Breed History:
Strassers originated in Austria and Mahren in Czechoslovakia. The Strasser was developed as a utility breed, from Florentine, Croppers and Field Pigeon crosses during 1875. Size is of great importance and the birds have a near horizontal under line. Apart from the use utility purposes for producing squabs, the Strasser is also a popular exhibition pigeon at shows.
In South Africa: (By Chris de bruin, edited by Johan van Hengel)
The Strasser has a sturdy well built, broad body, that is comparatively short in length, wedging towards the tail. The wedge shape, as viewed from the top, of the Strassers body is a important characteristic, and a more rounded body like that of a Gros Mondain should be penalized. The width to length ratio of the bird must be approximately 1 to 2. The Strasser is very popular as a fancy breed and is a plain headed, clean legged bird. The head is short, with a prominent frontal on the forehead and an impressive red eye.
The colour markings of the Strasser are the same as those of the Gazzi Modena, with the head, neck, wings and tail being coloured and the rest of the body being white. Colour is very important and must be as intense as possible. The main colours are black, dun, red, yellow, blue and silver with the different patterns of check, bar and barless. Modifiers such as stencil providing laced wing or white bars are also available.
During the 2003 South African National Championship Show, I exhibited the national breed champion with a blue Polish Lynx. In 2004 I sold my Polish Lynx stud, to make space for Strassers and during the 2007, 2008 and 2009 South African National Championship Shows I exhibited the Champion Strasser with an old blue barless hen and old blue checker cock respectively.
Strasser Standard
Head (10 pts.): Medium in size, not flat; broad from beak to back of head; bow shaped on top; full frontal, but not to bulge.
Eyes (10 pts.): Orange; must be in line with center of beak.
Wattle: Small and fine in texture.
Eye Cere (3 pts.): Narrow; flesh color in red, yellow and silvers; other colors dark.
Beak (5 pts.): Medium in length and size, upper mandible slightly curved at the point; flesh color in red, yellow and silver; all other colors black.
Marking (20 pts.): Prime color white; hood, bib, wings, back (including rump), tail, and under the tail of the same color; no color in white area, and no white in colored area. With head pressed downward against the body, head and bib should make an egg shape with the end pointed up and be evenly curved from start to finish. The flights of blue bar, blue barless and checkers must be dark.
Color (15 pts.): The ground must be almost snow white; conversely the secondary color must be a clear, distinct, saturated color. Feet and legs in all colors must be red.
Neck (3 pts.): Medium in length; thick, coming full out of body keeping in line with the breast, showing taper from the shoulders to the head; throat well rounded, without gullet.
Breast (3 pts.): Wide and deep; front view to appear almost balloon shaped.
Back (2 pts.): Broad at shoulders, tapering to a wedge shape toward tail; almost horizontal - slightly declining to tip of tail; not humped; not hollow or depressed over rump.
Tail (5 pts.): Short; wide in proportion to wedge shaped body; carried in same angle as back; not over 1"; when open must step down from primaries to secondaries in even rotation.
Structure (3 pts.): Stout and strong; each part in keeping with others giving perfect balance and emphasizing a heavy blocky bird.
Station (7 pts.): Must walk and stand with breast appearing almost balloon shaped; back of neck forming a right angle with back, and back and tail in an almost horizontal position - just slightly declining.
Toes (2 pts.): Straight and well spread.
Legs (5 pts.): Medium in size and length; placed well apart; straight when viewed from the front.
Colors: Red, yellow, dun, black, brown; barred in blue and silver; checked in black, blue, and brown; white barred in black and blue; barless in blue and silver; tigered spangled in all colors.
Weights:
Old Cock: 26 to 30 oz.
Old Hen: 24 to 28 oz.
Young Cock: 24 to 28 oz.
Young Hen: 20 to 24 oz.
DISQUALIFICATIONS:
• Loose feathers.
• Bull or broken eyes.
• Smut in white area of any color.
• Feathers on toes.
• Legs any color except red.
• Any physical deformity.
• Excess plucking. When judged, a bird that does not conform identically to the standard, shall be penalized on points proportionately to extent of the fault at hand, but in no case shall it be more than the total points for the component part involved.
In South Africa: (By Chris de bruin, edited by Johan van Hengel)
The Strasser has a sturdy well built, broad body, that is comparatively short in length, wedging towards the tail. The wedge shape, as viewed from the top, of the Strassers body is a important characteristic, and a more rounded body like that of a Gros Mondain should be penalized. The width to length ratio of the bird must be approximately 1 to 2. The Strasser is very popular as a fancy breed and is a plain headed, clean legged bird. The head is short, with a prominent frontal on the forehead and an impressive red eye.
The colour markings of the Strasser are the same as those of the Gazzi Modena, with the head, neck, wings and tail being coloured and the rest of the body being white. Colour is very important and must be as intense as possible. The main colours are black, dun, red, yellow, blue and silver with the different patterns of check, bar and barless. Modifiers such as stencil providing laced wing or white bars are also available.
During the 2003 South African National Championship Show, I exhibited the national breed champion with a blue Polish Lynx. In 2004 I sold my Polish Lynx stud, to make space for Strassers and during the 2007, 2008 and 2009 South African National Championship Shows I exhibited the Champion Strasser with an old blue barless hen and old blue checker cock respectively.
Strasser Standard
Head (10 pts.): Medium in size, not flat; broad from beak to back of head; bow shaped on top; full frontal, but not to bulge.
Eyes (10 pts.): Orange; must be in line with center of beak.
Wattle: Small and fine in texture.
Eye Cere (3 pts.): Narrow; flesh color in red, yellow and silvers; other colors dark.
Beak (5 pts.): Medium in length and size, upper mandible slightly curved at the point; flesh color in red, yellow and silver; all other colors black.
Marking (20 pts.): Prime color white; hood, bib, wings, back (including rump), tail, and under the tail of the same color; no color in white area, and no white in colored area. With head pressed downward against the body, head and bib should make an egg shape with the end pointed up and be evenly curved from start to finish. The flights of blue bar, blue barless and checkers must be dark.
Color (15 pts.): The ground must be almost snow white; conversely the secondary color must be a clear, distinct, saturated color. Feet and legs in all colors must be red.
Neck (3 pts.): Medium in length; thick, coming full out of body keeping in line with the breast, showing taper from the shoulders to the head; throat well rounded, without gullet.
Breast (3 pts.): Wide and deep; front view to appear almost balloon shaped.
Back (2 pts.): Broad at shoulders, tapering to a wedge shape toward tail; almost horizontal - slightly declining to tip of tail; not humped; not hollow or depressed over rump.
Tail (5 pts.): Short; wide in proportion to wedge shaped body; carried in same angle as back; not over 1"; when open must step down from primaries to secondaries in even rotation.
Structure (3 pts.): Stout and strong; each part in keeping with others giving perfect balance and emphasizing a heavy blocky bird.
Station (7 pts.): Must walk and stand with breast appearing almost balloon shaped; back of neck forming a right angle with back, and back and tail in an almost horizontal position - just slightly declining.
Toes (2 pts.): Straight and well spread.
Legs (5 pts.): Medium in size and length; placed well apart; straight when viewed from the front.
Colors: Red, yellow, dun, black, brown; barred in blue and silver; checked in black, blue, and brown; white barred in black and blue; barless in blue and silver; tigered spangled in all colors.
Weights:
Old Cock: 26 to 30 oz.
Old Hen: 24 to 28 oz.
Young Cock: 24 to 28 oz.
Young Hen: 20 to 24 oz.
DISQUALIFICATIONS:
• Loose feathers.
• Bull or broken eyes.
• Smut in white area of any color.
• Feathers on toes.
• Legs any color except red.
• Any physical deformity.
• Excess plucking. When judged, a bird that does not conform identically to the standard, shall be penalized on points proportionately to extent of the fault at hand, but in no case shall it be more than the total points for the component part involved.