# Will tumbler home over a couple miles?



## jroth (Dec 18, 2012)

New user here.
I,m thinking about getting back into pigeon raising, and i would like to know if tumblers will return home over 2-4 miles like a homing pigeon. Thanks


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

some may and some may not.. they are not bred for homing ability. so you take you're chances. Im sure anything is possible but don't reley on it, and a lost roller could starve to death.


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## NZ Pigeon (Nov 12, 2011)

With lots of training a 2 mile fly should be easy enough but no guarantees, I mean there is not even guarantees with a racing pigeon. IF you are looking at getting back into racing pigeons don't bother with the tumblers. Keep them as pets and race the racers.


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## hamlet (Oct 26, 2004)

Hello. I agree with spirit wings and az pigeon. And if you were to test from a closer distance like 0.25 of a mile or less, and ONE bird at a time you would see your answer. If it is hungry but not thirsty, then it will try to come home faster. If it gets stuck wondering how to return home after an hour or so, then take a familiar bird and let it perch next to the lost bird or chase it up to fly with the lost bird and they should both make it home shortly. Increase the distances every couple of days or once a week. Lock them up immediately after their return, then feed and water: so they do not get preyed upon.


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## WestofSummerville (Jun 10, 2012)

I wold not take the risk again, I lost a prized tumbler and it got lost, most likely aten by a hawk


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## sangha (Dec 29, 2012)

*Do Not Do That*

I Have Tried That Only 1km..

Flown My 4 Tumblers With My Homers. I Thought They Will Fly Back With Them.

But No I Lost 3 Birds And The 4th One Came Bak Home After 3 Days Hungry As..

And Now I Found Other Two Pigeons Who Lost Died And One Got Found By Spca.

So Its Not Worth Doing It. Poor Birds Will Die Or Lost


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## WestofSummerville (Jun 10, 2012)

sangha said:


> I Have Tried That Only 1km..
> 
> Flown My 4 Tumblers With My Homers. I Thought They Will Fly Back With Them.
> 
> ...


Same here, I lost my tumbler the same way, except I only had on with a homer mix, thir baby, flew a way too, I totally agree with you


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## Revolution Lofts (Aug 7, 2008)

I wouldn't advise it. All pigeons are built for different things. Show pigeons for show, performance birds for performing at home, and racers for their homing ability.

It's like sending a 10 year old on a NASA mission to Mars - just not worth it.


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## LisaNewTumbler (Jun 24, 2013)

But if tumblers are left to free fly around their lost they won;t get lost right?

I'm new to tumblers


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## hamlet (Oct 26, 2004)

Hello again. I hope you know that some tumblers have become a show bird and not a flying bird. I have strived to keep the flying part of the tumblers alive, by giving away the show types to people who use them as droppers. 
Some people have overbred for the tumbling ability and now we got birds that only tumble and not fly at all.
Another thing, some good flying tumblers will get stuck in a tumbling mode for a time if they have been locked up for too long.
If you decide to raise tumblers, then get the flying type. Then breed the good flyers together. Then breed good flyer who do not get lost regularly, together. Then breed for good flyers that home good and are smart enough to survive the hawks to each other and hope that they have some tumbling skills left in them and *enjoy.*


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## LisaNewTumbler (Jun 24, 2013)

hamlet said:


> Hello again. I hope you know that some tumblers have become a show bird and not a flying bird. I have strived to keep the flying part of the tumblers alive, by giving away the show types to people who use them as droppers.
> Some people have overbred for the tumbling ability and now we got birds that only tumble and not fly at all.
> [/B]


Hi,
Actually I have no idea what kind of tumbler I have. I just adopted one last monday from my local bird rescue. They told me he is a tumbler but that he doesn't fly very well. I don;t know his background and I haven't seen him fly yet so I don't know what they meant by 'can't fly very well'

Would you be able to tell from a picture what kind he is?


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## LisaNewTumbler (Jun 24, 2013)




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## LisaNewTumbler (Jun 24, 2013)




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## hamlet (Oct 26, 2004)

Hello again. first, this bird looks like its cage is getting wet. I have had a female with similar colors except the eyes. Mine did not fly good either, however she had good sense of where her new home(mine) was. So she was used during times when there were stray pigeons that needed direction. I just took her and let her sit next to the stray and she brought it home on the way unlike some other birds which I thought were homers, but took them one day to get home from less than half a mile.
If it is the only one than, do not start training: just breed it and test the babies only. Once you got good babies that are trained, then you may wish to give him his freedom and see if it likes to fly. 
I like your bird, and its yello eyes. Thanks.


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## LisaNewTumbler (Jun 24, 2013)

hamlet said:


> Hello again. first, this bird looks like its cage is getting wet. I have had a female with similar colors except the eyes. Mine did not fly good either, however she had good sense of where her new home(mine) was. So she was used during times when there were stray pigeons that needed direction. I just took her and let her sit next to the stray and she brought it home on the way unlike some other birds which I thought were homers, but took them one day to get home from less than half a mile.
> If it is the only one than, do not start training: just breed it and test the babies only. Once you got good babies that are trained, then you may wish to give him his freedom and see if it likes to fly.
> I like your bird, and its yello eyes. Thanks.


Hey 

You think the cage is wet? Is it the state of his tail feathers that gives that impression or something else?

I only got him 5 days ago. He's a rehomed rescue that was probably sitting in a box or small carrier cage for sometime before he came to me - hence the dirty tail. I'm still getting him used to me. Once he's not so frightened I want to take him indoors so that I can check how he flies and let him have a much needed BATH 
I don;t want to move him yet, as he's only just started eating out of my hands.

I don't intend 'homing' him, just opening the cage and letting him stretch his wings. Do you think I have to wait to breed him before letting him fly? I don't have a flight pen. I have a wall cot for him to sleep in, it was never intended to keep him in there for the rest of his life.


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## hamlet (Oct 26, 2004)

Hello Lisa.... I agree with what you are doing so far. But, i could never get a bird to stay for long when they were liberated. What i do is clip both wings evenly and let them stretch their wings and fly a little, daily if possible.


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## LisaNewTumbler (Jun 24, 2013)

hamlet said:


> Hello Lisa.... I agree with what you are doing so far. But, i could never get a bird to stay for long when they were liberated. What i do is clip both wings evenly and let them stretch their wings and fly a little, daily if possible.


hmm shucks that might make things complicated. He's on the roof so I'm not comfortable clipping his wings.

I did buy an aviator harness when I was told he doesn't fly very well but it's going to take a LONG time until he trusts me enough to put it on.

When you say liberated, do you mean that they could come and go as they please? Or you would you let them out and then feed them when they returned?

Thanks


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## hamlet (Oct 26, 2004)

LisaNewTumbler said:


> hmm shucks that might make things complicated. He's on the roof so I'm not comfortable clipping his wings.
> _That maybe an issue if it decides to start gliding withe the clipped wings, you are right._
> 
> 
> ...


..........


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## LisaNewTumbler (Jun 24, 2013)

Thanks for your suggestions nonetheless  The more information/feedback I have the better a solution I can think of

If I regulate his fly time perhaps I can have more control and have him stay.

Roof lofts and cots are pretty standard where I live  not a lot of people have enough garden space for a loft. Also we don;t have any flying predators like hawks and it keeps them away from feral cats. They also tend to stay on 'their' roof rather than neighbors roofs since home and a nice high perch are one and the same


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## jafacanyan (Jul 17, 2013)

which breed would be best at flying over say 100 miles? I doubt rollers or tumbler would be able to manage that many miles.


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## lordcornwallis (May 2, 2010)

i gave a tumbler to a man along with other tumblers, he did not fancy some so he just threw them out i think , one of the tumblers a blue bar takla x persian cock flew back to my loft from ten miles away !!! i will never give this person a pigeon again as long as i live...


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## Chuck K (Jan 12, 2013)

Lisa, that bird is not a tumbler.

It looks like a mix of one of three breeds Strasser, Modena, or King to some smaller breed. The size could be any of those three, but the pattern looks like a mis-marked gazzi from Modena or Strasser pigeons. It may have been bred by someone trying to move the gazzi pattern into another breed.

I doubt the bird can fly well as most of those breeds are not known for flying ability.

Those folks asking about tumblers homing from two to four miles have gotten some good replies. I once raised and flew West of England Tumblers, and those birds stuck well to home, and I rarely lost one. I have also raised rollers for years, and I lose birds all the time from flying at home. The rollers will tend to stray. I have also given rollers to people as far as thirty miles away and had them come home when released to early. It depends on the birds. A good rolling roller will not make it back. My experience has been that a bird that is strong and seldom in performance will be the one that comes home from being lost or given away.


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## 95SPORTSTER (Jun 30, 2011)

there are people training and tossing there tipplers from 30 miles and even further here is a link to one of there sites www.tossingtipplers.com


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