# Training Squeakers??



## pigeonman25 (Jun 7, 2015)

Hi, I recently raised my first youngsters for the year. Right now they are about 5 weeks old. For the past 4 days, I have been putting them on the landing board to trap them in for feed. I just started putting them on the board while the other birds trap in from flying. I'm going to do this 2 more times. I plan on letting them out on saturday and I'm not going to feed them thursday and friday to ensure their hungry. On Friday, they'll only be 6 weeks old. Are they too young to be let outside? The cock is still feeding them even though they can eat and drink on their own. Just wondering at what age should I let them out. Thanks


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## rpalmer (Mar 10, 2011)

pigeonman25 said:


> Hi, I recently raised my first youngsters for the year. Right now they are about 5 weeks old. For the past 4 days, I have been putting them on the landing board to trap them in for feed. I just started putting them on the board while the other birds trap in from flying. I'm going to do this 2 more times. I plan on letting them out on saturday and I'm not going to feed them thursday and friday to ensure their hungry. On Friday, they'll only be 6 weeks old. Are they too young to be let outside? The cock is still feeding them even though they can eat and drink on their own. Just wondering at what age should I let them out. Thanks


Dude FEED YOUR PIGEONS!!! You go that long with out eating and see how you feel. Just keep outting them on the board and they will take off when they are ready. Or lose them.


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## pigeonman25 (Jun 7, 2015)

rpalmer said:


> Dude FEED YOUR PIGEONS!!! You go that long with out eating and see how you feel. Just keep outting them on the board and they will take off when they are ready. Or lose them.


I'm only not feeding them for that long when I FIRST let them out and that's it. I've had way too many loses because they weren't hungry and I couldn't call them in. Usually I only not feed them for one day, but I've noticed that two days works best. Pigeons can go a week without feed, I'm not harming them. They get fed real well once they come in, and from there, they get fed regularly. I was just wondering how old should they be when I let them out? They are 6 weeks old


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## pigeonflier (May 4, 2014)

Never to young, when they want out,, then let them out. I also say feed them,,, one day of no feed is plenty. If they even need that. As long as you are not over-feeding them to start with,, then they will be plenty hungry to start with. If your training race birds,, then your birds should be hungry enough to trap even after you give them their normal feed for the day.


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## Jr Brown (May 22, 2012)

I let mine out at about 30 days of age. If you wait too long they get too strong and can just take off and fly too far and get lost.
Do you use a signal when you feed such as a whistle or shaking feed in a can?


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## rpalmer (Mar 10, 2011)

Six weeks old is starting to be pretty old to be just starting your birds on the board. I start mine out at about 30 days. That is only putting them on the board with their settling cage and waiting for them to trap in and that is it for them for the day. After doing that for a week I remove the settling cage and they stay out as long as they want while I'm cleaning inside. They soon learn when it is that the food arrives and are allowed to trap when they want. Very little baby sitting is involved. They usually come in when the food arrives. And so it goes every day. Then one day they start flying.

It takes me an hour to clean the loft. The only losses I have this way are to BOP. 

I know this is more than you asked but I'm passing this on to you so that you can feed your birds and not lose them. All you are really doing is teaching your birds that they haven't any food where they should and when let out will seek out anything they can and there you go with lost birds.

I wish you the best of luck. Enjoy your birds.


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## pigeonman25 (Jun 7, 2015)

Jr Brown said:


> I let mine out at about 30 days of age. If you wait too long they get too strong and can just take off and fly too far and get lost.
> Do you use a signal when you feed such as a whistle or shaking feed in a can?


I use a can with some gravel in it to call them in or at feeding time


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## pigeonman25 (Jun 7, 2015)

rpalmer said:


> Six weeks old is starting to be pretty old to be just starting your birds on the board. I start mine out at about 30 days. That is only putting them on the board with their settling cage and waiting for them to trap in and that is it for them for the day. After doing that for a week I remove the settling cage and they stay out as long as they want while I'm cleaning inside. They soon learn when it is that the food arrives and are allowed to trap when they want. Very little baby sitting is involved. They usually come in when the food arrives. And so it goes every day. Then one day they start flying.
> 
> It takes me an hour to clean the loft. The only losses I have this way are to BOP.
> 
> ...


 Thanks. The only question that I have is that the reason why I didn't start them earlier is because the cock bird was still feeding them. No matter what, start them at 30 days. I'm new to pigeons, I've only been raising pigeons for 3 years and this is my first set of youngsters ever. Usually, people in the club give me birds. Thanks for the tips, I'll have to try it out next time


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