Pigeon's

[DonF]

I was just reading a for sale ad for them in the classified forum. Bushy Fork kennels, new member has pure homer's for $10 each. That's well worth the money. I get the same for mine when I do sell them, other wise I'll keep them and use them myself. Thing that a lot of people over look is that is about as renewable resource as you can get. You do need to pay some dew's though, you need a decent loft, doesn't have to be expensive but able to keep predators out and you have to let them grow some and spend the time getting them coming back and pushing through the traps. I wouldn't use them the first year, settle them in well, get them homing well and going through the traps and let them breed! Breeding will expand you population very well, you'll need to shot them the get rid of them, or sell them. One big hole I've found in the whole deal is that 90% of the people that get birds from me don't follow instruction worth a d*mn. Within a couple days of when they get home they take a few birds out to see if they will home. Then they wonder why the bird won't go back in. DUH, they have never pushed the bob's aside even once and they never came out the re-entry hole.

I started with some barn pigeons I went out and caught over 25 yrs ago. I've never had to buy pigeons! I got my homer's from a racer I know. He sexed them and gave me three pair. They were imprisoned their first year and now, about two years later I have thirty of them and they are growing. I get my birds returning and trapping by letting them free fly. Then start dropping bobs one at a time till the push them out of their way. Because of that I have had some pretty bad hawk loss's. That happens. Had I not lost any I'd have over 50 of them today.

Here's what I think. Go ahead and invest in a few couples. Might not be cheap right now but you do your part and you pay for birds only once in a life time, that get's pretty cheap. LISTEN TO WHAT YOUR EXPLAINED TO GET THEM GOING! LISTEN TO WHAT YOUR EXPLAINED TO GET THEM GOING! Don't go out and pay for birds and then second guess how to get them going. Don't be in such a hurry to see your birds home that you turn them out to soon. And do what ever you need to to keep predators out of the pen. For over 25 years now I have sold off my surplus and given some to other's to start a loft. Go look in the classified and you'll see a lot of ads where people are looking for pigeons and that's only from people on here. You never need to be without training birds again!

[V-John]

LISTEN TO WHAT YOUR EXPLAINED TO GET THEM GOING! LISTEN TO WHAT YOUR EXPLAINED TO GET THEM GOING!!

This seems to be the inherent problem. People don't want to listen. It's not really that difficult to get them to home, people just need to show some patience.

I've had success with barn pigeons homing for me, sometimes they were my best trapping birds because they wanted to get in the loft as quickly as possible. Maybe they didn't fly as fast as the homers, or wouldn't home from as far, but I think they dang sure appreciated the meal and security of the loft.

That being said, as far as return rates and homing ability, I still sustained quite a bit of losses when dealing with barnies. Homers are the way to go.

[DoubleBarrel GunDogs]

Good post Don,

I sold a bunch of birds to a local HRC a few years ago, when I was still into hunt tests. They were releasing the birds out of launchers and shooting them in an upland hunt test. I sold those birds, many were good homers and some mixed breeds, for $5 / bird. They still complained a little about the cost. Funny thing is they didn't have a gunner who could knock the birds down cleanly, and several flew back to my loft. Also, for what they were doing in the test, they could have used clip wings instead of flyers, and got more bang for their buck. I finally ended up taking over the gunning that day, and the judges sure were glad I did.
I'd have a hard time selling my homers for less than $10 today. Most people don't understand the cumulative cost of good quality birds or how to use them properly, and have a hard time spending $10 for a pigeon.

Nate

[DonF]

I cannot understand the willingness to pay $9 plus for chukars that get used one time and $5+ for pigeons that can be used over and over. V-John, I started with barn pigeons a long time ago. Every one I have now hatched right here. I used to regularly fly then 40+ miles out training and have had just a few make it almost 100 miles. Gonna build a population of shooters now I think. Had them so long I can't get rid of them all!

[orbirdhunter]

I have had good luck with the homers I got from you don....that reminds me. I need to get some more from you when you have some available..