Fly aways

[Roland]

Yp, but hard to clock it... Can't get the ET pads every where on the branches  / twigs lol

[Roland]

i believe over crowding is the main problem with fly aways, it happens with rock doves, when the places get highly crowded they fly off to over areas to find better nesting sites

 

Aye, and isn't that just nature taking care of her own and blocking - reducing incestual relationships! Of course. And where to 'Flyaways' go? where there are MORE pigeons and mostly if to churches / townies they are even more crowded.

And THEY DON'T find space to nest! No they get as close to each other as they can. Sorry over crowding is nothing more that a crutch for a lame excuse and bad managerment!

[Guest]

i believe over crowding is the main problem with fly aways, it happens with rock doves, when the places get highly crowded they fly off to over areas to find better nesting sites

 

I agree with you. Overcrowding leads to an over demand on everything an animal regards as precious: food, water, mate, security (own space) etc.

 

Have read before that is exactly what happens with rock dove colonies, tensions cause splits, and some fly off to form a new colony ... and don't know how the birds would be able to tell whether it was brother / sister / uncle / aunt that they were with either.

[Wiley]

 

I agree with you. Overcrowding leads to an over demand on everything an animal regards as precious: food, water, mate, security (own space) etc.

 

Have read before that is exactly what happens with rock dove colonies, tensions cause splits, and some fly off to form a new colony ... and don't know how the birds would be able to tell whether it was brother / sister / uncle / aunt that they were with either.

 

 

you got it spot on!

 

[Roland]

Only one sex clears of and mates, the other sex will come and do the honours no fret on that. All creatures will use the same water hole! And never seen a problem in my loft in regards feeding and watering. Most will even drink outside anyway whenever there is a drop around, Gutter, Top of the lids of cans, water butts. Indeed I leave my TAP water over night to clear the Chorine. Now one sees the difference in the 'Stans left when using tap water. Like when treating the amount of people that use tap water! Live Bacteria, and tap water eh!  But they ar dwell and live in harmony, just a 'Pecking order'. One only has to see down town, likewise ub=nder a bridge, they clamber as close as they can, and are in, all things considered, great shape.

[Roland]

And Pigeons, like nigh all flocks that gather and live in great numbers usaully mate,  for life!

[timbarra]

interesting topic, roland mate , cheetahs (as in the wild cat) are all related therefore inbreeding has gone on also the pharoahs used to marry their sisters generation after generation, to keep the line or bloodline. inbreeding can only be done with top birds as it can never add anything to the gene pool only use what is already there.

 

this is a very nice subject to converse on.

 

hope your well roland,

[Roland]

Spencer behave lol, where ever did you get uch a fool notion! Mum keeps the cubs till they are drive off OR have left, and HAVE to find a different territory!

Lions are aken over ever very short spell, and any cubs then are killed ... because ther might just be a chance of a distance relation. Fishes split sexes, and one leaves... and the beat goes one. Interestingly as the Pharoahs have the power to have their choice, what makes one think that good stockmen close to nature didn't bring in other families for breeding! Only man has enforced unnatural breeding to get an effect that they think is 'Cool' Alsation dogs small and a tucked in behind that falls away for example.

[THE FIFER]

overcrowding is the big mistake lots of us make with youngsters they start going into other lofts etc, and when tossed or raced just have no heart to home and go down,

[DOVEScot]

If fanciers keep breeding young birds from a full loft all the time, what else do they expect but a recipe for over crowding, especially if they never lost any

 

[speedbird]

thats right fifer if you have 20birds & 20 perches that is not enough they shouldnt have to fight for a perch if they are happy at home you can help avoid flyaways dad for nearly 30years always keeps around the same number of ybs even though theres plenty of perches but you do need floor space & good ventalation these factors add up it not just one thing

[The White Rapido Man]

I lost a full round last year....................................3rd time out of the loft...14 pecking around tetnmatively around the loft with a couple on the garage roof...

 

Next doo neighbour appeared out the garage at 6 in the morning...with his motor bike and slammed the door loudly......immediately the birds craned their necks on full alert and were looking really twitchy...............

 

Then it happened......he kick started the powerfull bike and heavily reved it.....up they went in blind panic................and never to been seen again...not  one........... this wasn't bad management or overcrowding........the YB's just didn't know how to get back.........so they probably  kept on flying in any direction until they dropped.  

[Ed Bourque]

I dont know what causes flyaways, when I first started I had one fly away from my young team, now all I do is let the old birds train the young ones around the loft, have not lost a bird yet. it takes us to teach our kids right from wrong, and the way of life. MOTHER NATURE does the same, just my thoughts. Ed

[Guest]

Yes, I agree, in the early days anyway, I put my YBs out with the OBs till they get in tune with their surroundings.

 

One rule I do have tho is that my YBs spend around 2 weeks in the aviary & veranda before they get out. Means they are nearly 2 months old and pretty strong on the wing by then, strong enough to get themselves out of trouble if they do get a fright, so that they can at least keep airborne and not end up landing on the road, or in neighbours' gardens or in a tree.

 

I also agree they need bags of room. I've rarely got more than 15 YBs but there's room for 30, and they have 2 sections. When they are able to look after themselves they have the run of 5 sections, an aviary and a veranda.  

[snowy]

i believe in getting them out & on top of the loft before they can fly (in a basket). as often as possible, & still in the basket in front of the loft so they can actually see where they live. then, when they can walk let them out of the basket infront of the loft a few yards away & they walk back into the loft, when i throw a bit of food in.  i do this as often as possible & this has kept the flyaways down to a very minimum.

[jimmy white]

i believe over crowding is the main problem with fly aways, it happens with rock doves, when the places get highly crowded they fly off to over areas to find better nesting sites

 

excactly,,natures way of crossing them and starting a new coloney,,,, and our modern day racing pigeon are bred down from these

[Roland]

Quoted from Wiley

i believe over crowding is the main problem with fly aways, it happens with rock doves, when the places get highly crowded they fly off to over areas to find better nesting sites

I think you will find that that is nature's way of stopping close breeding.

Nature doesn't allow for inbreeding etc.

This may well be the case where we have a conscecoius ight on our hands falling in line with nature. She will win over. But over crowding is just a lame silly excuse that is a easy crutch to laden folks with. Golly just how much air does a pigeon need. If one has 1 or 6 in a 4 foot square wired cage, Are we to believe at anoth 2 would have devasting effects and cause them on first chance to flee the scene! Get real hear.

I have ove 22 cock birds in a 7 foot high 5 x 4 loft. I define any one to say that these birds are in pristine condition. And they have no intentions of fleeing the coup ... some ols ones granted that are of no use really now, but aren't doing any harm, and help provde a good pecking order. Hence happy because of their nature.

I have 16 hens in a  loft about same size.

I have a 6 foot by 4 foot empty! I have a 16  foot by 8 foot empty, I have a 8 x 4 foot empty! Why, because I want happy contented birds!

Yes admitted these will be used as stock lofts shortly, but then the unfortunately won't be stretching their wings outside! Yes and I have the fronts either wired or air vented complete. Yes I did lost a few  off the top.... Natures calling. But 2 -3 tops, and MOST ARE here after racing  when I do race y/b's solid.

[Merlin]

Fly aways by this very title dont exist,when it happens its down to errors of judgement of youngsters and or  fanciers in most cases ,with this happening chiefly to birds of a young age,who have not at this stage of their life developed /acquired  the ability to navigate, to leave birds out at this stage of their development with lots of daylight hours is asking for trouble ,,clashing with race/training batches/B.O.P.AND and any multitude of other reasons / mine is late evening excercise only, till they are at least after receiving a few tosses,helping to hone their navigational ability,losses will not be as damaging then. After first race for Y/B, I have open loft for next month,hoping they will be taken away by any passing batch,and often they are,with the worthwhile ones always back.

i do notice when nestmates are Cock and Hen if left to chose their own mates which I do for Y/B season only, they will chose each other about 50% of time

[Lennut Tar]

Quoted from Wiley

 

 

"Interesting topic", I for one, would refute the claim that overcrouwding is one of the main reasons that people here, have fly aways etc with pigeons. (look for another explanation) As an example !!!! In my local area as such, it is quite normal for the average pigeon flyer to have a 200 square foot area in his loft & keep 200 pigeons etc, (one pigeon one perch) which is well above the normal situation for many here. As mentioned,  fly-aways to the varst majority of flyers is not a great problem, thou it does happen at times here. In my situation I have had many fly aways over the years (more than most) & 99 times out of 100 it is always in the old bird race season when they are 9 to 12 months old & they are at there healthest & fittest time of their life, & except for the odd occassion (very few), most find there way home within the next few days etc. So for me !!!!, fly aways are more of a blessing than a tragedy.

But as I said above !!!!!! "Interesting topic".

Enjoy.  

 

[Guest TAMMY_1]

Quoted from Wiley

i believe over crowding is the main problem with fly aways, it happens with rock doves, when the places get highly crowded they fly off to over areas to find better nesting sites

I think you will find that that is nature's way of stopping close breeding.

Nature doesn't allow for inbreeding etc.

This may well be the case where we have a conscecoius ight on our hands falling in line with nature. She will win over. But over crowding is just a lame silly excuse that is a easy crutch to laden folks with. Golly just how much air does a pigeon need. If one has 1 or 6 in a 4 foot square wired cage, Are we to believe at anoth 2 would have devasting effects and cause them on first chance to flee the scene! Get real hear.

 

"Interesting topic", I for one, would refute the claim that overcrouwding is one of the main reasons that people here, have fly aways etc with pigeons. (look for another explanation) As an example !!!! In my local area as such, it is quite normal for the average pigeon flyer to have a 200 square foot area in his loft & keep 200 pigeons etc, (one pigeon one perch) which is well above the normal situation for many here. As mentioned,  fly-aways to the varst majority of flyers is not a great problem, thou it does happen at times here. In my situation I have had many fly aways over the years (more than most) & 99 times out of 100 it is always in the old bird race season when they are 9 to 12 months old & they are at there healthest & fittest time of their life, & except for the odd occassion (very few), most find there way home within the next few days etc. So for me !!!!, fly aways are more of a blessing than a tragedy.

But as I said above !!!!!! "Interesting topic".

Enjoy.  

 

find this part of your quote a bit strange, have never known or heard of a flyaway with birds of that age , always thought they were in birds a lot younger

[Lennut Tar]

 

find this part of your quote a bit strange, have never known or heard of a flyaway with birds of that age , always thought they were in birds a lot younger

 

 

;D ;D ;D Come on over !!!!!!!   ;) I will put the lights on for you, so you can sit there & watch them fly all night etc. At times. High in the sky (full moon), you will be on your own thou. I will be in bed sound asleep, cause I've seen it to many times in the past to be amused, as one could say.

Enjoy

 

 

[carlsberg]

i always put lavender air fresheners in my lofts never had a fly a way and only ever lost 2 birds off the loft roof

[Leroy]

i always put lavender air fresheners in my lofts never had a fly a way and only ever lost 2 birds off the loft roof

 

this is an example of why pigeon basics is such a good forum for newcomers like me - the information and tips that other members can provide are superb!!!

 

Lee

[symbro]

i have noticed that my loft has a magic number... everytime i go over that number i loose birds.  old birds young birds.  there seemes to be no pattern to the birds i loose... just that fact that it always goes back to that max number.

[pjc]

symbro, what size loft, how many perches etc and whats your magic number as it will help begginers to breed and keep an appropriate number of birds for there loft?

 

Phil