# Roller Questions....



## Birds Forever (Nov 3, 2010)

I have a couple questions about my Birmingham Rollers. I am flying four birds right now,two young birds that I hand-raised and two old birds. I have been trap training them for long time and since they all trapping in fast,I have started to let them out without the cage and then I call them through the trap and feed them after a couple minutes. I have been doing this for about 5 days now and they all have been doing pretty well. The problem is,when I let them out,they usually just fly to the ground or hover around me. I have never fed them out of my hands or put food on the ground for them. I am wanting them to get up in the air and fly more. Is there something I could do to get them to fly more? They are not starving,the night before I fly them, I give them just 1 tablespoon of food and then I fly them the next morning. Any advice or tips would be GREAT! Thanks


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## Dutchwitschild (Feb 7, 2009)

> Is there something I could do to get them to fly more?


I hope I do understand what your problem is. In this case, I would take the youngsters and bring them about 50 meters from their loft. So they have to use their wings. Next time, you can try the same with 100 meters. After some times they like to use their wings and will fly better.
Good luck!


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## Birds Forever (Nov 3, 2010)

Thanks alot!


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## indigobob (Nov 12, 2008)

Birds Forever said:


> I have a couple questions about my Birmingham Rollers. I am flying four birds right now,two young birds that I hand-raised and two old birds. I have been trap training them for long time and since they all trapping in fast,I have started to let them out without the cage and then I call them through the trap and feed them after a couple minutes. I have been doing this for about 5 days now and they all have been doing pretty well. The problem is,when I let them out,they usually just fly to the ground or hover around me. I have never fed them out of my hands or put food on the ground for them. I am wanting them to get up in the air and fly more. Is there something I could do to get them to fly more? They are not starving,the night before I fly them, I give them just 1 tablespoon of food and then I fly them the next morning. Any advice or tips would be GREAT! Thanks


What feed are you using? Is 1 tablespoon the amount of feed they get per day each? Your description of their behaviour when you release them suggests they are too hungry to fly.


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## Birds Forever (Nov 3, 2010)

I have been feeding them cracked corn,milo and wheat. And for all 4 of them,they get 4 tablespoons in the morning and then 4 tablespoons again in the evening. I have stopped reducing thier feed the day before I fly them and they have started to fly around a little bit more. But now when I let them out,they just loaf around on top of the kitbox. I'd like them to fly more. Only one of them really likes to fly and doesn't want to come back in.


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## indigobob (Nov 12, 2008)

Are they flying Rollers? Did you get them from a Roller flier, did you see any of the person's birds flying?

I feed my birds once a day after they have flown. I vary the amount of feed depending on weather conditions and how long the birds are flying, etc. I feed a higher protein diet to my young birds while they are growing, older birds will fly OK on a lower protein diet. 

Feeding Flying Rollers is the most difficult aspect to get to grips with; most fliers will have different feeding regimes. A lot is trial and error and experience with your particular birds. Different families of Flying Rollers often require different feeding regimes.


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## Birds Forever (Nov 3, 2010)

I'm not quite sure what you mean by flying rollers. I did get them from a Roller flier.The man that I got them from said that he had flown them before. I wasn't able to see any of his birds fly,he didn't have any in his kitbox at the time. He had alot of nice Rollers. What time of day do you fly your birds? Do you give them more feed since you only feed them once a day?
Also,should I start to flag my pigeons to get them to fly? My old bird cock loves to fly and I've seen him roll several times. But the other ones don't fly that much. Thanks for answering my questions.....I'm sort of a newbie at this.


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## fresnobirdman (Dec 27, 2008)

Looks like your birds are too hungry to fly; the thing is that if they are new to your loft you would have to starve them before you fly them.
But now they know your home so you don't have to starve them as much now. You should feed them 17.5 % protein or winners cup.

Let them have a little more than what your feeding... 
And if you think they really know your home you should flag them up and don't let them land until you think they flown enough.


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## fresnobirdman (Dec 27, 2008)

There is a guy in Seymour, MO that knows rollers more than most of us. His name is Tony. You should get in reach with him.


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## LittleJohn (Jan 1, 2009)

flag em up, they are being lazy. the common tendency is to overfeed rollers...this causes many problems....BUT...your birds know where home is, they know how to trap in, so make em fly! 

it will only take a few times of flagging them up and they will know what you want them to do....these birds are intelligent. 

Also the comment of taking them a short distance from your kit box....that works too....whatever you decide....keep em in the air....make them get up dont let them land on the gound or loaf around or that is all they will do.

good luck....keep us informed on how they are doing.

LittleJohn


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## Birds Forever (Nov 3, 2010)

Thanks for your advice guys. I'm going to fly them this morning,so I'll try what you suggested. 
I think I might know where the guy in Seymour lives......There is a large pigeon loft a little ways outside of town. I'll have to get in touch with him sometime. I will keep you posted as to my birds progress.


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## Birds Forever (Nov 3, 2010)

Update: This morning was a little windy. I let the pigeons out and the babies just fly a little bit and then landed back on the kitbox. But the two adult birds took off flying and flew about 20 large circles around the house,rolled a couple times and then perched in a tree. I whistled and shook the feed jug and the babies darted into the kitbox right away but the parents wouldn't come down and go in. I scared them out of the tree but they still didn't trap in. So I put one of the young birds in a cage on the kitbox roof and after a couple minutes,they came down and went in.


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## kelliepulido (Mar 16, 2010)

sounds like a good day then the babies will catch on.and maybe need to adjust the food just a tiny bit,but I think that is good for today .. they enjoyed their time out.Of course I am just starting myself so nothing I say really has any stock but I enjoy hearing about your experience I am sure I wlill be going thr the same sooon


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## Birds Forever (Nov 3, 2010)

Okay,here's an update if anyone in interested. I flew the pigeons yesterday at both feeding times. They did great! At the morning feeding them flew around for awhile and then landed on the house for minute. I did the feed call and the babies flew down and went in after a minute but the old birds were more ornery. They flew in BIG circles around the house for about 3 minutes and then they reluctantly flew down and went in. The evening flight was much better. I let them out and they took off flying way up high in the sky and began circling and rolling now and then. They didn't stay close together,they were sort of all over. But after about 6-8 minutes,they all flew down and landed on the barn and I called them into the kitbox. I am very pleased with thier progress but I would like them to stay closer together in the air. When will they start to do that?


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## Ross Howard (Nov 26, 2009)

The more you fly them the better they should but all do not it's all part of the roller game.


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## aslan1 (Jul 22, 2010)

If you fly them everyday they should kit in a week or 2.


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## lostflight (Aug 18, 2008)

If you notice they are sitting in trees when you are calling them, you are feeding them too much. Don't let young birds see them tree sitting, it will only produce more tree sitters.


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## Birds Forever (Nov 3, 2010)

Ok,thanks. I didn't fly the rollers yesterday or this morning be cause it was raining and windy but if the weather stays nice, I'll probably fly them this evening.


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