How to train pigeons?

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GSPaddict

How to train pigeons?

Post by GSPaddict » Mon Jan 07, 2008 11:17 am

Hi everyone, I was wondering how should I train my pigeons to come back to the pen. My pigeons are in a my new pen for several weeks now. Last week I released 4 just before feeding them and before dawn. Never saw them again :-)

They are homing pigeons but they certainly didn't feel this was their home

:roll:

Mav&Lizzy

Post by Mav&Lizzy » Mon Jan 07, 2008 11:42 am

If you released them just before feeding then you must feed nightly? That is the best way to get them to return. Do you have a landing platform? If so build a small cage on it, tie up your barbs, then feed them. Do this every night for about a week letting a few more barbs down everynight until all barbs are down and the pigeons have learned how to go through the barbs. Then, again at feeding time place a few on the landing platform without the cage and let them go through. Do this a few at a time until all have gone through without the cage on the landing platform. When you fly them leave 1 or more inside the coop and a 1 or 2 on the landing platform the ones flying will come back to them. A key is to ensure they are hungry and that they know where there food is.

GSPaddict

Post by GSPaddict » Mon Jan 07, 2008 11:52 am

Thank you for the very good tips! I must be honest and say I am not consistent with feed timing. I will make an effort to feed them at the same time every day. Yes they have a landing platform however its outside the pen . I will build a cover so they can go in and out without being able to escape. Ill let you know how it goes

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Don
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Post by Don » Mon Jan 07, 2008 11:56 am

Keep you birds locked down till they start laying. Then don't release them. Simply tie up the bob's and let them come and go as they please for a few days to a week. Do not run them out, they need to find their own way out and stop and look around a bit before leaving.
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GSPaddict

Post by GSPaddict » Mon Jan 07, 2008 11:58 am

Thanks Don. I was definitly a fool but hey im learning.

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Post by Don » Mon Jan 07, 2008 1:08 pm

GSPaddict wrote:Thanks Don. I was definitly a fool but hey im learning.
No you weren't, you were simply ignorant of the method. Fool's know better but do it anyway, some call that stupid! :D
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ohiogsp
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Post by ohiogsp » Mon Jan 07, 2008 1:16 pm

These are old birds? They have flown before? From a loft that was not yours? Have they been raced? If you are answering yes to these questions then you will have to keep them in like don said. Anouther thing is when you are going to let them out put dish soap on the primary flight feathers on one side. The first 5 feathers get them really soapy. This makes the bird turn and helps them figure out where they came from because they fly away so fast they never turn back. This does work cause it makes the bird turn but as don said let them in and out on their own free will. Plus if your birds are not fighting for the feed when you put it down you are feeding too much and they won't come back. 1 ounce per bird per day. If they start to get thin you could goto 1.25 once per day but never over that.
<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
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Mav&Lizzy

Post by Mav&Lizzy » Tue Jan 08, 2008 8:49 am

I've got Roller Pigeons, not homing. I had no problem teaching them to home and they are on a self-feeder. My landing platform is on the outside also, I built a cage with 2 sides a top(with a door) and a back and simply sat it on the platform. I waited until they were out of food and had been all day then I tied up the bobs and put the birds in the cage on the platform then I'd go in the coop and feed, they came right in. I only fed a little bit and repeated the same thing every few nights only letting more bobs down. Once the birds got to where they would go through the bobs, even without being out of food, I took several of them about 25 yards away and released them. I left a few inside the coop and put a couple on the landing platform, this time I ensured they were hungry. All of them flew straight back to the coop. Now, about 7 months later, their feeders are never short on food and I haven't lost any birds.

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Post by Don » Tue Jan 08, 2008 9:10 am

I too have always been guilty of over feeding until I read ohiogsp's post on feeding sometime back. 1oz per bird. At that time I reconsidered what I was doing. her's what I notice. I don't have wasted food any more laying around on the pen floor. I suspect the birds are probably healthier and thus make the trip home with less stress physically.

I have had my birds a long time with no problems but I think there's a lot more to a healthy bird than I realize. But I know how to get them to come back! By the way, if I didn't mention it, I started putting cider vinigar in their water recently. Never heard of that before about a week ago right here. Even the chickens got it. Amazing the things I've learned on this site in the short time I've been here.
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Post by ezzy333 » Tue Jan 08, 2008 9:45 am

Vinegar and garlic in the water is good.

I have had good luck opening the pen up for the older birds to fly and the young ones will come out on the platform and look for day or two and then will go to the roof for a week before flying with the older birds. I had always waited till they were older and I always lost some because they got too far a way or forgot where they were. But letting them out before they are hardly old enough to fly has worked really well. I only lost one bird at home this year and it was the oldest one when I first started them last spring.

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Post by WiskeyJaR » Tue Jan 08, 2008 9:57 am

Vinegar and garlic in the drinking water? What does that do?...tenderise and flavor the meat while still on the bone?

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Post by ezzy333 » Tue Jan 08, 2008 10:23 am

It keeps the bugs off of them and gives them enough odor that LM can find them. :lol: :lol: :lol:

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Post by V-John » Tue Jan 08, 2008 11:05 am

The vinegar... Do you mix it into the water every day or just put it into the water every once in a while... how much do you put in? I have a small loft I'm trying to get started and currently have around five adults... Has anyone been flying their birds during this time with all the hawks and etc??? I've had them for a few months and really haven't flown any at all for fear of predators.

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Post by ezzy333 » Tue Jan 08, 2008 11:53 am

Mine are free flying a couple of times a week. But do keep your eyes out for hawks.

I used the vinegar one day a week. Not sure what anyone else is doing.

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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.

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Post by ohiogsp » Tue Jan 08, 2008 4:15 pm

I use cider vinegar or a couple garlic cloves. I also put it in once a week. John 1 tsp. per gal is good for the vinegar. I only let mine out when training dogs. Too risky for me otherwise. I will also use bleach sometimes just like the vinegar. (Same amount)
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AceofSpades41

Post by AceofSpades41 » Wed Jan 09, 2008 12:30 am

ohio

How much food do you feed when there are babies on the ground?

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Post by ohiogsp » Wed Jan 09, 2008 6:17 am

I count the babies in the feed amount. I ad a once per baby. I seperate the young into a different loft with less compition for feed then I throw some of the feed amount on the ground. The young can go around picking it up without fighting for 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
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