Chicken Hugger,
I wasn't clear from your message if you were trying to fly the older birds or their offspring (you mention "breeding like crazy"). I bought some adult birds to start of my team of flyers and have no intention of letting them fly, following the advice given me by the pigeon-guy that I got them from. So they are "just" breeders... it's the young only that I fly.
To touch on one of Becky's comments... I had the case of a hawk scare turned runaway bird. It was only 2 months old, but I got a call from a guy roughly 100 miles away... on the other side of a large body of water. I was able to get the bird back, but it had a great big gash just above the tail.
Finally... losses are sadly also part of flying pigeons.... sometimes weather related, sometimes predator-related and yes, sometimes even "pigeon-keeper related"... I released my homers for what I thought was a routine flight on Jan. 4, from a drop from a spot I'd released them from twice before and over which they'd flown 2 other times as well.... in the summer/fall. In Jan. however, the ground was snow covered, there's recently been a snowstorm (so wind currents were still in flux although calm)... and predatory birds are hungrier at that time of year & so more aggressive. All but 1 of my 2010 team was lost that day. A hard lesson to learn, but all part of it.
Glad your birds came back to roost!
Mike
