I hope you'll find my sit a good place to visit and to find a lot of information about Flying Oriental Rollers and the very old Damascenes.  To learn some of their history, background and to see pictures of what I think are some beautiful birds.  I also hope to inform you of the two types of Oriental Rollers.  The original type, the “Flying Oriental” for performance and acrobatics in the sky and the show type or “Show Oriental”, for cage showing in the National Pigeon Association shows.

I would also like to offer some help or guidance for beginners, in starting their first pigeon loft.  With a few suggestions on what it takes and doesn’t take to keep pigeons healthy and happy.  And last but not least, I will also offer you a page of Links, just in case you would like to visit other websites, for more help or views on raising pigeons.
                                                       
So please, take a good look around.  And if you like what you've found, maybe you'll stop by my contact page and drop me a line or two. 

ABOUT ME.....                                                                    

My name is Bill Sampson and I live in Indiana. I have been interested in pigeons since I was a child. But it wasn't until after I retired (well semi-retired) that I decided to jump in, grab hold of and take on a dream of a life time. So with the help of the internet I found and built (with the help of a good friend ) my first loft. It was a design for a 4' x 8' building, high enough to stand in, so I'd be out of the wind and rain when I feed and watched my dream. It was really meant for a "racing loft", but what the heck, I didn't care. It was a free design to down load, with pictures of what it should look like and even came with a list of supplies to help guys like me...., all thumbs.

Once up and ready for renters I started out with White Homers. I soon realized I had been bitten by THE BUG , so started planning for another loft. Of course this time it had to be much bigger ! And of course it didn't take long after that, before a voice in my head said, "hey bud..., your on a limited income here, you need to get real and understand that this second building is going to be it.., no more.., caput "?
So, after doing a lot of looking around, I found that my best buy (for me) was at a local hardware, building supply Co. They sold prefab sheds of varying sizes built on your lot in a couple of hours...... GREAT !! They could put up the building and me and my thumbs could design and put into place, what it would take to have my second dream loft. Or at least what I could afford for a dream loft.

So again, it didn't take long, before I started thinking "these white birds are beautiful, BUT I need some color around here". And of course now, I had plenty of room (or so I thought then.. So it wasn't long before I had a few Nuns and also became interested as well in Figuritas. But it wasn't until I had to live with the birds of pray (BOP) that liked to come visit my lofts from time to time, that I realized that I was tired of having to keep my pigeons locked up for so much of the time. Especially during BOP migration season and that was months. I mean...., I got my pigeons to fly and be able to watch them free in my back yard, not have to keep them closed in / locked up in a building ! So after losing a few birds to the good ole BOP, I started looking around for some breed(s) that just might fulfill what I had in mind.....
You guessed it, thanks again to the internet, I came across what IMO was a beautiful and stylish looking pigeon. I use the word stylish, as that is just what comes to my mind, when I see a picture of an Oriental Roller with its head held up high, its tail stuck up in the air like a closed woman's fan.... and those long wing feathers streaming across the lower body and down towards the ground (along side its tail). Well, it just looks like that bird is saying or thinking, "here I am guys..., KING of the world". And not only THAT, but it comes in different COLORS TOO.

Later, I became interested in a very ancient pigeon, called a Damascene. I thought them a very elegant color and marking, especially those beautiful dark eyes. Like they are wearing mascara around their ruby red eyes. So I set out in search for the very best, which comes from Europe. After receiving them, I believe it was worth the wait.

And so, in a short period of time. I have not only built my lofts, but have had several different breed to learn from. And I'm glad to say, life goes on in my long awaited world of pigeons.