Letting Pigeons out during the day?

[muscovy94]

Hello everybody I currently have a pair of indian fantails. I don't have a special loft so the pigeons stay in the chicken pen. I let my pigeons and chickens free range during the day and both the chickens and the pigeons always come back in the pen when it starts getting dark. Well In the near future I plan on getting some more fancy breeds of pigeons to add to my flock. The question is if I do get more fancy pigeons and let them free range with my other birds will they come back when it starts getting dark like my other pigeons? Or do I just have a special pair of pigeons that do what they are told? lol.

 

[Morri]

YEs i think if you treat the new pigeons like new chickens and lock them in for a few weeks before letting them out they would come home, as long as they are some sort of homing pigeon as some doves dont come home. Can you keep pigeons with the chickens?? I really want pigeons but never new you could keep them together, we are building a bigger run so could i keep pigeons with chickens if it was high enough for the pigeons to get away from them?? Sorry to ask you a question on you question but i am very interested in your set up... thanks

 

[ThiefPouter06]

I have free flown many breed of fancy pigeons. The one thing I found is that some show breeds have no desire to leave the loft.

 

[petersteel]

yes its true, pigeon definitely come back whether goes so far, it has very sharp mind it can never forget the way of coming back. moreover if we free them definitely we are having some humanity, we should be kind to them, they also want some freedom after all they are also living beings.

 

[Bossroo]

start out with 10 and keep count... 10..10...9...8...7. etc. The one's that don't return are the ones picked off for dinner by falcons, hawks, owls, cats, racoons, coyotes, etc.. Good luck.

 

[sourland]

BossRoo is right. Once the hawks locate your flock, they won't leave until all are killed. My pigeons are only flown when I am present. They have been trained to come in to be fed, and still I lose many to hawks. Around here the Coopers hawks are especially bad. Good luck-Geo.

 

[chseeads]

I have a pair of modenas and they have their own little 'penthouse' inside the chicken house. They are free to come and go as they please, and they are very much homebodies. Occasionally they actually come outside, but most often they just stay inside the coop, or in the run.

They don't fly just for the sake of flying around. They just fly to get from point A to point B.

 

[Mary Of Exeter]

Just make sure you are outside when the birds are out, and all should be okay. Although a lot of the younger hawks do get brave and will attack right in front of you. And yes, the will come back in just like any other pigeon breed. Keep them in for 2 weeks, then you can let them out.

 

[stphen]

well its true that pigeons definitely come back and the formost thing is that they never forget their way to come back from even far away places.

 

[miachick]

Knowing this is an old thread im still hoping I can see pictures of pigeons and chickens together. Please post pictures of coop set up!! It is so exciting to find out they can coexist with chickens. I have been wanting pigeons for a long time!