May change breeds

[Quacking Pigeon]

Hi, I’m currently thinking of selling all my Serbian highflyers as a lot of my breeding hens were taken and now I only have one who’s fertile and the rest are males. I’m thinking about selling them for $15 each. And after I sell them I may look into keeping some homing pigeons. I’ll be most likely getting some squeakers and training them up, and since I have some Fantails I can put a few in the loft for them so they return. The loft will obviously need to have a trap added, and better perches. They’ll just be for hobby, I won’t be racing. What do you think?

 

[backyard pigeons]

Hi, I’m currently thinking of selling all my Serbian highflyers as a lot of my breeding hens were taken and now I only have one who’s fertile and the rest are males. I’m thinking about selling them for $15 each. And after I sell them I may look into keeping some homing pigeons. I’ll be most likely getting some squeakers and training them up, and since I have some Fantails I can put a few in the loft for them so they return. The loft will obviously need to have a trap added, and better perches. They’ll just be for hobby, I won’t be racing. What do you think?

I think it's your preference! It's totally up to you. I really enjoy homers, they are so sturdy when they fly. I have a group of 6 im doing tosses with now.

 

[Hokum Coco]

I may look into keeping some homing pigeons.

I would not own anything but when it comes to pigeons. Well I would not mind having a pair of white Indian fantails (to use as drop birds). I have not come across any in my area and so I do not have any.
I also do white dove release in my region and it helps supplement the cost of keeping my birds.

By no means though do I make a profit.

 

[cavemanrich]

I looked at your videos, but not sure what pigeons you have currently.
Homers (white) are pretty much the only type for me. Not for racing, but for loft flying and tosses. I also do like High flyers. Wanted some, but never got around to getting any. Was looking into some Iranian High Flyers. They were Beautiful birds, All White with Black Wing Tips
Rollers, I have no interest in. They would be hawk food around me. Fantails fall in same category. I do like the way both look, but they would need a large aviary, to be comfortable in. Freeflying not ideal in my area for those.
You do have multiple lofts, and they are really nice(seen in video)
My thinking If I was in your circumstance;
Keep the high Flyers, and see if you could find some more hens.(2 or so) Sell off some of the extra males. Keep pairs.
Your adjacent loft, keep your homers. If you get young, then there is no way knowing what ratio of male female you will have when grown. You don't need to keep the fantail drop birds in that loft, since you are not racing. Your fantails and whatever other breeds you may have can be in adjacent loft to that one.
Trap doors are easily retrofitted to your current opening. You can get the bob's and install. I think you should have them on each loft. This way you can control which set of pigeons you want to loft fly, and when.
I would loft fly/train each breed separately, as well as let all loft fly together when you want to.
Take the homers on tosses of varying distance. Not sure the homing skills of you particular high flyers. I would take for trial tosses, but not very far.

 

[Quacking Pigeon]

I looked at your videos, but not sure what pigeons you have currently.
Homers (white) are pretty much the only type for me. Not for racing, but for loft flying and tosses. I also do like High flyers. Wanted some, but never got around to getting any. Was looking into some Iranian High Flyers. They were Beautiful birds, All White with Black Wing Tips
Rollers, I have no interest in. They would be hawk food around me. Fantails fall in same category. I do like the way both look, but they would need a large aviary, to be comfortable in. Freeflying not ideal in my area for those.
You do have multiple lofts, and they are really nice(seen in video)
My thinking If I was in your circumstance;
Keep the high Flyers, and see if you could find some more hens.(2 or so) Sell off some of the extra males. Keep pairs.
Your adjacent loft, keep your homers. If you get young, then there is no way knowing what ratio of male female you will have when grown. You don't need to keep the fantail drop birds in that loft, since you are not racing. Your fantails and whatever other breeds you may have can be in adjacent loft to that one.
Trap doors are easily retrofitted to your current opening. You can get the bob's and install. I think you should have them on each loft. This way you can control which set of pigeons you want to loft fly, and when.
I would loft fly/train each breed separately, as well as let all loft fly together when you want to.
Take the homers on tosses of varying distance. Not sure the homing skills of you particular high flyers. I would take for trial tosses, but not very far.

Thanks for the recommendation. Also, I currently have fantails, Birmingham rollers (mainly show type), and Serbian highflyers (performance and show type). Problem with the Serbian highflyers is that it’s really hard to come across birds for sale. The last ones I saw for sale were an hour and a bit away and they were $50+ each, and the person wanted bloodlines not to be mixed. I could keep a pair in with the Birmingham rollers to free a section for the racing pigeons.

 

[cavemanrich]

Problem with the Serbian highflyers is that it’s really hard to come across birds for sale. The last ones I saw for sale were an hour and a bit away and they were $50+ each, and the person wanted bloodlines not to be mixed.

Like I wrote above,,,,, I LIKE HIGHFLYERS,,,, so still would keep them. Hard to come by does not translate to impossible. In time you will cross paths with some. In the meantime,,,, keep the hen and 2 males. If you hatch out young,,,,,,, match up the squab hen (when mature) with the other male. This keeps the gene pool diverse. You just might encounter/find a source of the HARD TO COME BY, by then.
I don't understand why the person does not want his pigeons to be mixed into other bloodlines. I'm sure he has his reasons
He is not last person on earth with that breed,,,,,, so I would pass on getting from him.
Since you do showing, you may find/encounter others at the shows that can help you search out/acquire the pigeons you are looking for.

 

[Quacking Pigeon]

Since you do showing, you may find/encounter others at the shows that can help you search out/acquire the pigeons you are looking for.

I don’t show pigeons I show ducks. I just have some show quality ones that I got from a person.

In the meantime,,,, keep the hen and 2 males. If you hatch out young,,,,,,, match up the squab hen (when mature) with the other male. This keeps the gene pool diverse.

I will probably do that if I keep them.

 

[cavemanrich]

I don’t show pigeons I show ducks. I just have some show quality ones that I got from a person.

OK,,,,, but are there pigeon shows that you can attend??? That is if they are near enough to your location.
Once you get the feeling of pigeon shows,,,, you may decide to try and enter some of your own.

 

[Quacking Pigeon]

OK,,,,, but are there pigeon shows that you can attend??? That is if they are near enough to your location.
Once you get the feeling of pigeon shows,,,, you may decide to try and enter some of your own.

There aren’t any nearby.

 

[Quacking Pigeon]

I sold all my serbian highflyers and still have six Fantails to sell. At the moment there are quite a few racing pigeons for sale, and some close nearby. But they are adults and I am a bit concerned with the settling time. They are from $30 each. There are also some maybe crossbred blue checkers and stuff for $5 each, I could ask the owner about the breed. If you do get old birds how long do you settle them for before you can start flying them? And what do you recommend I do? Thanks