Second try releasing my homers--wondering whether to tie or soap wings

[LamarshFish]

Hi. Sorry to hear you are having so much trouble with you birds. I can't understand what is the issue causing them to not return!

My loft is also under a lot of trees (for shade). No problems with them finding it.

I also never trained my birds at all.. they just know to come and go through the door. I only call them in at night to feed them and then shut them up to protect them from predators.

I have moved house 3 times with them also.. and still not lost any. I only kept them in the new place at least 2 weeks before I let them out.

Maybe one of your neighbors has pigeons and they are getting in with that new flock. Even if they were with the zoo ones.. I would think they would fly back and forth to the loft and zoo... as they are used to roosting in the loft.

I advise you to keep them all penned up now and breed at least one set of young of each pair. Then wait till the young are independent before simply opening the door and letting them go about their usual stuff... the young will go back in to feed and roost for sure.

I think that's the plan. Thank you all.

 

[biophiliac]

If you keep them in as breeders have you considered erecting a nice sized flight cage for them? ... Something 10' x 10' or bigger?

https://www.amazon.com/Netting-Bird...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=2F8AT7C65KGEBGQV1GRW

 

[LamarshFish]

If you keep them in as breeders have you considered erecting a nice sized flight cage for them? ... Something 10' x 10' or bigger?

https://www.amazon.com/Netting-Bird...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=2F8AT7C65KGEBGQV1GRW

I have certainly considered it, but I don't think it's going to happen anytime soon unfortunately. If I do this, I am only going to keep them prisoner until they mate and breed once, which should happen by October. After they do that, I will let them fly with the others, and if they take off so be it, if not it's a bonus.

Still not 100% on doing this yet. I just bought a book that was recommended to me, and I am going to review it and make my decision after wards.

 

[LamarshFish]

This is a plan that could work for you. I always tell any new fancier the same thing.

Never fly a pigeon that you are not prepared to loose.

Birds that are born in a loft automatically have a connection to home. That being said they still have to be trained in the same manner.

When training adult homing pigeons I always raise at least 3 batches of offspring before even thinking about releasing them even then I released them individually.

Your observation would be a excellent policy to adopt in your case where you are having such poor luck.

I think personally with the arrival of the first egg or even the building of the nest your pair will have a good motive to return. Returning home to their mate (fanciers when racing call this widowhood) has always been a method used by top fanciers in winning pigeon races.

A pigeon's mate is the major reason pigeons home.

Hi. Sorry to hear you are having so much trouble with you birds. I can't understand what is the issue causing them to not return!

My loft is also under a lot of trees (for shade). No problems with them finding it.

I also never trained my birds at all.. they just know to come and go through the door. I only call them in at night to feed them and then shut them up to protect them from predators.

I have moved house 3 times with them also.. and still not lost any. I only kept them in the new place at least 2 weeks before I let them out.

Maybe one of your neighbors has pigeons and they are getting in with that new flock. Even if they were with the zoo ones.. I would think they would fly back and forth to the loft and zoo... as they are used to roosting in the loft.

I advise you to keep them all penned up now and breed at least one set of young of each pair. Then wait till the young are independent before simply opening the door and letting them go about their usual stuff... the young will go back in to feed and roost for sure.

What do you guys think about me only letting one out at a time?

jak2002003 that is good to hear that your loft is also under trees, makes me feel much better!

 

[jak2002003]

There would be little point letting one out at a time... in my opinion... because they will just do the same as the previous ones... stay around a while and not go back in.. then disappear.

Don't feel too impatient.. they will soon breed and each pair will have 2 young.. so you will have lots of birds soon.. then you can release the lot in one go.. just by opening the door once they young ones are grown and feeding themselves. Also by that time the adults will have new eggs and nests... so even less likely to fly the coop.

 

[LamarshFish]

There would be little point letting one out at a time... in my opinion... because they will just do the same as the previous ones... stay around a while and not go back in.. then disappear.

Don't feel too impatient.. they will soon breed and each pair will have 2 young.. so you will have lots of birds soon.. then you can release the lot in one go.. just by opening the door once they young ones are grown and feeding themselves. Also by that time the adults will have new eggs and nests... so even less likely to fly the coop.

I am still trying to decide if I want to lock my birds in until they breed. But I do have a few new developments to announce:

(1) I picked up 8 new squeakers last night, and almost all of them are considerably young, almost full feathers but lots of baby down fuzzies on them. They are nice birds--2 silver bars, 1 black, 2 blue bars and 3 blue checks. The black one is very cool, I have been always wanting one. I now have 13 total, including my 5 older birds that are about 3 months old.

(2) In addition to building a landing board off my front door to my loft, which was simply a bob door with a predator door that doubles as a small (like 12"x12") landing platform, I am now making a very major renovation to my loft by removing my aviary and cutting it in half vertically (so it is half the height), and building a bob door that sits on top the aviary such that the aviary will then be the landing platform. My aviary was too tall anyways, and my birds never used the upper portion anyhow. Below is a picture of my loft currently, before modifications, so you get an idea of what I'm doing. That aviary on the left will be only half the height, with a bob door installed on the top, left side of the loft, with that large aviary roof serving as the landing platform.

 

[biophiliac]

O, what exciting developments! Pictures OF THE BIRDS please..

Are you going to have 2 bob traps? I can see where that could be useful.

I just bought a book that was recommended to me,

Care to share the title?

 

[jak2002003]

Wow.. lovely looking loft. Lucky birds. Only think I personally would change is the perches in the open flight area... they look a bit thin. Pigeons like thick or flat perches better in my experience.

Seriously great loft you have though!!!

 

[biophiliac]

What if you just lowered the aviary to level with the bottom of the loft? Would that leave room for the trap you want above?

 

[LamarshFish]

O, what exciting developments! Pictures OF THE BIRDS please..

Are you going to have 2 bob traps? I can see where that could be useful.

Care to share the title?

I will get pictures up ASAP. I will have 2 bob traps, but not because I think it helps anything, just because I don't care to mess with removing the one on the front door, and just in case they for some reason prefer to enter that way anyhow.

Wow.. lovely looking loft. Lucky birds. Only think I personally would change is the perches in the open flight area... they look a bit thin. Pigeons like thick or flat perches better in my experience.

Seriously great loft you have though!!!

Thanks! Yeah, I know those perches are a bit thin, and they're round. It's on my list of things to do, but in the meantime I don't think it's a big deal, they actually hang out on that thing quite a bit.

What if you just lowered the aviary to level with the bottom of the loft? Would that leave room for the trap you want above?

You know what, I never thought of that. That might be the easiest move since I wouldn't have to cut the aviary down (which would have been the hardest part of this), but I just wonder whether there would be any thing wrong with having the aviary that low????