Preventing pigeons from sitting on the roof

[joe61]

Lob a small brightly coloured rubber ball on the roof, won't harm bird or property. If they move further down the street, tell neighbours what you are doing and ask their permission to ball their roofs too. Neighbours especially don't like pigeons sitting on roofs, can easily claim they're causing a nuisance.

 

Should only need to do that a couple of times. I've found after that as soon the offenders see me with the ball, they know what's coming and take off themselves.

 

Make sure you only let youngsters out when hungry.

 

 

you claim the neighbours will or might claim pigeons being nuisance to them by sitting on their roof... well by throwing a ball at them, you just created this problem, or can you not see it...????   as for taking off when you appear with the ball, yes i would to if you threw something at me, thats probably why you suffer bad traps, you create problems for yourself.  

 

and this is advice is it... god help us all for idiots are within our sport, bit like a fella running around a field in whelly boots chasing pigeons with a broom,,,   a certain mr nicholls i think, how daft did that look.. well look how you want , throw your balls and veg.. mad the bloody lot of yer that do this stupid thing,

 

 

 

 

 

i give up, happy days or not  ;D ;D ;D

 

[Guest]

If bird either has to fly or be in or around the loft, not sat on rooftops. easy answer don't allow them, control them, those that do sit of rooftops will at some stage let you down (bad trap etc), therefore any that did this to me were removed, permanently.

[hotrod]

If bird either has to fly or be in or around the loft, not sat on rooftops. easy answer don't allow them, control them, those that do sit of rooftops will at some stage let you down (bad trap etc), therefore any that did this to me were removed, permanently.

spot on mick learn them young and they will always know the score .

 

[joe61]

go buy a crane and a demolition ball then they soon wont have a roof to sit on ??

 

oh happy days

[Guest Owen]

If it's old birds feed them 1oz each per day. 1/4 of their feed in the morning and 3/4 of their feed in the evening. Feed must not be down longer than 5mins. Ever. With the YBs weigh the feed place it in the trough, leave 5min, pick up and weigh what is left and that's the feed requirement for that week. You will need to do this each week to account for the fact that they are growing. The routine with YBs is important. Feed, 5min, pick up. Anybody that does not get the feed quick enough goes without. Deduct 1oz of feed for every bird that misses it's meal. By the 2nd day they should all be keen and respond to your call, whisle or click. There is one problem to be watched for. Birds sometimes contract YBS. You will see the first signs at feeding time. Sick birds will not want any food or else just pick at it. Then you are into a whole differant ball game.

In addition to the about you may need to send a message to your birds, that they are not to sit on the roof. I use a large coloured ball and a loud hissing noise. They are not stupid they soon learn.

My own birds, widowhood cocks, are feed as much as they want "before" they go out. They are rewarded for coming in with 2 only peanuts each. They trap like arrows. It is only possible because they have been brought up with discipline as I have descibed.

[hotrod]

go buy a crane and a demolition ball then they soon wont have a roof to sit on ??

 

oh happy days

TOO FAR JOE.

 

 

[hotrod]

JOE just because you would'nt do ti does'nt meen that its wrong , i dont let thm eat out of gutters so therefor cuts down the chance of picking up disease , and on a saturday they trap really well in fact if i have a bird thats on time then im confident mines will beat anything on the trap(except ets) . in fact years ago when i didnt keep them off the roofs i had more bother trying to get them to trap, they landed on the roof and looked anywhere but the loft, but some still won.

[Guest pigeonboyno1]

That really anoys me on a race day they sit on the roof and they won't come down and it is your first pigeon.

[thunderboult]

when youngster's are first going out we allow them to go on the roofs locally because they get a better look at the surroundings, but when they are flying propely we stop them landing on the roof by throwing things at them, but as soon as they land on the loft we give some red band to them above the traps and we do this every time the youngster's go out .  they soon learn that it's better to land on the loft.

[kwango]

I HAD THE SAME TROUBLE . NOW I PUT A BIG EXTENDABLE FISHING POLE FROM THE GROUND TO JUST PAST THE GUTTERING WITH A FLAG ON THE TOP OF THE FISHING POLE AND I HAVE NO PROBLEM NOW. AS THEY LAND STRAIGHT ON TOP OF THE LOFT ROOF NOW.

[Guest]

:-/god why do people throw things at them.... those that tthrow things at their pigeons, let me ask you what did you win last year, how foolish can you be throwing things at them... ddo none of you who do this have any common sense. no wonder the sport is dying with idiots running it, as well as in it... fools

 

 

8x1st 5x2nd 8x3rd  + 2nd sec 39th open nat onlt sent to 1 nat and she was a yearling

 

oh happy days

 

 

[Guest Vic]

I have had similar problems over the years, but mainly with ybs. But throwing objects  on roofs, causes blockages in rainwater drainage,,  which can result in neighbour friction. Especially when various plants appear in the guttering within arms throw.  LOL. The best way out, if you can't do it by feeding, is to buy a cheap fishermans catapult and use the right size ice cubes to stir them. This way, there is no problem regarding drainage or growth in the guttering.  At the moment there are not many houses that my birds can land on, since most have been demolished. lol      

[A WHITTAKER]

YOU have to train them as young birds i live with houses all around me i let them out once a day

at 4pm they get nothing to eat until i cri them in they get fed 1 once per bird if you stick to this you will find that when you cri them in they will tumble in all the best hope this helps you

[Guest Owen]

It just occured to me. If you look on Amazon you will see books on clicker training for dogs. The technique is based on the sort of training that is used on dolfins and killer whales. Animals like that, can not be forced to do anything. Their training is all about rewards and positive inducement. A bit like the situation of your pigeons sitting on the roof and refusing to move. You can't make them move if they really don't want to. And if you push it, they are very likely to move to another house beyond your reach. The ideas behind clicker training really do work.

Just to take it a little further. Years ago my father and grandfather used to train horses. Their methods were all about force and the horses had to give in to their domination. Since then new and better techniques have come along and horses can now be trained in a fraction of the time by using positive inducements and phsycology. Like most people I have had the disapointment of having birds come home in time to win, only to see them sit on the roof. When I started to fly widowhood, I had cocks home but they refused to trap and flew around clapping only to be joined by the next couple, wasting huge amounts of time. I'm afraid I did'nt cope with all this very well. I leave that remark to your imagination as to what sort of things went on. It was only after I made an effort to sort the whole problem out that I was able to compete with the top fliers in our area. I described earlier how I operate these days. And although I don't use a clicker, I do use the technique. Because it works.  

[Guest IB]

you claim the neighbours will or might claim pigeons being nuisance to them by sitting on their roof... well by throwing a ball at them, you just created this problem, or can you not see it...????   as for taking off when you appear with the ball, yes i would to if you threw something at me, thats probably why you suffer bad traps, you create problems for yourself.  

 

and this is advice is it... god help us all for idiots are within our sport, bit like a fella running around a field in whelly boots chasing pigeons with a broom,,,   a certain mr nicholls i think, how daft did that look.. well look how you want , throw your balls and veg.. mad the bloody lot of yer that do this stupid thing,

 

i give up, happy days or not  ;D ;D ;D

 

No offence, but you're the blind idiot here. Any of my pigeons that choose to sit on my roof, and any pigeons sitting on any roof, are a nuisance, and a danger, because they attract attention from eyes above as well as eyes below..

 

And my birds display an intelligence far above your own: only takes one to pull the rest up there. But once those birds are chased a couple of times, they then know they aren't supposed to be up there. And that is proved by them taking off on my just appearing with the ball .. they take off and land on the loft.

 

And my reference to neighbours roofs had nothing to do with me chasing them down there; I was referring to my first lot of YBs that developed a habit coming back from morning touring: half would drop on the loft, and the other half landed on the highest rooftop 3 doors down. I spoke to that neighbour and told them what was happening - and yes they'd noticed the birds sitting up there - and they agreed that I could throw a ball on the roof at them for the next couple of days. And 2 days was all it took, even though they'd been doing it for a week.  

 

 

[ZK]

There have certainly been some interesting replies and i will be taking all your advice on board -

 

I will start by reducing the amount of feed - I have to admit - looking back - I have definately been over feeding.

[NW USA]

They won't do it twice if you use a shotgun to break the habit.

[Beanz]

What I do is have some youngsters slightly younger than the others and so when the first ones are beginning to flirt around the others are just going on the loft and when the older ones are flirting about the others on the roof are testing their wings and this attracts them to land on the loft rather than the house, also then when the younger ones start to fly the older ones are already used to landing on the loft and so the younger ones follow the older ones, job done, it works for me anyway.

 

 

                                       Paul

[schouwman71]

ilet my youngsters go on the house roof ,i carnt stop them has my house is only a couple of feet away from my house,ive lost more races with them doing this,including top fed positions,it pisses you off when it happens but has yearlings they are different birds,its all about learning them steady has you could kill some top youngsters when they dont do has there told,believe me there different has yearlings,but if they do the same has yearlings then its time to cut there snaop down and start training them hard and getting a system into them.anyway once racing starts with youngsters and they have been in the basket over night 9times out of ten they will come down but have you noticed its always your first arrival thats stubborn and losses that vital position for you,good luck everyone.

 

les

[ZK]

Hi guys,

 

         I let my pigeons out hungry today... and guess what! they did not sit on the roof - only when i whistled with the feed,

 

I do understand its not an overnight fix, but i now know controlling the feed does have an affect -

 

Slowly but surely i will pursue with controlled feeding and show them i am boss

[Guest]

Hi guys,

 

         I let my pigeons out hungry today... and guess what! they did not sit on the roof - only when i whistled with the feed,

 

I do understand its not an overnight fix, but i now know controlling the feed does have an affect -

 

Slowly but surely i will pursue with controlled feeding and show them i am boss

  ;Dwell done ZK nice to see a happy ending to this saga ., and a chance for more novices to learn something .                   andy.

 

 

[hotrod]

  ;Dwell done ZK nice to see a happy ending to this saga ., and a chance for more novices to learn something .                   andy.

 

glad your listening mate it does/will work so persivere mate and leave the rest behind.

 

.

[Guest Owen]

Successful pigeon racing is 90% down to knowing not just what, but how to feed. Too mean and you will stop them exercising, too generous and you will not have any control. The idea is to train the birds to race home. Not come home. They have to be trained to fly home in a straight line and drop into the loft without hesitation. Overfed pigeons will not do it. They will not care to rush themselves. Why should they? If you have birds going on to the roof you will be training them not to race. And you are literally telling them, by your actions, that they can do as they like because you don't matter. They have to be made aware that what you say goes. Feeding is about the only thing that you have to start the process. I know that a lot of fanciers love their pigeons and can'nt bear to be, what they see as cruel.

I feel differant from that. My respect is for the birds that win races. And I also like the ones that I know are trying. Plenty of fanciers think that it is 90% pigeon and 10% fancier and that you can buy success. Well, you can buy good birds, but if you do not learn to handle them properly you will wast your money and loose the birds into the bargin. So, as I suggested in a previous post, buy some books on clicker training and learn to train the birds rather that chuck things at them and start a war with them. Apart from the fact that you will probably become a bad neighbour, the birds are not learning to repond to you. They are learning to be afraid of you and that is not a bit what you want.