Pigeons first flight

[Duckdog]

Ok guys, I think tomorrow is the big day. Tomorrow will be 3 weeks exactly that my homers have been in their loft here.
They've never free flown from any other loft.

I usually feed them in the evenings, but I'm thinking about not feeding them this evening so they'll be hungry when I fly them.
Now,...should I "shoo" them out, or just let them leave at their own pace?
I only have 6 birds right now, and two of them are mated with 2 eggs.
I'm pretty sure the male won't fly out. He's usually the one on the nest at feeding time in the evenings.
Should I let the female fly if she wants?
If not, that would only be 4 birds flying...is that an issue?

Any advice for their first free flight?

[big_fish]

this is the third day of free flying my birds. I have 6 young birds so I only set 3 out to fly incase something scared them off I still had 3 left. they have flown to an A frame ladder I have setting in front of the loft then back to the landing board then up on the roof. yesterday one of them flew over on my garage roof and back. so I wouldn't expect any big flights at first these birds are around 2 1/2 to 3 months old your birds must be a little older in they are setting eggs I was told around 6 months they would mate and lay. good luck and hope all turns out well for you

[reba]

Yes.

Wait until they have raised a couple of glutches; before flying any of them.

Then first thing in the morning just open up your loft and let them free. They will fly if they wish. Some will even start gathering sticks to build nests.

Sooner or later they will be breeding like rats.

[Duckdog]

Hmmmmm. I don't think the other 4 are going to pair up. So, waiting on a clutch from them probably won't work.
Would it be advisable to maybe fly one at a time for a while?

[DonF]

Ok guys, I think tomorrow is the big day. Tomorrow will be 3 weeks exactly that my homers have been in their loft here.
They've never free flown from any other loft.

I usually feed them in the evenings, but I'm thinking about not feeding them this evening so they'll be hungry when I fly them.
Now,...should I "shoo" them out, or just let them leave at their own pace?
I only have 6 birds right now, and two of them are mated with 2 eggs.
I'm pretty sure the male won't fly out. He's usually the one on the nest at feeding time in the evenings.
Should I let the female fly if she wants?
If not, that would only be 4 birds flying...is that an issue?

Any advice for their first free flight?

Don't shoo them out. Tie up the bobs and let them come and go as they will. First time out they won't go far, maybe not past the landing board. They are getting their bearings. If they never flew before, your golden.

[DonF]

this is the third day of free flying my birds. I have 6 young birds so I only set 3 out to fly incase something scared them off I still had 3 left. they have flown to an A frame ladder I have setting in front of the loft then back to the landing board then up on the roof. yesterday one of them flew over on my garage roof and back. so I wouldn't expect any big flights at first these birds are around 2 1/2 to 3 months old your birds must be a little older in they are setting eggs I was told around 6 months they would mate and lay. good luck and hope all turns out well for you

You sound golden too. When you get young unflown birds, it's as good as it get's. You need to hold back awhile and let them get to coming and going but they only know one place to eat and drink. Both you guy's are gonna be fine!

[Duckdog]

Well, it was such a nice evening, I decided to fly them today.
It took quite a little while for them to build up the confidence to fly off.


But, once they did, they flew good.
One lit upon the top of the loft, then trapped right in.
I've got 3 that keep going between the trees and power lines giving it some thought.
The female,who's got a nest with eggs, flew off hard and I haven't seen her again. She's been gone for a couple of hours.
The male of the pair didn't fly. He's still on the nest.
She is/was my favorite bird, but it's starting to look like she may be a hussy! Runnin off and leavin him with the kids like that!
I think these last 3 will trap, they've just got to figure it out.
Keeping my fingers crossed on the blue mama bird.

[Duckdog]

Dang...just as I hit "submit", I had a goshawk cruising the yard!

[big_fish]

duckdog did your mamma bird ever show back up at your loft?

[Duckdog]

Nope. I just checked. And the 3 that wouldn't trap are still sitting on the power lines.
They might as well be holding an "eat me" sign! I'm actually surprised they made it through the night with all the owls.

My blue mama bird not returning kind of flys in the face of the theory that "as long as they haven't flown they'll home on your loft."
Or, the guy I bought her from wasn't being 100% truthful. I'm going to call him later to see if she showed up there.
I don't know what to do about the 3 on the lines. Maybe they'll get hungry.

[big_fish]

I have been told that food is the only control you have on pigeons. By the way nice looking loft.

[Duckdog]

Thanks,...but I'm not so sure they're crazy about it!

I actually designed it to hold quail AND pigeons, but someone told me that there's a bacteria in quail poop that will kill the pigeons, so I haven't pursued the quail idea. I built it where the bottom can be closed off for the quail, but since I don't have any, I just leave the inside door open.


The small "aviary" is also a "Sputnik" trap. They're SUPPOSED to drop in between those 45 degree angled bars.
Well, one did like he'd done it a hundred times. He landed on the roof, dropped down on top of the aviary, then just dropped right in between the bars.
I'm thinking that these 3 might not like the expanded metal landing board on top of the aviary, and, they haven't figured out the "land on roof then drop in" procedure, so, I just put a long piece of plywood up there.

I'm probably foolIng myself though, they've been flying full blast then turning 180 degrees to land on the power lines, so I doubt the "Sputnik" is too difficult.

[big_fish]

I ask the same question a few months ago about keeping quail and pigeons together and some seem to think it is ok. Are the quail only going to be on the bottom of your loft? if so they would never have access to the quail droppings. I was going to move my breeders to my quail pen so I could just open the door on the loft and let the young birds fly. My loft it half of my building where I keep the yard equipment it is 5 x 10 and 8 ft high plenty of room for 11 birds and 2 squab. Do you do any kind of calling when you feed them? I have seen some whistle and some shake a can with rocks in it I do the can with rocks because there may be a time when some one else will need to feed.

[Duckdog]

I've been blowing a whistle, but I DO like the can with rocks idea.
And, yes, I've whistled, but they still won't trap. They're just sitting on the lines. Every now and then they'll fly off for a while, but they come right back to the lines.
Surely they'll get hungry soon!

This sure isn't going according to plan...that's for sure.
Started with 6.
Flew 5.
Lost one
3 won't go back in.
If they don't go back in, or a hawk gets them...that's 4 of the 6!
Not good!
And, now I'm not sure what will happen with the eggs. I wonder if the male will take on all the responsibilities?

[ezzy333]

Relax, those three will probably go in when they are hungry as long as you don't change anything. The bird that left may not return but her problem is she was old enough to out fly her sense of direction and never being out to look around she does not know where home is and can't recognize it.

But those three will probably be OK. If you have one back in I would let it out and the others may follow it back in.

Ezzy

[Duckdog]

I've thought about letting the one that trapped back out, but after losing more than half my original flock...I'm a little leery.

[ezzy333]

I thought you just lost one. The one that has come back in will be OK from now on.

Ezzy

[Duckdog]

Well, I guess technically I've only lost one for sure.
But, if these other 3 don't get their act together...that's what I'm referring to.

[CDN_Cocker]

I've had pigeons gone for weeks before showing back up. You never know. If they are slow coming back you are feeding too much. As for food being the only control - yes and no. They come back sooner if hungry but that is not what they are attached to. They "home", not fly back to food.

[SetterNut]

I had 4 young birds that I had trained to go thru the bobs. So I turned them out for a flight.
They made it about 100 ft, when the trailing bird got hit by a little falcon/hawk. A big puff of feathers and it was all over.

At least when I checked in the loft, I have a pair sitting on a couple of eggs.

[Duckdog]

Setternut,
Do you have any homers you'd be willing to sell.
I've had the darnedest time getting pigeons. And now, my loft is looking pretty bleak.
I had NO idea it would be this tough to get a loft going. I check Craigslist most everyday.
The "pigeons for sale" sites on the Internet are way to rich for my blood.
I had a guy with a dozen young ones he was saving for me, but I called this morning and the black snakes killed every one of them. 4 snakes he's killed in his loft. (we're having a boom year for snakes)

I'm really regretting letting these birds fly, but I did everything by the book. Or at least by the advice on the Internet.

The 3 stooges still haven't made their way back in and when I just went and fed the remaining two (hoping to entice the 3 since they watched the whole time), the male is off the nest. That sucks.

Anyone in Kansas with a surplus of pigeons that could help a guy get rolling with a loft?

[Duckdog]

2 days and 2 nights later, and they finally trapped!!

Went out this morning and the 3 were nowhere to be seen. I was just out messin with the dogs, when I noticed them on the power lines again. And then, one by one they flew to the ground to scavenge for any dropped feed from the above aviary.

I grabbed up the little JRT, (because she'd bust em up for sure), then sat in a lawn chair and watched. They kept eyeballing the 2 birds above them in the aviary. Finally, one by one they flew up on top and dropped right into the Sputnik trap.
Apparently, hunger WAS the driving force.

I'll leave the predator door down for a day or two in hopes of the blue mama bird coming back, but at this point, I highly doubt it.

So, without her, and it doesn't appear that the male is sitting the nest like he was, are the eggs a total loss?
Even if they hatched, COULD he take care of them?

It really sucks that I lost my only breeding pair though.

[big_fish]

I could be wrong but I would think if you let the male fly he might not return either but at least the three stooges returned and the one who trapped right away so ya still have a few to train with . hope you fine a few more breeders

[Duckdog]

Well, she was the only one that I knew for sure was a female. Maybe, all the rest are too, except for the one male.
I guess we'll see...
I think I'll keep him locked up next time I fly just in case.

Another question for the more experienced among us...
Should I wait a few days to try it again? I, of course, fed them when they returned and I want them HUNGRY this time! I thought they were before, but apparently not.

[CDN_Cocker]

No the male doesn't need the hen to care for the young. He can do just fine.

[Duckdog]

Unbelievable!
3 days and 3 nights later,...the little hussy came back home!



Her male was all puffed up putting on a show while she was figuring out how to trap. I'm not sure if it was a "happy to see ya" show,...or a "where the heck ya been" kind of show.
Hopefully she'll get back on those eggs!

I was sitting on the back patio when I caught a flash of white out of the corner of my eye. Penny was on my lap and she went on full alert.
I thought,..."Nawwwww, couldn't be."
Pretty amazing birds really. There's no telling how far she went!

[ezzy333]

I know how you feel but in reality it is pretty much normal and is why several of us said to stop worrying. You will lose a few but most will be OK as long as you don't push them. They all are ready to go now and you won't have to worry except if they get hurt or more likely a hawk gets them.

Ezzy

[Duckdog]

Yep!...Figured an "I told ya so" was comin'...
And, I guess deservedly so. 3 days though? That's just crazy to me being a new pigeon guy.
I know it'd just be a guess, (you're batting .1000 anyway), but do you think they'll do that again?
I'd really like it better if they just flew for an hour or two then trapped back in.

[ezzy333]

Yep!...Figured an "I told ya so" was comin'...
And, I guess deservedly so. 3 days though? That's just crazy to me being a new pigeon guy.
I know it'd just be a guess, (you're batting .1000 anyway), but do you think they'll do that again?
I'd really like it better if they just flew for an hour or two then trapped back in.

That's what they will do.

Ezzy

[V-John]

I had a bird lost on a race show up after several months. He might have trapped in another loft who decided to try and keep him. Or he may have been out wandering around who knows. Sent him on another race and he clocked in alright. Sometime you just never know.
Duck, how many birds you looking for

[DonF]

If I had a loft like that, the landing board would be wood. then with some birds out like your three, I'd close up the rest and put some feed on the platform, not a lot, just enough to get them there.

The hardest part of getting pigeons is finding them, right. But the fancier one's do go for a lot. I saw a photo of one in Europe years ago, a racer. They were asking $100G for it! Starting out with ferals you caught is the easiest and least expensive way to get going. if your not into racing and don't train more than maybe 50 mi from home, you don't need homers. The homer's are a lot bigger and much calmer birds. I think they are better parent's too. The ferals leave the nest if I get colse the homer's don't. The homer's will slap the tar out of you if you try to get a baby out from under them. If you have older release traps, ferals might be what you want. I had all ferals to start and my original release traps were just right for them. Then a friend brought over a few homer's and one died in the trap! Just to tight for them. My newer traps are a bit bigger and they fit fine.

I had a race bird volunteer a couple weeks ago. I put it in the side of the loft where it can get out in the flight pen but not get away. When I caught it up in the other side, the poor thing wasn't much more that skin and bones. I could feel very little meat on it's breast and it looked really weak. Now it's doing a lot better, gaining back weight. Once it's healthy again I'll probably turn it loose. I've had this happen almost every year I've been living here.

[Duckdog]

V-John,
I'd like to find 10-15 young unflown homers. I can probably make Manhattan in an hour! wink wink.

Don, thanks for the advice on the landing board, and I very well may do that. I'd have to do some "retro-fitting", but I could do it. The way I built that "Sputnik", I welded a predator proof door on hinges over the angled entry ports.
This pic will explain what I'm saying better.


I'd have to either change the pred door, or maybe extend a landing board out in front of it.
So far, they seem to either lite on the roof then drop down, or land on the ground, then fly up.
I'm fine with either if THEY are.

Thanks for the feedback guys.
This pigeon thing has been a real learning experience, and I'm really enjoying them too. My daughter and I sat out there and watched them fly for the better part of 2 hours!
(I guess we're easily amused)

[Duckdog]

Forgot something...
What about roller and tumbler pigeons? Will they home ok? Anything about them that would make them undesirable for dog work?

[big_fish]

Duckdog why don't you just cut a piece of plywood the same size and sit it in top of your door when you open it this way no fabricating is needed.

[Duckdog]

I've actually thought of that too. As a matter of fact, that's kind of what I did when I was having troubles getting those 3 to trap. But, I'm a little concerned it would change the look and mess them up. I ended up taking it off before they recalled last time.
I used one for the pup last night and let one fly. The free flyer went right back in.
Not sure about the planted bird. He hadn't made it back last I checked.