Caring for injured pigeon

December 6, 2006

Another reason to choose racers, is that there are a couple of good clubs in New Orleans and I am sure the members will only be too willing to help you get started. Once you are in a club you will find other members will take your birds training for you when you are out at work (Share Gas Money as our club does) Once you have got your feet wet with your first young bird season, you will be eligible to join the AU Help a Beginner Programme. Not only will you be paired with a Mentor who will work with you throught the Pigeon Year but you will have the opportunity to obtain excellent stock which is kindly donated to the programme free of charge only box and shipping is to be paid for.

Jim McArthur · December 7, 2006

But think about this one, if you just want some pigeons to have pigeons then just go catch some commons out from under some ole bridge or an old barn or deserted building. Raise em and then just enjoy them.

Would pigeons caught like this learn to accept their new home, and return to it, or would they likely fly away and not return if you did release them? :-/

Jim

Jim McArthur · December 7, 2006

Homers for sure if you can start with some babies. With rollers there's always that chance that you can lose them off the loft even after flying them for over a year. I've had a friend have his whole flying kit up and fly off due to a bad wind,etc. Homers once homed are near impossible to lose aside from the occasional hawk attack or wire incident. Homers are also a very sturdy breed and mainly the only reason there are is so much sickness you read about is due to racing and being exposed to birds on the trucks. If you're just having them home and have good clean feed/water/grit and a good loft I dare say you won't run into many health problems at all.

Good points, Tim.

Has anyone else heard about rollers just flying away and never returning?

Jim

Tim.Farr · December 7, 2006

It's mainly due to having very little homing instinct unlike the racers/homers. They sometimes don't have that driving bond with home and just return because they know they are going to get food/water.

birdman55678 · December 8, 2006

Jim. Yes common pigeons will also home, I tested 4 commons on my race team and all survived training out to 125 miles, after that they were lost. Rollers will get blown away and never return. Check out some of the birmingham roller clubs and they will tell ya. One good thing about rollers is you can make a portable flying loft and haul it around in the back of the truck and fly them where ever you want, also the rollers usually only sell for about $5 each, but remember that probably all they are worth.. LOL. I really do recommend the racers... Ed

Tim.Farr · December 8, 2006

Ed do you think the commons were following your racers home? Did you train them alone for any of the tosses? I trained a half tumbler/homer and he made it out to about 40 miles but I then stopped him and clipped his wings to be my dropper. I'm almost positive he was just following the flock home and not homing.

Jim McArthur · December 9, 2006

Ed do you think the commons were following your racers home? Did you train them alone for any of the tosses? I trained a half tumbler/homer and he made it out to about 40 miles but I then stopped him and clipped his wings to be my dropper. I'm almost positive he was just following the flock home and not homing.

That is a really good question, Tim.

Has anyone else on the list tried common pigeons, alone, to see if they would home?

Jim

Chatrace · December 9, 2006

There good up to about 35 to 40 miles,then it seems the fields draw them back to there old ways. and there is a better chance of bringing sickness into the loft with commies than good health stock.

Jim McArthur · December 9, 2006

There good up to about 35 to 40 miles,then it seems the fields draw them back to there old ways. and there is a better chance of bringing sickness into the loft with commies than good health stock.

I agree, it wouldn't be a good idea to start bringing ferals in with your bred racers.

Does anyone on the list, though, have experience with just starting with a captured commie or two, and using them as your racers / homers?

I'm not really planning on doing this - I figure that the ferals are entitled to live the life they're used to. I'm just curoius. ??)

Jim

February 5, 2007

Also Jim, awhile back I found this site with plans for a smaller type of loft. I liked the set up for a couple of pairs of birds.

http://www.uplandbirddog.com/training/loft.html

i like the loft, i know a kid who wonts a small loft like this im going to show him ur site.....