As I write this article, again I want to stress how important it is to have the long range ideas about performance in the back of our minds. We (Randy and I) believe we haven’t done the breed a disservice by adding color. Contrary, we have done it a favor. These factors have created a beauty that the owner can enjoy both on the ground and in the air.

Knowledge of genetics has also helped in the ability to produce greater numbers of true spinners because it helps in knowing how traits are passed on from parents to offspring. We have produced some very excellent spinners from these so-called "color birds.". The numbers are limited, but the quality is just the same. The most important fact is to remember to use your very best to create the new factors. If you are not willing to do this, then either don’t do it, or be willing to accept inferior spinners. It actually would be the same as if you introduced inferior spinners from your own family back into the same family.

The factor "Dominant Opal" is a factor which is a very easy factor to work with because of its dominance. A person with a good family of Rollers will have some really good Dominant Opals quickly. However, you must remember to find the best Dominant Opal that you can find.

This factor may be introduced into your family by way of either a cock or a hen - it doesn’t matter. Dominant Opal is best expressed on the blue family of Rollers. In this family, it changes the dark part of the bar on a blue bar or on a check pattern to a whitish or pinkish color. The whiteness of the bars and the checks seems to be determined by the amount of bronze that a bird carries in it, or shows on the shield or in the flights. We have a family of blues that have little or no bronze in them, and we get some very white barred and checked birds from them. We call them, for a better word, "powder blues."

On blacks, you can get some very pretty laced birds, especially if the black is masking "T" pattern. We have also noticed that if the black is a double factored spread, you won’t get laces, but rather you will get some rather smudgy looking birds that are not all that attractive.

Dominant Opal on the recessive reds makes a bird that is quite a lot like yellows, but it is much richer in color. You can even get some that show white bars through the pattern. We are beginning to raise some of these that are very nice. Some people call them "Isabelles."

On the ash red family, the Dominant Opal doesn’t show to its best. They have no white in the bars or in the checks. It just affects the bird in a very different way - nothing really to shout about for the most part - but they do carry the blue and can show it on the next generation if they are bred to a blue pigeon.

Pairing Dominant Opals together may cause problems. It seems as though there is a lethal gene which attacks them. Some eggs don’t hatch, and if they do, some of the squabs die very young. But on the other hand, it may not show up. We had a pair of blue white bars which seem never to have any problems. I guess it just depends on the birds.

Like I said in another article, it is not good practice to mate like factors together unless you need to to get the factor itself. For the most part, you are better off taking the long way to your goal. Roll must still be the most important factor we are considering. If you have any questions please get in touch with me at [email protected] or phone 1 909 735-9735

v v v v v v v v v v v v