Pigeons won't trap!

[THEMAN]

I have a few stubborn birds that do not trap with the others when called in.  I have put them in a crate in the dark with only water for a day even two (on advice from elder flyer)and this has not worked, well for these particular 3 birds it has not, it did for the other 2.  These are late hatches that were given to me when they were quite a bit older so I did not have a opportunity to train them as squeakers.  So what methods do you all use to get your birds to trap when called.  Thanks.

 

Tony

[ribble]

cut the feed back.

[westburylofts]

 

Have to agree with ribble and say cut the food back.

if they still do not trap then do not feed them until they do as you want them

to do.  if you have not fed them before for a couple of days and they still did not

trap they must be getting food from someware.

 

Stick with it they will learn,

We also use a whistle with the yb's   as soon as we wean them off we blow the

whistle as we feed they soon learn that this means food and trap quickly.

 

hope this might help

 

ray

[Guest slugmonkey]

I always whistle when I feed even breeders and prisoners it conditions babies so when they hear it they know they are going to be fed

[THEMAN]

Oh I whistle but the only thing coming home are the cows.  These birds have not eaten like I said I crate them and do not feed them for a day then put them back in the loft and loft fly them I will call them in (whistle) and most go in but these soon to be long neck birds.  They aren't getting food elsewhere because I can feel them getting thinner. The crate worked for the others but ....don't know what else to do with these stubborn ones.  

 

Tony

[Guest slugmonkey]

I hate to say this but I dont worry about trapping until race day I just give mine open loft and plenty of feed and let them be I have had 2 races in 3 years that I had trapping problems and still won both I would much rather lose on the trap than in the air I think maybe you are trying too hard to make them do what you want them to do

[THEMAN]

Oh I whistle but the only thing coming home are the cows.  These birds have not eaten like I said I crate them and do not feed them for a day then put them back in the loft and loft fly them I will call them in (whistle) and most go in but these soon to be long neck birds.  They aren't getting food elsewhere because I can feel them getting thinner. The crate worked for the others but ....don't know what else to do with these stubborn ones.  

 

Tony

[Guest]

Get some peanuts, and break them into quarters and give them a bit when they come in next, after a while they will trap like bullets, but only give them a few bits as they are very fattening!!

[snowy]

i wouldnt basket them next time, & just make sure they get no food when they eventually do go in,  maybe they fear if they go in they get basketed all the time, so just try letting them trap with no food, then after a day or two, they should trap quicker if not first.

just a thought as this happend to me.

hope this helps

[Guest]

I've found my birds don't like to be locked out. If they don't come in when called, I close the doors and go away and have a cuppa or read the paper, breakfast, anything. When they start 'scurrying' in front of the doors I give them another 20/30 minutes, then open up ... usually drop or walk in before I get a chance to call them. If there's food left when they come in they eat, if not, they don't.

[jimmy white]

agree with bruno and rose, lock them out until their dying to get in. then just give them very little , if any,   a pea or two   theyll not be long in clocking on

[Ron]

I had couple birds that done that in the past i just get what comes in and they get fed if they dont come in i just shut the trap and dont open it again until the others have finished eating just totally ignore them seen them stay out for couple days going hungry doesnt seem to bother them but they did eventually come in and i never had any problem with them since

 

I had the same trouble one time. There were 3 birds that just refused to come in, one even stayed out at night, I never paid any attention to them. I stayed in the loft while the other birds ate, then took the food away after 15 min. and left the 3 outside. In the morning 2 would always be in but the one would stay out side. I think it was on the fourth day the 3 problem birds were the first ones in.

I know it sounds mean but if they won't come in, they aint hungry enough.

 

Ron

[PC]

well i was told  as you where 2 shed them for the night without food but as this was in the race season when this happened i was told 2 basket them with the rest the next morning for a short training flight

sort of sent 2 bed with out supper n made 2 do their chores b4 breakfast as punishment

The exercise should make them want 2 get food n a drink.

one eminnent dutch fancier just shuts his out or boards up his  variation of the sputnic trap from the inside, sooner or later they get hungry n learn the rules of the loft

[THEMAN]

I agree with what Snowy posted and so I put them in the enclosed landing board and called them in with the rest of the birds and let them feed.  I figure its been a while since they came in with the rest of the team to eat and drink they may need a refresher course.  I let them out the next day to train and called them in.  Only 2 would not trap.  So locked out they are.  We will see how long it takes before they get hungry enough to come in.

 

Tony

[Guest]

The Man

 

I agree with the others about feeding and this could possible be the answer BUT when I was in England, I had a similar problem and found out that I had a mouse or two in the loft that were freaking those particular birds out.  I know this may be a long shot but It's worth checking to see if you have any of the little buggers in the loft, as when I got rid of the mice they birds trapped fine.

[Diamond dave]

Theman

Have to agree with Snowy - it could be that you are handling them and basketing them when they do come in - They may actually be scared of you! Latebreds are fickle things at the best of times. I'd prefer to give them a treat - try sbelbins peanut or some trapping mix until they know the ropes - dont starve them -theyre only babies afterall

[THEMAN]

Well, I started locking them out, then opening the landing board when the other birds were almost finished with all of the feed.  The birds learned pretty quickly once they entered and found some food that if they entered earlier they would get more.  They now all come in when called. Well maybe not at the first call but they do come in.  As always with pigeons its a work in progress.  Thanks for all the advice.

 

Tony

[hooky]

if mine start to play up like this i will only give them very minimul amount of grain until the next day. if they do the ysame they hardley get any food..they soon learn they have to enter loft to get feed

[ribble]

glad to hear it theman.