homer pigeon question

[schoebel_taylor]

Today I bought some adult homer pigeons and was wondering if they would eventually adapt to their home or if they would fly away? and also do they breed year round or just in the spring? and will they incubate the eggs? Thanks for the help

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Today I bought some adult homer pigeons and was wondering if they would eventually adapt to their home or if they would fly away? and also do they breed year round or just in the spring? and will they incubate the eggs?

It's hard to say if they will stay if released, but once they start nesting , the odds are in your favor.
They can lay year round, but will slow down in cold weather.
They are good at hatching and raising babies.
It takes 21 days to incubate the eggs​

 

[sydney13]

well youll never know for sure if they will fly back until you try it with them. The chances are a lot better for them flying back if you let them hatch a pair of babbies in their new home so that they come back to feed it. Also you should always feed them at teh same time and before you give them food shake it so they know the sound of being feed. then when you are ready to let them out of the loft for the first time do it befor you feed them and then shake the food around so they come back for it.
They will breed year round, but mostly in spring and they lay about 8 eggs a year.
Unlike some of the other pigeon breeds hoers are good at incubating and caring for their young. Many fancy breeds have short beaks so they cant feed their babies but homers have a normal size beaks so they will do just fine.

 

[schoebel_taylor]

thanks for the help and advice. Another question, when do they usually breed in the spring?

 

[creeksidelofts]

When you put them together it will take a few weeks(normally) for the hen to lay her first egg.Around Feb. is when they start going crazy wanting to start mating if it gets warm out.If you leave them together they will raise young year round.You asked about if they would stay at your home or fly back where they came from it all depends on thier homing instinct.I've had homers that flew back to thier old homes after being here for years and others after raiseing a few young would settle right in and stay.

 

[schoebel_taylor]

thanks for all the help!

 

[ridinglizzard]

I kept my homers locked up for about a month when I first brought them home. Then I just let them go and they always returned. Mine are free to come and go as they please and they always stay very close to home. I don't heat my pigeon house, so they only started laying this spring once their water stopped freezing at night. However, my friends who heat their pigeon houses in the winter have babies year round.

 

[sourland]

If your birds were raced, they are much more likely to leave and go to the place that they are homed to. If they were just freelofted and flown around home, they may return. If they were never flown, they will probaly stay at your place as long as you use a settling cage to get them acclimated. Pigeons start breeding in late Jan. or early Feb. I have Birmingham rollers and they wil raise a pair of squabs every 35 days or so. Homers are great parents and will incubate and feed at least 6 or 7 sets of squabs each year. I had one homer cock that I used as foster parent for the rollers. After he fed his young, he would go to the loft floor and call and feed any young that were there.

 

[schoebel_taylor]

I now have a broody pigeon sitting on 2 chukar eggs. Am i going to have to take the chukar chicks away if they hatch or can i let the pigeon raise them?

 

[Keith C.]

Pigeon eggs hatch in 17 to 18 days not 21 days.
Keith