What’s easier to train to fly around the loft Homers or Rollers?

[badwhiskey]

Need advice

 

[cavemanrich]

I only kept Homers, and never got into Rollers. I think both would loft fly easily. Homers have the added advantage of finding home.
This is important if your flock gets chased by a raptor like a hawk.
A Homer, may take a while, but most-likely will return to your loft after being chased/scattered by a hawk. A Roller very possibly may not find way home if chased for some distance.
I do not know the distance a roller can venture away from loft. Never had them to determine that. I will tag @sourland and see what he suggests. He kept Rollers.
Rollers are also easier prey for hawks compared to Homers. When they do their fancy acrobatics, hawks can quite easily catch them in mid-air.
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[badwhiskey]

I’m learning...appreciate the info

 

[biophiliac]

I’m learning...appreciate the info

I agree with @cavemanrich and especially that @sourland is the roller expert.

 

[sourland]

Rollers can be subject to overflies if harassed by a hawk late in the day. Unlike homers they will not leave the flock to home solo. During an overfly they frequently get so far away that they can not find their way home. When I first got my birds they were very subject to overflies resulting in failure to return. Over the years of breeding from the birds that did return my losses decreased significantly. I gave some birds to someone more than 100 miles away, and a hen from that group found her way home - very unusual for a roller.

 

[biophiliac]

Rollers can be subject to overflies if harassed by a hawk late in the day. Unlike homers they will not leave the flock to home solo. During an overfly they frequently get so far away that they can not find their way home. When I first got my birds they were very subject to overflies resulting in failure to return. Over the years of breeding from the birds that did return my losses decreased significantly. I gave some birds to someone more than 100 miles away, and a hen from that group found her way home - very unusual for a roller.

A homing roller, WOW, !

 

[backyard pigeons]

Need advice

For me, homers were way easier. My rollers never seemed to 'get off the ground,' literally. All the trees by the loft forced them to fly low and not for long intervals. My homers were up for the challenge. They whized right between trees, and up above the tree line where they will fly for 10 minutes to 2 hours.

 

[badwhiskey]

I’ve got a lot of trees in my yard...so hawks will be an issue also

 

[badwhiskey]

Rollers can be subject to overflies if harassed by a hawk late in the day. Unlike homers they will not leave the flock to home solo. During an overfly they frequently get so far away that they can not find their way home. When I first got my birds they were very subject to overflies resulting in failure to return. Over the years of breeding from the birds that did return my losses decreased significantly. I gave some birds to someone more than 100 miles away, and a hen from that group found her way home - very unusual for a roller.

Good to know!

 

[backyard pigeons]

The choice is yours, but for me, homers are SUPERB to rollers! You can't beat a homer flying one hundred miles home. Rollers are boring to a degree.... It gets tiring to watch them in the same yard doing the same thing. Homers you can take them to a city, a lake, a friends house, a nursing home, schools, etc. I love my homers. The bird in my avy is a 2020 hatch in April. It is a pure white racing homer hen.