First time raising pigeons

[PigionLover112]

Hi. I just got 8 pigeons and I've had two of them which are rollers for a year. Then I have two racers that I've hade for two months and tumblers and a crown pigeon. I just recently let them out and I would like to know how long pigeons usually stay out before coming home. Or if they will come home. Thank you.

 

[nchls school]

Hi. I just got 8 pigeons and I've had two of them which are rollers for a year. Then I have two racers that I've hade for two months and tumblers and a crown pigeon. I just recently let them out and I would like to know how long pigeons usually stay out before coming home. Or if they will come home. Thank you.

Did they come back? I'm guessing that the rollers and racers went back to their original home; or tried to. Most likely the tumblers too. Crown pigeons I know naught. Many of the better flighted pigeons take a long time to accept a new home; if ever. For many of these birds the homing instionct is so strong the will leave eggs and chicks to go back home.

I do hope they came back. I know the disappointment of having pigeons leave. You can go to their original home and ask, but if it's too far away the birds may have been lost.

 

[PigionLover112]

They didn't come back yesterday. Only one out of four that flew off. But that's because she has eggs and a mate here

 

[laughingdog]

Rollers you usually have to keep up for a week, month to several or year or ever dependant on strain/fam if FORs (Flying Oriental Rollers), racers a month or year to maybe ever, tumblers 1-6 months depending on breed. Birmingham rollers, large clean legged, white headed flight feathered n tailed etc or called badged if not in states, have bad homing skills and can be let out after week, where my FORs were up few/several months and adults led pure bred young to old coop where ever, n fantail mix came back to me (there were also two tornado after they were off that evening.

 

[PigionLover112]

Thanks for the info. One of my rollers came back about a day or two ago. Two are still missing, a tumbler and the rollers mate.

 

[PigionLover112]

Another one of my pigeons flew off and didn't come back. I'm wondering what I'm doing wrong. I've had them the appropriate amount of time, but for some reason they are not flocking together. What am I doing wrong?

 

[laughingdog]

Could bops be in trees or out of sight high up scattering and chasing off?

Are you training to feed call, only feeding what they'll rat in five min to hour dependant on who you ask, an hour at most before dusk, then day before do not call or feed, then next day release at feeding time, call in before dark. repeat releasing n feeding etc but do not withhold feed then.

 

[nchls school]

Another one of my pigeons flew off and didn't come back. I'm wondering what I'm doing wrong. I've had them the appropriate amount of time, but for some reason they are not flocking together. What am I doing wrong?

Can the pigeons see the coop from above? If not this could be a factor. It is hard with some breeds to adjust to a new home. Young birds adjust better. Should you get more I would suggest that you get birds fresh out of the nest; ones that are young enough to accept a new home readily. I had the same problem when I released my damascene pigeons. Even after a year in the coop they some still left and never came back.

 

[PigionLover112]

Thank you for the info. I will try to food train them. And yes, they should be able to see their coop from the sky. I have had two out of 4 return home successfully. The one I've had the most success with is my gray racer. She has come home from the beginning. How would I food train them and how long would it take before they were fully trained.

 

[laughingdog]

Damascenes traditionally had great homining instincts etc..
best time to get young birds is right after their feathers are in under wings.
pigeons can be feed trained from week to month. food train method above, of only feeding what will eat in five min first to get hungry, in evening hour before dusk, as make a certain call. use a seed diet as training as pellets more filling n they are not as motivated. deny feed and don't call evening before release, then release next nigjt letting them settle were ok to for you, checking out and mapping where new home is, as an hour before dark they'll hang around or come home to you as cannot prob get anywere. Feed whenever they get antsy and start wanting to go off looking for food or old home. repeat letting out hour only before dark, some do only half hour before dark, and feed call as feed water n lock back up for night. do for week to month.