How far will pigeons home?

Post Reply
User avatar
rkelly
Rank: Master Hunter
Posts: 208
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2007 11:50 am
Location: Minneapolis, MN

How far will pigeons home?

Post by rkelly » Mon Feb 09, 2009 5:48 pm

I live in town and am thinking about building a small loft. The area I train is about 25-30 miles from home, will pigeons home this far? Also has anybody had problems with neighbors complaining? I am just tired of not having birds readily available.

slistoe
GDF Junkie
Posts: 3843
Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2007 7:23 pm

Re: How far will pigeons home?

Post by slistoe » Mon Feb 09, 2009 7:05 pm

You will need to raise racing homers and train them - then you will have no problems with being 25 miles away.

Regular barnyard types will not work.

User avatar
ohiogsp
Rank: 5X Champion
Posts: 1238
Joined: Tue Nov 16, 2004 8:13 pm
Location: Toledo Ohio

Re: How far will pigeons home?

Post by ohiogsp » Mon Feb 09, 2009 7:14 pm

I race pigeons and we race young birds that are about 5-7 months old out to 340 miles. Old birds go out to 570 miles. If train your birds to trap when they come home you will not anoy your neighbors. You do this with food. Train them when they are hungry, feed after you basket them to take them out, and when they get back and get the feed they will trap quickly. 1 ounce per bird per day is the right amount unless they are raising babies. You feed once a day and they will come when you whistle them in to eat.
<table width="300" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4"><tr><td width="75"><a href="http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/genview ... =184"><img border="0" src="http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/picture ... /td><td><a href="http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/genview ... 184">DIXIE HIGHWAY'S BOOZE RUNNER JH
<a href="http://www.perfectpedigrees.com"><font size="2">Get your free pedigree!</font></a></td></tr></table>

wfkgsps
Rank: Junior Hunter
Posts: 75
Joined: Sun Jun 22, 2008 12:01 pm
Location: Kansas

Re: How far will pigeons home?

Post by wfkgsps » Mon Feb 09, 2009 10:59 pm

Ohio-
What kind of whistle?

User avatar
ezzy333
GDF Junkie
Posts: 16625
Joined: Fri Aug 20, 2004 3:14 pm
Location: Dixon IL

Re: How far will pigeons home?

Post by ezzy333 » Mon Feb 09, 2009 11:13 pm

You can use any whistle or I just rattle the feeders and they come in. Just have to do something you have taught them to associate feeding time with.

You do hve to train the birds a little if you want to take them several miles. Start them about a mile away and then go 3 or so and after a couple of times then move out to near 10 and you should be ready. Bt the way homers do work the best but I know people who use regular pigeons and they will home from a few miles at least.

Ezzy
http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/4genview.php?id=144
http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/4genview.php?id=207

It's not how many breaths you have taken but how many times it has been taken away!

Has anyone noticed common sense isn't very common anymore.

GsPJustin

Re: How far will pigeons home?

Post by GsPJustin » Tue Feb 10, 2009 1:41 am

My buddy has some scrap pigeons and the come back about 20-25 miles. I don't know if they could do anymore but they seem to handle that ok. Me personally I just went with racing homers, because I enjoy taking them to new places and seeing how fast they get home.

User avatar
Rick Hall
Rank: 3X Champion
Posts: 510
Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2008 3:55 pm

Re: How far will pigeons home?

Post by Rick Hall » Tue Feb 10, 2009 6:06 am

The best producing pairs I've had have been "common" pigeons and the offspring of feral birds, and they homed just fine from ten miles or so. But they weren't dependable homers at double that, so, in your situation, I'd not waste time trying anything but "racing" type stock.

(I'm a little like Justin, in that I'm blessed with thousands of training acres close to home and could easily get by with common birds, but it tickles me to release my homers in distant places and find them at home when I get there.)
If you think I'm wrong, you might be right.

(And to see just how confused I really am, join us in my online blind at: Rick's 2009-2010 season log)

User avatar
Benny
Rank: 4X Champion
Posts: 699
Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2008 4:41 pm
Location: Redmond, OR

Re: How far will pigeons home?

Post by Benny » Tue Feb 10, 2009 9:49 am

rkelly wrote:The area I train is about 25-30 miles from home, will pigeons home this far?
Sure why not. In our neck of the woods I would say they'll home 600 miles...and nobody would ever prove me wrong since a hawk will end the bet after 200 yards.
Oregon State University
USFS - Hotshot

User avatar
ezzy333
GDF Junkie
Posts: 16625
Joined: Fri Aug 20, 2004 3:14 pm
Location: Dixon IL

Re: How far will pigeons home?

Post by ezzy333 » Tue Feb 10, 2009 10:04 am

Hawks don't do too well with a healthy racing bird while in full flight.

Ezzy
http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/4genview.php?id=144
http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/4genview.php?id=207

It's not how many breaths you have taken but how many times it has been taken away!

Has anyone noticed common sense isn't very common anymore.

User avatar
rkelly
Rank: Master Hunter
Posts: 208
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2007 11:50 am
Location: Minneapolis, MN

Re: How far will pigeons home?

Post by rkelly » Tue Feb 10, 2009 10:35 am

Good to hear homing that distance shouldn't be a problem. I am a little worried though about them roosting on the neighbors roofs and getting complaints. My dad had a coup growing up and he said there is no way to stop them from doing this. He said he had to get rid of it because of the neighbors complaints. He also said they are very hard to get rid of once they home. He doesn't think it is a good idea, but I want to start steadying the dog this summer and really need a constant supply of birds. The other option is to just build a coup and buy 20 barn pigeons at a time and use them before they get too weak, so I am not running to the bird supplier every other day, which is 20 miles away.

User avatar
ezzy333
GDF Junkie
Posts: 16625
Joined: Fri Aug 20, 2004 3:14 pm
Location: Dixon IL

Re: How far will pigeons home?

Post by ezzy333 » Tue Feb 10, 2009 11:00 am

My birds get to spend some time out in the evenings during the summer and they always land on the loft but occasionally will hop 3 feet over on to the shed but I have never had them land on our or the neighbors houses.

Ezzy
http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/4genview.php?id=144
http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/4genview.php?id=207

It's not how many breaths you have taken but how many times it has been taken away!

Has anyone noticed common sense isn't very common anymore.

BellaDad
Rank: Master Hunter
Posts: 208
Joined: Mon Nov 10, 2008 5:57 pm

Re: How far will pigeons home?

Post by BellaDad » Tue Feb 10, 2009 11:44 am

Where would the barn pigeons go after you release them? I'd think that there is a good chance that they'll hang out on the neighbor's house.

User avatar
rkelly
Rank: Master Hunter
Posts: 208
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2007 11:50 am
Location: Minneapolis, MN

Re: How far will pigeons home?

Post by rkelly » Tue Feb 10, 2009 12:01 pm

I just figured I will leave them in there a week or two and not let them fly out at all. Then use them throughout the week. Just to avoid running to the bird supplier every other day, instead it would be every couple of weeks. So basically not having homing pigeons, but just a supply readily available to train with. I have done this in the past and know I can't keep them too long or they get weak and don't fly well. The place I train is like 25 miles from my house so I doubt they would ever return.

User avatar
dugger13
Rank: Champion
Posts: 344
Joined: Tue Jun 26, 2007 6:39 am
Location: northern wisconsin

Re: How far will pigeons home?

Post by dugger13 » Tue Feb 10, 2009 1:26 pm

Check out the "hall of fame posts" section. i built a coop like the one diagrammed. very easy. Also lots of information for the first timer.
http://www.gundogforum.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=100

Sandy Meador

Re: How far will pigeons home?

Post by Sandy Meador » Tue Feb 10, 2009 1:44 pm

I trap feral pigeons and have very little problems in training them to home. First, keep them in your coop for about 3 - 4 weeks. I band them w/plastic bands so I can ID them. After they have become accustom to their new home, the coop, I take the food away 48 hours before I release them for the first time. I just open the door and let them fly as they want. Sure, some land on my roof and some leave and don't come back - but usually at dark on the first night I have 80% back. I do this several times. Then I start transporting them further away before letting them fly. First stop is approx. 1/2 mile from home. Several times of this. Then a mile. Then 2 miles, then 5 miles, etc... Most of my training grounds are within 3 miles of my home so this is how I do it. Since I trap in a small town, if any get lost the usually end up back in one of my traps within a week or two.

User avatar
Don
GDF Junkie
Posts: 2185
Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2007 12:02 pm
Location: Antelope, Ore

Re: How far will pigeons home?

Post by Don » Tue Feb 10, 2009 2:46 pm

I've got feral pigeons that have homed from the other side of Bend, that's 100 +- miles. I used to train a lot at Boyce Corrals outside of Madras and they came home, that's about 45 miles. I never trained mine to trap but I don't have neighbors to worry about either. When not being used I let them free fly. When training starts my first jump is about 8 miles, convient spot to stop. Two times and I double the distance. Do I lose some. Sure but I usually have way more than I can use even when shooting them! I suspect that my birds fly far more than ten miles out just free flying.

When I first started them over here, almost 20 yrs ago, I lost some in training but I also didn't pay one penny for them either, they are feral! So the only ones that mattered to me were the ones that came back. Now I don't think I could get rid of them without shooting them. Seem's like to many people down play just how good ferals really are. I haven't bought a pigeon in over 20 yrs, I can afford to lose a couple!
Never set your dog up to fail - Delmar smith

The greatest room in the world is the room for improvement - William F. Brown

Some people think to much like people and not enough like dogs!

User avatar
Rick Hall
Rank: 3X Champion
Posts: 510
Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2008 3:55 pm

Re: How far will pigeons home?

Post by Rick Hall » Wed Feb 11, 2009 7:48 am

Don, after twenty years, I'd think your "feral" stock's been pretty well culled for homing inclination. Though I didn't start with many of them, all of mine and their young culled themselves from the loft by not returning from more than twenty or so miles out. (Which was disappointing after having it in my head that a major city once tried shipping a load of their nusiance birds well out of town by rail, only to have them come right back.)
If you think I'm wrong, you might be right.

(And to see just how confused I really am, join us in my online blind at: Rick's 2009-2010 season log)

User avatar
ohiogsp
Rank: 5X Champion
Posts: 1238
Joined: Tue Nov 16, 2004 8:13 pm
Location: Toledo Ohio

Re: How far will pigeons home?

Post by ohiogsp » Wed Feb 11, 2009 10:19 pm

Racing pigeons still get lost but maybe not as easily as others do. The racing pigeons of the past were better at homing then the ones we have today but they would not be fast enough to win anything today. I had birds this year that raced 6 races in 8 weeks and everything from 110 miles to 340. If I caculated the miles they flew it would be amazing but they were not fast enough to win. Most flyers today woud kill a bird like this but I like a consistant bird and maybe they will breed some that are faster and have that top homing skill.
<table width="300" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4"><tr><td width="75"><a href="http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/genview ... =184"><img border="0" src="http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/picture ... /td><td><a href="http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/genview ... 184">DIXIE HIGHWAY'S BOOZE RUNNER JH
<a href="http://www.perfectpedigrees.com"><font size="2">Get your free pedigree!</font></a></td></tr></table>

User avatar
BoJack
Rank: 3X Champion
Posts: 574
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2008 8:37 pm
Location: Md.

Re: How far will pigeons home?

Post by BoJack » Thu Feb 12, 2009 1:50 am

Train them the method ohiogsp states.But you'll have to work out to 25 miles in increments.I wouldn't take them 25 miles the first time.They'll have to loft fly and "route"(learn their area)before you take them distances so as to know where to locate their coup when returning home.Some train different.I start them at 2 miles for a couple of times then to 5,10,20 and on out.The difference between Homers and Racing Homers is homers will usually come home eventually and racing homers will Race home,it's in their genes.The main thing about keeping neighbor complaints down is keeping your loft clean and odor free.
Dog On Point!!

User avatar
ohiogsp
Rank: 5X Champion
Posts: 1238
Joined: Tue Nov 16, 2004 8:13 pm
Location: Toledo Ohio

Re: How far will pigeons home?

Post by ohiogsp » Thu Feb 12, 2009 5:29 am

Anyone can goto the hall of fame post here on this site and see my post. There is more detail about training and other pigeon stuff.
<table width="300" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4"><tr><td width="75"><a href="http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/genview ... =184"><img border="0" src="http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/picture ... /td><td><a href="http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/genview ... 184">DIXIE HIGHWAY'S BOOZE RUNNER JH
<a href="http://www.perfectpedigrees.com"><font size="2">Get your free pedigree!</font></a></td></tr></table>

GsPJustin

Re: How far will pigeons home?

Post by GsPJustin » Sat Feb 14, 2009 3:17 am

Rick Hall wrote: (I'm a little like Justin, in that I'm blessed with thousands of training acres close to home and could easily get by with common birds, but it tickles me to release my homers in distant places and find them at home when I get there.)
...... I must be missing something... I can't find my thousands of training acres anywhere!!!!! Hahaha.

It sure is something isn't it Rick. Sometimes they seem like they could bear airplanes.

User avatar
Rick Hall
Rank: 3X Champion
Posts: 510
Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2008 3:55 pm

Re: How far will pigeons home?

Post by Rick Hall » Sat Feb 14, 2009 7:33 am

Knew that was a poorly constructed sentence when I wrote it, and was just too lazy to change it. But I hope you find your acreage soon!

(I've the great fortune of working for a lodge with leases in four parishes, which include an 1,100 acre piece a mile from mile from my house and three or four times that within a five or six mile drive. So my mutts are some serious spoiled.)
If you think I'm wrong, you might be right.

(And to see just how confused I really am, join us in my online blind at: Rick's 2009-2010 season log)

User avatar
Don
GDF Junkie
Posts: 2185
Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2007 12:02 pm
Location: Antelope, Ore

Re: How far will pigeons home?

Post by Don » Sat Feb 14, 2009 9:28 am

Every once in a while a lost or tired homer will show up here. Stays in the loft a couple days and gone. I'm guessing that good racers/homers can't be trasnplanted to a new loft after some age as ferals can?
Never set your dog up to fail - Delmar smith

The greatest room in the world is the room for improvement - William F. Brown

Some people think to much like people and not enough like dogs!

User avatar
ohiogsp
Rank: 5X Champion
Posts: 1238
Joined: Tue Nov 16, 2004 8:13 pm
Location: Toledo Ohio

Re: How far will pigeons home?

Post by ohiogsp » Sat Feb 14, 2009 5:15 pm

It is hard to rehome a race bird esp. if it has been raced. You have to understand that these birds have been taken places and trained to fly home maybe close to 100 times and raced out to hundreds of miles. They also have to keep flying home when other birds break to their lofts this is not natural for pigeons (they are flock animals). They know how to get home and don't forget it. I believe 100 percent that I have had people try to trap my birds in and keep them but when they let them out they are mine again. Last year I had a nice little hen doing well in the races then she didn't return from a 150 mile race. I thought I lost her and a month later she shows up and comes into the loft. She look great in good shape so I sent her to the next race only a few day later she came good from that race. I sent her to the rest of the races and even raced a 340 miler with not a problem what so ever. I am certain someone had this bird and tried to rehome it.
<table width="300" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4"><tr><td width="75"><a href="http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/genview ... =184"><img border="0" src="http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/picture ... /td><td><a href="http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/genview ... 184">DIXIE HIGHWAY'S BOOZE RUNNER JH
<a href="http://www.perfectpedigrees.com"><font size="2">Get your free pedigree!</font></a></td></tr></table>

GsPJustin

Re: How far will pigeons home?

Post by GsPJustin » Sat Feb 14, 2009 9:23 pm

Rick Hall wrote:Knew that was a poorly constructed sentence when I wrote it, and was just too lazy to change it. But I hope you find your acreage soon!

(I've the great fortune of working for a lodge with leases in four parishes, which include an 1,100 acre piece a mile from mile from my house and three or four times that within a five or six mile drive. So my mutts are some serious spoiled.)

Rick,

No, I think it was a fine sentence. I just enjoy giving people a hard time a little to much! I do hope someday I can be as lucky as your dogs.

User avatar
Rick Hall
Rank: 3X Champion
Posts: 510
Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2008 3:55 pm

Re: How far will pigeons home?

Post by Rick Hall » Sun Feb 15, 2009 10:01 am

Don wrote:I'm guessing that good racers/homers can't be trasnplanted to a new loft after some age as ferals can?
My, albeit limited, experience with rehoming adult birds from raced stock (don't know if the idividual birds had been raced, per se) has been good. I was told, by one racer I got such birds from, not to release the adults until they'd been feeding their second brood in my loft for some days, and have only followed that course. But the pairs I've tried that with have rehomed nicely - unless/until there was trauma in my loft. Once had two pairs I'd had for a couple of years return to their original loft in a nearby town when a feral cat got in mine and went on a killing spree.

And a friend has told a more dramatic story of having adult birds he'd rehomed from NJ to New Orleans return to NJ some years later when a storm blew his loft over. That I couldn't verify, other than to say he's always seemed quite honest.

All of which said, I don't know that I'd risk it with birds of any great value...
If you think I'm wrong, you might be right.

(And to see just how confused I really am, join us in my online blind at: Rick's 2009-2010 season log)

User avatar
BoJack
Rank: 3X Champion
Posts: 574
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2008 8:37 pm
Location: Md.

Re: How far will pigeons home?

Post by BoJack » Sun Feb 15, 2009 11:33 am

Bought two birds(Grizzles) at auction after the 2004 Grizzle Race down in Tx.A cock(4th place bird)out of a Janssen/Tournier cross,and a hen(12th place)out of Osmon/Delbar cross.Had a terrible wind storm a year later that blew my coup over.both birds got out and I figured they were gone forever.But was surprised and happy to find them back in my coup the next morning.And I flew them with my other birds a few times and they returned.That showed me that they will rehome sometimes.I don't fly them anymore though because of their breeding value.
Dog On Point!!

User avatar
ohiogsp
Rank: 5X Champion
Posts: 1238
Joined: Tue Nov 16, 2004 8:13 pm
Location: Toledo Ohio

Re: How far will pigeons home?

Post by ohiogsp » Sun Feb 15, 2009 7:10 pm

Some of them can be rehomed. You just have to take the chances if it will work or not. I tried to rehome 40 race birds in the past. I kept them in and most had raised a round before I let them out and after I started flying them I was down to 15. I just don't think it is worth it to loose so many.
<table width="300" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4"><tr><td width="75"><a href="http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/genview ... =184"><img border="0" src="http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/picture ... /td><td><a href="http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/genview ... 184">DIXIE HIGHWAY'S BOOZE RUNNER JH
<a href="http://www.perfectpedigrees.com"><font size="2">Get your free pedigree!</font></a></td></tr></table>

User avatar
ohiogsp
Rank: 5X Champion
Posts: 1238
Joined: Tue Nov 16, 2004 8:13 pm
Location: Toledo Ohio

Re: How far will pigeons home?

Post by ohiogsp » Sun Feb 15, 2009 7:19 pm

BoJack wrote:Bought two birds(Grizzles) at auction after the 2004 Grizzle Race down in Tx.A cock(4th place bird)out of a Janssen/Tournier cross,and a hen(12th place)out of Osmon/Delbar cross.Had a terrible wind storm a year later that blew my coup over.both birds got out and I figured they were gone forever.But was surprised and happy to find them back in my coup the next morning.And I flew them with my other birds a few times and they returned.That showed me that they will rehome sometimes.I don't fly them anymore though because of their breeding value.
You are pretty lucky I think, do you race? You like those pretty birds huh? I like them too.
<table width="300" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4"><tr><td width="75"><a href="http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/genview ... =184"><img border="0" src="http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/picture ... /td><td><a href="http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/genview ... 184">DIXIE HIGHWAY'S BOOZE RUNNER JH
<a href="http://www.perfectpedigrees.com"><font size="2">Get your free pedigree!</font></a></td></tr></table>

User avatar
ohiogsp
Rank: 5X Champion
Posts: 1238
Joined: Tue Nov 16, 2004 8:13 pm
Location: Toledo Ohio

Re: How far will pigeons home?

Post by ohiogsp » Sun Feb 15, 2009 7:34 pm

Here is some pics of some of my birds. First one is a grizzle, second is a yellow, and the last is one is a bird I bred for stock.

Image

Image

Image

Image
<table width="300" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4"><tr><td width="75"><a href="http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/genview ... =184"><img border="0" src="http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/picture ... /td><td><a href="http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/genview ... 184">DIXIE HIGHWAY'S BOOZE RUNNER JH
<a href="http://www.perfectpedigrees.com"><font size="2">Get your free pedigree!</font></a></td></tr></table>

User avatar
BoJack
Rank: 3X Champion
Posts: 574
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2008 8:37 pm
Location: Md.

Re: How far will pigeons home?

Post by BoJack » Tue Feb 17, 2009 11:58 am

Ohio,Check your PM's.
Last edited by BoJack on Tue Feb 17, 2009 11:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Dog On Point!!

User avatar
Rick Hall
Rank: 3X Champion
Posts: 510
Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2008 3:55 pm

Re: How far will pigeons home?

Post by Rick Hall » Tue Feb 17, 2009 1:22 pm

ohiogsp wrote:Here is some pics of some of my birds. First one is a grizzle...Image
Talk about "grizzle"! Much of my stock is grizzle, but I've never had one with such contrast. Matches the dog in your avatar.
If you think I'm wrong, you might be right.

(And to see just how confused I really am, join us in my online blind at: Rick's 2009-2010 season log)

Post Reply