Galatz Roller Pigeon: Aerial Acrobatics Master
If you don’t know about the Galatz Roller, prepare to love this pigeon as much as we do. Beautiful at first impression, the Galatz only gets better and better once you see this bird fly.
It does so graciously, taking the skies and performing aerial tricks such as back summersaults, pirouettes, or screws.
The Galatz Roller is perhaps the fanciest of the roller types. With an imposing look and striking physical features, this pigeon breed can be highly rewarding for experienced and new pigeon fanciers.
Don’t worry!
Even if you’re unfamiliar with this pigeon, we’ve created this article so you can learn everything about it. Stick around to see how breeding this pigeon is as easy as satisfying.
Galatz Roller Pigeon Profile:
| Name | Galatz Roller Pigeon |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Columbia livia |
| Common Names | Galati Roller |
| Origin | Galati County, Romania |
| Size | Small to medium |
| Weight | 300 grams |
| Lifespan | 7 to 10 years |
| Physical Features | Small head, big eyes, medium-sized beak, long neck, prominent breast, long wings, long tail, partially-feathered legs |
| Temperament | Calm |
| Behavior | Docile |
| Special Features | None in particular |
| Breeding and Maintenance | Easy |
| Common or Popular Varieties | Different colors |
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Overview of Galatz Roller Pigeons
The Galatz pigeon is a fancy bird bred for flying purposes. Mid-air, this pigeon can perform multiple tricks, like back somersaults, pirouettes turning around the vertical axis and multiple pirouettes flying downward.
This pigeon is popular in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, the United States and other nations.
History And Origins
The Galatz Roller, also known as the Galati Roller, is a pigeon breed originating from Galati County, Romania.
Little information is available about the origin and background of this pigeon, other than the Galatz Roller has the “RO” gene responsible for controlling the rolling behavior displayed by this bird.
As a result, the Galatz Rollers learn how to perform aerial acrobatics at a very young age. First, they master pirouettes and then move on to riding on their tails until they eventually do somersaults.
These tricks take time and practice to learn and some pigeons don’t even get to learn these maneuvers entirely.
Physical Characteristics And Features
The Galatz is a short and stubby pigeon, considered by many as one of the fanciest roller types. Here’s a breakdown of its most characteristic features.
| Galatz Roller Pigeon | Physical Characteristics |
|---|---|
| Head | Small, oval-shaped head with irregular coloring. |
| Eyes | Big, black eyes with a white ring around them. |
| Beak | Medium-sized beak with pale white cere. |
| Neck | Long neck with different colors. |
| Breast | Prominent. |
| Wings | Long wings with compact feathers carried tightly. |
| Tail | Long, straight tail pointing at an angle downwards. |
| Legs | Long legs, partially feathered in the upper section. |
| Weight | Approximately 300 grams once mature. |
Unique Features
The Galatz Roller pigeon doesn’t have any particular feature other than its place of origin, which is Galati County, Romania.
There are not many popular breeders or pigeon breeds from this region and the Galatz successfully gained popularity worldwide.
Some Common Variations
The Galatz pigeon can be of many colors and different variations. For example, you can find this pigeon in blue, diluted blue, black, yellow and red. All of these feature a pied pattern and wings with white tips.
Likewise, a common variation is the Galati Roller with a plain-feathered color. These can be white, black, red, yellow and blue bars.
Ideally, the variation of feather coloring is a visual guide that helps judges keep track of the pigeons while flying in contests.
Distribution And Habitat
What are the habitat preferences of the Galatz Roller? As a breeder, knowing this information can increase the breeding rate by creating the perfect living conditions for your birds. Here’s what you need to know.
Geographic Distribution
Historically, the Galatz Roller has been mostly active in its origin country, Romania. From there, breeders import the pigeons to the United States, where the birds also have decent popularity.
Habitat Preferences
Galatz Roller pigeons do not have a particular habitat preference. However, these pigeons require plenty of space to practice their aerial tricks and master them.
For this reason, we recommend rural or suburban habitats to raise these pigeons comfortably.
Threats and Conservation Status
The Galatz Roller pigeon does not qualify as an endangered species. As a domesticated pigeon, breeding this pigeon is fairly common in many parts of the world. You can find it on farms and proceed to form small flocks without major complications.
Behavior And Traits of Galatz Roller Pigeons
The Galatz Roller pigeon is a highly intelligent bird with a fantastic disposition to learn.
Therefore, this bird is calm, patient and friendly around humans. This behavior is also the same with other pigeons, as the Galatz can be very social and gets along well with other members of the flock.
Differences Between Wild and Domesticated Pigeons
The Galatz pigeon is a domestic bird used to the benefits of living indoors.
While it may survive in the wild, these birds may not last long if they get lost. They’re easy to spot by predators, which are more familiar with the environment.
Diet
Feed your Galatz Roller pigeon with commercial pigeon feed. This product should contain everything the Galatz needs to grow healthy, like a balanced mix of grains, seeds and cereals.
Complement this diet with other goodies like fresh vegetables, nuts and fruits. Also, don’t forget to provide water and grit to help with digestion.
Flight
The Galatz Roller has an incredible flight capacity, as this is the main purpose for their development.
For this reason, you must create the perfect housing and conditions to let them fly out in the open and practice their tricks.
In fact, breeders often train these pigeons to fly out of portable coops, which they place in meadows or parks strategically.
Nesting, Breeding and Courtship
Galatz Rollers have high fertility and the mating pair will breed again the moment the offspring is one week old. Likewise, it takes approximately two weeks to lay another clutch of eggs.
This means that you can let the Galatz Rollers mate continuously and produce many chicks yearly.
Generally, the Galatz Rollers follow standard breeding seasons. During this time, you must keep the mating pair separated in a confined space.
This area must be private, warm and comfortable. Also, a nesting box or bowl and materials like hay or straw will help the pigeons be more comfortable.
You may see the males creating a V shape with their wings, a gesture made to impress the females and intimidate other males.
Breeding And Maintenance
Caring for the Galatz Roller pigeon is easy and hassle-free. Typically, you could clean the living space every week or so. Also, providing fresh water is enough for the pigeons to wash and keep themselves clean.
Some Tips and Considerations for Successful Breeding
- The performance of the Galatz Roller may vary between specimens. Some may roll and do somersaults, whereas others may not even fly at all. Select the mating pair with the desired characteristics to develop the wanted offspring.
- After separating the mating pair in their designated space, provide enough food to maximize their breeding performance.
- Monitor the younglings and be aware that the parents could mate again just over a week or two after the chicks are born. Separate them if necessary.
- Use labels to identify related birds. This measure will help you avoid inbreeding, maintain good genetics and produce quality offspring each time.
Housing and Feeding Requirements
Consider building a loft or coop to house the Galatz Roller. In any case, the most important thing to remember is that these pigeons need the space to fly.
For this reason, the housing must be in a comfortable location outside. It will be easier to let the pigeons out to fly and practice.
Feeding
Feeding the Galatz Roller pigeon goes exactly like how you would feed other pigeons. Grab a handful of pigeon feed per bird and pour it over a flat surface like a metal tray.
The pigeons will gleefully eat the food from this surface and you can feed the flock at once.
Final Word
The Galatz Roller pigeon is a bird that knows how to put up a show.
With more than one trick under their wings, these pigeons can leave an audience in awe with their aerial performances.
It’s among the most acrobatic pigeons worldwide and certainly one of the easiest to breed and raise as well. Like the Galatz Roller, there are other types of roller pigeon breeds we also admire.
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