# Flying Oriental Rollers



## pigeonsrock

I am looking for some Flying Oriental Rollers for a reasonable price. I heard they were good at not getting caught by hawks. Thanks.


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## warriec

Hello,

on what basis are they good so that they dont get caught to hawks.


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## becege

I raise the flying oriental rollers and fly them everyday weather permitting. I live in Northern Illinois. I haven't flown them for about a week now however because the temperature has been 10 below or so. We have coopers hawks here. They are about the size of a pigeon and have to chase the bird to the ground to get it. They can easily catch young birds just learning to fly. Once the pigeon has been outside and acquainted itself with the surroundings they can outfly these hawks. We also have red tail hawks but they are so big and slow they are not a problem. There is a coopers in the neighborhood that lives here year round, but I seldom have a problem. I fly about 4 to 9 birds in a kit. However about a month ago one cock bird got seperated from the other 6 birds while doing a flip and the coopers went after it. When things got too close for comfort, the oriental roller dove straight down, wings folded, right into a bunch of 40 foot tall pine trees. I could hear the "whoosh" 100 yards away. The hawk followed but pulled up at the last second and flew away. The roller didn't. I tried to find the bird in the pines but couldn't. After the others came down I went and checked the coop and he was back in wacooing his brains out like nothing happened. I was hoping to find him to find out if he landed on the ground like a donek. That has been my experience with hawks and flying orientals. I had birminghams years back and they seemed to have hawk casualties. Finally make sure that you get the flying type and not the show type. The show type have the big thick neck like all the other show pigeons in this country. I don't care for them myself.


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## pigeonsrock

I will make sure they are the flying type. Do you have any for sale?


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## pigeonsrock

I have a couple of questions. Do they have any homing ability? If I was to get old birds(keep them in for a while) and let them out would they leave and get lost or stay around? ALso how high do they fly(as in do they look like specs when flying)?


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## becege

*Flying Orientals*

Orientals have some homing ability. I lost three in a snowstorm that suddenly came up last winter while flying. Next day one was back. Young birds going out and flying around for the first few times sometimes get lost. Some come back after 2 to 5 days. The family that I have do not fly so high as to be specks. The better fed they are the higher they fly and longer. These birds do their couple of rolls at a lower height about 150 feet by my guess. Whatever birds you get keep them as breeders and fly the young. I wouldn't and have never attempted to fly birds that I have acquired no matter how long that I have had them. E-mail me privately if you are interested in any birds.


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## pigeonsrock

Ok, One more question, What is the difference between Husband's and Ferholz's? Which do you prefer?


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## becege

*Flying Orientals*

I had some Husband birds. I got rid of them because some of their offspring turned out to be rolldowns. The Ferholtz is what I believe I have. No rolldowns.


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