N.Z.B.R.C

BREEDING PERFORMANCE 

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There is no other class of performer which gives so much satisfaction as the Birmingham Roller, both in the air and in the breeding pen. However, it must be understood that the Birmingham Roller is one of the most difficult of birds to cultivate, due to the complexity of its performance. Only fanciers possessed of patience and determination will be successful breeding them, because little can be accomplished in a short time. In striving to produce the ideal spinning Birmingham Roller, breeders should consider, first, confining their choice of breeding material to those individuals which conform to the desired standard of performance during flight. Each year, the fancier will recognize such quality performance, and any outstanding, mature bird should be considered for use in the stock loft after being proven in the air for two years.

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Genes for qualities such as constitution, temperament, intelligence and reproductive capacity, should not be ignored less they be lost or dissipated, not through the working of some mysterious force, but because little effort has been made to retain or cultivate them. Any hereditary character which is ignored or taken for granted, instead of being carefully observed and consistently bred for, may be lost in a breed or strain, possibly beyond recall. The careful consideration of all desired qualities is essential if they are to be preserved or enhanced. This applies equally to structure, constitution, temperament, or performance ability. The mature Birmingham Roller is equipped to control the quality and depth of the spin, especially when coming to land. Rolling ability may certainly be stabilized and improved by various methods, including, inbreeding, line-breeding, and family outcrosses, if sufficient care is given to the choice of rollers used for breeding in each generation, and is accompanied by sensible observation of performance.  Weaknesses that may appear do so because the parents or other ancestors carry the genetic factors responsible. Through these various breeding methodologies, all qualities, whether good or bad, which lie latent or hidden in a strain, may be brought to light. However, breeding is not a creative force and its effects are limited by the nature and content of the genetic material to which it (breeding) is applied. The conception of the Birmingham Roller as a breed possessing an unlimited degree of plasticity, and capable of being modified in any direction by selection, is mistaken.

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Likewise, the assumption that by selection we can ensure that each generation will automatically show a progressive development of the attribute the selection upon which the selection is based is equally flawed. Selection can never cause the emergence of a quality, whether physical or mental, that is not already represented genetically in the stock used for breeding. Selection can only bring about the chance for the particular arrangement of genetic material that may produce the specific physical, mental, and performance qualities that one seeks to produce. The only way to effect improvement in any direction is to make sure that the appropriate genes are present in the pigeons mated, through the laborious process of trial and error and critical observation of performance, and then to fix them in the strain in a goodly portion of the birds that are bred in that strain through selective breeding.

There is no formula available that can establish a Birmingham Roller as a product noteworthy among pigeons except the evaluation and praise of experienced and qualified authorities on the breed who are able to frequently witness outstanding birds in flight. The only guarantee a breeder can have of the true quality of the rollers that he has produced is that the birds have met with the approval of other qualified breeders, who are also informed in the intricacies of cultivating the Birmingham Roller. The NBRC seeks to provide such a venue for its members through the competitive process in sponsoring National Championship competitions, though other effective means may be available to the fancier through local, regional, and state organizations.  This written standard seeks to supplement the individual opinions of judges who may be experienced flyers of spinning rollers, helping to insure that performance in flying competitions will be scored more consistently so that confusion, as to what constitutes standard performance, will no longer reign. It is anticipated that roller organizations will adopt this standard for utilization in the encouragement of beginners and novices who are unfamiliar with the fine distinctions of roller performance, but also to mitigate changing personal taste in performance among fanciers with more experience in the breeding of rollers. This will serve to improve the odds that all flyers of the Birmingham Roller will be more successful through more participation and more consistent judging, thereby achieving personal gratification and status through the achievement of awards, such as the status of Master Flyer.

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