Sourland
5 posts
Dec 26, 2004
9:37 AM
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It's the day after Christmas, and I'm sorely tempted to fly my birds-I'm in withdrawal. I last flew my birds on Nov. 7 and suffered major hawk attacks. Between actual kills and forced overfly (birds were up over 5 hours), I lost 12 birds. My backyard is very tight- surrounded by 40 ft. trees. In order to come in. birds must bank several times becoming easy targets for the hawks. Is there another breed or breeds that I can fly during the heavy hawk season? I used to keep a flock of homers for pleasure flying. After their first season they became pretty hawk resistant. They would quit the flock and come in as individuals diving to the loft and rapidly trapping. My rollers because of their strong kitting nature do not exhibit this behavior. Any ideas so that a pigeon man can fly SOMETHING during the off season? Thanks, Geo.
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Sourland
6 posts
Dec 27, 2004
11:23 AM
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Alan- Thanks for the response. These are two of the sites that I have stumbled on in the past. Looks as if good flying oriental rollers are going to be even more difficult to obtain than good Birmingham rollers. Just know that I can't go through another winter without something to fly! Geo.
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Alan Bliven
47 posts
Dec 27, 2004
1:19 PM
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I don't have any for sale but I believe my friend here in AZ does and sells them very reasonable but I believe he only has 04 cocks available and some sqeekers. His name is Dennis Radi rollerdoneks@aol.com
Also try Donavon White in Hemet CA... Turbits@att.net He has 04 birds in various colors for 20.00 each.
And Bill Tietze in Minnesota will surely be able to help. billtietze@integraonline.com
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Alan
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bluebar
15 posts
Dec 27, 2004
3:40 PM
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You can also get some really decent flying stock from John Skistimas skistimas@hotmail.com
I had birds from him that looked like they hit a freakin' wall and just dropped like balls. One andalusian spun like a top. I gave that one to a buddy. My other stuff came from birds out of J P Isom, Dale Husband, Andy Estrada, and Utah bloodlines.
Be aware that OR's DO NOT always take to the air like Birminghams. I had to learn how to fly them from some of the older flyers. I used to take them across the yard in a crate and release them from there and they would go up and fly. If I released them from the loft, a lot of times they'd just sit.
You might want to read those info pieces at the F.O.R.S. site http://www.wod.com/fors/
And, no, I don't have any available. I had to dispose of all my birds a year ago due to a probate sale of property (piece of free financial advice to all of you whose estates will exceed your state's limits! -- in California, e.g., that means if your estate is valued at more than $100,000 (including your house) GET A LIVING TRUST FOR YOUR FAMILY'S PROTECTION!)
Happy New Year
Last Edited by bluebar on Dec 27, 2004 3:46 PM
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Alan Bliven
48 posts
Dec 27, 2004
9:47 PM
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Here's an article by Andy Estrada on training the FOR http://members.lycos.nl/vds/articles/trainen.htm
I have birds from that came from Andy as well. They are from the German pairs he imported. They are the tamest birds I have ever had. They fly all over you when you enter the loft. And their coo is more of a song than a normal coo. I haven't flown them yet because I only have a few pair of stock birds but this family is supposed to be high flying, deep rollers but we'll see.
The fellow I got them from plans to compete with them against the Birminghams in the local fly competition. I'm not sure how that will work out but he says he used to win many of the meets in Minnesota when he used to fly Birminghams but we'll see :)
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Alan
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Mount Airy Lofts
8 posts
Dec 27, 2004
9:48 PM
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If you would like to fly a performance flying breed, you might want to get your hands on some Doneks. These guys are fast flying drivers. Doneks are a rare and hard breed to get your hands on but once you find some quality birds, they are well worth flying during the hawk season.
If you are just looking for a performance breed to past time during the hawk season, then give the Parlor Rollers a try. Some Parlor strains will fly acouple of months before being grounded (lose the ability to fly). Once grounded, it is near impossible to lose a bird to the sky sharks when supervised. Of course this breed will become a non-flying breed so if you like to view your pigeons flying free in the air like me, then this is not the breed for you.
Just some suggestions-
Thor
P.S. I know guys here who flys Oriental Rollers and the hawks still pick them out of the air like any white on rice. Heck even the Racing Homer (another Performance breed) guys aren't free from loses.
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Alan Bliven
49 posts
Dec 27, 2004
10:06 PM
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The Flying Oriental Roller and the Oriental Roller are two distinct breeds. It's like the Helmut used to be a flying tumbler but now has lost that ability due to breeding for show. The same is true of the Oriental Roller. The true FOR is listed as a rare breed by the Rare Breeds Pigeon Club and is hawk resistant. But you are right, no flying breed is hawk proof.
The FOR is also a diving performer like the Donek. But yes, these Diver breeds are amazing. They will dive to the loft at about 90 MPH when called.
The true flying Egyptian Swifts are great fliers and are hawk resistant. Check this site out. It has a video of a Swift dueling with a hawk in the sky http://www.geocities.com/kingtutloft/duel.htm But of course neither they nor the Donek will spin like our rollers do.
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Alan
Last Edited by Alan Bliven on Dec 27, 2004 10:11 PM
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bluebar
16 posts
Dec 27, 2004
10:16 PM
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I used to fly Doneks as well as the OR's. Personally, I loved the flight of the Doneks, but they were continual heartbreakers since they had the homing instinct of a brick. They are bred to drop to any bird below them and often that was someone's bird from down the street, a commie near the gas station, etc., and they never seemed to find their way back to their own loft.
It wasn't just me who had this happen either, but at least three others that I knew of. Maybe we were doing something wrong in our training, but as much as I really, really enjoyed their flight, I got sick and tired of having to restart my breeding program each year due to losses.
Maybe those of you in more rural areas may have better success - and I truly would like to know how those in Turkish cities fly their birds without losing them -- but here??????
Frank
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