# Roller breeding



## Skyhigh82 (Nov 24, 2016)

Hey guys, I'm new to roller pigeons and I just bought a pair of breeders. One blue bar bh and a red bar bh. Will this pair produce more of the same color, or should I cross it with another color? This pair is from a will known breeder but I never asked him the question. I want to fly nothing but bald heads


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## Chuck K (Jan 12, 2013)

Since you refer to the pair as two different colors, blue and red, I am thinking what you really want to know is will they produce the same pattern, baldhead.

The answer to that lies in the type of genetics they carry that produced the baldhead. The roller family has baldheads in it that occur just from a preponderance of a pied gene that sometimes results in an all white head. Many times these types don't have a uniform baldhead pattern. This type baldhead will not always breed true to the pattern, and often produces badge marked birds as well as birds with no marking on the head.

The roller family also has the genetics common in the English Short and Long Faced Tumblers, and the Show West of England Tumblers. This baldhead gene results in a more uniform baldhead pattern. If both parents are carrying this gene then the baldhead pattern will breed true, and you will produce more. The fancier most associated with this pattern in Birmingham Rollers was the late Norm Drexel. If the birds you have came down from his stock they are the ESFT and ELFT type baldhead.

A picture might help identify the type you own.

BTW: The two colors you own can give you a sex linked combination if the hen is ash red and the cock is blue. If that is the combination all ash red young are cocks and all blues are hens.


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