Performance breeds of pigeons

[albert w]

There must be others here with performance breeds of pigeons. Anyone with performing rollers, tumblers, divers, highflyers etc.?
I have doneks (a diving breed) and Ukrainian skycutters (they hover in one spot).
I'd love to hear about your breeds and training.

 

[albert w]

A picture and links to my videos.

If anyone is interested in diving breeds, check out World of Doneks and Divers on the web.

 

[JulieNKC]

I don't have any yet, but I would like to get a pair soon. Once I get my pigeon house done. All I have are 2 west of england tumblers, and from what I've read about them they don't tumble.

So I'll be checking out your links and videos, I would love to find out more about them. i'm new to pigeons, so I know next to nothing right now.

 

[albert w]

There are no rules about getting into pigeons but it's a good idea to pick a breed first, or at least decide if you will be raising show birds, performance birds or raising for genetic purposes (like colors). This is because it may determine the type of loft, nest boxes etc) you build. But a basic loft with perches will get you STARTED in any of the above.
There are a few things I like about the diving breeds:
Hawk attacks are a huge problem in most parts of America now. Rollers, homers and fancy breeds get picked off by the hundreds. Diving breeds are only in the air for a few minutes at a time and flown in fewer numbers at a time, which doesn't attract hawks like a kit of rollers or whole flock of young homers.
Also, with other breeds, you may have to wait hours for them to come down and trap into the loft. With diving breeds, I can fly them, have them drop and be done in 5 minutes. Or I can fly them and watch them dive 4-5 times in a row, which is convenient for someone like me with a wife and four kids
Take your time, ask lots of questions and enjoy yourself!

 

[JulieNKC]

There are no rules about getting into pigeons but it's a good idea to pick a breed first, or at least decide if you will be raising show birds, performance birds or raising for genetic purposes (like colors). This is because it may determine the type of loft, nest boxes etc) you build. But a basic loft with perches will get you STARTED in any of the above.
There are a few things I like about the diving breeds:
Hawk attacks are a huge problem in most parts of America now. Rollers, homers and fancy breeds get picked off by the hundreds. Diving breeds are only in the air for a few minutes at a time and flown in fewer numbers at a time, which doesn't attract hawks like a kit of rollers or whole flock of young homers.
Also, with other breeds, you may have to wait hours for them to come down and trap into the loft. With diving breeds, I can fly them, have them drop and be done in 5 minutes. Or I can fly them and watch them dive 4-5 times in a row, which is convenient for someone like me with a wife and four kids

Take your time, ask lots of questions and enjoy yourself!

I got the woe because I like their feet, lol. And i wanted something to start with, and see if I liked having pigeons before tracking down something I really want. Right now I'd just like to have a pair to go with the pair I have. I am just converting a section of the chicken run into an aviary for them. I will add perches and shelves and nestboxes for the pigeons. It is covered on the top, and I cover the sides before winter so it stays dry and most of the wind blocked, will this be ok for them for now? Then, if I still like them as much and want to continue or take it a bit further I plan on building them their own loft. Does this sound ok or would I be better off going ahead and building a small loft. The divers do sound pretty neat, and ideal for actually flying. Especially since I don't want a whole bunch (yet at least, lol) so hawk losses would be pretty devastating. For right now I'd like to just have a few and fly them occasionally, no raising/breeding. Thanks so much for your help!

 

[ThiefPouter06]

For the person with a few birds, its best to keep your breeders locked up and fly the young. That way if you lose one to the hawk you wont have to go out and try to track down a mate. Hawks always eat your best looking, healthiest, most expensive pigeon. I recommend starting with at least two pair.

 

[albert w]

Julie, you can spend all the money you want on lofts, nest boxes etc. but the pigeons don't know lol! As long as the birds have the necessities they will breed and they will thrive. The expensive accommodations are mainly built for the hobbyist's convenience. After all, a loft that is easier to get around in is usually easier to clean and therefore it gets cleaned! But I've seen beautiful, healthy birds in lofts made from scraps and old pallets. As long as the birds have fresh air, free from drafts, enough room and kept dry, they will love their home and thrive!
And as stated by thiefpouter, I started with two pair of doneks but didn't fly them. I raised their young to fly. And truthfully, three pair is a bare minimum, for doneks at least. Hawks aren't nearly as big of a problem for doneks as just having them get so high that they just drift away. They have poor homing ability, so three pair would replace any of those losses. I haven't lost any yet, but eventually I will I'm sure.