[ptras]

Okay...despite previously getting in a "thread fight," I am new to this group and to pigeon keeping. I have received a lot of conflicting advice from various pigeon people and from the internet. We purchased two breeding pairs of Birmingham Rollers this past Saturday, June 26th. The seller also threw in two young birds. One is maybe a male, as he is starting to strut and coo. He is maybe four months old, and has been flown by the seller. The other is of undetermined sex, around one month old (still has some pinfeathers on his neck and head.) The seller told us that we could fly the two young birds after we have them for a month. Is this true of the one that was previously flown? I'm afraid that he is going to do what a good homing pigeon does, and go back to his home loft (which is about twenty-five miles away). Can he be flown, or must I keep him inside as a breeder.

Also, one of the females laid an egg this afternoon. She laid it in the middle of the cage despite the four nesting boxes with nest bowls. Her mate had previously lined two of the bowls with hay, but she didn't seem to get the idea. Before I could retrieve the egg and put it in a nest box, the two adult males started a row, and in the process broke the egg. I understand that she should lay another egg tomorrow, but will they incubate one egg by itself?

I'm sure I'll have dozens of more questions over the next few weeks, and will be happy to accept any advice - regardless of the poster's credentials

 

[ptras]

This is more conflicting advice. When I first started researching the topic, I was told that ALL pigeons are homing pigeons. That it was just different degrees of homing instinct. I'm guessing that 25 miles is a bit far for the rollers to fly, but I don't want to take any chances.

You also say three months...I was told thirty days by the seller, who has been raising pigeons for fifty years. Another breeder I spoke with told me that the pigeons will NEVER consider my loft to be their home loft, and will take off if ever let out. Yet another breeder told me that after the birds raised young, we could then let them fly. This is all very confusing, and hopefully we can straighten it all out.

The two males that caused trouble were from the mated pairs. I was told that these four birds were all hatched in the fall of 2009, which would make them an appropriate age to mate and raise young. I temporarily have the two young birds in the same coop as the two pairs. I am in the process of building a "flying coop" for the young birds and for other young birds that I will be picking up this weekend. I am modeling it after the flying coops that the seller of our birds had.

 

[sky tx]

Birmingham Rollers have very little homing ability.They should stay at your loft after they learn where the feed is. Just don't take them away from the loft. Just let them out. And Hawks LOVE to get ROLLERS. So maybe keep your breeders in.

 

[Jay3]

This is more conflicting advice. When I first started researching the topic, I was told that ALL pigeons are homing pigeons. That it was just different degrees of homing instinct. I'm guessing that 25 miles is a bit far for the rollers to fly, but I don't want to take any chances.

You also say three months...I was told thirty days by the seller, who has been raising pigeons for fifty years. Another breeder I spoke with told me that the pigeons will NEVER consider my loft to be their home loft, and will take off if ever let out. Yet another breeder told me that after the birds raised young, we could then let them fly. This is all very confusing, and hopefully we can straighten it all out.

As far as homing ability goes, homers, of course do have better homing ability than other pigeons, as that's what they were bred for. But lots of other breeds of pigeons do have some homing ability. Of course, there are some fancies that would probably get lost if released next door. As far as letting out a roller that was flown, I don't know enough about the time period, but 3 months sounds a lot safer than a month. It would be better for them and for you, to let them get comfortable in their new home before letting them breed. Good luck with your new birds though.

 

[Guest]

Birmingham Rollers have very little homing ability.They should stay at your loft after they learn where the feed is. Just don't take them away from the loft. Just let them out. And Hawks LOVE to get ROLLERS. So maybe keep your breeders in.

sky tx is right, the rollers breed are not a breed for tossing from down the road , if you did any research at all on the web or thru books you would have found that out sounds like you are talking to the wrong people lol they are just for flying around ones loft and even then if they fly to far off they can easily get lost ... homers are a breed and they are bred to come home to where they were born from many miles away .. rollers can be bred anywhere and still be flown at any loft once settled in for a few weeks

p.s. trap train them like young birds just to help them learn the way into their new loft too, it will help in the long run for sure .

 

[ptras]

sky tx is right, the rollers breed are not a breed for tossing from down the road , if you did any research at all on the web or thru books you would have found that out sounds like you are talking to the wrong people lol they are just for flying around ones loft and even then if they fly to far off they can easily get lost ... homers are a breed and they are bred to come home to where they were born from many miles away .. rollers can be bred anywhere and still be flown at any loft once settled in for a few weeks

p.s. trap train them like young birds just to help them learn the way into their new loft too, it will help in the long run for sure .

I have read all that I could find on the subject, spoken to everyone I can speak to, and coasted the web for weeks before we ever bought the pigeons. Unfortunately, Ive found that many people give their opinions as facts on pigeon raising. That is why I'm posting here...trying to sort through all of the information to decide what is correct.

 

[Guest]

I have read all that I could find on the subject, spoken to everyone I can speak to, and coasted the web for weeks before we ever bought the pigeons. Unfortunately, Ive found that many people give their opinions as facts on pigeon raising. That is why I'm posting here...trying to sort through all of the information to decide what is correct.

there was a great roller pigeon guy from hawaii, if I could only remember his name I would start by asking him any details you wanted because not only did he have awesome birds but he new his stuff and loved to share .. does anyone remember his name ??? I think his name on here was bigislerollers you might want to shoot him an email since he hasnt been around here in a long time ..he really knows his birds he even had videos on youtube under the same name ..good luck .

 

[sky tx]

A lot of pigeon sellers are nothing more than Feather Merchants--Tell you anything to get your money.

 

[Guest]

A lot of pigeon sellers are nothing more than Feather Merchants--Tell you anything to get your money.

exactly .. just like when homing pigeon merchants tell people they can settle the older birds to their lofts and when they let them out they fly back to the guy that sold them the birds so they can sell them again

 

[ptras]

well if he has been raising rollers for 50 years, then go with what he says if you think it is correct. I know pigeons do not like change so the longer they are kept up and given time to settle in the better. I do know rollers are not homing pigeons. get the single birds out of the breeding area before you let anything hatch.

My "flying coop" is underway, and will be finished by Saturday. Saturday afternoon, we are picking up two additional young birds that haven't yet been flown. We also have an arrangement to pick up another mated pair (with eggs) on Thursday. That is a pair of racing homers that are being adopted by us. Do I need to maintain separate quarters for the homers and the rollers?

If pigeon keeping is as popular with my family as it appears it will be, I have plans to turn a clubhouse I built that the kids no longer use into our own little pigeon house. It is 8' x 10', with a shed roof. There is a 3' x 8' "front porch" which I can screen. BP (before pigeons) I was planning on removing it at the end of the summer

 

[Guest]

My "flying coop" is underway, and will be finished by Saturday. Saturday afternoon, we are picking up two additional young birds that haven't yet been flown. We also have an arrangement to pick up another mated pair (with eggs) on Thursday. That is a pair of racing homers that are being adopted by us. Do I need to maintain separate quarters for the homers and the rollers?

If pigeon keeping is as popular with my family as it appears it will be, I have plans to turn a clubhouse I built that the kids no longer use into our own little pigeon house. It is 8' x 10', with a shed roof. There is a 3' x 8' "front porch" which I can screen. BP (before pigeons) I was planning on removing it at the end of the summer

well you can keep them together but just keep a watch over them as homers are bigger then rollers and they can pick on them, but I dont think if you have enuf room there will be a problem keeping the two together .. now that pair with eggs isnt going to happen cuz once you move the eggs that pair will no longer sit on them again.. they dont like when their nest is moved and dont recognize it once its not where they put it .

 

[sky tx]

Yes --keep the Rollers and Homers separated--you DON"T want them to cross breed--you only RUIN both the rollers-rolling and the homers homing.

 

[ptras]

if the two youg birds are rollers it really does not matter if they have or have not been flown, rollers can be settled to your loft. the homers can not be flown as they may take off to their old loft. so they need to be kept secure so they do not get out, which can be a problem if your flying and trapping rollers and as Lakota said the eggs would be tossed as they will not sit them at the new place.

The racing homer pair are also young birds (five months) that have never been flown. They just laid their first egg today, and I will be picking them up next Thursday. Given that they've never been flown, can I fly them with my rollers? I'll contact the person who is adopting out the homers and let them know about the eggs.

I was planning on keeping the homer pair with my other mated pairs. Is that likely to be problematic?

 

[Guest]

The racing homer pair are also young birds (five months) that have never been flown. They just laid their first egg today, and I will be picking them up next Thursday. Given that they've never been flown, can I fly them with my rollers? I'll contact the person who is adopting out the homers and let them know about the eggs.

they are already to old to settle into your loft, but if you live close to the person selling them if they fly back home you can always go there and get them .. the fact that they already layed eggs there is a good sign thou that they will always try to get back home if they are good homers

 

[ptras]

there is a member here, that sold a young bird(homer) ready to settle to the new loft, sold it at the right age to settle, the person who bought it, let it out for the first time after trap training..guess what, it flew 60 miles back to its home loft, never been flown.. that was a good homer though and not typical for a young bird, so no you can not fly these homers. but of course you can go get them as Lakota has said if they do go back there which they may well do if that is their true hatch home or settled home, that is if the old loft is close, but who wants to keep doing that. the homer pair can be housed with the breeding rollers, as none of the breeders well be let out anyway because they are on eggs or babies.

I'm in Southeast Massachusetts, and we are adopting them from Northern New Hampshire...about a four hour ride. I think we'll just keep them in as breeders. Okay to fly their offspring?

 

[Guest]

I'm in Southeast Massachusetts, and we are adopting them from Northern New Hampshire...about a four hour ride. I think we'll just keep them in as breeders. Okay to fly their offspring?

I think that would be best and the fact that they are already laying now you should get them to set again on eggs within 3 weeks of being in the new loft so you will be well on your way to flyers in no time at all .. once they start laying it will be hard to get them to ever stop again so you will be having pigeons coming out your ears for training soon enuf trust me lol

 

[ptras]

I think that would be best and the fact that they are already laying now you should get them to set again on eggs within 3 weeks of being in the new loft so you will be well on your way to flyers in no time at all .. once they start laying it will be hard to get them to ever stop again so you will be having pigeons coming out your ears for training soon enuf trust me lol

The guy who sold us the rollers told us the same thing. He has over 250 birds in two large lofts, and two flying coops. I could tell how committed he is to the pigeons, because he obviously didn't want to let many of them go. My wife had to sweet talk him to get the two pairs we bought. His oldest pigeon is twenty years old - he's had it for nineteen years!

 

[Guest]

The guy who sold us the rollers told us the same thing. He has over 250 birds in two large lofts, and two flying coops. I could tell how committed he is to the pigeons, because he obviously didn't want to let many of them go. My wife had to sweet talk him to get the two pairs we bought. His oldest pigeon is twenty years old - he's had it for nineteen years!

its true pigeons are addicting but there will never be a shortage so once you have some you will always have more on the way so be prepared lol

 

[Guest]

The guy who sold us the rollers told us the same thing. He has over 250 birds in two large lofts, and two flying coops. I could tell how committed he is to the pigeons, because he obviously didn't want to let many of them go. My wife had to sweet talk him to get the two pairs we bought. His oldest pigeon is twenty years old - he's had it for nineteen years!

just wanted to add a roller group you can join to ask questions at ,here is the link http://www.roller-pigeon.com/Roller_Discussion.html and here is another forum you could join or just read info from http://yengkypigeons.informe.com/rollers-df4.html

 

[stuart]

All breeds of pigeon have the homing ability its just that some breeds are better at homing than others. I allow 3-6 weeks before i let them out.