What Are Roller Pigeons? - Birmingham Rollers and the Roller Pigeon Hobby

The Birmingham Roller is a great little Ariel acrobat. The roller pigeon is a pigeon much smaller than its racing cousin. The roller pigeon is one that has been bred for years to enhance the roll of this little bird. What is the roll you ask? Birmingham rollers are pigeons that perform back flips while flying. These flips can range from 2 to 6 flips consecutively, at depths from 10 to 30 feet.

Roller pigeons are kept in what is known as a kit box. most kit boxes have the dimensions of 4 feet by 3 feet or 3x3. Usually, birds are kept in what is known as kits. Each kit box holds either 20 or 11 birds. These birds are flown anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on what it is the fancier is trying to accomplish.

Most fanciers of rollers either raise birds for backyard flying, or competition. Competition flying of roller pigeons is very organized and very competitive. Plenty of time and resources are put in to developing a world class kit. Some kits of birds have sold for as much as $2,000. Competition can vary from the World Cup, which is an international roller pigeon competition with fanciers competing from all over the world. To that of local clubs and backyard flyer's competing for bragging rights. What one must understand in reference to competing with rollers, is a number of birds are allowed to fly 20 or 11. The winners are judged on the amount of turns their birds make, as well as style of fly.

In order to get a kit of birds to roll requires little or no experience. Thus the popularity with children. This is of course not the case with competitive roller fanciers. Competition rollers are selectively bred and cared for by fanciers dedicated to preserving the standard of the breed. Furthermore, these fanciers incorporate strict feeding and conditioning routines to enhance their birds performance.

In training young birds to fly one must also incorporate a strict feeding routine. If not, one can ruin birds that would have been great kit birds and performers. By a strict feeding routine i mean to not over feed your birds. This would hinder all aspects of training since the fancier would not have any control over their birds. Feed control also keeps one's birds more lean and able to roll.

The hobby of keeping and breeding roller pigeons is one that lasts a life time. It is also a hobby that can bring the family together and even relive stress. So if you like birds try this fun and inexpensive hobby.