Biggest pigeon mistake teaching homing

[Scott Linden]

Hey everyone,

Finally going to get those birds to home ... I hope. I've had a loft-full for years, but either tethered them or let them fly free (a few came home by sheer coincidence, I bet). Now, it's time to turn some into bonafide homers. If you've got birds, and have learned something, here's your chance to share it. Thanks.

[RoostersMom]

Scott,

I use the "cardinal direction" method of training my homers, working out several hundred yards then 1/4 mile, then 1/2 mile, then 1 mile. I take them on an empty stomach and release them at feeding time. They're usually hungry and will go right in. I do this in all cardinal directions.

On the mistake end of things, the biggest mistake I made was during a intro to gunfire training session, I did not pull out enough flight feathers on a pigeon when I tied a string with a hose to his leg and he flew into a tall tree. He got all tangled up there and I had to shoot him to prevent a long painful death. It was a learning moment for me.

Elsa

p.s. Can't wait to see you a PFEST - my family is coming up from New Mexico and they're eager to see your program. I talked you up a bit from last year.

[nj gsp]

Two of the biggest mistakes I've made were to release pigeons that had not learned on their own to go in and out of the loft. The other was to release a bird without paying attention to the obvious signs that a hawk was nearby.

Although I am far from being a pigeon expert, I can relay the 4 step method I've been using to teach birds to home:

1. Strap a wire cage to the outside of the bob door. Tie up a bob and put a little food in the cage, so the birds learn to walk in & out on their own. One week will do.
2. Drop the bobs, then catch and put the birds in the cage. Let them figure out how to go back into the loft through the bobs on their own. Every day for a week is enough.
3. Remove the wire cage, tie up one bob, and let them wander out on their own. Once they are out, drop the bob. They will come back on their own.
4. Release them next to the pen. Then release them from the other side of the yard. Then the end of the drive way, then down the road. Farther and farther away. You will find that they will beat you back to the loft most of the time.

And if they don't come back, they either weren't any good or a hawk got them. Don't worry, they'll make more birds for you... Often!

[ezzy333]

The biggest mistake you cam make with young birds is not getting them out young enough. When you let them get older and stronger before ever being out they many times fly to far and don't know how to get back. A good method is anytime after a month old set them out in a cage where they can see the area. Best to set the cage on the landing board so they learn where it is and how to get back into the loft. After a couple of days just open the loft door and let them come and go as they please. Good to do it when they are hungry and that will help entice them back in. Let them out to fly everyday if you can and when they start flying as a group and possibly disappear for a short time they are ready to train. You can take them a mile or two from the loft and release them. Do this at least two times and then go out 4 or 5 miles and release them from there at least twice and then you can go out further but always release at least twice before moving further out. It is a good idea after several of these tosses to come back in to the two or 4 mile distance and single toss them 5 to 10 minutes apart. This will make them use their own head and not just follow the leader. Once you get out to 30 miles or so they should be ready to fly up to 100 miles and then up to 3 to 350 miles. That's about as far as we go with young birds. Your year old birds will fly up to 600 miles if you condition them and the very best ones will get back the day they are released if they are released at 6 or seven in the morning and the weather and wind is favorable.

Another plan that works if your breeding stock are let out to fly just let the babies follow when they are ready to do it. Don't push them or try to make them fly as they will do it when they feel ready. Do be aware of possible hawk attacks especially in the winter and early spring. And the other main thing you have to do is make their loft secure and quiet to where they want to come back. Many people forget that. Good feed, grit, and fresh clean water will make a big difference.

Remember every pigeon should have a pearch but every perch doe not need a pigeon. In other words do not crowd them and yoiu should be in pigeons for many years.

Ezzy

[rinker]

I don't know how far you want the pigeons to come home from, but if it is more than a mile or two the biggest mistake would be starting out with something less than well bred homing pigeons.

[DonF]

I don't know how far you want the pigeons to come home from, but if it is more than a mile or two the biggest mistake would be starting out with something less than well bred homing pigeons.

I would disagree with that. I've had ferals for well over 20 yrs. the best thing to do with them is allow them to free fly a lot. Mine have routinely homed from 50 mi. Farther than that I'm not sure you would do so well but, I have had a few that came home from Bend. I think free flying is really good for them. In my feral loft I simply leave the bobs tied up and let young birds come and go as they please anytime they are ready. Really young one's going out early don't go far from the loft. As they get older they wonder farther and farther. My homer's act the same way. But I have a big flight pen for them out the back of the loft, it's where I teach them to trap.

Just recently it occured to me that I didn't have any reason for bob's in the re-entry door, I don't race. I do have a preditor door and I can close them up any time I want.

[rinker]

It sounds like you have had great luck with feral pigeons and I am sure that others have also. A lot of folks have also had good luck making hunting dogs out of various mixed breeds, but I think that you up the odds a little bit when you start out with an animal that was specifically bred for what you want it to do.

[Scott Linden]

Thanks guys. nj gsp - love your idea for getting them through the bobs. Anyone else have tips on that aspect?

[Waterdogs1]

I have contacts with a guy who races pigeons and I get all my birds from him. I bought young birds ready to settle and let them get use to the loft opened the bobbs and they figure it out pretty easy. Once they started flying in a group around the loft I started training them. Just from flying they have a grid of 15-20 miles from the loft. Your first drop can be 15 miles out. I have alway been chicken and have started shorter even though my pigeon guys says I could go farther. Clean safe loft good food and water with plenty of room for birds. I sometimes get too many. I have 50 or so birds now. The ideal would be to have a training loft and a kill bird pen. My friend uses feral pigeons as kill birds but I can buy homers for the same as he gets ferals and the homers are bigger. We are trying to do some crossing to make even bigger birds that still will home.

[digger]

Try using a Belgium Drop Trap. No moving parts and the bird enter easily. Just google it. Easy to build out of some plywood and wood dowls.