UK pigeon owners

[CCUK]

Have you released your homers from their new loft??? and did they come back into it,,,,,,, of back to old loft?

I did the first release yesterday. They were a little unsure about getting out but they all figured it out, even Ash and her two youngsters. It was there first time out. Ash flew for ages she really enjoyed herself. She didn't really fly with the others and is alot slower but just went round and round! It started raining so went to call them in. It was a bit of a mess they were going in-between both lofts. I didn't feed them in the morning do the enticement of a bit of food got most of them to go to the new loft. I had to catch 2 or 3 and help them through the bobwires. With all this happening I didn't notice that Ash and the two youngsters had disappeared. All the rest were in. Ash reappeared about 2 hours later when the rain stopped so I managed to get her back in. She was sat on a rabbit hutch! The other two youngsters appeared just before last light and took a little more enticing in. But they're all back! It was a bit messy but I think they'll get used to it now. I think the rain messed it up. Without that it would have been alot quicker.

 

[cavemanrich]

There isn't many ferals where I live though. Mostly at the stables and I think there numbers have increased substantially again. There must be easily over 200!

This just crossed my wires in my head
Since you do have the original loft kinda empty,,,, Have you considered scanning the stable for some desired colors of the pigeons there, and capturing a few to breed out.
Not sure what kind of access you have there, and the capture would have to be done after dark.
Most of the pigeons there should be of the homing variety. You can possibly run across some runaways with bands. If I (just my view) captured them in stable, I would bypass trying to return. Not many want runaways returned. (or return them once you got some offsprings) I don't think you would encounter rollers. They would be first in a feral flock to be eaten by raptors

 

[CCUK]

This just crossed my wires in my head
Since you do have the original loft kinda empty,,,, Have you considered scanning the stable for some desired colors of the pigeons there, and capturing a few to breed out.
Not sure what kind of access you have there, and the capture would have to be done after dark.
Most of the pigeons there should be of the homing variety. You can possibly run across some runaways with bands. If I (just my view) captured them in stable, I would bypass trying to return. Not many want runaways returned. (or return them once you got some offsprings) I don't think you would encounter rollers. They would be first in a feral flock to be eaten by raptors

Apart from Ash, I haven't had much luck with ferals. I'm pretty happy with what I've got for the time being. I may increase my numbers to maybe 20 but that will be next year.
I'm going to use the empty loft for the archangels for a start. I'm not sure I want to mix them with the fantails. I'll see how it works out when I get them!

 

[biophiliac]

Speaking of ferals, I found one of Doo's offspring (probably a he)roosting outside my door on a perch above the AC unit AFTER DARK. Why IS he doing that I thought!?! Well, soon after we discovered a feral roosting a few feet away on a nearby roof support beam. This dark check feral was flying with my group during the afternoon and it appears (she?) didn't go home. So I'm guessing we have some inter-flock courtship going on.

 

[CCUK]

Speaking of ferals, I found one of Doo's offspring (probably a he)roosting outside my door on a perch above the AC unit AFTER DARK. Why IS he doing that I thought!?! Well, soon after we discovered a feral roosting a few feet away on a nearby roof support beam. This dark check feral was flying with my group during the afternoon and it appears (she?) didn't go home. So I'm guessing we have some inter-flock courtship going on.

There's a flick of ferals that fly around my neighbourhood too. It does worry me a bit that my young birds or singletons may decide to stay with them. It hasn't happened but its in the back of my mind. They will come back though because you are where the food is!

 

[cavemanrich]

Speaking of ferals, I found one of Doo's offspring (probably a he)roosting outside my door on a perch above the AC unit AFTER DARK. Why IS he doing that I thought!?! Well, soon after we discovered a feral roosting a few feet away on a nearby roof support beam. This dark check feral was flying with my group during the afternoon and it appears (she?) didn't go home. So I'm guessing we have some inter-flock courtship going on.

Bio,,,,,,,,,,,,, can this be true

Spoiler: Stern notice,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

There's a flick of ferals that fly around my neighbourhood too. It does worry me a bit that my young birds or singletons may decide to stay with them. It hasn't happened but its in the back of my mind. They will come back though because you are where the food is!

Why would they venture into the wilderness/desert, and abandon their OASIS
It is usually in reverse,,,,, all those from the desert seek the OASIS

 

[CCUK]

It's been a bit wet recently so I've had to invest in a waterproof sheet to go over one side of the loft. It doesn't look to bad. The rain came in straight through that side and soaked everything.

I've also had a few problems with the youngsters trapping. They would go upto the bobwires but not go through. They did it with the other loft just not this one. I took the front off one of the small animal cages and attached it over the front of the trap. They are going through it now reasonably well but are still a little hesitant.

 

[cavemanrich]

That cage is like a training device. Once they get a hang of it,,,,,,,,,, cage can be removed,,, or left.
Pigeon thinking:::::::::::: I can go thru these silly rods,,, or hang out here in the porch

 

[cavemanrich]

Are you going to place the Archangels with the Fantails after quarantine,,,,, or leave them where they are???
I also do like this one from the show,,,

Looks like wearing a Mink Stole

 

[CCUK]

Are you going to place the Archangels with the Fantails after quarantine,,,,, or leave them where they are???
I also do like this one from the show,,,

Looks like wearing a Mink Stole

I'm going to keep the archangels separate. This pair a still quite young. The last thing I want to happen is for either of them is to pair with one of the fantails! It could be a nice mix though, a fanangel!
I can't remember what that birds breed is. There was a black one that I thought looked like mortisha addams!