The Poll Question: What do you think is the most challenging part of raising Rollers? Results:

• Acquiring quality stock birds                  60%
• Understanding genetics                          20%
• Competing                                            20%

Why does such a high percentage feel that quality Rollers are difficult to obtain? Have breeders been led to believe that unless a Roller is something less than “perfect”, it should be culled. Could this practice be a reason why there are too few Rollers available?

This leads to asking the question “are we being too broad in our definition of what a real cull is”? Do Rollers that demonstrate the primary traits always produce offspring that demonstrate them and if they do not, can they reproduce offspring that can?

If the answer is “yes”, then we are culling Rollers that can actually still be of value for what they carry from the family gene pool.

Giving more weight to this perspective might then increase the number of quality Rollers available for new or experienced fanciers.

To the breeder that has Rollers demonstrating the primary traits, he has the “luxury” of eliminating any of those that demonstrate fewer traits or have some other mechanical problem (poor training, bad loft management).

But does this mean then that these Rollers have no value at all? Perhaps not to the fancier who already has a loft full of quality Rollers of varying degrees, but they certainly do for the novice or experienced fancier looking to introduce some new gene pool to his breeding program.

It might be good to keep in mind that to the fancier looking for quality stock, these “culls” might be very desirable, as most experienced breeders already know, a Roller does not have to demonstrate primary traits in order to pass them on to offspring, it is just that they do not normally want to keep them to breed from.

I might suggest that one be willing to either seriously consider acquiring or selling Rollers such as these.

Now I understand that culling is necessary to improve the roller breed and much has been written on culling, but remember your culls may still be of better quality than what the fancier currently has. Therefore, under these circumstances, your culls may actually do more to help him than hold him back!

I am not suggesting that Rollers with some gross defect be sold or given away, but all is relative. What is a cull in one loft may be a welcome addition in another if it is able to help that fancier advance his program and reach his goals.

I am reminded of a photo in Graham Dexter’s book “Winners With Spinners”. It is of a  Red Check Bald Headed Hen AERC-81-232; it certainly does not look like a Roller that would be of stock quality with its droopy wings, squat looking appearance, and just all around poor “type”.

However, the caption quotes the late Ron Adams as saying “nothing to look at, but produced some of the best Rollers Ron Snow flew. I gave it to Ron Snow a few years ago, but now it’s back home in my stock loft”.

In this photo, this Roller appears to lack certain physical traits. But again, if our focus is more on the bloodline i.e. has a good family background, relatives are successful in the air and stock loft, then we can most certainly use it and reasonably expect that something of value will be reproduced in the offspring.

IN CLOSING: A rollers ultimate value, just like beauty, is in the eyes of the beholder. A cull from one loft may actually be a good start for a beginner or for someone looking to introduce an outcross to his own family of Rollers.

So before you cull your next Roller, ask yourself, “can another fancier looking for quality stock benefit from breeding this Roller”? If the answer is “YES”, it is NOT a cull.