How Long Does It Take For Pigeons To Imprint On A New Home?

[DrinkTheRainbow]

My pair of Komorner Tumblers have disappeared and I was thinking they might've flown back home.

 

[Mary Of Exeter]

I doubt it. It should only take them a couple weeks. Homers are really the only ones that require longer to resettle because of their homing ability. But any breed can be flighty their first time out and accidentally fly farther than they are familiar with and get lost. Especially the older they are. Squeakers are less likely to do that because they are just getting interested in flying. Older birds who have flown before are anxious to get out. They may have also gotten spooked by a hawk and flew too far in a panic.

 

[Sunny the Hippie Chick]

When I had pigeons I wouldnt let my new ones fly until they had eggs in the nest.. I was told once, that when they start to lay eggs they are comfortable with their new home.. And they have the need to return to their nest.. I had Rollers once that were fine and stayed rather close to home when I let them out. I believe I had them cooped for a month.. At the most, 2 months.

I dont know what others do..

But I do know that I sold a few. And the people let them out after having them for only 2 weeks and they came back home to me. I had to return them, good thing I knew where the buyer lived.

 

[DrinkTheRainbow]

Oh then. I hope they're okay. They did nest in the loft that we had for them, but it got infested with rats so we had to get them out. The rats took their eggs before we got to bring them out. If a pigeon was to fly away would it be more likely for the pigeons to fly towards a forest or into small shrubs?

 

[Mary Of Exeter]

Being stressed by the rats could have been their motivation to leave. When they are out in the "wild" they tend to gravitate towards feral flocks, farms with easy feed access, the city/town, or houses near there.

 

[DrinkTheRainbow]

I just remembered that our neighbor across the street has a humungous barn and they have some barn pigeons. I wonder if they went there. I must check!

 

[laughingdog]

i hope your come back, as some of mine got out and they luckily came back each, both times, and think either young or my other one i sent out eventually led them back when they were dead tired, and buddy has a pair that are in great condition oddly, but bad situation, and everyone and thing eats eggs and destroys nest constantly and they just keep laying eggs.. so rooting for you and yours, as know the stress it can be worried about them, especially us who have so few and just starting out!