Trouble! Suggestions please....

[QuailQT]

I am so upset with myself! We purchased 4 racing pigeons (2 M and 2 F), in Canfield, OH in September.
Last month I noticed the female sitting in the nest that I had placed and checked to see if she had any eggs and there were two in there. The male was also taking turns sitting on the nest.

Up until yesterday, I had never let them out. It was such a beautiful day though and the sun was shining and I decided to let them stretch their wings (they have room to fly a bit in the shed, but not like they should). I let the lone male out and he looked so beautiful flying around and it made me so happy to see him having the time of his life. I decided to let his buddy try his wings too, thinking that he would come back when it was his turn to sit on the eggs. Well, he apparently isn't as devoted as I thought and I saw them this morning on my garage roof, but haven't seen them since then. I don't think that they would have flown back to Akron after 2 months and with his mate still here, BUT if they still are here and I can't catch them, will she be able to take care of the babies since that is usually a shared task?

Hoping for the best!

 

[deerman]

If the squeaker are about 10 days old ,she will, if not best to put under other pigeons.

Good racing homers are never safe to released, they will alway try to home no matter how long you had them. If not they are not good homers.

 

[HeelerDawg]

The way I look at it is, once they are put up into the breeding loft, you never fly them again but you fly their offspring.

 

[seismic wonder2]

For Homers, only fly the babies YOU hatched or if you bought squeekers from someone that has NEVER flown them.

Otherwise they will just fly home and you are missing a bird.
If I were you I'd contact the guy you bought them from and explain that they "got out" and may be heading his way.
He May keep an eye out for you and you can arrange to have them returned.

Half diecent homers race 300+ miles at a shot.

 

[Mary Of Exeter]

I never try to break homers over 3 months old. If they were old enough to breed by the time you got them, there's almost always no hope in getting them to stay if released. Like it's been said before, good quality birds with strong homing ability will at least TRY to go back home.

I have had single parents raise babies before. It's a bit harder on them since it's now all on them, but most birds will not abandon the nest. The older the babies are, the more likely the parent will be to finish them off like normal.