# Homers and non-homing breeds together - do they come back?



## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

I was wondering today at the shower -haha- what would happen if you have homers with any other breed with little or no homing instinct in the same "flock"; how far does the flock instinct go?
Do they come back too since they're in the same flock? Is there any needed percentage of homers you need to include? Who does this (if they do come back), and how many birds have you lost?


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## Flying Jay (Jul 6, 2009)

my brother had a feral that we homed from down the street with another homer and it always came back.... we did not try to go that far away from the loft with him though.


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

They were paired? How much homing instinct do ferals have?


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## Guest (Dec 23, 2009)

Im just curious why you would do that ?


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

homers are bred for a certain reason, to be taken from the loft and to fly home, so if you add another breed to the flock, either the non homers will confuse the homers or the homers may be bogged down from the non homers and not fly like they were meant too. some use other breeds as droppers, which they stick around the loft so when the homers come in they may be quicker to land and trap. I would say some may follow the homers home, but to release a non homer from their loft is cruel..they may get lost and not find home, but they could follow the homers, but the risk of doing it is inhumane IMO


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

Aaahh, yeah. I was forgetting the other possibility.
Droppers are flightless (or unwilling to fly) or do they stay in the loft?



LokotaLoft said:


> Im just curious why you would do that ?


Dunno. To let them fly a bit? I was just wondering, I didn't want to do it XD. I don't even have homers.



I guess you're misunderstanding me a bit. Not release them like, take them miles away and release them, but like releasing them next to the loft.


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## Guest (Dec 23, 2009)

Pawbla said:


> Aaahh, yeah. I was forgetting the other possibility.
> Droppers are flightless (or unwilling to fly) or do they stay in the loft?
> 
> 
> ...


dropers are bird that stay close to the loft when let out and fly very little... my point was why cross breeds when there are so many that will fly around the loft just the way they are .. all pigeons have some homing ability so any breed could be possibly let out around their loft no need to cross any to find out what they can do after crossed was my point .. plus the less flying ability they have the more likely they will be killed off by birds of prey .


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

They are so intelligent! I thought they wouldn't do so.

Thanks you two


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