This page is dedicated to the personal favorite of mine the one and only,  Ice Creamed Cone shaped, Multi- Colored Birmingham Roller.....  originating in Birmingham England, where they were developed for their ability to perform Backwards Somersaults ( Rolling ) and  Kitting ( flying together) .  There are several other breeds of rollers. Show Rollers are much larger and are bred just for show. Parlor Rollers look much like Birmingham Rollers, but can't fly...they spin backward somersaults on the ground  ( YES ON THE GROUND  ) for many yards.  Oriental Rollers are another aerial performer and come in many color varieties. Some fanciers fly their rollers in competition, both locally and nationally. There is even a World Cup competition that includes several other countries. Kits (group of pigeons) are scored for quality, Velocity, and depth, as well as the number of birds in a Roll Called the break....

   With about 10,000 breeders around the world, Birmingham Rollers are a very popular breed of domesticated, performing pigeon. Fanciers are found from as far as the deserts of Kuwait, to the marshy backwoods of Louisiana. From the concrete jungle of the Bronx,  to the asphalt palm-lined streets of Los Angeles, WATTS UP!!!!   Roller fanciers number in the thousands in the United States alone. Breeders come in all ages and backgrounds, from the kid breeding out of a makeshift pen in the backyard, to the organized and elaborate setups of today's well known veteran breeders. please enjoy my page......  

What is a Roller Pigeon?

In the words of William H. Pensom, "The Birmingham Roller is noted for its exclusive ability to turn over backwards and rotate with inestimable speed for considerable distances downwards." This 8 ounce feathered friend is genetically programmed to flip backwards, provided adequate training, diet, and exercise. The spinning can appear to be so fast that the bird looks like a ball of feathers falling toward the ground. They recover from the spin and return to their flock, called a “kit” in competition. The pigeon continues to do the same acrobatics with regular frequency, often in unison with other birds in the kit. The frequency, depth, style, tightness of roll, and angle are all determined by careful and methodical breeding. The flight time, height of flight, and responsiveness to the trainer's commands are all determined by strict training and diet, along with consistent daily routine.

Pigeon Nutrition

By: J. Aubrev Mire

Most hobbyist feed pigeon pellets, which are usually about 15% protein. Yet others feed poultry laying pellets containing 16 or 17 percent protein. Some Fanciers also teed grain in addition to pellets and yet there are some who feed grain exclusively.  

  Some Feed half 17 percent laying pellets, and half grain mixture consisting of about 15% protein. Feeding mash, and green feed is not necessary. They do not produce well on the ordinary low protein grain mixtures used for chickens since 13.5 to 15 percent protein is required for good growth of young squabs.

   A high protein grain, such as Austrian winter peas, cow peas, Canada peas and etc. must be used to get the desired protein level in pigeon grain rations.  A good pigeon feed contains other essential elements besides protein.  Sixty to 70 percent should be in carbohydrates, 2 to 5 percent in fat and no more than 5 percent in fiber.  Proteins are used to build and repair tissue and are essential to the production of large squabs.  Carbohydrates and fats furnish the energy requirements and supply material to build fat.  Pigeons don't utilize fiber to advantage, therefore the fiber content should be kept below 5 percent.

   The ingredients used in my homeprepared grain ration are corn, grain sorghum (milo), wheat and Australian winter peas. 

 Corn is one of the best feeds for pigeons and is the basis of all diets for this purpose. Yellow corn is the primary source of Vitamin A in pigeon diets.  Pigeons have the ability to eat large kernels of corn and there is no advantage in paying higher prices for small grained corn.  

Milo is a harder grain than corn but similar in composition and is a good feed for pigeons.  It however, lacks Vitamin A but is good to feed with corn in a ration.  Wheat is a cereal grain which is higher in protein than corn or milo. There are some who contend that wheat also improves fertility. Wheat will vary in protein analysis depending on variety and where it is grown. Hard red winter wheat will be higher in protein (13.5%) than Soft red winter wheat (10.2%).  West coast grown wheat will be lower in protein (9.9%) than wheat grown in other areas of the country. Peas are the most essential grain in pigeon diets as they are high in protein, Vitamins are excellent for squab development. This ingredient would probably be the highest priced in this ration. The following two rations should give you an idea of mixing your own pigeon grain. The first ration is approximately 13.5 percent protein and the second ration in approximately 16 percent protein.

Judging The Roll

Spin Time Spin Depth

(in seconds)                (in feet)


.56______________ 5

.79______________ 10

.97_____________ 15

1.12_____________ 20

1.25_____________ 25

1.37_____________ 30

1.48_____________ 35

1.58_____________ 40

1.68_____________ 45

1.77_____________ 50

1.94_____________ 60

2.09_____________ 70

2.24_____________ 80

2.37_____________ 90

2.50_____________ 100

2.80_____________ 125

3.06_____________ 150

3.31_____________ 175

3.54_____________ 200

Use this information as a guide. Just keep in mind that all things being equal, a Roller that can perform a roll for ½ to 1 second is much more desirable than one that merely “flips”.

 Sexing Pigeons