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Old German Owls – Page 38 – Purebred PIGEON
B
reed of
the
I
ssue
- O
ld
G
erman
O
wl
Type and Style
Bill Henderson
I
am often asked what I consider to be the most important
features in the Old German Owl and my answer is always
the same: Type and Style. I say that because without
those two, you just have another average pigeon.
Type and style refer to a birds station, shape and pres-
ence in the show coop. I want it to immediately catch a judges
eye. I repeatedly say that I breed for a bird that makes me stop
and look at it in the flypen. In other words, it has such good
type and style, I cannot help but notice it. I seek out birds that
are showy and have a lot of personality. I want the hens to
be friendly and the cocks to have a lot of attitude. I believe a
judge takes notice of a bold and playful nature. Besides, that is
what I like in the loft everyday, so why not breed for it?
Often color or markings will not be of the quality to make
a show bird but that does not deter me from breeding it, IF the
type is what I want. Some of the best advice I ever got about
breeding a marked breed came from longtime buddy and
baldhead West breeder, Jay Turner. He said, “If I have an ex-
ceptional bird that is mismarked, I’ll find a way to use it.” By
following this line of thought, I have sometimes sacrificed a
generation one year but then moved ahead the following year
by always keeping the desire for type and style foremost.
Very early in the breed, Mike Spencer warned me that you
can drive yourself crazy by chasing proper markings. After ten
years with Old German Owls, I know exactly what he meant.
My respect for all the breeders of saddle Fantails, baldhead
Show Rollers, Gazzi Modenas, Swallows and all the marked
breeds and varieties, has increased ten fold since taking on the
challenge of a proper marked breed.
By no means am I saying that good markings should be
ignored or not bred for. They are an integral and necessary
part of the shield marked Old German Owl . However, I do
believe that the overall bird is more important than any one
feature. Because our breed is experiencing a lot of growth and
interest, we are seeing far more better birds win at the leading
shows across the country. As this trend continues, we will see
more and more birds exhibited with correct markings and
proper type and style, as well.•