Pigeon breeds

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getzapped
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Pigeon breeds

Post by getzapped » Sun Dec 14, 2014 7:16 pm

I am not gonna lie, I know absolutely nothing about pigeons. I have been researching to build a loft and looking for a place to buy birds. I found a guy about 3 miles from my house that breeds pigeons.
I dont know if any of these bird breeds can actually home. German owls, Red Bar, Chinese owls, Yellow and Red check and Cream bars,Egyptian swift. Are any of them worth purchasing as a short distance homer? My training grounds wont be any farther than 20 miles away.

Thanks

mowermandan
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Re: Pigeon breeds

Post by mowermandan » Mon Dec 15, 2014 11:54 pm

all the bars and checks are racing breeds and will make good homers I believe the swift is also a racing breed don't spend a lot on high breds racing people usually want a lot for their birds barn yard birds will work just as well id say pay 10 bucks or less per bird and try to get sqeekers they are birds tat are immature not quite flying fully they are much easier to home

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ezzy333
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Re: Pigeon breeds

Post by ezzy333 » Tue Dec 16, 2014 10:21 am

mowermandan wrote:all the bars and checks are racing breeds and will make good homers I believe the swift is also a racing breed don't spend a lot on high breds racing people usually want a lot for their birds barn yard birds will work just as well id say pay 10 bucks or less per bird and try to get sqeekers they are birds tat are immature not quite flying fully they are much easier to home
Bars and checks are patterns and many breeds have those colors and patterns. a Swift is a small fancy pigeon I believe. There are about 135 different breeds the last I checked. Homing is a quality all pigeons have but the homers and racing homers have a more developed sense of homing strictly because they have been selectively bred for the quality. Not sure what anyone has to pay for birds since it varies in different parts of the country as well as different times of the year. In the fall they normally get quite cheap. I have birds available at times and I try to get 4 to 5 dollars apiece for them but I know some places you will pay 10 most of the time. And I know people who give them away rather than just kill them, so it will pay to shop around. In my opinion it pays to spend a few dollars to get some good birds and with a small loft you can have birds to train with anyplace within 500 or 600 miles of home and have them return. Unless they are conditioned I would probably stay within 100 miles of home with them .
http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/4genview.php?id=144
http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/4genview.php?id=207

It's not how many breaths you have taken but how many times it has been taken away!

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Lucky Dog
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Re: Pigeon breeds

Post by Lucky Dog » Tue Dec 16, 2014 7:43 pm

Of the birds you listed, none of them will home reliably.
For a 20 mile trip you will want homers and you may also have luck with barn pigeons. Although I've had mixed results with the barn pigeons.

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getzapped
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Post by getzapped » Tue Dec 16, 2014 7:58 pm

Thanks for the input. I will build a small loft soon. But how do I find real homers? Internet turns up places 300 miles away or they want $75-100 plus shipping. Any tips on how to find a breeder for real homing birds.

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deseeker
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Re:

Post by deseeker » Tue Dec 16, 2014 8:13 pm

getzapped wrote:Thanks for the input. I will build a small loft soon. But how do I find real homers? Internet turns up places 300 miles away or they want $75-100 plus shipping. Any tips on how to find a breeder for real homing birds.
You and Ezzy are both in IL.---Don't know how far apart you are, see if he will sell you some or if he knows someone close to you. He won't steer you wrong on pigeons.

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getzapped
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Post by getzapped » Tue Dec 16, 2014 8:37 pm

I will contact him. Thanks.

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getzapped
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Re: Pigeon breeds

Post by getzapped » Wed Dec 17, 2014 11:40 am

Why do feel that the more I read about homing pigeons the more I feel like I am gonna have another hobby?
Its pretty amazing what these birds can do.

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ezzy333
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Re: Pigeon breeds

Post by ezzy333 » Wed Dec 17, 2014 1:58 pm

Getzapped, I read you PM and thought I would respond here on the board where everyone can see. This is a tough time of year to find good racing homers as we are just starting to breed for our new birds for the 2015 youngbird racing season. I do have a friend that doesn't race his birds and hasn't for years that may have some so let me know what and when and I will try to find some for you. Your comment about amazing things the birds can do is right on. There are quite few fliers that got started by getting birds to train dogs with, my self included. And some of them are still training dogs but flying their birds too. They are fun and relaxing just watching them when you turn them out It is rather exciting to sit out in the back yard with a cold beverage in one hand and the cell phone in the other looking for your birds and hoping they come before the phone starts ringing telling you others have got birds. Our final Old Bird Race this past year was a 650 miler to my loft but I didn't have any entered since my clock burnt up a week before. But my friend, neighbor, and mentor sent eight and two of them got home that evening before dark. That is a long haul as they were released about 50 miles south of Oklahoma City at 7 AM and made it home to northern IL around 8:30 if I remember right. The others came in the next morning.

Any of you are always welcome to come by and see the birds and dogs, have a cold one, and sit and tell stories in the shade. But lets wait till next summer to sit in the shade.
http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/4genview.php?id=144
http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/4genview.php?id=207

It's not how many breaths you have taken but how many times it has been taken away!

Has anyone noticed common sense isn't very common anymore.

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getzapped
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Re: Pigeon breeds

Post by getzapped » Wed Dec 17, 2014 2:13 pm

Thanks for the response. With the cold weather approaching I think it may be a couple months until I can get into the yard to build a loft. But I will definitely contact you once I have it built and I will go from there. I would like to get the pup to see some birds early on, so I might go ask the farmer up the road from my shop if I can set a trap. I saw about 100 pigeons in his fields this morning.

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Lucky Dog
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Re:

Post by Lucky Dog » Wed Dec 17, 2014 5:46 pm

getzapped wrote:Thanks for the input. I will build a small loft soon. But how do I find real homers? Internet turns up places 300 miles away or they want $75-100 plus shipping. Any tips on how to find a breeder for real homing birds.
Here are a few places to look for homers in your area.

Craigs list.
Pigeon shows.
Small bird and animal swaps.
Check with your local feed store and ask if any one is buying pigeon grain.
Local pigeon clubs.

Good luck, and be careful it can be another addiction. :D

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DonF
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Re: Pigeon breeds

Post by DonF » Mon Jan 12, 2015 10:32 am

I got into homer's a few years ago. started with 6, 3 hen's and 3 rooster's. I have to kill birds now to keep from over crowding. I started with feral's about 30 yrs ago. I sell some every year and trained a lot with them. I regularly turned them loose up to 50 mi and they came home. Usually bird's that were hatched here. About 25 yrs ago, I got smart and quit killing so many and looked to raising some, never had to buy a bird or go catch a bird since! Anybody training dog's would be smart to put in a loft and hold off on killing mated birds. You don't know which are mated? Don't kill any. Won't be long before you have to kill some or get over run. Homer's have a big advantage in that they will re-call farther, a lot farther but, they are a lot bigger bird to and more docile. I've popped homer's out that sat right back down on the ground and walked around. Good for a finished dog but not so hat for a pup. Feral's home from a lot farther than they get credit for. I think it's because so few people have actually tried to extend them. I've had them home from 50 mi regularly and a few from close to 100. I wouldn't hesitate to work feral's out to 50 mi. That's as far as I ever took them and probably farther than most people train. Those same birds I used 15 mi in the opposite direction and they still came home! Feral's do the same thing as homer's but not as far away. Feral'ws are smaller bird's and they are nervous bird's. In the old type trap's I had years ago, you'd kill homer's putting then in and leaving them to long, not the feral's. those old trap's were just right for feral's. Then when feral's come out of the trap they never land anywhere near the trap, they get up and leave! The only reason I got homer's is so I could set dog's up to photograph several hundred mile's from home and know they would go home. Each has it's place and each has it's flaws. If your only training out to about 50 mi, feral's are great. They won';t get home as fast as the homer's but they will come home. Not racing, I have no idea how fast either fly's but do know the homer's are faster. If they are just dog dog training, there's no need to have them trap quickly, you'll probably have more than you need anyway!

I swear by remote trap's for starting dog's out but once they are absolutely steady on remote's, I go to kick traps I make. I've never hobbled a pigeon to anything, never used the card and never used the pigeon pole. I have to many bird's to do that stuff. if your serious about training, start a loft and insure yourself of bird's when ever you want. Even if you spend $25 each for 8 or 10 birds, don't kill them all right away and you'll never have to buy a training bird again.
I pity the man that has never been loved by a dog!

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