roller pigeons

[firestomp]

For some reason all my replies are going to one person. I THINK. New at this, so I will try this method. If I am doing something wrong, I will take any advice on how to get a question out to everybody.
I would like to raise rollers or tumblers I have heard them called, is there a difference? I want the ones that tumble down then zip back up. I just thought of this, I could get eggs from someone and hatch them myself. This may all be foolish since I have known coopers hawks that pray on the doves at the feeders. I would love to try this anyway, and it is simpler to ship eggs than birds. If the losses are to great I will have to abandon my hopes. Had one and homers as a child. Any help would be great. send me a reply or personal message. I will give you my number and we can talk or text. I even have quail egg shipping package I can send you to ship eggs to me. Thanks for anyone's help. FireStomp

 

[sourland]

Tumblers do a series of quick flips and then return to the kit. Rollers flip deeper and longer before returning to the kit. Hand rearing squabs although not impossible is extremely difficult. Shipped eggs are always a crap shoot as far as viability, and the timing with fosters is essential so that the parents will be producing pigeon milk when the squabs hatch. Far easier and better to start with adult birds. Coopers hawks and rollers are a bad combination. At one time I was raising as many as 90 young birds a year. By the time I had them flown and loft trained I might be down to 30 or so of the fastest least frequent performers. The hawks caught and ate all of the good birds. The hawks finally put me out of business. I got to the point where I just couldn't handle the extensive deaths.

 

[firestomp]

I had forgotten all about the parents feeding them the crop milk. I was about 10 when I got pigeons and 16 when I stopped. I think I will just stick with my other animals. I am going to build a strong flight pen for my Bobs. It will be covered in wire. Thanks for your help.

 

[firestomp]

yes, my dreams of rollers will be put to rest, knowing I have a breeding pair of coopers hawks basically at my door. I have came to same for quail flight pen. I am sure they would dive at them enough to stir the quail into a frenzy and the poor things would probably break their necks. I see the nesting pair of paragon falcons here at work take birds or dive to stir them off their perch all spring and summer. they as well as an owl have been seen hunting them in the plant at night. it is a great thing all of the predators and game that have made a comeback in IN. from the reintroduction programs. The last I seen, we have wild turkey back in all but 3 counties here. hawks,even eagles nesting on white river in Indianapolis. wonderful to watch them in action, and is always part of the game if you free range anything. They are doing what they do. No fault of theirs. IT'S NATURE AT IT'S BEST

 

[laughingdog]

I trained my rollers to go up or come down on command, and exercised my birds wings from when get strength in nest (raising and lowering in hand and back and fourth and tilting as make certain sound for maneuvers each. The resident hawks except for brief attempts by fledglings, n non resident hawks that get chased away by residents. Plus my Muscovy ducks, game chickens, dogs n cats chase and eat when catch. Most rollers horrible fliers and targeted because rolling gene seen weakness in predator minds. My worst rollers roll thirty feet, my best a hundred feet.
My one hundred foot roller cock oddly best flier out of all. I cull heavily for flying etc ability balanced with rolling thirty feet at least. Hawks don't get them, were most fly mainly what I've seen as vastly sub par fliers in wind, still air, etc..