Roller Pigeons

[Gspsaku]

Just wanted to introduce myself and let others know that if anyone has questions about raising pigeons, especially roller pigeons, I am available and will answer any and all questions when I can find the time.

Below is a video of my portable kitbox

 

[cavemanrich]

Nice birds. How many do you have in your loft?
Are rollers all that you raise? BTW, how far from home do you go to fly them? Do some of them decide to fly home instead of into your KIT?
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,and,,

 

[biophiliac]

Welcome! That's a real nice video of your birds.

 

[Gspsaku]

Nice birds. How many do you have in your loft?
Are rollers all that you raise? BTW, how far from home do you go to fly them? Do some of them decide to fly home instead of into your KIT?
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,and,,

I have just over 50 right now, will get up to 100ish by fall. I keep them in a traditional kitbox.

My portable kitbox contains only 8 birds, I can fly them where ever I go and they know home is the dog carrier. And no, roller pigeons have very poor homing instincts so they don't fly "home" because home is the dog carrier.

PS, I've raised all sorts of breeds over the years but sticking to just rollers right now

 

[laughingdog]

Nice, I've seen that video years ago enjoying it. I sadly only have rollers now and few ferals, but they are great birds. I have one line that are pretty big, thinking they have racer blood in them to add color size and vigor, but they are pensom turner fireball rollers, I had a lot of solid shallow good colored rollers, but now only keep competition and deep rollers 30-50ft at least, but some seventy to 100ft), anf they perform perfectly to competition standard except they do other stunts for longer for hours as well as competition rolling only. They have homed from about thirty min drive through city and country, from young unflown birds .when I got my first batch of odd ones from awsome buddy.

 

[Mamacast]

Can anyone who raises pigeons tell me if they can have food left in their loft like quails or do they HAVE to be fed 2 per day. Could be a vacation killer ;-). I am wanting them to fly back to the loft when used for training, distance would be no more than 1/4 mile. So far everything I read says that they need to be hungry to fly back to the loft and not sure if I am up for daily feedings. Thanks for any answers to a research query!

 

[Gspsaku]

Can anyone who raises pigeons tell me if they can have food left in their loft like quails or do they HAVE to be fed 2 per day. Could be a vacation killer ;-). I am wanting them to fly back to the loft when used for training, distance would be no more than 1/4 mile. So far everything I read says that they need to be hungry to fly back to the loft and not sure if I am up for daily feedings. Thanks for any answers to a research query!

I assume you are using homing pigeons. With that said, having food in there 24/7 is acceptable except during training. Feeding 2x a day is the best method and when training, you take them out just before feeding time, whether it be early morning or late afternoon.

 

[Mamacast]

Thanks so much for the reply, I was only concerned about the feeding on the rare :-( occasion l am off on vacation, the rest of the time or when training is planned ahead I would have no problem with daily feeding.

 

[cavemanrich]

Once my pigeons were all homeset, I would loft fly them and they returned. I kept feed in containers inside loft at all time. Pigeons would fly/cruse around, and then park in my trees or roof top. As they felt, they returned to loft. (probably for some munchies ) All always went in at dusk.
Training, is a different feeding strategy.
Once they learn, they will continue to go back into home loft, regardless hungry, or not.
@Mamacast . Sounds like you are planning on pigeons? What kind do you have in mind? and BTW,,,,,,

 

[Mamacast]

Thanks for the welcome. I have 5 quail and a chukar currently and have just gotten temporary pens set up until it gets a bit warmer here in the mountains. I wanted to have maybe 4 pigeons that I could also use for dog training that would fly back to the coop. The other birds I have to put jesses on and while it works it still is not a real hunting scenario. Members of my club have homers they will sell but wanted to know what I was getting in to before saying yes. Any and all thoughts are appreciated, here is a video that inspired me...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_LUWRl5icg&t=404s