117 YEARS OF THE SELF WHITE GERMAN LONG-FACE TUMBLER

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1 117 YEARS OF THE SELF WHITE GERMAN LONG-FACE TUMBLER By: Uwe Held, Germany I have been breeding this impressive pigeon breed Since While it was initially just for the fun of it, the situation changed abruptly in 1974 after my father who bred yellow and red magpies in a big way took me to Cologne s Colonia Show for the first time. At the time I stood transfixed at the cages of the white selfs, fascinated by their sheer beauty... History The origins of today's white Germans Longbeak Tumblers date back to 1896, when Gustav Fischer of Magdeburg created this pearl-eyed flying type pigeon. As early as 1898, the first finished birds were beginning to be noticed and they created a minor sensation among Tumbler fanciers. It s true that white selfs were already available, but they had yellow irises and were therefore not very popular among fanciers. Above: Fifty Years Jubilee of the white German Long Face Tumbler, Edmund_Zurth_Allgemeine_Geflügel_Zeitung_Nr._8_aus_1949 Looking at the photos it is easy to see the changes that have taken place in the appearance of the self white German Long Face Tumbler up to the present day. The photo from 1920 shows a white example bred by Max Gallrein, a breeder totally committed to the self whites. As you might imagine, it must have been a rocky road to attain this classic form in the breed, with the breeders constantly striving to bring the whites closer to the ideal. It would have taken a pedantic adherence to the standard when selecting breeding stock, carrying this through year after year to improve type in their birds. In the years between 1946 and 1950, H. Hartung introduced blood from the Straslunder Highflier and exhibited graceful, elegant whites.

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3 From the beginning, the Magpie Long Face played an important role in refining the breed. Then as now, the Magpie genes flowing through the breed aided in the improvement process. The Magpie is commonly used to improve type in the Selfs. Exemplary specimens Horst Fester photographed in Horst obtained his breeding birds from Braunschweiger Hans Kruppop, and by using yellow Magpies, he managed yet another quality boost. Today At the Colonia Show, which for Tumbler breeders is still the Show of Shows, I got to know many breeders, among them Horst Fester of Rheinfelden. In exchange for some of my father s red magpies, I got a beautiful white hen from him, which became the ancestress of my White Tumbler line. As in those days, I still breed my Whites on a relatively small scale, just 6-8 pairs. Today, fanciers of all age are engaged with our self White beauty. They include Rodenbeck (currently Germany s oldest breeder of White selfs), Karl Neugebauer, Frieder Groß, Köhler, Schumann, and myself. Please forgive me if I have forgotten anyone. A short note about the raising and breeding of this exceptional Tumbler. White selfs are suitable for free flight, as well as for the aviary, bearing in mind that the aviary can never be too large. With optimal housing, six breeding rounds per year are not uncommon, provided that the breeding stock is in excellent condition. Right: My loft. In summary, one can say that the whites have plenty to offer. Its simple elegance combined with substance and nobility, will attract many admiring glances from the connoisseur. Anybody who starts with this breed and treats his birds well, will thoroughly enjoy them and have no desire for another breed. Just 4-6 breeding pairs are enough to be successful.

4 If anyone wishes to learn more about this Noble Tumbler, I recommend the website of the SV of the Fanciers of the German and Polish Long Face Tumbler (SV der Züchter Deutscher und Polnische Langschnäbler). Below are a few photos of my Whites.

5 Left: Young bird, cross yellow bearded x self white. Copyright 2015 All rights reserved by the Aviculture-Europe Foundation This is a publication by the online magazine English edition ISSN: You are not allowed to copy, distribute, send or publish these texts or photos without our prior permission in writing.