UK pigeon owners

[CCUK]

I've got plenty of offcuts left over! I can knock a couple more together. I still need to put some partitions in on the ledges.

 

[cavemanrich]

I was thinking about letting boomer out for a fly. She's been cooped up for a while. Should I just leave her be until the others have arrived and settled down? Will she be fully homeset to here now? I also need to get her to use the bobwires.

Let Boomer out by having the door open. Known as loft flying. To train your birds to use the bobwire entrance, you need a landing pad in front of it. You would need to let her out hungry and have food just beyond the Pearley Gates, so she passes thru and gets to food. A way to let pigeon know there is an entrance there. Also do it with the bobs open. Then when pigeon knows of entrance, will push thru the bobs.
You need to train her before you get the new crop. Otherwise your newbies will jailbreak.
BTW,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, I lied about my location here on BYC.
I AM YOUR NEIGHBOR 20 METERS AWAY,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

But willing to make PEACE,,,,,,

 

[CCUK]

I was thinking about letting boomer out for a fly. She's been cooped up for a while. Should I just leave her be until the others have arrived and settled down? Will she be fully homeset to here now? I also need to get her to use the bobwires.

Let Boomer out by having the door open. Known as loft flying. To train your birds to use the bobwire entrance, you need a landing pad in front of it. You would need to let her out hungry and have food just beyond the Pearley Gates, so she passes thru and gets to food. A way to let pigeon know there is an entrance there. Also do it with the bobs open. Then when pigeon knows of entrance, will push thru the bobs.
You need to train her before you get the new crop. Otherwise your newbies will jailbreak.
BTW,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, I lied about my location here on BYC.
I AM YOUR NEIGHBOR 20 METERS AWAY,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
View attachment 1404645
But willing to make PEACE,,,,,,

The hatch on the bobwires drops down to make a ledge. I fitted it after the photo! So if I let her out of the main door will she most likely fly around for a bit then come back for food? Ideally! She has flown back to me twice now so would you think she sees this as home now?
Oh and you can't be my neighbour because there is to much flames! his smoulder nice and smokey, the type of smoke you need a respirator to breath inside my house!

 

[biophiliac]

I've got plenty of offcuts left over! I can knock a couple more together. I still need to put some partitions in on the ledges.

I was thinking about letting boomer out for a fly. She's been cooped up for a while. Should I just leave her be until the others have arrived and settled down? Will she be fully homeset to here now? I also need to get her to use the bobwires.

Let Boomer out by having the door open. Known as loft flying. To train your birds to use the bobwire entrance, you need a landing pad in front of it. You would need to let her out hungry and have food just beyond the Pearley Gates, so she passes thru and gets to food. A way to let pigeon know there is an entrance there. Also do it with the bobs open. Then when pigeon knows of entrance, will push thru the bobs.
You need to train her before you get the new crop. Otherwise your newbies will jailbreak.
BTW,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, I lied about my location here on BYC.
I AM YOUR NEIGHBOR 20 METERS AWAY,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
View attachment 1404645
But willing to make PEACE,,,,,,

now it get it! your neighbor is 20 meters away, not 20 miles like i read it at first... Peace through Pigeons!

 

[biophiliac]

Your mention of not wanting to lose birds to your neighbor reminded me of this style of pigeon flying...

 

[cavemanrich]

I think she sees this as home. I would leave the bobs open and ledge in open position. Let her venture out on to the patio on he own, and then decide if she wants to just sun or loft fly. Place some seeds on patio to attract her to come out and investigate. This way you are training her that this is entrance and exit.

 

[CCUK]

Well I got the loft clad and got the nest boxes in. I still need to treat the wood and make a cage to go over the bobwires and make a tray for underneath and a few bits and bobs to finish off but it looks great!

I also got some friends for Boomer!

I now have 3 females and 3 males! Two are paired up so hopefully boomer will pair up with the other male! 4 are 2016 and 1 is 2017 all with racing bands so I can register them if/when I lose any!! They are crossed with van hueren pigeons or something like that. Apparently his brother won 14k with one of the offspring!
I also got 8 porcelain nest bowls another feed trough, 3 drinker/feeders, about 20 clip on feed bowls and a proper release basket! All for £60! He was finishing with pigeons due to ill health. Quite sad really he had a VERY good set up. These were the last ones.

 

[biophiliac]

beautiful loft. i cannot believe how quickly you have set yourself up very nicely! You are in for some delight with your birds.

 

[CCUK]

Thanks! I had to get sorted out proto. Once boomer became 'ours', I had to get a loft quickly. I couldn't have kept her in a dog cage for much longer. I have been lucky though to find the loft and birds reasonably close and at a good price. There had been a couple of very late nights this week to try and get done. I'm looking forward to start and do a bit of training now. I will start from scratch even with boomer. Get them using the trap and bobwires first. Then see where I'm at. I really want this to work , so I'm not rushing anything.

 

[CCUK]

I also have to remember I also have chickens! And the chicks are doing fine!