YOUNG BIRDS COMING OUT THE LOFT

[ACE LOFTS]

put them on there iv got a window

[madmaxlofts]

mine go on the landing board as early as poss once there weened

[chickadee]

We don't race pigeons but our young birds go out in their own time, they watch the older birds and learn where they go and they just follow on.

[Guest]

My loft is Open Door, garden is at the top of a hill on a noisy road, lots of crows, gulls etc for the birds to get used to, so I have developed a way::

 

(1) youngbird end has a small glass roofed veranda, birds spend around 14 days in it, all day, to see, hear & get used to everything ..  

 

(2) Put in a basket and taken outside, basket sat for half an hour on a low wall in front of loft, OBs walking & flying around ..

 

(3) taken one at a time from basket given a minute or two to see front of loft, I wait to see 'stabbing, pointing movements' from bird's head & neck,  then bird is allowed to fly thro open door into aviary.

 

Next day after OBs come back from their fly, YBs are allowed to walk out the doors themselves - they know the way back in.

[chickadee]

We had an open door policy too, and the young birds just watched the older birds going out and coming in and they just followed on. That is untill we had a hawk attack yesterday and lost a few birds young and old so we have kept them in today, just letting them into the outside aviary and not into the garden as usual. :'( :'(

[Guest CS]

Put YBs in the avairy every day, when we open the door... don't force yb's out of lofts.. it takes time ybs to walk out of lofts.

[Guest Paulo]

I put the first few out on the platform before they can fly for 10-20 minutes each day until they are coming in and out themslevesonce you done this wqith the first few just an hope door policy as the others will follow the others in and out as pigeons are like a flock sort of bird

[THE FIFER]

let ur young birds see around their area as soon as possible. out on the loft etc.

[Ronnie]

Put mine on the loft for a few hours before they can fly properly.Then let them come out through the sputnicks and go in when they like.Only problem i have is a couple of young lads a few doors away each have birds and when they see mine go out they throw as many as possible out to try and get my squeakers in.Lost two to them allready but they cut the rings of and deny there mine.Still what go's around comes around and they have both joined our club this year so will be racing there own squeakers next year.

[Guest]

I think that it is probably a mistake putting youngsters outside before they can fly. Nowadays they really need 'that edge' to be able to get themselves out of trouble.

[Guest TAMMY_1]

I think that it is probably a mistake putting youngsters outside before they can fly. Nowadays they really need 'that edge' to be able to get themselves out of trouble.

 

there was an article printed somewhere last year and this is one of the points that was mentioned and if you are lifting them out to the landing board and say for instance a sparrowhawk went in to them  , what do they do if they cannot fly properly, also that if you left young birds in the loft as long as they wanted, they would come out when ready,they would have a better love of the loft and would still know where they lived and if the birds were left alone there would be less chance of flyaways, so this year the young birds will be left alone and over the last couple of days more and more are starting to come out and there is no problem with them going back in or attempting to fly away even though some are fairly old and there is no rush for me to force them out or make them fly

[speedbird]

i have mesh doors to let them have a look out then open doors they soon come out for a wonder never leave them alone in case of that dreaded hawk now never chase them out that is there home & safe haven as they soon learn this & want em to remember when come back from a race & trap straight in