Feral pigeon question

[Pigeon28]

About a mile and a half down the road from my house there is an old farm that used to be beautiful in the day but is now run down and only has a few cows in the pasture. They Also feed the birds like crazy, and have lots of ferals that stop by and hang out there. Will this food source and flock/flocks of pigeons lure away my birds when loft flying/out for tosses?

 

[biophiliac]

About a mile and a half down the road from my house there is an old farm that used to be beautiful in the day but is now run down and only has a few cows in the pasture. They Also feed the birds like crazy, and have lots of ferals that stop by and hang out there. Will this food source and flock/flocks of pigeons lure away my birds when loft flying/out for tosses?

IMO you will not have a problem. There is a feral flock in the lumberyard across the street from me and none of my birds have defected. The fact that they are putting feed out for them may change the equation some, but homers are by definition loyal to their own loft. Individual birds do vary in behavior so it is possible one of your birds might join the ferals.
I guess I wouldn't worry about it unless it happens?

 

[Pigeon28]

IMO you will not have a problem. There is a feral flock in the lumberyard across the street from me and none of my birds have defected. The fact that they are putting feed out for them may change the equation some, but homers are by definition loyal to their own loft. Individual birds do vary in behavior so it is possible one of your birds might join the ferals.
I guess I wouldn't worry about it unless it happens?

Okay great, I wasn’t sure if I was over thinking it or not, but I drive by daily and finally I just had to ask. Thankyou for the reply!!!

 

[biophiliac]

Okay great, I wasn’t sure if I was over thinking it or not, but I drive by daily and finally I just had to ask. Thankyou for the reply!!!

You are welcome! At least if you have a missing bird you know one place to look.

 

[backyard pigeons]

I wouldn't worry about it. If anything, you'll be getting ferals home with your racers. If you do lose a racer because it decided to change loyalties to another home, you didn't lose a homer, you lost a pigeon. if one doesn't come back, it's really not worth getting if you are hoping to race your birds, which I think you are.

 

[biophiliac]

didn't lose a homer, you lost a pigeon

One of my favorite sayings!

 

[backyard pigeons]

One of my favorite sayings!

Oh yeah! I learned it from you!

 

[Pigeon28]

I wouldn't worry about it. If anything, you'll be getting ferals home with your racers. If you do lose a racer because it decided to change loyalties to another home, you didn't lose a homer, you lost a pigeon. if one doesn't come back, it's really not worth getting if you are hoping to race your birds, which I think you are.

Very well said, Thankyou for your input!!!

 

[jak2002003]

I doubt you will have a problem... unless you have some unpaired birds looking for a new mate... they might get attracted to some sexy free single feral birds lol.

The house next door to me has a feral flock living in their roof. But my birds are not interested in them at all, and stay around their coop.

Sometimes when they are flying a feral or 2 will join them, and then fly off again as my birds come down to land.

Mine of all white homers, so I can easily spot a feral bird amongst them.

I do have one feral red male from the next door flock that is in love with on of my birds. He hangs out on top of the coop even will go through the trap door to get in at night... so I have to chase him out when I put my birds to bed. He then flies back to next door. He has been doing this for 4 months now... but I don't mind.. he is quite funny.