over backwards with inconceivable rapidity and does it with safety. So
I will definitely need a pigeon with the right physical makeup to allow for that type of ability. I need a strong built bird with the right temperament and expression.
William Pensom wrote in the Birmingham Roller Pigeon: the only safety amongst
these pigeons is there Character Expression is indicative of this character. The
expression is the overall look of the pigeon. The bird looks aware, confident and ready for whatever. These are the ones blessed with the essentials to stand up to the demands of hard high velocity spinning
day after day. The physical demands are also extreme and the bird must also possess
the physical attributes that would allow for the bird to perform at the highest possible level of performance.
I suggest that you first get out of
your yard and find a fancier that has what you are looking for and start there. Watch
the birds fly, there loft habits, how they respond to their environment and owner. Are
they flighty or sound? Do they observe everything that is going on in their area? Do
they fly fast or slow, on one wing or not? There are many things that you can
see there, that will give you insight into how they will be at your home. Are the birds traits and dispositions in line with
what you are looking for? If you can find faults and begin making excuses, move
on, these are not the ones you are looking for. If you like what you see continue
visiting and asking questions and try and secure birds from that fancier. Ask all and any questions that come to mind and
also for suggestions on mating up and care techniques the breeder uses.
To the breeding loft. The season is
upon you and it is time to mate your birds. Who goes to whom and what are the rules. The rules vary as much as the sands on
a shore. Develop your own according to what you learn from your birds. Start by mating the birds that most closely resemble
each other morally and physically. That is those with the calm, frank, daring expression, strong and balanced physique and
type of feathering. You will be the one to judge what is best suited as you know what you want from them. Remember: You get out what you put into the birds. If
you make mistakes, the results will teach and correct you. Dont be afraid to do what you feel is right. I really like an old
article Balanced Mating written By Howard McCully, as a guide to some of the most useful ideas on mating.
Once the pairs are down and the young
hatch, get them trained and flying. This is where you will do your real homework. Watch and note their behavior in the air
and while in the kit box. How do they land? Is there fear or do they just come on down. Do they get lost on the other side
of the roof or can they find their way around well? Do they roll while landing or do they hold it off? Do they wait to let
the real speed go when it is safe or do they just let it go at any height? Birds respond to their environments according to
their existing emotions and the emotionally balanced bird will be the one that does almost everything right. If it does make
a mistake it doesnt make it twice. These are the ones that we should endeavor to reproduce. It is these that will tend to
be the last bird standing. LOL When you find the bird that you cant fault and that blows you away with its performance, You
have found THE ONE! STOCK IT, BREED IT and start the cycle again. If you continue
on that path, the gooduns will come more frequently. There are no shortcuts in
this game. Set your plan and stick to it. You will find that your shortcut is to stay with your plan and see it through. What
works for one may not necessarily work for you so take time to gain an understanding and allow your birds to teach you. Make
sure and set immediate, medium and long term goals and watch them come to past.
Always Remember:· Expression
is indicative of character
·
Character is the only safety in pigeons
·
Fly them hard, Cull them Harder
·
Never feel pushed to make an exception
·
Never breed compensating for faults and wishing for progress,
the faults get worse and your dreams farther away
·
Look to the Sky and not to the next GUY!!!
·
The mess you end up with is the mess YOU MADE!!
·
Dont blame the birds odds are ITS YOUR FAULT!!
·
Dont let outsiders change your plan once you have one GIVE IT
A CHANCE TO WORK!!!
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Development of a Strain: Advice for a Novice Fancier
By Corey Salery of Los Angeles, California
There are many different avenues for beginning a strain or family of Birmingham Rollers. I would like
to say now that there is no definitive absolute method. Choose what is right for you and stick to it. Your works will definately
pay off in the way of knowledge gained by experiance.
The biggest advice I can give for the beginner is to visit as many lofts as you can and view their
kits and stock birds. When you visit those fancier's lofts, ask all questions that come to mind (there is no dumb question).
When his kit is flying, never take your eyes off of the birds. If you observe a trait that you like (ie. velocity, style,
depth...) ask about how he established it into his strain. If you are intending to obtain birds look for the one that you
just can't resist (you have to be happy with your stock). I would also suggest that you ask the person to point out the fastest
bird in their kit and what they classify that as mumerically (1-10). When those birds come down ask to handle them and view
them in a showing pen. Study the birds' actions and mannerisms, body type, stance and anything else that makes that pigeon
stand out over the rest.
Once you have seen several different families of birds, there will have been one or two that stood
out. Whenever you see whatever it is that grabs you, try to obtain stock from that source. Don't feel obligated to have only
one person's birds. Remember: this is your family and you will have to create it the way that you want it. If you obtain birds
from different sources, mate up best to best and you are on your way. Once your yourngsters are hatched and weaned, the work
begins. Fly,Fly, Fly and observe. You should have an ideal standard from the kits that you have watched and this will be what
you are looking for in your birds. When you see a bird that duplicates that which caught your eye in those kits in the air
and on the ground, STOCK IT..
Keep In Mind, You Should Have:
1. An ideal bird and performer
2. A standard both in the air and on the ground
3. Stock that represents that ideal (at this time). This will change as you advance in your program.
The most important thing is not swaying or cheating on your selection process. It is imperative
that you get out what you have put into the birds. Stick to the plan, put in the work and you will be on your way.
You do it your way I'll do it mine...
By Corey Salery
I think many try to hard to discredit the hole and what it represents to
the True Birmingham Roller fans.
I have heard many referance the hole as
being something which is common place or simple to achieve. The hole
itself
is not the challenge to produce, it is the hole roller that also
performs with "inconceivable rapidity" while showing the
hole. The real
challenge is actually creating the bird through selective breeding that
is capable of spinning with the
highest velocity while also showing H or
higher wing placement, the hole, a proper exit from the roll and return
to
the kit. It is always a combination of all of the above and not just
a single one. I know that there have to be several
pigeon men that raise
a high average of true spinning birds, but I have been to flys and heard
watchers ooohing and
Awing at birds that really don't deserve that type
of notoriety. If these are what folks call beyond the hole rollers I
will
stick to trying to create the hole rollers I am accustomed to
seeing. The hole is no guarentee to speed but a true varification
of the
birds correctly designed body. The ones that are built right will give
the illusion of the hole. Symmetry, balance,
type are all words related
to the hole roller. The ideal comes when you have a physically balanced
bird that also possesses
the motor to rip off high velocity spins, come
out of them and do it again and again. The birds were merely rolling
hard
with some depth. There is a quote that reminds me of this: The
quote came from Joe Houghton's book and reads:
"To
witness a bird execute a classic velocity apin with depth is
breathtaking. While at the same time to see a bird whose only
claim to
fame is depth, is insulting." also: "Velocity spinning is the single
most important factor in the roll! A bird
may have everything else, but
without velocity of spin in its repertoire it has nothing".
Many roll birds and they
are quick rollers but lack greatly in real true
speed. It is not to say that birds possessing this speed don't exist in
their
family of birds but many times the owners never notice them due to
lack of depth or infrequency and a host of other reasons.
But it is this
true hard rolling bird that they should really be after. On one fly I
heard an individual boasting on
how one of the really good birds in that
kit used to crash after 20 30 foot spins and get back up after a little
recovery
time. This is exactley what I am referring to. I have had birds
die from 5 feet off the ground. They hit a spin at the
wrong time and
bang dead. This is speed/velocity. The good ones usually don't make it
after an accident unless they
are saved by a bush high grass or some
other freak cushion that was a blessing to them.
I am a follower of what Pensom
said in regards to the hole. "It has to
be there". I feel that the hole is the part that most people don't get
easily
and therefore discredit its merit in the true performer. It is a
free world but I will stick to this understanding and
work at perfecting
my birds to be those of outstanding velocity and the hole. That is my
journey and I am sticking to
it!!
Balanced Matings
Written by Howard McCully
The object in Breeding rollers is to produce a kit of young birds,uniform in size and type so that
the best kit action and performance may be had; and from these kit birds, find youngsters that will make breeders, perpetuatuing
the best qualities of the old birds.
The performers in the air are not always the best stock birds. Continual mating together of the best
birds in the air without regard to type or size will breed as many different types of birds as there are stock birds. The
results are a deterioration in quality. The perfect rolling ability ceases to exist as the type deviates from the standard.
Among rollers, wildness in the eye, short, weak secondaries, and pinched faces, are the first signs of deterioration. The
use of these birds for stock ultimately results in roll downs.
In pure Birmingham Rollers, there should never be any doubt that the birds will roll. Ray Perkins
wrote: "If the two thousand or more rollers I bred, their were none which would not roll in some manner, if given the time
and opportunity." And Bill Pensom: "Quite right, all types will roll because they cannot help it, but we have found the type
which is the answer to everthing." It having been established by these men and others that all PURE Birmingam Rollers will
roll, fanciers can now set about to increase the number of good birds by balanced matings: by selecting the stock bireds on
the ground with due regard to aerial ability.
By balanced matings we mean to mate the most perfect type birds together, neither one to have more
than minor faults, and the same minor faults must not be present in both birds. We must breed for type. The tightest, truest
rolling birds are of a certain type as brought out in the "ROLLER JUDGING PROCEDURE" bulletin. The birds will be mated to
produce that type, taking into consideration, strength, stability, feather quality, both quill and webbing, and aerial ability.
First the birds are judged according to the "JUDGING PROCEDURE" and graded right down from best to
poorest. The ones with tha intelligent Look and Balaced Carriage are best for stock. These wil be mated so as to balance out
minor faults.
After a strain has been established and justified, the best birds cannot always be mated together:
on account of eye color, feather quality, color of plumage, size, strength and aerial ability. There is considerable overlap
in these points and they will be taken up one by one.
1. The eye on Rollers and the surrounding facial fratures show the intelligence or expression,
which corresponds to the personality in humans. The orange eye is most expressive. Bill Pensom considers that the yellow eye
puts in more roll and the pearl eye puts in more fly. A pearl eyed bird should be mated to a yellow or orange
eyed bird. Continual mating of yellow eyed (or its vared shades) birds will result in excessive performance. A matter
of record, from experience. It is more difficult to read the expression of a bull eyed bird, so they are not as desirable
for stock. However, bull eyed birds may be used if they are ideal spinners, and are of the correct body type. Failure to read
the expression of stock birds correctly is the cause of breeding 75% of the bad rollers.
2. According to Mr. Pensom, the best birds come 1st." in red check and dun, the most
regular performers and mixtures of these colors, 2nd." in blue check, the most stable, 3rd." in
black, 4th." tortoiseshell, 5th.; dun bred reds, and so on. He means any marking in which these
are the basic colors. There is a loss or weakness in the pale colored birds. If one color is continually bred for, the
pigeon deterioreates. When there is a loss of soundness such as - too prolific spinning, and failure to kit, THEN is the time
to clash colous; still in the same bloodlines. The pale colored birds should be mated to the darker, stronger colors.
A light grizzle could be mated to a red check or dun; blue bar or pale blue to a black; tortoiseshells and light blue grizzle
go with any color. Blue checks go with red checks and duns WHEN there is a loss in stability in the red checks and duns.
Always mate pale or soft to the hard or dark colors. If wild eyed birds are used instead of birds with the right expression,
then the clashing of colors will little good. Wild eyed birds should NEVER be used for stock.
3. It is better to stick with short cast bird entirely.
NOTE: In a 1968 article written by WHP, entitled BREEDING THE BIRMINGHAM ROLLER, he changes this part
of his personal standard. He stated, and I quote, "First of all, we have to be able to recognize the champion Birmingham Roller.
Such a pigeon is of small dimensions, 6 to 8 ozs. in weight when in proper flying condition, round of body which is not
too deep or shallow, not too pronounced in chest, and rather long cast. What also should be noted is the fact that Pensom
had changed his short cast theory some ten plus yearrs prior to theis 1968 publication. But as this was his last publication
that I know of I decided to draw from this particular documentation.
4. The medium sized bird is the most useful in the loft and looks the best when performing.
Small birds do not have the stamina and the feather quality decrease as the size decreases. The large birds often harm the
performance of the whole kit by flying in front and soaring.
5. Whenever possible to do so, two apple bodied birds should be mated together. Birds with the
SAME body feel should be mated together, no substitute. All fanciers do not have enough of the right sort at the start but
it is better to breed ONLY the few good ones. Shalllow keeled birds lack stamina and cannot stand up to the rigors of kit
flying and performance, because they do not have enough body capacity. Birds with keels a shade deep are good for stock.
They are more vigorous and on account of the greater muscular development, will show more velocity in the spin.
6. In breeding for quality Rollers, only those with the high wide forehead and full face may
be sucessfully used. Avoid birds with long and narrow heads. The small birds are best, so long as they are physically sound.
7. While it is generally true that all rollers will roll and TRUE -TYPE _ ONES will spin,
true type ones will be found that do not spin or do any more than a lightning fast flip. The reason they do is due to a greater
resistence power to the roll. They usually have everything i regard to type, feather, and expression. These birds are most
valuable in the breeding loft.
8. The birds must be mated according to the time of development. Mating early developing spinners
together is the quickest way to deteriorate the birds. Any boy can do that and they soon become a loft of worthless birds.
Pensom said "He who has discarded all non - performers will never be able to assemble a kit of first class roller." The
American Pensoms are now found to be largely the same blood. Therfore, the very late deelopers MUST be mated to the early
develops to obtain sound Rollers. All birds that develop their full spinning ability the first year are early develops. Those
that spin at a rate of 18 months are late developer. These birds can only be discovered by flying them as holdovers, meaning
they are flown the second season prior to ever being used as breeders. Ome birds will begin to spin after they have bred youngsters.
For this reason many fanciers mate up yearlings. MOST ALL CHAMPIONS start to develop at the age of from 8 months up.
End.
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