Homing Pigeons 1st release Question

[ES Fan]

Just to give you a little background first

I started with four homing pigeons at five weeks of age. They have been in my coop for about four weeks now. The pigeons have been in and out of the settling cage with the trap door left in the open position for the first few weeks. I then closed the trap while they were in the settling cage and they were able to push through the trap over the past two weeks. The pigeon breeder told me I should leave food and water down for them all the time for the first few weeks; then start feeding just at night for shorter periods of time. So for the past week, I have been feeding the pigeons each night around 6:30 for 10 minutes. Before getting to the coop, I blow the whistle one time so they know the food is coming. The pigeons are now eating very greedily for the ten minutes the food is down and spend the afternoon in the Avery waiting to be fed. Pigeons are watching me waiting to be fed and the pup is watching the pigeons… kinda comical.

My question is when is it safe to let the first pigeon out? My plan is to only let one out of the coop right around 6:30 before I feed them (maybe 50 feet away will be the release distance). Should I continue this regiment of feeding another week or so before letting the first one out?

My quail are all but decimated by the raccoons (another story) and I really want to get my pup started on the “Perfect Start” training regiment. Any thoughts or feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Frank

[Brittguy]

Just open the door and let them leave on their own. They will probably just fly a short circle and land on the roof of the loft. When you want them in give your feeding signal and they will come in. Very soon they will start what is called routing. That is leaving the area,going out of sight for various lengths of time. After they start doing this you can take them down the road about 3 miles and release. They will probably beat you home. Gradually increase the distance.

[ES Fan]

After releasing the four homers right before meal time, three flew circles around the coop then landed in a tree. The fourth just hung around the coop in a tree for a while. Then the three began circling the property then leaving the property. To make a long story short, one recalled back to the coop (not sure which), two disappeared for 24 hours then re-appeared the next evening but are not wanting to trap back in the coop and the fourth has not been seen again.

I am guessing once the two (that have not trapped back to the coop which are hanging out on the roof of my house) get hungry they may go back through the trap to the coop. Otherwise my option is to try and net them.

Assuming the fourth is gone for good.

Any additional suggestions.

[Jester]

try locking up the one that traped and open up the doors on the coop for the other. where are the ones that are out stay at night?

[jcorcoran]

You might try putting food out in a dish on the landing area and some just inside the door. I read somewhere that they can see red well so I use a red Frisbee with food in it. That has worked for me. The food gets them onto the landing area, they see their friends inside and go through the trap into the loft. Usually the pigeons will fly a few circles and come back right away, some take off for the hills and stay out late but come in near dusk. I usually go out before dark and close up the doors.
I was thinking about letting them come and go whenever, but am worried about predators.

[ES Fan]

Thank you for the replies. The two that were hanging around the house ended up leaving for good, even though food was out and I had blown the dinner whistle several times for them. The pigeon that did come back has been homing reliably for a week now. Last night was the first night that I physically picked him up inside the coop and moved him to the front yard and released him (about 40 yards from coop). He flew to the roof then did a few loops around the house and eventually back into the coop for his meal after I blew the whistle. Tonight I will release him in front of the dog as you see in the perfect start and hope for a good hard short chase.

Tough to train a pup with 1 pigeon and two quail.... but it is great fun! I got a line on another breeder that races homing pigeons near me and should have 6 more in about two weeks. He mentioned my mistake was not getting them out of the coop earlier. Also the initial breeder gave me pigeons that were various ages (sizes), he lied and said they were all five weeks old. The recent breeder said they should have had fuzzy heads and been peeping which they were not.

The next go round, I will have them in the settling cage and working them through the trap much earlier, within a few days of getting them.

Thanks for all the help, but I am guessing the three that did not come back were too old and mature. The guy from the homing club said they should be released within three days of getting them at five weeks. Said they wont have the confidence to fly off and will want to get back where the food and water is.

Thanks,

Frank

[codym]

This is exactly what i'm afraid of happening when I release my pigeons for the first time. I got 8 racers and a couple homers from a guy I train with and I have had them locked in my coupe for about 8 weeks. a couple birds have roosted and have babies and eggs but I'm worried that when I let the older birds out they will just fly away back to thier old coupe's.