Classical Almond Oriental Roller:
Photo from Sell's Breeding & Inheritance in Pigeon's (p. 75)

A rich yellowish, buff, burnt-orange colored ground, the body liberally sprinkled with dark flecking, with the flight and tail feathers showing three distinct colors, black (kite) buff (ground), and white a distinct patch work ensemble. It is also possible to create the exact dilate of this color.


Spread Almond:

These are the almonds referred to as "sprenkels". The ground color resembles a washed out gray or gun metal type base, with rich dark, black flecking, The flight and tail feathers will only show two distinct colors. It is also possible to create the dilute of this color, resulting in a dun almond, with dun break.


DeRoy:

A deroy is a recessive red almond. It's body color resembles a shade in between red and yellow, (darker or lighter, the intensity varies), and may or may not exhibit darker red break here and there. The dilute of this color is something the Oriental Roller breeders are calling "Cream". This very pale or pastel buff-yellow shade is actually a dilute deroy.


Ash-Red Almond:

The ground color for an Ash-Red almond is very light to near white. the flecking color is ash-red. The dilute of this would be an ash-yellow. The ground color would be very light to near white, and the flecking would be ash-yellow colored.


Brown-Almond:

The ground color of a brown almond would also be very light to near white. The flecking would be brown in color. The dilute of this would be a khaki almond, the ground color being very light to near white with flecks of break being khaki colored.


Homozygous - Almond:
Photo from Sell's Breeding & Inheritance in Pigeon's (p. 80)

Two Almonds should generally not be mated together if possible. One quarter of the youngsters will be white, will have defective eyes (often blind) and usually will be of reduced vigor, if they hatch at all. There are some exceptions from this rule. that does not mean that it would be impossible to breed beautiful Almonds from two Almonds.


Kite:

Kites are genetically dark checkered (Ct) birds with a trait for rich bronze which can be seen at the breast, in the wings and in the base of the tail. This trait (K) or perhaps better the complex of genetic factors behind that coloration is also called "kite". Kites with a very rich bronze in addition are heterozygous recessive red.


The standard way to make the classic almond is to pair a kite with a classic almond. You can make any color of almond you want. the point is, what do people want; what's attractive to them, and then to classify it for what it is.


Almonds (1-5 years):
Photo from Sell's Breeding & Inheritance in Pigeon's (p. 74)

One of the many reasons Almond is so popular and raised in such abundance is its ever changing color from year to year.

 

Publishers note
(Photos courtesy of Mark Orme)

In an effort to help you further with genetics. A copy of Mr. Axel Sell's book, "Breeding and Inheritance in Pigeons" may be purchased at all reputable book stores. I highly recommend it to the beginner, along with the experienced pigeon fancier.

Kite produced from two almonds:


If you do not have any Kites and cannot purchase any. An Almond - Almond mating is the only way to go. I have found it to be the best way to produce high quality Classic Almonds, as well as outstanding kites, (such as the one above). Although this in not recommended by others, I have found it to be invaluable. Place the kites on your best classic almonds and see the results that follow!

My losses to bladder eye are usually, around, One in Ten.

This year (2000) I have four pairs of Almond / Almond breeding. As of today's date ( May 10, 2000) I have raised 12 youngsters. They are:

Five Classic Almond.-Two Sprinkle-Three Kite-One Blacks.--one bladder eye.

Bladder Eye
(Click on thumbnails)


At four days old you can see bladder eye developing and the squab is also deformed.

The squab on the left is developing much slower than its nest mate and is also blind.

At 9 days old the puffy eyes can be seen clearly and the parents abandoned the squab.

It is apparent from the state of the back of the neck that the parents have been attacking this squab in an effort to end its life. The squab died two days later.
     -Mark Orme

 

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