bloodline?

[chrisgomez]

Hi my name is chris and i am 18 years old and i raise birmingham rollers and i also breed them but i dont know what blood line there from is that bad?

[Trees Gray]

Hi Chris,

I'm going to move your thread to the genetics forum, where your question will get the answers from those who are in the know.

Thank you.

[jbangelfish]

If your birds are Birminghams and they roll like they are supposed to do, it's not so bad if you don't know what strain they come from. Keep them awhile and breed them and they will become your strain.

The main advantage to knowing what strain you have is that it more or less puts a value on them and puts it in perspective as far as how respected a given name is for performance and value. All that said, none of these names mean too much if the bird doesn't perform and it's ultimate value comes from how well it performs in the air.

Bill

[bluecheck]

Chris,

To further what Bill has said - I personally have come to the conclusion over the years that in most cases you're actually better off NOT knowing what the "strain" name is. People have gotten ridiculously hung up on names as opposed to the bird in the air. Even if the strain itself is one that has good birds in it, I'm seen way too many idiocies involved. For example: in both rollers and racers, I've seen guys dump top performing birds in their own loft that they "didn't know the name of" in order to buy a "strain name" bird - you can put in whatever is hot at the moment - often at a ridiculously inflated price - that didn't perform or breed at half the level of the bird they'd just dumped.

Fly your birds - create your own strain that does what YOU want them to in the air. Acknowledge the history of the breed and of the great fanciers who've gone before you and who have helped bring the birds to the wonder they are now -- then ignore it all and breed your own family that will do what you want and how you want it. Twenty years from now, you might well see others fighting like mad to get a "Chris" bird.

I'll also tell you this. I wasn't friends with Bill Pensom. He was in my club (the Los Angeles Pigeon Club) and I was just about your age and he died soon after I joined. I did hang on to lots of what he said when he did talk to others (case of hero worship) and one thing I never forgot was his almost contempt for those who only wanted a bird for a "name" including his. I remember him saying to someone once - Look at the BIRD!

Also, one other thing - here's a little secret that lots don't mention (even some of the "pedigree" breeders (those are guys who often don't even LOOK at the birds, just pair them from pedigrees going back to the dawn of time) -- there are a lot of birds out there that "become" something. You'll often hear fanciers talk about the "hen out of the Jaconette cock", or the "cock out of the ol' Janssen". Few ever seem to mention the other parent or other three grandparents, or other so-many great-grandparents of the bird. It's funny to watch it happen.

Okay - enough sermonizing. Here's what I've decided after almost a half century with the birds. Find the one that spins, homes, twirls, races == whatever you do. Pair it up with the others that do the same. Watch the kids, pick the best, pair them up - look for the kids, etc. Occasionally, you will see a bird that's as good or better than what you have at another fancier's. Add it to your family if it makes sense. And guess what. After a few years, YOUR family does what YOU want and YOU have a blast in the backyard or at the races or at the roller competitions.

Have fun -- hmmmmmm! I'll check back with you in about 20 -- I should still be able to at least crawl to the lofts by then to check on some of those "Chris birds" too.

Frank

[chrisgomez]

thanks for answering my question bill and frank