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Hi guys in a previous thread i was worried about the lack of flight in my birds well now it seems they dissapear for hours on end not just 1 or 2 hours i am talking 7-8 hours a day i check the local area and they not about on roofs or with any of the 2 fanciers in my village they come back clean and i am wondering is it normal for them to fly this long and if not how do i sort my trouble out  i am due some ybs from a local fancier and dont want them to do the same as i want to try train them my way not to take off when they please

All Advice Appreciated

They're fielding. Next time you let them out put a bit of jam on the bottom of a pigeons foot and see what it brings back.

lol some smart *expletive removed* will say a slice of toast so I'll get in before they do

check their feet and beaks for signs of mud they could be fielding check that they have grit and red and black minerals in front of them they are looking for something you are not providing

i've got them all the grit and minerals there feet and beaks are always clean on return no mud on feet or beaks my problem is i was feeding them like i was told on previous post and thread so they are not eating while out i just cant understand 1 of them is a yearling cock the others are all new birds from this year do u think he may be trying to find an eligable mate and the other's are following

jimmy  for 1 id let those new 1s out with out the others ,then you can get them flying without being dragged away and being lost....and you can control them better....maybe the others are ranging....was the sputnik ok for you......

yes thanx gangster sputnik is brill am saving for new loft. i thought that they may be ranging but for that long a time would that be about right it hasn't been bad for the young 1's as they return where ever they go i just dont understand but they are all healthy and fine dont understand it at all

Jimmy, how are you feeding them now and with what?
If they are flying well and randeing its a good adea to think about training them and getting them coming straight home for a feed.

Phil

it called quality pigeon corn mix i do take them out 2 or 3 times a week and when i do they fly straight home this is what i cant understand i wonder what happeens to the bird if i am just letting them out should i do it late in the day before dark or will that not make a difference i was thinking of starting again withnthe new ybs that have been bred for me but these few i have i have had so much enjoyment from 1 week i couldn't get them to fly now i cant seem to stop them LOL just dont know what to do with them i dont drive so i cant do it everyday but my son and i take our birds and fly them home in a little race against each other

You could just let them out in the evening an hour before feed time and see if they still go off.
If they don't then stick to this for a couple of weeks as well as keeping up the training and it should help break the habbit if they are fielding.
How far are you training from?

Phil

only about 10 miles because i dont drive i have to rely on pals to lift me around with them i am really thinking about the problem and am sure if i were to get rid of them and start a fresh i have 2 weeks to break there habbit if i cant do this i am gonna have to pass them on to a friend of mine who shifts them on to a pal of his

Whats the point of shifting them on?
Whats you pal going to do with them and there is no guarantee the next batch won't at some point start doing the same!

Phil

i  might /will be wrong about this but what is the problem?,if they are coming well from training,and you have had no losses,then why get rid of them?,if they are arriving back in good time from training,then wherever they are going for 7/8 hours it is not distracting them from the important part of this, getting home as fast as possible,for what it is worth clean feet or not, they are Fielding and the only problem you have might have will be a farmer slotting one of them, Patience and perseverance,the two things most of us have very little of!!!

give them  the worm tablet cant think of the name of it that makes pigeons sick as soon enough if they are feilding they will think that feilding and geting sick is combined

cheers every1

I now know the problem and it was nothing i have done or to do with the birds unfortunatly 2 day 2 of my birds were ravaged by i presume a hawk it was my neighbour who brought this to my attention and said they had seen this bird about for about a week now whish would tie in with the time my birds started dissapearing from letting them out and coming home as dark approached do you think i may loose my other birds or will they come home at dark only time will tell i found the carcasses of 2 of them on the field at the back of the house i have new birds coming in 2 weeks and am now very worried about this happening again any idea's how to deter these birds of prey

my other birds have not returned but the bird is back defanatly a sparrow hawk saw the little fXXXXr just pass over now

Keep the birds in for a couple of days and then try letting them out at different times of the day for excercise and then get them back in.
If you leave the birds out they will attrackt the hawks and if you let the birds out at the same time each day the hawks know where to get a regular feed.


Phil

i haven't got any birds left none have returned since just keeping my fingers crossed hopefully they may return 2day

how many birds are you missing Jimmy?

Phil

i had 7 and 2 killed by hawk and so i am missing 5 i sat out for hours last night in the rain waiting no sign of them looked on all the surrounding roof's they not about anywhere