Highflyers don’t fly?!

[Quacking Pigeon]

A while back I got a pair of Highflyers but the annoying thing is that they barely fly. I think the problem is my original pigeons haven’t flown in ages. Also first when I bring new birds in they fly around all the time then they just stop. What can I do to get them all flying again?

 

[Hokum Coco]

What can I do to get them all flying again?

I would deprive them of food for about 12 hours or better and begin releasing them a short distance from their loft. Gradually increase the distance and their joy of flying will hopefully return. Along with some conditioning. Your birds sound spoiled fat and lazy. Maybe start feeding morning and evening if possible and only give them what they can eat in 15 minutes.

 

[Quacking Pigeon]

I would deprive them of food for about 12 hours or better and begin releasing them a short distance from their loft. Gradually increase the distance and their joy of flying will hopefully return. Along with some conditioning. Your birds sound spoiled fat and lazy. Maybe start feeding morning and evening if possible and only give them what they can eat in 15 minutes.

My birds only get fed a bit in the morning. And they eat all the food. And I would deprive them from food but I have squabs and squeakers in most sections of the loft. I might try releasing them this afternoon from the paddock. Thanks for the help @Hokum Coco also how are the muscovies going if you got them?

 

[ctm]

Sometimes they dont like to fly if its hot.what i would do is release them hungry in the morning and then call them back after 30 min. Also if they have been penned up in a small cage for a while they wont have the muscles to fly for long.

 

[Quacking Pigeon]

It is winter here at the moment. And I did keep the highfliers locked up for a month before letting them out but they could fly to the different perches. And if I let them out in the morning they would just hang around the loft or go in the paddock.

 

[Hokum Coco]

I have squabs and squeakers in most sections of the loft.

That can complicate things I must agree.

how are the muscovies going if you got them?

My sister in law found some muscovies and I will get a few from her once the duck begins to brood again. The duck lost one clutch of eggs to a predator she thinks it may have been a skunk.

 

[ctm]

Well flying from perch to perch doesnt quite build muscles like flying in the open. I would just give them some time to start flying

 

[Quacking Pigeon]

I released two groups from near the dam in the paddock yesterday (the high flyers in the 1st group). The first group was made up of the highflyer pair, my original male, a racing pigeon and a few crosses. When I let them out the circled a bit then flew directly back, but the highflyers stayed in the air a bit longer and didn't go above the trees unlike my original pair of highflyer shoes which almost disappeared. They had to keep flying around to get low enough to get back on the loft roof.

The second group was full of my adult birds who already know their way back from that point, original highflyer, original pair and a young bird. When I let them out the young bird went up in a tree and the others returned right away to the loft. I'll release all of them again this afternoon, this time making sure the high flyers are all together.

 

[Quacking Pigeon]

So I’ve restricted how much I’m feeding them now, and they are flying around now. They aren’t going that high but the homers especially are going around the place. I’m wondering how long it will take them to go to other parts of the property, as they hang around the area near the loft.