Another Pigeon Question

hoosier · Post by **hoosier** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 4:36 pm

I built a 4x6x8 loft and put 9 pigeons in it around the 1st of June. This past weekend I let 2 go and they have yet to return. Does it normally take this long for them to return. I let them go about 30 yards from the loft. I haven't even seen them flying around.

I also thought I would have some eggs/little ones around by now. I have 3 pigeons that are always sitting in the same box everytime I feed. The other 6 are always in a different spot (usually in the aviary). I'm assuming the 3 in the boxes are hens and the other 6 are males. But what do I know.

Post by **ezzy333** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 4:46 pm

Some questions.

You say you took two out and released them 30 yds away. Have they been out before? Do they know how to get out and go back in on their own? If they haven't been out to see what the outside looks like they probably don't realize where the loft is or what it is. The birds should be released by opening the door where you want them to come back to to get in and let them set their own time to fly or explore.

The birds should be back before dark but always turn them out when they are hungry to start. They will come back in to eat. You can probably chock the two off and try again with what you have left.

After they have been out flying for a week or two then you can start taking them and releasing.

The cocks are the birds that pick the nests and spend their time in them trying to induce a hen to follow. Once they mate he will drive the hen to the nest.

Ezzy

hoosier · Post by **hoosier** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 5:40 pm

Ezzy

I have a redrose loft. Do I just open the door and come back and close it a few hours later? If not how do I start releasing them?

I've had pigeons before in a 2x4x4 box and after 2 weeks I let them out at the same point and they came back and sat on the top of the box.

Are you saying the 3 in the boxes are more than likely the males and the other 6 in the aviary are the females?

Post by **ezzy333** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 5:55 pm

I think I can say yes to everything you just said. Just oprn the doors and then shut them back in at evening if you don't haver bobs up. And yeah the birds in the boxes maybe the cocks.

Ezzy

hoosier · Post by **hoosier** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 6:02 pm

Ezzy

I have bobs on the side of the loft. Should I tie the bobs up so the birds can come and go on their own for a few days or open the big door on the other side?

Thanks for the help!

Post by **ezzy333** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 10:12 pm

Tie them up and then start lowering one at a time in two or three days.

Ezzy

Don · Post by **Don** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 10:47 pm

Spend some time sitting and watching your birds. Give them time to settle back down and watch them. The males will strut for the hen's. Once you see it it will be very obvious. Then once they have eggs, I forget the order, but one sit's the nest in the mornig and the other in the afternoon.

ohiogsp · Post by **ohiogsp** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 5:51 am

Hens will strut sometime also but the hens rarely slide their tail feathers on the ground. This is usually a sure thing. Cocks sit the eggs most of the day. Hens will sit in the evening through the night and in the morning. You can open your front up if you want and let them fly in and out. You made the hinge front on it right?

hoosier · Post by **hoosier** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 5:40 am

Good news. My pigeon is now back in the loft. I went to let a couple more out and pulled one out of the box. I was surprised to find a egg. So I now have pigeons reproducing and returning home. I was starting to get concerned after building a $200 loft and adding $45 in pigeons. Thanks everyone.

bondoron · Post by **bondoron** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 3:40 pm

A little off of Hoosiers question, but there is about 100 pigeon strings going already, so here goes. I am wondering if there would be any ill effect in using lime in a coop. My pigeons are multipling like rabbits and the nesting areas are getting nasty. I was wondering if I could lime the nesting boxes to help with smell and bugs. I would assume the lime would not hurt them. Use to use it with the chickens all the time. Figured I would ask first tho. Also I have the darndest thing I never seen before. I have a breeding pair that hooked up for the first time awhile ago. The first batch did not hatch. The second batch they laid the 2 eggs about 48 hrs apart like normal but then laid a third one a week later. All the hens in the coop are mated up and are raising young and laying on eggs, so I assume it was the pair that are on the nest. Anyone ever seen this before? The first two eggs just hatched it will be interesting to see what happens to the third.

ohiogsp · Post by **ohiogsp** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 4:51 pm

I just had three hatch out of the same pair but after the third was about a week old it died. The parents always just feed 2 babies. The thing to do would be if you had a pair lay about the same time as the others, and only have one egg, put the third one in with the other pigeons. This would be the best chance of survival. They have to be close on the laying time and they will raise other babies.

Post by **ezzy333** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 4:57 pm

That third egg belongs to a different hen. The other possibility is you have two hens paired and the one hen got bred by a cock this time before she laid. But they only lay two eggs and they can only feed two it seems.

Ezzy

bondoron · Post by **bondoron** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 5:10 pm

Like I said it is weird, all the pigeons are paired up and have all been successful in raising chicks already. These two were young and finally came of breeding age. I suppose it is possible they are both hens, like I said they are new and I haven't really seen any struting or anything else that would tell me for sure of the sex. They act normal in every way taking turns on the nest and everything. All my other pigeons already have two eggs and/or chicks so moving the egg won't help. Like I said the egg was laid about a week after the other two that is what has me really baffled.

bondoron · Post by **bondoron** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 4:34 pm

I asked this question on a different board. What do you guys think?

I got sick of catching wild pigeons and using them up right away. So I built a coop and put 7 freshly caught pigeons in it. This was at the end of March. I now have 17 pigeons in the coop. The 7 original and 10 that were born in there. 2 are homing 2 more are trained and will be realesed shortly. 2 will be leaving the nest soon and 2 will leave in a couple weeks. 2 were just born. Of the 7 original 6 paired up and have been breeding. The 6 either have chicks, eggs or both right now. My question is this. I know the pigeons born in the coop will home. I was wondering though if I tied the bobs up so the pigeons can come and go at will if you think the adults would also return. I know the wild adults are hard to get to home but like I said they all have chicks and/or eggs in their nests so will this help them to come home? The place I caught the pigeons from is about 25 miles away.

Post by **ezzy333** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 4:39 pm

If you don't want to keep them penned all of their lives the best time to let them out is when they have eggs or babies. I would do it and take your chances.

Ezzy

gdog · Post by **gdog** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 5:35 pm

All my adult pigeons were wild caught and they all return to my coop without any problems. I've had the same "batch" since last fall.

Perdido · Post by **Perdido** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 11:39 pm

Yeah. Pigeons are like any other animal. If you provide fresh water and regular food they'll home.

I wonder how far out they will home in?

Why doncha take one out about 5 or 20 miles and see if it'll come back.

It'd be interesting to know.

Don · Post by **Don** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 7:56 am

About 15 years ago I caught some wild birds in a small town called Metoulious, about 50 miles from here. I brought them home for shooter's, because I didn't have the numbers I have now, and turned them loose in the loft with my homer's. To tell the difference, I tied some surveyor's tape to their legs.

That next weekend I took them down the river, another 15 miles, and used them. Two I let go when dog's messed up. The following Monday I found both back where I first got them, 65mi away!