Shoot!! Shoot!! Help!!

[CochinBrahmaLover]

You are lucky to have adult homers stay at your loft. You must be doing something better than me. The breed of adult homers I have as soon as they escape (even though they never been flown) right back to their place of imprint or origin (about 120 miles away). I always tell buddy to keep the adult birds as I usually have 3 to 4 batchs of squabs by then and new blood in the loft. I had one adult female stay so far. I refuse to keep a bird prisoner all it's adult life like some fanciers do.

Well this babies are rock doves. Got them from a friend, they were a nuisance and were going to be shot. They were probably around 6 months or so. In the spring I'm gonna try to soft release them, but until then they seem happy here.
Have you ever tried getting younger pigeons? We had ours in a rabbit hutch for a bit, then upgraded to a section with bird netting, and then the bird netting got a hole in it and they all escaped. Gosh I was flipping out. But they all flew back that night to sleep, so I guess they like it here.

 

[Hokum Coco]

Yes younger pigeons (squeakers is the safe way to go). I have done that where possible. However there are times when you just need an adult to complete a breeding pair. Or to bring in new blood.

From you description your birds sound like feral pigeons. All feral pigeons have some homing ability the question is how much. In fact one of my best homing pigeons was a feral bird. My experience with feral birds was my best bird was the exception not the rule.

When tossing your birds let them get acquainted with the area around your loft which I feel you already done. Start them off with short tosses at first and gradually increase it from one point on the compass. then start them off from short distances again from another points of the compass and increase it again gradually.

There are lots of sites on the Internet to give you advice on training your birds. I suggest you read a few and start a regiment that fits your free time and your type of bird.

You can definitely expect losses no matter which method you try. If you are not prepared for losses maybe it is not what you should get into.

My older flock now can make it home from 60 miles in any direction and I would not hesitate to double or possible triple that distance in the spring when flying conditions are better and once they gain a bit more muscle tone.

You might check out pigeon bands with your name and phone number inscribed on them. That can be the difference between loosing and retaining a valued bird.

If you find you want to compete with other fanciers the NPA is something you might want to check out.

 

[ladybirdb12]

One day, I got a call from a friend, she asked me to come over at her work (boarding place for horses) she had a ring neck dove in a bucket she was hurt. I thought ok "get her better then release her, a hawk got her and a dog was chasing the hawk, hawk let go of the dove. Next day the dove was in the horse stall hurt, so needless to say never been around doves, only parrots my husband and I was checkinhg out the injury "her whole tip of the wing hanging the bone snapped off and was open, so we had to take that tip off. This was eight years ago after two years we took her inside the house (vet check of course) she couldn't fly very good. She lives inside my house no cage we named her lovey dovey she nevers gets close to a window or the doors, she loves staying inside hanging on top of my cockatoos cage. I had no ideal they can get very jealous. Lol she always comes to me either lands on my head or my shoulder. She is an awesome bird!!!

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

Yes younger pigeons (squeakers is the safe way to go). I have done that where possible. However there are times when you just need an adult to complete a breeding pair. Or to bring in new blood.

From you description your birds sound like feral pigeons. All feral pigeons have some homing ability the question is how much. In fact one of my best homing pigeons was a feral bird. My experience with feral birds was my best bird was the exception not the rule.

When tossing your birds let them get acquainted with the area around your loft which I feel you already done. Start them off with short tosses at first and gradually increase it from one point on the compass. then start them off from short distances again from another points of the compass and increase it again gradually.

There are lots of sites on the Internet to give you advice on training your birds. I suggest you read a few and start a regiment that fits your free time and your type of bird.

You can definitely expect losses no matter which method you try. If you are not prepared for losses maybe it is not what you should get into.

My older flock now can make it home from 60 miles in any direction and I would not hesitate to double or possible triple that distance in the spring when flying conditions are better and once they gain a bit more muscle tone.

You might check out pigeon bands with your name and phone number inscribed on them. That can be the difference between loosing and retaining a valued bird.

If you find you want to compete with other fanciers the NPA is something you might want to check out.

Lol! Thanks very much for the advice, but I meant soft release as in releasing them into a flock. If I got NPA pigeons they'd be frillbacks, Pouters or saxon monks. I'm not a fan of most homers - The wattles are too big,. If I got some I'd cross them down to smaller wattles. I love the looks and colors of them (like the ferals) but the wattles are too big, xD. Thats why I like saxon monks, they have small wattles + bright colors, so they sorta remind me of ferals but they have feathered feet so. And pouter + frillbacks aren't even close to ferals but I love them,, xD. My dads old highschool buddy raises pouters, so if I need any I know where to go... xD.

Oh and I also love English Fantails, Americans have too much , uuhh, 'their-neck-being-pulled-back-by-a-string'ness, XD


LadyBird ;
Thats a cute story! Glad it turned out OK. I would LOVE a pair of ringneck doves, but my parents hate the pigeons in the first place, some indoor doves defianlty wouldn't make them happy. Although, in the next year or so we may have to start selling the animals and some doves may be my compromise ^.^ [that or a parrot but their expensive... xD]

 

[ladybirdb12]

Parrots, you might check out rehome or rescue places, theses birds need a home even cockateils.cockateils make great first parrot time bird, they are very smart, very funny and they are very loving

 

[Hokum Coco]

Oh and I also love English Fantails, Americans have too much , uuhh, 'their-neck-being-pulled-back-by-a-string'ness, XD

Instead of wattles (I know what you are referring to) some fanciers call it the nostril cere. I agree 100% about the American Fantail! I was not aware of the English Fantails they sound like the bird I am looking for. Thank you for the heads up CochinBrahmaLover.

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

Quote: I used to just call it the cere but then I was notified that that was the white around the eye. Made no sense to me.
(In case you didn't google pics)

I love how the look 'Proper', but don't look like theres a neck coming from their tailbone...

 

[larrylofts]

the white bird pictured is a indian fantail or cross with the standard fantail what some people call english fantail

 

[Hokum Coco]

the white bird pictured is a Indian fantail or cross with the standard fantail what some people call English fantail

I like the carriage of the Indian fantail better than the American. When I googled English fantail it seemed to have the same carriage as the Indian Fantail but with clean feet and legs which would be exactly what I am looking for. From what Larrylofts is saying I am led to believe that the English fantail is a hybrid between the American & Indian fantail and may or may not have the characteristics I am looking for.

 

[larrylofts]

WHAT I SHOULD EXPLAIN IS THAT THE SHOW FANTAIL OR AMERICAN FANTAIL ARE BIRDS BRED HERE IN THE U.S. FOR CERTIAN FEATURES THE OTHER TYPE WHAT YOU CALL ENGLISH IS THE SAME BIRD JUST HAS NOT BEEN SELECTED FOR SHOW TRAITS. THEY ARE CALLED GARDEN FANTAILS ALSO THE QUEST FOR EXTREME FEATURES HAVE CAUSED THIS LIKE MODENAS CROSSED WITH KINGS INDIAN FANTAILS WITH HUNGRIAN HOUSE PIGEONS THESE ARE A FEW THAT ARE COMMON IF YOU LIKE LOOK AT SOME OF THE TUMBLERS THAT ARE NEWER IMPORTS TO THE US. LIKE THE STAR TAILS