Parental Duties in Show Rollers
Both Competition and Exhibition Rollers have a reputation for being excellent breeders, ie full eggs and well fed and brooded youngsters being the norm. I believe that Competition Rollers still have these desired qualities, but in some strains of Show Rollers 'things ain't what they used to be'.
During the past few breeding seasons reports of very poor breeding results, particularly newly-hatched chicks dying within 24 hours, of starvation, dehydration, unfed by their parents, is being reported by Show Roller fanciers. Some have started to use foster parents to rear Show Roller squabs. What has changed to bring about this negative state? I have my own ideas but no real evidence to substantiate my theory.
THE THEORY
Between 1967 when the Northern Roller Club was formed, until about 1997, the Show Roller was slowly developed by selective breeding from within the Roller gene bank, no other breed was used, this I am fairly sure of. However, around 1998 and continuing to the present time, dramatic changes have occurred within the breed.
The greatest change is the alignment of the bird's beak to its face - the straight face and wide frontal, together with the much thicker and more abundant neck plumage. Another breed, an outcross, must have been used to bring about radical structural changes in such a short time span.
In the show pen it was quickly apparent that judges were impressed by the new exaggerated traits, the birds of this type were taking all the prizes. The trend was set and all concerned were seeking stock of the straight-faced type, yours truly included.
Read the full article in the April 2009 issue of Feathered World
