I spent $1,000 dollars on my original Flying Oriental Roller stock. I did not fly them but put them in the breeders loft. Like the old saying goes “the cream will rise to the top”. I found my best producers were the strongest and the smartest pigeons I purchased. The poor producers I discarded as they were weak and of improper physical type and mental character. Survival of the fittest started the moment my original birds came to my loft. It should also be noted that you should not ''expect something for nothing'' when obtaining your original stock. But be sure what your getting is ''pure flying stock'' from a reputable breeder of genuine Flying Oriental Rollers. I train my young birds from May through the end of July. At this time, the wild bird population keeps the resident raptors well fed and allows my young birds time to know where they live and what is expected of them. Over the summer months, they mature and get strong on the wing and learn what they are capable of in the air. To try training young birds any other time of the year where I live would suffer huge losses from birds of prey. In time you'll understand why the kings and the pharaohs, the sheiks and sultans, the traveling desert nomads, the warriors and invaders, and the average men and women of the Middle East fell in love and marveled over these birds for over thousands of years up until our present day. Keep these birds in the air, as that is where they belong.