Evaluating the Roller Profile

The German Roller on the left has a rounded chest and although it could be bigger its OK. The roller on the right is about the same chest size but standing upright it is less apparent.

This one is heavier than the other two birds. Note how the fullness is not only in the chest area but in the vent area.


This cock does not have a full chest or vent and needs to be fattened up a bit before show training.


Note the fat layer on this cock! I like them like that when I cage them up as they will lose some weight during show training.


This roller is way too thin! There is no fat layer visible and pelvic bones are sharp! This one needs to be put in a cage with other thin ones or by itself. It is high risk to get sick and die!

Plump is Beautiful

Time to check the weight on the German Rollers. I look at their profile and catch the medium and thin ones to look for a fat layer in the vent area.

To fatten them, I will first separate them from the plump ones and move them to smaller cages with more perches. Additional feed dishes are placed near perches to make food more readily available. Feed them a higher fat (oily seeds such as sunflower) and a higher carbohydrate diet but stop feeding them any hard boiled egg. Should they not fatten before show training time, they will not even be caged up as they would certainly be No Song at the show!

Be sure to feed petamine breeding formula to the plump ones along with a fattening diet for now. When show training begins, I stop high carbohydrate, high fat diet and limit the feed to 40/60 canary/canola rape and a few sprouted hemp with white bread. You can buy plain 60/40 canary/rape and add extra rape to it. Feeding more rape is desired because it keeps the song sweet and mellow.