Pigeons and the garage

[CTPaul]

So I'm one of the lucky few who live in the burbs and technically cannot have a pigeon loft in the yard. I'm in the begging to middle stages of training my 10 month old setter and I am tired of constantly chasing down new birds (not to mention the cost and the inclination to constantly tether the birds). I've been keeping the birds in the garage in a small, custom tote with mesh sides and two small perches.

My question is this; if I build a more permanent loft and keep it in the garage will the birds find their way back in when released? Also, would it even be worth it as I've read that sunlight is good for the birds health so keeping them in the garage essentially going to limit my ability to have a healthy loft.

I find myself making poor training decisions because I never know when I will find more birds.

Another possibility would be to build a nice sized pen for quail in the garage. obviously I wouldn't be expecting the quail to return but I could buy more at one time than I could pigeons.

Thanks in advance.

[Mountaineer]

... My question is this; if I build a more permanent loft and keep it in the garage will the birds find their way back in when released?....

In an attached garage? .....past the cleanliness issue and practical hurdles would be the personal health issue, for me.

An outbuilding with a hidden agenda as an alternative, perhaps?
Or, actually, I would look for a training club, despite any cost or travel involved....to share birds, equipment and helping hands.

[CTPaul]

Perhaps a garbage can shed/loft on the side of the household? What if I put small trees or shrubs s to disguise it further, would it affect their ability to re enter the loft?

[Sharon]

I'm surprised pigeons are that hard to find in Conneticut.
I live in the city. When training , I keep 5-6 in a crate in the garage. I use them up in one week , as after that they fly too poorly. I don't tether mine ; I want them to fly away hard - $2.00 a bird for 3-4 months is a cheap training fee. We have a small animal auctions here every Sat . , so during training weeks part of the plan to to pick up birds every Sat. morning.

No easy way to get birds near you? No game farms nearby?

[DonF]

Have you though about finding someone with a good supply and renting them? Say you pick up 10 at a dollar a flight. Work out good for everyone.

[ezzy333]

My boys rented them years ago for .50 each

[CTPaul]

I have one game farm within 45 minutes drive where I can get Chuckar for $9.50 and our small animal auctions are during the week and kick off before I can get out of work. I certainly find birds but it's not without a lot of effort and it's never from the same source. With a 14 month old baby, a 9 month pregnant wife and a 11 month old pup time is important so I was hoping to find an alternative to the constant search travel just to get birds. Certainly it gets the job done but I'm always concerned I'll go weeks without.

Never thought about renting. That would be a good situation if I could find someone with a solid loft willing to join in. Sounds like I need to find a local club and start there.

Thanks for the replies.

[RCB]

Some of the pigeon racers here is Southern California have the same problem with zoning and space. Hard to fly a lot of birds if your neighbors complain. Some of them get around it by building a mostly wire loft on wheels, wire on all sides except the back and floor (some have the ceiling wood too). They wheel it in and out of the garage and use day light bulbs in the garage to extend the day light when they leave the birds in for extended amounts of time. Easy to clean as they scape the wooded floors when they wheel the coup out. The coup is wheeled out as much as possible for the sunshine and ventilation, and of course to fly the birds.