Pigeon info needed!

djswizz · Post by **djswizz** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 12:27 pm

I have never raised birds before but because I am a new dog owner, I want to be able to train my GSP with pigeons. Several questions I have are:

1. How do I raise them? (ie. what kind of food, type of shelter, etc. )

2. Does it matter that I live in a neighborhood outside a city as opposed to a home in the country?

3. How do I trap pigeons from the underpasses, barns, or wherever they are?

4. How do I train them to fly back to me? My training ground this summer is about 40 miles away. Does this matter? I heard they can come back at any range as long as the hawks don't get them. Is this true?

5. I heard you can buy pigeons from livestock auctions for way cheaper. Any word on this?

6. How do I transport them to the training grounds?

Any other info would be appeciated.

Buckeye_V · Post by **Buckeye_V** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 2:00 pm

Just a beginner myslef, but here is what I know:

1. Fresh water and cracked corn in the proper containers. Meaning, the supplies should be replenishable and the food and water should be somewhat protected from "flying debris." I have a cage with boxes in it (see my gallery) that works. I heard somewhere where it is like 1.5 to 2 square feet per bird.

2. No. Just be low-key about it and clean up after them so the smell doesn't get bad.

3. No clue, but I have heard of people using long nets and spotlights.

4. They have to be young so they can get your coop impressioned with their homing instinct. From what I understand most pigeons have a homing instinct, but you have to get them young. Start by taking them out a little ways from the coop and letting them go. The should fly back to the coop. Keep increasing the distance, etc. You will need a one-way door for them to get back in.

5. No clue.

6. In a large bird bag or in a smaller cage that is easy to use with an opening just large enough for the bird in your hand. I like to keep the top of mine covered in cardboard to protect their heads and necks.

If you can't get them to home, you can card them with success. I can give you some ideas where that is concerned.

Post by **grant** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 4:04 pm

http://gundogforum.com/index.php?page=gdfarticle15

Brittguy · Post by **Brittguy** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 4:08 pm

You can buy Buckeye Big 4 pellets, or there are other pigeon feeds out there. If you feed grain you also have to feed grit. They will lay with straight corn diet but will do much better with higher protien.

You can get them at sales. 40 miles is a long haul for any bird that is not a homer. It is too late this year but find someone that races and buy some of their late hatches. Pigeons are like race horses they are all considered born on Jan.1 . The birds that are hatched late spring have a hard time in young bird races and the breeders usually sell these birds pretty cheap. It is best to get very young birds that have not flown out of the loft. They settle best. Older birds will return to orginal loft.

Do not try to train them for distance until they leave loft on their own and return. You need a landing platform and either put young birds in cage each day for a period of time so they can get familiar with surroundings, or also you can just leave them walk out on landing platform and set there. They will fly short circles and land again. When they leave and you don't see them for awhile , they are ready to train. Don't want to make this too long so goodl luck.

bondoron · Post by **bondoron** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 6:04 pm

I have been catching my pigeons out of silos. The short ones (40 footers) and empty.It is pretty easy actually. If you are afraid of heights it won't work tho.And you need a helper.

ohiogsp · Post by **ohiogsp** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 7:55 pm

You will need a loft for pigeons. You could train homers to return from way over 40 miles more like 300-500 miles. This is what you want. I live near toledo but if you get a loft setup and what to buy some good homers I could probably sell you some. I have young homers that have not flown from my loft and these birds came out of racing stock from belgium. Once you have a good setup you should probably have some breeding pairs. This will supply you with birds and since they are born at your loft they will home very well.

djswizz · Post by **djswizz** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 7:25 am

I'm going to have to build myself a loft for them. Anyone have plans that doesnt involve elaborate work? Just something that works and doesn't look like crap would do me fine...

Buckeye_V · Post by **Buckeye_V** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 7:59 am

How handy are you? I built a coop that would brobably cost you $75.00 in materials. I can send you pics of it so you can get an idea. I built mine taller and narrower, but you can build yours wider and shorter. Keep in mind the ease of grabbing birds when needed. Really, all you need are some 2x4's, a piece or two of outdoor panel-siding (get the smart siding at home depot for 19.99 for a 4x8 sheet), some 1/2" by 1" mesh, staples, a couple hinges, a latch and some decking screws. I built mine in a day with a miter saw and a drill.

djswizz · Post by **djswizz** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 9:46 am

Buckeye, if you could email me some of the pictures of your coop. tylermsullivan at gmail dot com

Buckeye_V · Post by **Buckeye_V** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 12:00 pm

No problemo. If you like my coop I may be able to hook a brother up. Can you wait a few days for the pics? I'm on the road right now.

djswizz · Post by **djswizz** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 1:39 pm

Not a problem... whenever you can man. Thanks

gunner · Post by **gunner** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 3:26 pm

Here's my loft that holds about 16 birds. The pvc nipple waterer that was easily made is to the right. I hang it inside and the birds take to it well. There's no algae nor fouling of the water by the birds.
Since the picture was taken, I've armored the outside around the entrance trap by tacking down aluminum flashing after a coon had crawled up, entered and killed a number of birds. The flashing has worked well.

Buckeye_V · Post by **Buckeye_V** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 3:28 pm

All I see is a little red X. Bummer

Wagonmaster · Post by **Wagonmaster** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 3:30 pm

out at summer camp last year, we went down to add food and water to the pigeon's supply and found they were all dead. a hawk or owl had entered through the fobs. we figured it was a hawk because the heads of the pigeons were all gone. it had then bent the fobs to get back out. don't know a cure for that one.

Buckeye_V · Post by **Buckeye_V** » Wed Jun 14, 2006 3:33 pm

When you say fobs, do you mean a one-way door of some sort?

Couldn't you slide a piece of wood over that when not in use? When in use there is nothing you can do, I guess. The way I designed mine is so the top portion of the pen is recall area and it is not connected to the rest of the coop. I would be able to remove a door, or slide and let the birds through once they recalled. That way the rest of my birds are relatively safe.

djswizz · Post by **djswizz** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 7:06 am

I live in a large neighborhood with lots of yards in my back yard. The one thing I do not want is an oversized coop that is ugly because I think some neighbors will complain (we have that type

). I just need a very simple designed pen that can hold 5-10 birds comfortably. Buckeye, I remember seeing yours a while back. It looked very simple yet not a burden to look at

Thanks.

Buckeye_V · Post by **Buckeye_V** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 7:29 am

I should have posted earlier. I may be able to get you one of the wire cages. Let me look into it. The rest is just building a shell around it for looks and protection. You can use the top section as a recall area and the bottom two for keeping the birds. Or, you can turn it sideways and join 2 of the sections to make a larger living area and use the last section for recall. Depends on how handy you are.

http://www.gundogforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3239

ohiogsp · Post by **ohiogsp** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 1:53 pm

Here is a link.

http://www.redroselofts.com/starter_loft.htm

Here is one I built.

RemchesterBrittanys · Post by **RemchesterBrittanys** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 10:54 am

Now that is one nice loft... I have raise pigeons all my life, started out with show birds then got into flyer (racers & rollers).

Wild birds are very hard to home unless very young, they revert to their wild ways. I used racers to plant and steady and wild birds as shooters. Once in a while if the dog does everything perfect you have to shoot a good bird. Good homers here cost around 10 bucks, I can buy wild birds for a buck or two.

Having your own birds sure makes it easier to go train whenever you like, sometimes birds are hard to find locally.

Crl · Post by **Crl** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 11:13 am

Wagonmaster wrote:out at summer camp last year, we went down to add food and water to the pigeon's supply and found they were all dead. a hawk or owl had entered through the fobs. we figured it was a hawk because the heads of the pigeons were all gone. it had then bent the fobs to get back out. don't know a cure for that one.

John,

I bet you had a mink get in. I had the same problem a couple of years ago and I caught a mink in my coop. Same MO. Killed all the birds and took the heads off. I put a door flap on the entry and close it at night. No more problems.

Clark

PS. The mink made a nice little pelt.

ohiogsp · Post by **ohiogsp** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 12:09 pm

Wagon, maybe a small coon also. I have had predatory birds in my pens lots of times through the bobs and they only kill what they eat. The only time everything was dead was with predatory animals not birds. The heads are always gone with coons they like the heads the best. When predatory birds eat you will only find a pile of feathers that is it.