fhtfire
2317 posts
Dec 13, 2009
10:33 AM
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John,
use the search feature on the site...there is about elevendy billion posts on the color argument and the standard of the Birmingham roller. Trust me...this horse has been beat to death....and it only causes aruging and name calling...and it seems like this debate has gotten more people kicked off the site..LOL....Dont open this can of worms.....go back and search and read all the debates..I mean arguing on the subject...there is alot of good information. But again...no need to rattle this cage.
rock and ROLL
Paul
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Sound Rollers
145 posts
Dec 13, 2009
10:47 AM
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Paul, I deleted my post. What can you tell me about Hard Feathers / Soft Feathers?
John
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fhtfire
2318 posts
Dec 13, 2009
11:54 AM
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John,
I am really not the one to ask...Your soft feather birds are your reds and you hard are you darks...but to be honest...I dont breed based on hard or soft colors....at all..I dont color balance and I dont believe in it....I do believe some colors may be hotter or stiffer then others...but that changes loft by loft....I only breed based on my gut instinct...and what I know about an idividual bird and what it passes on....I will breed a lavender to lavender..a grizzle to grizzle...a blue check to black..a red bard to a red check....At least in my loft...I really dont see a huge pattern......my stock birds are all different colors...and they were selected on performance....and there are hard and soft colors.
rock and ROLL
Paul
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Bill C
455 posts
Dec 16, 2009
5:15 PM
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John, I do not know a whole lot about feathers but I can say what I think about it.
While prodominately the hard feahters are called the dark birds and soft feathers called the light (white) birds in general terms, the fact that is not always the case. You can have soft feather in dark colors and even hard feather in white birds as well.
Most problems with kit birds with poor feathers is due to lack of nutrition in the kit birds diet. All our rollers should look healthy and shinny. If they lack the shinny coloration in the neck and feathers, they are not in top health.
Many guys feed straight wheat and milo all summer or even all year. I would say that most birds even working hard should still have a shine to the feathers but well cared for birds can also break the ends of the feathers from time to time. THey come down looking like a bad hair day. But they preen and recover.
Pigeons will survive on the worst diet provided but can also be fed healthy and not a lions share of food eihter. Just today I gave some birds collard greens since I do not use vitamins. I see no need for it since I feed healthy all the time except two weeks out from a comp fly.
Try giving your birds some of those Bryers cake bricks with grit in it. They all go crazy for it because of the salts and minerals they do not get in their grain. So what I am saying is that to have good feather is to feed healthy. Mix grain, or pellets or add variety from time to time and stay away from straight wheat for long periods like months at a time. Bill C
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Bill C
456 posts
Dec 16, 2009
5:30 PM
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Something else I can tell you about feather but nothing to do with hard and soft though.
You want birds with narrow primary feathers as aposed to wide primary flight feahters. The narrow end tips allow the air to pass through faster and wide acts like a parachute with rollers.
ALso when flying your birds, pull some out and look at the wings stretched out. You will see on the birds rolling the best and frequent birds with bent feathers. Not a complete bent feather but you will see on a few primary feathers and on the secondary feathers where they are bent like an s or curved and seperated from the rest of the feather and bent downward. So even if you dont see them all rolling up their and you know some are doing great, it can help identify them.
Paul do you remember when you and I visited Scott Cammpbell several years ago and he showed us that?. Scott do you remember showing Paul and I that? Just checking your memory!
Anyway feathers are important part of our team workers, just not what color they are. Dont lose the rainbow in the neck. Good luck John. Bill C
Last Edited by on Dec 16, 2009 5:35 PM
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fhtfire
2331 posts
Dec 16, 2009
5:37 PM
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I sure do Bill and I use that today if two birds look the same when Flying and I am trying to figure out what bird is rolling..it is a dead give away....
rock and ROLL
Paul
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Sound Rollers
149 posts
Dec 16, 2009
6:14 PM
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Thanks all. Great stuff.
John
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