Ketchup

Good job buddy.

I know there’s lots of hoarders in this group. I’m looking for some of those 410 shells you have stored away that you should have sold years ago. Any shot size but prefer #6.

Ok thanks. I don’t get down that way much or I’d swing by and try to work a deal.

Are you local to Springfield?

Another hour and this kit box is done. Haven’t built one in 16 years, but it’s like riding a bike.

Ammo is expensive, but not close to what each of these cost.

Aren’t they purty?

Yeah, as long as the motor is a 2 stroke, pre 1982 and isn’t black. But, he’s a good dude.

These guys were hitting the fish probably 30 or 40 times before they pulled them in the boat.

Speaking of beating your fish. I watched a video the other day where guys were catching tuna and they would beat them over the head with a stick. I didn’t know that was a thang.

I’ve been to his house, he’s pretty elderly. 😉

The hawks are a pigeons guys enemy. Just have to work around them. If you want to have 40 young birds left over every fall, you have to breed 80. I pick up my birds tomorrow. Got half of my kitbox ready, and will finish the other half soon.

I think dutch pointed out on another thread that you DONT, so just giving you some other things to learn. 😁

Growing up i did the same. We would go out most weekend nights and take them to a guy. He would pay us $1.00 a bird and sold them to dog trainers.

Lots of famous people have rollers. Mike Tyson is a big name in the pigeon world.

Those are not in the same league as these. Birmingham Rollers have a massive following worldwide. They are the Musky in a pond full of minnows.

Want to see a cool pigeon, search for parlor rollers. Kids absolutely love these birds as they can’t fly really, but flip backwards on the ground.

There was a mexican guy i met at a farm sale that inquired about the shirt i had on at the time. It had a pigeon on the back. During our talk he asked if i ever had birds that i culled, and i said yes. He said he would take them and eat. About twice a year i would save those i chose not to fly or breed from and he would pick them up. He said they are no different than other birds, or chicken. I did eat some at a buddies but maybe due to the feed they ate, it tasted more like eating a bass VS a walleye. Little more gamey than chicken.

Most domesticated pigeons are fed a mixed feed. Common grains like corn, milo, millet, wheat, etc. I once was hired by a dairy farmer to shoot as many pigeons as i could as they were causes issues with the dairy barns.

Ness, for myself it is very enjoyable just sitting out there with them, listening to them coo, and just watch them being birds. The real excitement comes when you see a kit of birds that you raised, get airborn for the first time, and then in a week or so start tail sitting before they start actually rolling. These little creatures have same me lots of money on counseling over the years I’m sure.

Here is a good, short video.

Quill, they are not in that homers can go hundreds of miles and return home. The rollers are stationary to their home. When you fly them they will go up around 200 to 300 feet and do their rolls, fly between 15 minutes to an hour, and land on their kitbox and go in via a trap door. In a competition setting, you fly either an 11 bird kit or a 20 bird kit. The birds have to fly at least 20 minutes. If a bird lands before the 20 minutes your kit is DQ’d. They are judged by how many break “roll at the same time” and the depth of the roll. They have to roll a minimum of 10’ to score. The more that break and deeper the roll the better the score. A great bird will roll 30’ to 40’ and do it 2 or 3 times a minute during competition. During competition other fliers come to your house to watch. There is a single judge that travels house to house. In the World Cup fly, a single judge will spend 2 months traveling to hundreds of lofts all over the world, judging birds. That fly happens once a year, in the fall. Its a great hobby, great people, and wonderful for kids. Like anything it can get expensive. Some birds can go for up to $1000 each. A great producing pair of breeders can go for $2500 to $4500. A typical young bird sold to guys like me is between $20 and $40 for a squeaker which is one old enough to wean off the parents, and ready to start training.

Will do. Stop by one day once i get them going.

Growing up, i was 10 years old when i met a neighbor older than myself, maybe in his early 30’s that had pigeons. I could see his birds flying from my back yard. I pointed them out to my dad one day and and asked him if i could walk the 4 doors down and talk to the guy. He said sure go ahead, so off i went on that Saturday morning. That meeting turned into me becoming obsessed with pigeons. Not just any pigeon, but Birmingham Roller pigeons. If you are not familiar then search for them on youtube. Very awesome, acrobatic birds. The guys name was Larry. He sold me “i mean my dad because i was only 10” 6 birds a few weeks later. My dad and i built a small little coop in the backyard, and that was the beginning of my life long love. During the next 8 years until i graduated, I acquired over 100 pigeons. I would spend my days after school just sitting out there watching and learning their behaviors and sounds. It was very relaxing for a kid like myself. After high school i sold everything bird related as i was working full time and having my first kid at 18. For the next 20 years i often dreamed about those wonderful days, and knew one day i would find myself with another setup of Rollers. In 2000 i met some local guys and joined their roller club. One of the guys gave me 20 birds to get started. He and i became very close until his passing in 2012. I miss that guy every day. In his 80’s and just so easy to sit down with for hours and talk pigeons. He had birds most of his life. Shortly after, i sold everything to prepare for a divorce. Like years before i thought about getting back into the hobby but didn’t want to be tied down, as i enjoy my spare of the moment getaways. Well, that feeling from my youth kept creeping up until last week a guy i know offered me some young birds, so i took him up on his offer. I am headed to KS friday to grab them. Not having a place to keep them, i thought i better get busy and build something, so today after work i got a good start on a kitbox “pen for the birds you fly, called a kit of birds”. I should have one side of it done tomorrow, and will finish the other when i need the space. For those not experienced with these birds, there are local, regional, and worldwide clubs that fly against each other. I will fly against my club guys as well as against guys from all over the world, but it will take me a year or 2 to get a kit of birds worthy of competition. Once i get these young birds flying, and they start rolling good, usually by 4 months old, anyone interested in coming over and watching them perform is more than welcome.