My first pigeons- rollers or homers - help!

[Abrielle]

Hello!
I'm just starting out in researching and getting set up to own my first pigeons.
I'm trying to choose between homers and rollers. There are some specific questions I have that I could find answers to online.
-is one breed more hardy than the other? I live in Wisconsin.
-is either breed more affectionate?
-which breed requires the least training?
And lastly, my most important questions involve my surrounding. I live in a forest and swamp area. My home is in a clearing with yard and driveway then surrounded by woods. Can my pigeons find their loft if it is right next to my house? Also, is one breed better for such a wooded setting? I've read rollers have a hard time with trees?

Thanks in advance for any and all replies.

 

[biophiliac]

Hello!
I'm just starting out in researching and getting set up to own my first pigeons.
I'm trying to choose between homers and rollers. There are some specific questions I have that I could find answers to online.
-is one breed more hardy than the other? I live in Wisconsin.
-is either breed more affectionate?
-which breed requires the least training?
And lastly, my most important questions involve my surrounding. I live in a forest and swamp area. My home is in a clearing with yard and driveway then surrounded by woods. Can my pigeons find their loft if it is right next to my house? Also, is one breed better for such a wooded setting? I've read rollers have a hard time with trees?

Thanks in advance for any and all replies.

I think @backyard pigeons has both of those. I only have homers.

 

[Abrielle]

I think @backyard pigeons has both of those. I only have homers.

Are your homers affectionate? I see you're from DeForest- I'm in the Wausau area!

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC. Both breeds are hardy and prolific breeders. Rollers have been bred/selected for flock or kit performance; therefore, they fly as a unit. When coming in to the loft they do so as a group. In an area with tall trees they must bank several times before hitting the landing platform. When they are banking, the Cooper's hawk will strike them from above. Homers fly as a flock, and will land as a flock, but after getting harassed by hawks they learn to land and enter the loft separately in sort of a dive to safety. With my location -basically an open lot surrounded by tall trees the cooper's hawks put me out of business with my rollers. My homers were somewhat more successful at surviving hawk attacks.

 

[biophiliac]

My homers are friendly and like to interact with me on their own terms. lol. They do not like to be picked up and held. Most will take peanuts from my hand and some will land on my head. Birds that I handled alot as babies are tamer than others. They aren't affectionate like a dog or cat but they are amazing and smart. I love to watch them fly
Both homers and rollers are hardy birds and do well in Wisconsin climate.
I suppose you could keep either homers or rollers without training them. If you don't train them they won't perform well but they are still nice pets.

I have 19 birds now and that's all I have room for. I won't let them breed unless I have a suitable home for their offspring. If you get a loft built, let me know if you want some squeakers.

 

[biophiliac]

Many of the pigeon people hang out at...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/pigeon-talk.1276029/page-626#post-21358765
Feel free to ask questions there also.

 

[backyard pigeons]

Hello!
I'm just starting out in researching and getting set up to own my first pigeons.
I'm trying to choose between homers and rollers. There are some specific questions I have that I could find answers to online.
-is one breed more hardy than the other? I live in Wisconsin.
-is either breed more affectionate?
-which breed requires the least training?
And lastly, my most important questions involve my surrounding. I live in a forest and swamp area. My home is in a clearing with yard and driveway then surrounded by woods. Can my pigeons find their loft if it is right next to my house? Also, is one breed better for such a wooded setting? I've read rollers have a hard time with trees?

Thanks in advance for any and all replies.

1: they are both very hardy, and I have seen no difference in their hardiness.

2: generally speaking, rollers will be less flighty than homers, but that is just because homers have been bread to be aloof, ready to take off and fly. While rollers take their time a bit more. But all of that to say, either breed will be calm around you if you work with them. All my birds are willing to eat out of my hand.

3: if you ask a roller fancier, they will say rollers, but if you ask a homer fancier, they say homers. It all comes down to surroundings, which I'll get to in a minute.

4: how big of a clearing are we talking? A pic would be nice. But, rollers are hard to train to fly, AND come back with trees. It's possible, but very hard. Mine don't fly well, and it's because of the trees. But my homers on the other hand, they are champs in the trees, so majestic, flying so fast, and they rarely get lost, but still can get caught by hawks. Not as much as rollers though. soo overall, homers are better flying in the trees, and if you have trees, you have hawks, and homers can fare better with them than rollers.

But really, it comes down to what you want. Do you want, some colorful birds that will fly up, roll, and come back down after 20 or so minutes. Or do you want birds you can take away from home, let go, and they will be waiting for you home?

I love both breeds, but if I had to choose one, it would be the homers. It's so fun wondering where they could be going as they fly out of sight on a loft fly, compared to worried your rollers are gonna get lost. Now if I had a cleared area for my rollers, it may be a different story.

I hope this helps! And feel free to ask any more qeustions. Oh, and welcome to BYC!

 

[backyard pigeons]

I think @backyard pigeons has both of those. I only have homers.

Thanks for the tag!

 

[biophiliac]

1: they are both very hardy, and I have seen no difference in their hardiness.

2: generally speaking, rollers will be less flighty than homers, but that is just because homers have been bread to be aloof, ready to take off and fly. While rollers take their time a bit more. But all of that to say, either breed will be calm around you if you work with them. All my birds are willing to eat out of my hand.

3: if you ask a roller fancier, they will say rollers, but if you ask a homer fancier, they say homers. It all comes down to surroundings, which I'll get to in a minute.

4: how big of a clearing are we talking? A pic would be nice. But, rollers are hard to train to fly, AND come back with trees. It's possible, but very hard. Mine don't fly well, and it's because of the trees. But my homers on the other hand, they are champs in the trees, so majestic, flying so fast, and they rarely get lost, but still can get caught by hawks. Not as much as rollers though. soo overall, homers are better flying in the trees, and if you have trees, you have hawks, and homers can fare better with them than rollers.

But really, it comes down to what you want. Do you want, some colorful birds that will fly up, roll, and come back down after 20 or so minutes. Or do you want birds you can take away from home, let go, and they will be waiting for you home?

I love both breeds, but if I had to choose one, it would be the homers. It's so fun wondering where they could be going as they fly out of sight on a loft fly, compared to worried your rollers are gonna get lost. Now if I had a cleared area for my rollers, it may be a different story.

I hope this helps! And feel free to ask any more qeustions. Oh, and welcome to BYC!

Very good post! That why I tagged you.

 

[backyard pigeons]

Very good post! That why I tagged you.

You had good replys also!