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

[Hokum Coco]

I am wondering the chances they will return.

I had one return months after it being released I am not sure how long. It was captured by a soldier at a kit flying exhibition and returned to me by way of the band on it's leg. I had two return to me just a few days ago after a release they were not prepared for 3 days after the fact (that turned out to be my own stupidity.). Really your guess as as good as anybodies in this case. Do you think your loft location could be part of the problem? Poor visibility from your house and surrounding roof tops?

 

[biophiliac]

So to speculate further ... did these 4 immediately locate alternative food, water and roosting locations! so quickly? If they weren't taken by predators, where are they? I recall you suspect they may have been attracted to the Zoo flock? I find it hard to believe they have gone very far - but I've been wrong almost every time.

I can't really see why you should lose 4 of 7.

 

[LamarshFish]

Do you think your loft location could be part of the problem? Poor visibility from your house and surrounding roof tops?

While it was my understanding that pigeons can find lofts that aren't necessarily visible from above by marking other landmarks like the nearby house, I definitely think my loft location could be part of the problem. It sits in the back corner of my property, and is covered by many trees. It is small.

On the other hand, almost every bird I've realeased for the first time flies around for a while, sometimes over an hour, and returns to the loft and hangs on its roof, so if they do that just once, why shouldn't they be able to do it again?

I do live in a pretty urban neighborhood, houses close together, and from the sky everything looks pretty similar, but my house faces a park, and my roof is quite a bit larger than the surrounding houses, so the park and my roof I thought were pretty darn solid landmarks. My house is also a few blocks from a major freeway junction, which I think should act as yet another large landmark....

I am curious to hear anything you may have to say about loft location though. I know ideally it'd be dead center in the middle of a field, but I do not have that option at all.

I wonder whether I should just call this quits and keep all of my remaining birds in my loft and just let them breed and fly their offspring? Start them off outside the loft young, and go from there? Once they're trained, then let out the adults and they can follow the youngsters?

 

[LamarshFish]

So to speculate further ... did these 4 immediately locate alternative food, water and roosting locations! so quickly? If they weren't taken by predators, where are they? I recall you suspect they may have been attracted to the Zoo flock? I find it hard to believe they have gone very far - but I've been wrong almost every time.

I can't really see why you should lose 4 of 7.

Other than pecking at the ground a bit, I don't think they could have found alternative food spots. I called the zoo weeks ago to ask if anybody feeds the ferals there, and they said no. There are a few flocks within 1/2 mile of me, and there are several dozen of them.

Technically I have had a total of 10 birds, and lost 4 to date. I think the first losses were more attributable to failure to tame them properly. My most recent losses were birds from my original group, which were part of a group that were tougher to tame and I neglected to tame them early on.

 

[biophiliac]

two return to me just a few days ago after a release they were not prepared for 3 days after the fact (that turned out to be my own stupidity.)

Once again, that is amazing! You said they were untrained. Had they ever flown outside the loft?

 

[biophiliac]

Other than pecking at the ground a bit, I don't think they could have found alternative food spots. I called the zoo weeks ago to ask if anybody feeds the ferals there, and they said no. There are a few flocks within 1/2 mile of me, and there are several dozen of them.

Technically I have had a total of 10 birds, and lost 4 to date. I think the first losses were more attributable to failure to tame them properly. My most recent losses were birds from my original group, which were part of a group that were tougher to tame and I neglected to tame them early on.

It does seem like your tamer ones are the 'stayers'.

 

[Hokum Coco]

Had they ever flown outside the loft?

Very little they were only trap trained and never went beyond the view of the loft to my knowledge.

I am curious to hear anything you may have to say about loft location though.

I merely was grasping at straws trying to reason why so many failed orientations. One thing I am sure of all homing pigeons are "NOT CREATED EQUAL."
Six birds is a very good base to start a pigeon loft out on. Once your birds begin breeding there will be plenty of opportunity to swap birds to broaden the blood line if necessary.

 

[LamarshFish]

Very little they were only trap trained and never went beyond the view of the loft to my knowledge.
I merely was grasping at straws trying to reason why so many failed orientations. One thing I am sure of all homing pigeons are "NOT CREATED EQUAL."
Six birds is a very good base to start a pigeon loft out on. Once your birds begin breeding there will be plenty of opportunity to swap birds to broaden the blood line if necessary.

I was hoping you could entertain a few questions for me:

Do you think I should try simply keeping these birds in my loft until they mate and reproduce?

Can you think of any potential issues with holding off for quite a while longer to let them out? I expect them to start laying this fall. Perhaps letting them out while they are mating and laying, so they have an incentive to return?

I let 5 out the other day, and 3 returned. Do you think those 3 are safe to let out again?
Thanks!

 

[Hokum Coco]

Do you think I should try simply keeping these birds in my loft until they mate and reproduce?

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.

 

[jak2002003]

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.