Writings of William H. Pensom
From a collection by Tom Monson
BREEDING THE BIRMINGHAM ROLLER PIGEON
(1968)
The breeding season will soon be upon us, and the fanciers who have not already done so will be giving serious thought to the mating of their birds. There are numerous kinds of performers of many varying types. The fancier has to decide for himself which class of performance and type appeal to him the most. One's own evaluation of the stock at hand depends upon the knowledge gained by previous experience. Each year fanciers add to their store of knowledge by the education derived, not only from their own birds and practices, but from those of others. Whatever the choice of the fancier, he must use his wits to not only maintain existing qualities, but to try and improve upon them.
It must not be forgotten that there is always room for improvement in any branch of domestic livestock breeding. While I am conscious of the fact that many fanciers hold their own interpretation of what constitutes quality Birmingham Rollers, I am also conscious of the fact that there are many fanciers who have yet to see the ultimate quality expressed by the true Birmingham Roller. It is for their edification that I pen these lines.
First of all, we have to be able to recognize the champion Birmingham Roller. Such a pigeon is one of small dimensions, six to eight ounces in weight when in proper flying condition; round of body, which is not deep or shallow; not too pronounced in chest, and rather long cast; nicely refined in head shape, which may well vary in contour between long, curved, or flat; pinched in face. There is generally a space between the end of the keel bone and the vent bones. They are short of leg and are to be found both clean and muffed legged. The most important feature is the eye, which should be bright and expressive of high intelligence and character. The eye can be of any color: pearl, yellow, orange, bull or brown and multicolored.
Many fanciers discard birds which are possessed of bull eyes, odd eyes, and mixed-colored eyes, mostly to satisfy a fad. In so doing, they very often throw away the very birds they should keep. In any case, the eye indicates the temperament and the potential of the pigeon as a progenitor of good stock. There may be exceptions to this description, but they should be treated as such, since they would not be capable of contributing much towards the goal we seek.
The true Birmingham Roller has no equal or peer. It stands out above every other known performer. In performance it rotates with lightning rapidity, and of such violence as to portray a small ball with a hole in the center, the size of a dollar piece, spinning downwards for a considerable distance. The presence of the hole indicates perfect spinning; without it, the pigeon is either rolling too slowly or the roll is shapeless. Such birds never attain championship class. The mature Champion Roller is also better equipped to control the depth of the spin when coming to drop, and barring accidents, will fly and perform to a ripe old age. There is no other class of performer which gives so much satisfaction as the true Birmingham Roller, both in the air and in the breeding pen; anything else are just rollers.
It is obvious that there has to be more understanding of the breed, for without the right kind of stock, such high quality cannot be produced. It must also be understood that the Birmingham Roller is one of the most difficult of breeds to cultivate, and only real fanciers possessed of patience and determination to own the best should consider breeding them.
Very little can be accomplished in a few years, although in the process a fancier will always have at his command birds of no less quality than other fanciers seeking the same goal, which is most satisfactory.
Each year he will recognize quality in performance and any outstanding bird should be used in the stock pen. Depth of performance is secondary to correct spinning, and while the champion is generally set between twenty-five to thirty feet in depth, it is important to keep in mind that those birds which rotate the most revolutions in the shortest space regardless of depth are the ones to value most.
It is common among some fanciers to exaggerate the depth a bird will roll; for example, 15 feet becomes 30 feet or more, 25 feet often being estimated as a hundred or more. A true spinner very seldom exceeds 30 feet and very often this depth spells disaster.
Mating
In mating these pigeons for the best results, we have to consider the efforts of the bird during the processes of developing into a first class spinner, and the effects on its development of the physical and nervous system. Birds which begin their performances at an early age generally go through a most exhausting process which often inflicts in the mind of the owner some doubt as to the value of such a bird. In consequence of such development the pigeon does not enjoy a complete moult in its first year. No pigeon is mature until it has completed two full moulting periods, although this does not deny the use of young pigeons in the stock pen. A suitable mate for the above example must be chosen from those which did not begin to develop until a much later date, or until after the first moult. This is the only method to guarantee aerial an spinning stability. When a fancier has established a stud of stable, high-velocity spinning pigeons, his best plan in the future will be to choose mates as they look on the ground rather than by selecting them out of the air. Mates should possess similar qualities, especially as regards expression of character, the only compromise coming from bodily make-up. Since color or shades of color are closely allied to character, it is to our advantage to give much consideration in this direction.
The basic colors are blue check, red check, and dun. Mixtures of these will give the best results.
When aerial performance, both collectively and individually, is of no primary importance, the art of mating becomes of little or no concern. This appears to be the most popular category for fanciers: to exercise their skill in producing birds to certain physical and colorful standards, at the same time maintaining a decent standard of performance.
It is from this area we can hope to breed with some regularity birds specifically for the show pen. It should be understood that it is impossible to cultivate the highest quality spinning rollers, maintaining these true qualities, and to try and produce show pen winners at the same time. It cannot be done. In order to breed show birds, a fancier needs two breeding lofts; one for show and one for high class Rollers.
Competition Flying
The Roller fancy is notorious for its confusion. This is caused, I believe, by a lack of knowledgeable fanciers capable of teaching the novice. A cure for this confusion is an indulgence in flying contests. In this connection local clubs should be formed to foster and encourage members to fly their kits against each other. The use of the British system or rules for flying completions will give the most satisfactory results. No contests should be made with kits of less than 20 young birds and 25 old birds. Kits of lesser numbers have no incentive to give of their best if judged on collective or simultaneous performance. If fanciers are so isolated that they cannot enjoy competition, there is nothing to stop them from introducing this order of things to themselves; it will still pay dividends.
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In striving to produce the ideal spinning Birmingham Roller, many breeders are apt to confine their choice of breeding material to those individuals which conform to the desired standard of performance during flight. Insufficient attention is paid to such things as constitution, temperament, and even to the reproductive background. Genes for qualities which are ignored or considered to be of little immediate importance may be lost or dissipated, not through the workings of a mysterious or malign force, but because no effort has been made to retain or cultivate them.
Any hereditary character which is ignored or taken for granted, instead of being watched and consistently bred for, may quickly 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 ability. Any idea that inbreeding can by itself be the cause of any form of deterioration or degeneration is totally unjustified. High flying and true rolling ability may certainly be stabilized and improved by inbreeding if sufficient care is given to the choice of Rollers used for breeding in each generation, and is accompanied by sensible selection. If a weakness appears in inbred stock, it is because the parents or other ancestors carry the genetic factors responsible. Inbreeding may be said to be a device by means of which all qualities, good and bad, which lie latent or hidden in a strain may be brought to light. To accuse inbreeding of creating faulty conditions of any kind is ridiculous. The importance of selection has already been mentioned, but it is not a creative force and its effects are limited by the nature of the material to which it is applies. The conception of a breed as possessing an unlimited degree of plasticity, and capable of being modified in any direction by selection is mistaken; so is the assumption that by selection we can ensure that each generation will show a progressive development of the attribute selection is based upon.
Selection can never cause the emergence of a quality, either physical or mental, that is not already represented genetically in the stock used for breeding.
The only way to effect improvement in any direction is to make sure that the appropriate genes are present in the pigeons mated, and to endeavor to fix them in duplicate in the strain or in a goodly proportion of the birds bred in that strain.
Whether that end can be achieved through a program of inbreeding and selection, or may necessitate some outcrossing in the preliminary stages will depend entirely on the nature of the foundation stock.
Pedigree Breeding
One essential of scientific breeding is the keeping of accurate records. Many breeders have very complete memories of outstanding pigeons of past fame, but very few of us could remember the characteristics of birds that go into even a three generation pedigree. It is essential to have a complete picture of one's breeding stock before commencing breeding. The building of a strain depends on the breeder creating his own pedigrees. A strain is something which is established; therefore, it cannot come except by inbreeding. The breeder alone, from the start, is entirely responsible for what goes down on paper. Pedigrees can only be molded and established in accordance with one's own practical experience.
I possess information and pedigrees on some of the birds used in the manufacture of my strain from 1914. These were birds I kept and some which I was closely associated with in the lofts of the old timers among whom I lived. Like all livestock breeders who sell their stock, I am frequently asked for pedigrees, and in nearly every case this request is carried out. Beyond giving the parents, the rest is given very reluctantly. I fail to see what useful purpose can be served by supplying information on Birmingham Rollers which I have bred in the past and which in no sense would benefit anybody but myself. I firmly believe that pedigrees of the unknown can and do create a condition of degeneracy, since pedigrees for Rollers depend entirely upon the observations of the breeder himself.
How can one portray on paper the true characteristics of rolling pigeons such as temperament, reaction to mental instability, and relation of mental instability to organized training and environment. It simply cannot be done. Therefore, when a fancier mates his stock according to pedigree, he becomes victim to wishful thinking with the hope that something good will come of it. The correct procedure to pursue in the creation of a successful stud of rolling pigeons is to purchase the right kind of stock from the right kind of fancier. It is important that the beginner either see the quality of the vendor's birds in flight or take the work of some reliable fancier who has seen them in flight, and who knows the breeder well. If the purchased stock is of any value the beginner, after a period of three years, should be able to own a flock of rolling pigeons to be proud of. Only dissatisfaction can accrue from less that the best.
There is no formula available which can establish a Birmingham Roller as a product noteworthy among pigeons except the evaluation and praise of qualified authorities on the breed who are able to frequently witness outstanding birds in flight. The only guarantee another breeder can have of the birds he has acquired other than the integrity of their breeder is that the birds stated in the pedigree have met with the full approval of other qualified breeders who are better informed in the intricacies of cultivating real rolling pigeons.
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It is generally known that there is a society in this country which bears my name. It is a society consisting of some ardent fanciers each with a desire to cultivate and perpetuate the Pensom strain of Birmingham Roller.
In fairness to them and to myself I feel I should be allowed to pass a few comments about the situation. The club was inspired by the late Ray Perkins of Connecticut, and in cooperation with the late Bob Evans of San Mateo, was fostered and instituted in 1945. I was asked if I had any objections to this; my answer was "Not at all." For a number of years the club existed for the sole purpose of cultivating high flying, deep spinning Rollers of the highest quality. This condition did not last however, as a craze for breeding Rollers to a special pattern for the show pen soon overtook the principles on which the club was founded. Many practical Flying Roller breeders dropped out because of friction and confusion brought about by this turnabout in thinking. Large quantities of pigeons were broadcaster free to anyone who would join the club. The result was that the offspring of these pigeons, which had been bred under the illusion of the being dual purpose Rollers, were further distributed, meeting with the approval of the show man and the lesser-informed beginner, and the disapproval of those who knew better. This was anything but a savory reflection on my strain of Rollers.
I am frequently reminded that this condition still exists. I had always expressed disapproval to the club rule that "anyone who kept other than Pensom Rollers would not be eligible as a member of the club." I felt, and still feel, that such a rule is a denial of fanciers to think for themselves, is against the better principles of cultivating true spinning pigeons, and is a restriction on the endeavors of true flying fanciers to improve their stock from other sources. Where is the fancier who would refuse a better pigeon than his own from any source?
I have often imported different strains of Rollers from Birmingham, not in any way to cross with my strain, but as a means of educating those who are anxious to extend their knowledge in the field of flying Tumblers and Rollers. Many fanciers have benefited by these ventures. In view of these importations I resigned on my own accord from the club. I am not blind to the fact that some may think otherwise. This event gave rise to persecution of myself and my birds; I don't think I was the loser.
While pedigreed birds are an essential for membership, I have to say that I know of many longstanding instances of birds being pedigreed which can claim no right to this distinction. The Rollers represented by this society are not representative of my strain of Birmingham Rollers; moreover, the erasure of my name from the register would better serve the fancy and myself in particular. Over the years there has been opposition to other fanciers besides myself by the jealous fantasies of others who supposedly breed and produce better birds than anyone else. They apparently are constantly in the running for the number one position in the fancy at any cost. Words are the price. These attributes contribute nothing to their pigeons, to themselves, or the the fancy except suspicion.
We have heard plenty about what is called the Whittingham strain from time to time, and of Mr. Whittingham being the world's greatest Roller breeder. I feel it is incumbent upon me to try and clarify this belief, which I do entirely without any personal prejudice, in view of the fact that there were so many others of that day who were, without any possible doubt, masters of the game far above any claims of the former. To some this may seem antiquated to talk about, but is is extremely important that a true record of the history of the fanciers and the breed be recorded. I am familiar with what went on in the flying Tumbler fancy in and around Birmingham since 1900, and with the exception of Bert Goode of Harborne, who is the last of the old Roller men to be alive, I am the last one left who can authenticate the situation. Whoever imported Flying Tumblers from England prior to the First World War from any source must have got all they wanted for threepence a piece; this is all they were worth.. The real breeders from the beginning of the century could be counted on one hand, and the greatest of them all was the late Bill Richards of Harborne, Birmingham. He was regarded in the highest esteem by all the breeders of Rollers. His birds could be recognized anywhere, and he could tell by looking at another fancier's birds whether or not there was any of his blood in the other's birds. His birds were small and tight and compact. Their predominant color was red check, dun, and the various shades of blue and blue check. The few odd self or two, were but throwbacks. He had a remarkable eye for a pigeon. He could readily sum up the quality of any bird he saw including physical defects which would have escaped the eye of any other fancier. He was a regular visitor to the Blackcountry, where he was a household word. Bill Richards never sold or gave away any of his birds. The only blood of his Rollers which got into other hands was obtained by the noble art of catching. Catching strays was always considered a sporting event in Flying Tumbler circles in those far off days. His family of Rollers was the only one in existence up to the twenties which portrayed a well thought out process of breeding skill. The facet of the limited variety of color proved his belief in inbreeding, which everybody else was frightened of. Bill Richards died in 1938, after 70 years of keeping Rollers, and never a day without them. I was fortunate to acquire 25 of his birds at this time from his brother Ard, who was a famous breeder and exhibitor of the badge marked exhibition Long Faced Tumbler.
Next on the list is Harry Bellfield of Cradley Heath, Staff's. He was a most unassuming man, and as successful with his pigeons as he was with his business. He liked a Roller, and nothing but the swiftest and straightest spinners pleased him. His birds were varied in color and pattern, both clean legged and muffed. He did not keep as many as did Bill Richards because for one thing he was victim to the wiles of his many admirers who constantly contrived to get pigeons from him at any price. There are few who are proof against such acute agitation. H. Bellfield was noted for an outstanding grizzle cock which was a wizard in the air. It was one of the most reliable pigeons that ever flew. As a stock bird this cock was responsible for most of the good pigeons flown at any loft which had been fortunate enough to acquire offspring of this bird.
I purchased many birds from Harry Bellfield during the twenties. After seventy years and, like Bill Richards, never a day without them, he was compelled to give up his birds on the advice of his doctor. I was sent for and advised to take all of them. There is no more distressing moment than when acquiring a man's pigeons on such terms. On retirement H. Bellfield purchased a home especially suited to flying his birds. His loft was situated on the peak of a knoll, and on occasions, due to wind direction, you could look down on his birds and watch them roll. His birds were deep and extremely regular, and it was seldom they could fly for more than twenty minutes. He flew several times each day, weather permitting, and each time they would fly and roll to their utmost. He also had in mind when he chose this situation the existence of extremely long grass which grew all around the knoll, and which varied very little in growth all the year round. The idea was to lessen the possibility of any of his birds destroying themselves should they make a mistake and roll all the way. All outstanding Rollers are subject to mishaps, especially when the wind is blowing in a certain direction. Harry Bellfield was a great Roller fancier.
Another fancier of note, and whose name was also a household word, was Elija Tomkins of the Lye, Stourbridge. He was an old fancier with experience from the cradle. He was especially noted for his "Patched" breed. These birds were mostly red ckecs with uneven white patches distributed on various parts of the body, or whites with an uneven distribution of red chec patches over various parts of the body. They were very attractive birds and as good as they come as spinning Rollers. A fifteen year old cock from E. Tomkins played a prominent part in my family of Rollers; in fact, it was the sire of my dun hen 1613. E. Tomkins was also a great old fancier, a description any words of mine could do little justice to. Ben Homer of Cradley Heath was also very prominent in the fancy, and any bird acquired from him was a treasure for anybody. On retirement, he spent all his daylight hours down in the garden with his birds, a small house having been built for this purpose and his convenience. His main "Old Un" was a white cock, a son out of H. Bellfield's old blue grizzle cock, or Silver, which is the term used for a light blue grizzle in Flying Tumblers. When Ben Homer passed on I acquired the white cock together with three more of his favorites, a wish he expressed before his death. These birds also helped me along.
Another outstanding fancier was J. Thompson of Harborne. A lifelong fancier, and noted for his two old pairs, a dun bald cock, a blue chec badge hen, a creamy badge hen and a magnificent red spangled saddle cock. It was a pair out of these famous pigeons that produced my old Spangled Cock. This cock was a champion spinner for fifteen yards, and produced the bulk of my strain. He was also a big winner at the shows in his day. He lived until he was eighteen. It may be interesting to note that Byron Wedgwood of Show Tippler fame offered me a good price for this cock on behalf of J. E. Graham who was in England at the time. There was not enough money to buy him.
Old Jack Taylor of Rowley Regis was another unique figure in the fancy. He was a hard man to deal with, but if you did obtain a bird from him, so long as he had bred it, it was a great asset to the loft. I did not know him intimately as he was about 80 when I first met him. I often saw from a distance his two bull terriers, which would have killed anybody attempting to set foot within 20 feet of the pigeon pen. Of great interest to me was a stuffed specimen of a blue saddle hen, which Jack Taylor said was over 100 years old, and was supposed to have broken her neck during flight. This hen was typical also of the best rolling pigeons known to me through my experience and typical also of the best Rollers at the present time.
Jim Skidmore of Blackheath was also an outstanding fancier and his collection of Rollers was always the envy of all who saw them. In his later years he established a family of 90 per cent red checs, since by the knowledge he had gained, he had begun to inter-breed. His stud consisted of birds from Bellfield, Richards, and myself.
A fancier of high repute was Harry Young, a businessman. He had the reputation of traveling the country and buying, at any price, every good bird he could find. He was also a true fancier and clever breeder. Birds from his stud were often given credit for establishing many lofts with the highest quality deep spinning birds. I never met Harry Young, but he was well known to my father and his associates and from this source I gained a good picture of him. Both Bellfield and Richards obtained birds from him. There were scores of other good fanciers, outstanding in their different ways, but lacking the skill of the others. They were the follow-the-leader type of fancier, so to speak.
There is no one alive today who can tell me anything new about Rollers or the Roller fancy, or about its existence from 1900 to the present time. I am familiar with all the best fanciers in Britain today and they still keep descendants of my strain, a strain molded from the best of the stock of the foregoing fanciers. These are also the Rollers which I sent to the United States and which are to be found in many lofts throughout the world today, particularly in the United States.
Corroboration of this will be found in the lofts of Leroy Smith, Patchogue, Long Island, who has kept this strain of Rollers since 1934. What of Roy Smith? A fancier of 60 years or more, and one who has tried every known domestic breed of Rollers up to the time he received his first imports. His reason for keeping them is obvious. Roy Smith has made a name in the Roller world as an outstanding breeder of first class spinning Rollers and he has kept the family as pure as it is possible to keep it. He would not even use a pigeon from anybody even though such a bird was produced from a pair he had either sold or loaned out. Roy Smith has been of great service to the fancy and if any man deserves a Master Breeder's Certificate, it is he. It may not be generally known that Roy Smith is acclaimed as one of the greatest breeders of Brown Leghorns in the world, if not the greatest, which testifies to his genius as a breeder of livestock.
Another fancier deserving of praise in this connection is Stanley Plona of Connecticut. He also is a close friend of Leroy Smith, from whom he obtained his stock and he also is as particular in his choice of birds, and a stickler for the one family. Visiting Connecticut last year, I was able to witness one of the best kits of stable, deep spinning Rollers I have ever seen.
It is by the generosity of these fanciers that the Roller fancy is able to sustain and enjoy the pleasure only Roller pigeons can give. Incidentally, these are the only fanciers from whom I will obtain a bird to use in my loft. There is no doubt that by this time I am already condemned for blowing by own trumpet; certainly I am, and I could and ought to blow it much louder. It is not personalities that are important. It is the facts, and these I set myself out to put before the fancy, not only for the benefit of the fancy, but in consideration for those who like the facts.
When I read the hysterical convulsions of those unqualified experts who dare to opine the non-existence of those pillars of the fancy in favor of the unknown, I am duty bound to state the true facts as they have existed before and since the turn of this century. No wonder the fancy is in a state of confusion. There are large numbers of Birmingham Roller lovers who are constantly being misled by nit-picking bigots who know no more about Rollers than those they hope to educate. Fanciers are better advised to use their own common sense and try to evaluate their own efforts. They should travel as much as they can and obtain first hand, the lessons available from the most successful breeders known. I am in the happy position of being able to substantiate anything I say about Rollers, should there be any doubt about it. When I say anything of importance I am dogmatic about it. I use the definition "I" and not "we" which is nothing but a defensive expression and one of doubt. Who is "we" in a debate of this kind? Is it etiquette or what? When a man writes any treatise, he alone is entirely responsible for it. This responsibility cannot be shared by anybody else, and he should expect to take the consequences. It is a sorry state of affairs for anyone who has to become a false authority.
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As printed in the American Pigeon Journal, in three segments: February, 1968; April 1968; and May 1968. Three photographs appear in the May segment; they are identical to the photographs appearing in Pensom's book, The Birmingham Roller Pigeon on page 38, top; page 25, bottom; and page 49.