Breaking pigeons

[Okitsme]

Hi All,

 

Can someone please tell me how to break stock pigeons to your loft. I want to let them out as I think being cooped up in a loft is not nice. But i am scared I lose them.

 

Regards

 

David

[Roland]

Depends how long they've been prisoners and  is it viable to fetch if they return to their former loft etc. ... The longer a prisoner the harder to break.!!!

To break proper they should be out every 3rd day or there abouts till they adopt their new home.

Best way obviously was / is to have them brought the their new loft every day to be fed. Then fed only in their new loft to be.

Soon they will fl into their new loft to be fed and watered... especially if mate is there waiting ... switch Aternative days.

Also the all important part is FREEDOM to gain confidence and a liking more for their new home!

[Guest mikkey]

Depends how long they've been prisoners and  is it viable to fetch if they return to their former loft etc. ... The longer a prisoner the harder to break.!!!

To break proper they should be out every 3rd day or there abouts till they adopt their new home.

Best way obviously was / is to have them brought the their new loft every day to be fed. Then fed only in their new loft to be.

Soon they will fl into their new loft to be fed and watered... especially if mate is there waiting ... switch Aternative days.

Also the all important part is FREEDOM to gain confidence and a liking more for their new home!

 

ive learned something new there i thought the longer you kept them in the easier it was to settle them :B :B :B

 

[REDCHEQHEN]

Is it worth the risk?

 

have lost loads - and settled just the one

[T_T]

Agree with Roland, the longer their kept as prisoners, the harder to settle.  How many times have you got a stray pigeon in, fed it and kept it overnight, sent it on a trainer towards it's home the next day, only to see it return to your loft.

On average I would say two weeks, depending on the incentives the pigeons have to stay with you.

[DOVEScot]

Some birds will never stay, depends on them I would say, We had one that that paired and raised young till about two weeks then returned to her old loft for no apparent reason, he even tried to starve her out but she still persisted, not untill the guy finished with birds did she stay :-/

Then as someone says you get a stray in, we returned one to shropshire three days after it landed in our loft, the next time he raced it it came back to us, so he told us to keep it

[Guest shadow]

if you value your stock birds it's not worth the risk I have lost dozens over the years some I bought some gifted to me if they were never out at previous lofts they are even worse

[DUBLINFLYER]

would recommend a nice big avairy  

[Guest Vic]

A couple of years  back I bought two late breds via pipa in aid of  fanciers who had their lofts burnt down on the Wirral. I paid just on £200 for them (most Ive ever paid)  I should have broke them by soaping their flights, when settling them in. Anyhow I paired them to my two best stock hens, and during the feeding of the first round, a faulty door became unhinged, and the two cocks were never seen again, due to the  damp foggy weather at the time. Anyhow It wont be long before I have my investment back, because one of the cocks from them,  is a real goodin

taking 3rd this week and winning £50 pool money, I am sure he'll win in a week or two. My fault for not soaping/trimming them down. Vic . By the way Jones & Thomas were the breeders. Brilliant Fanciers.    

[DOVEScot]

would recommend a nice big avairy  

 

Definately

[DOVEScot]

Anyone trim the one wing and if so what is the best way to do it

[DUBLINFLYER]

 

Definately

 

that looks great altogether but looks as if theres a BIG hole in the roof  ;D > ;D > ;D > ;D > ;D

p.s. couldnt resist  ;D

[jimmy white]

Hi All,

 

Can someone please tell me how to break stock pigeons to your loft. I want to let them out as I think being cooped up in a loft is not nice. But i am scared I lose them.

 

Regards

 

David

 

yes i agree , the longer theve been in , the harder it becomes, its actually ten times worse if theve never ever been out b4 , you would probably loose most of them,, but if theve been homed and flying to the previous owner , should make things slightly easier,,,,,,,,,best thing a make shift aviary, where they can see out, let them out , hungry and when sitting , hopefully they should be ok,,,,good luck

[Guest IB]

Hi All,

 

Can someone please tell me how to break stock pigeons to your loft. I want to let them out as I think being cooped up in a loft is not nice. But i am scared I lose them.

 

Regards

 

David

 

I agree with you, I don't keep prisoners, and I'm scared I lose new pigeons trying to break them. I set my own rule of not trying OBs before 21 days, because that is what it took me to settle my 1st pigeon from LPW which had never seen the sky, been outside, or seen wild birds before. I'd lost a few before her.

 

But here's an extract from an article 'training pigeons for war service' posted on the forum on how the 'professionals' did it. They couldn't afford to hang around for 21 days to settle and use the birds.   They did it in 6 days :-

 

When a new shipment of homing pigeons is received at a loft, it is necessary to confine them in the loft to acquaint them with their new surroundings. In addition, they should be allowed to spend their time in the aviary or cage where they can observe and familiarise themselves with the surrounding countryside. During confinement, spend a great deal of time taming the new birds. Allow them their own section and permit individual birds to select their own perch. See that they are not disturbed and talk to them constantly in order that they may soon feel at home. In general, youngsters strong enough to fly should be confined about three days. OBs may require confinement up to 6 days to settle.

 

 

At the end of this period, the traps should be opened and the pigeons allowed to go out [note – out the window] on their own initiative. The best time for this first liberation is late in the afternoon, before the pigeons have had their last feed of the day. Dark or overcast days are ideal. After 20 to 30 minutes of liberation, the pigeons are called by the can rattle and givwen their evening food. On this liberation, do not drive the pigeons out of the loft . If they are driven out they will fly wildly and, without knowledge of the country, may lose themselves and fail to return. The normal young pigeon, on being permitted to go through the window for the very first time of its own free will, will perch on the landing board or loft roof  and probably make a few short flights in the air, returning to the roof of the loft after each one, venturing farther and farther away in each succeeding flight.  

 

On the second day of liberation, the window is to be opened at about noon and the pigeons are allowed to go out of their own free will, to remain outside for perhaps 30 minutes; then they are called in by the can rattle and given a very slight amount of food. Give them another flight of 30 minutes, terminating just before the evening feeding time.

 

On the third day, open the window before the pigeons are fed in the morning and allow them to go out of their own free will and fly around the loft for perhaps 30 minutes; after which call them in by the can rattle and give them the regular amount of food. About 4pm or 5pm, depending upon weather conditions, allow them another flight.

 

Never feed a pigeon anywhere except inside the loft. Never allow a pigeon to alight upon the ground, a tree or building; only the landing board or loft roof. After pigeons have been thoroughly settled and trained to a loft, do not allow them to remain an indefinite time on the roof of the loft; always call them in by the can rattle and give them a few grains of food.

 

[Geraint Parry]

A little off topic but regards breaking race birds -

 

When I finished racing last year, after selling a few of them (never kept stock birds) there were 16 left all raced. So my granddad took them off me. He lives 20 miles in front of me. He kept them in from Sept last year, after rearing a round of youngsters this year, about mid Feb he opened the dors one day and let them all out with his. 3 came back to my loft. i returned these to him and 2 came back again, on this occasion i scared them off and they went straight back to him. Upto last Friday he had 16 out of 16 after some hard training. This last Sat he sent 10 of them to thier first race for him. The line of flight and the clubs that send in his fed are close to me. 2 returned here to me. after 20 mins these then took off and went back to his. He has had 9 out of the 10 upto this evening. 4 of them were back at his loft within 5 mins of his 1st arival. They must be really happy at his place as these birds had won for me (some are 3 year olds), and to still have this many after so much training and now a race is good going in my books.

[DOVEScot]

 

that looks great altogether but looks as if theres a BIG hole in the roof  ;D > ;D > ;D > ;D > ;D

p.s. couldnt resist  ;D

 

Ventilation is the key factor ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D never took another pick since I finninsed it

[DOVEScot]

 

that looks great altogether but looks as if theres a BIG hole in the roof  ;D > ;D > ;D > ;D > ;D

p.s. couldnt resist  ;D

 

Decided it was over ventilated  ;D ;D ;D

 

 

[pjc]

When I was living in east London I moved about 2 miles, line of flight.

I moved the birds and loft on the Friday afternoon, let them out on the Monday and took 3rd midweek race on the Wednesday having to fly over the old loft location.

I only had to fetch 1 bird back from the old house, well attempted to fetch back! As there was no loft there I had to attempt to catch it on the lawn, called it down and grabbed for it ending up with a handfull of tail feathers. The bird took off so I went back home and found the bird sat waiting to be let in!

[DUBLINFLYER]

 

Ventilation is the key factor ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D never took another pick since I finninsed it

 

an ye done a fantastic job there mate.......

 

woz just takin the mickey

 

really nice loft i'd love meself

[hicky]

if from some one local get them sitting and you shauld break them in no probs only stupid pigeons keep going back

[DOVEScot]

 

an ye done a fantastic job there mate.......

 

woz just takin the mickey

 

really nice loft i'd love meself

 

No offence taken, I appreciate your sence of humour ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

 

Thanks for your kind comments