# homing adult pigeons in new loft



## outdoorcb (Jun 2, 2012)

i'm getting back into this after being gone for about 30, years but i have a question i have never ran into. can you home an adult pigeon to a new loft that has never been out of any previous lofts. it has never been homed before...ie out of a loft and trained to home to the original loft. it's only been in a loft/fly pen but never out.


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## Josepe (Jan 10, 2011)

Chances are SLIM,but if you let him breed with a hen and have around of babies you may be successful.It worked for me a few years ago.Though you'd still have to trap train him probably just like a young bird.


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## Matt Bell (May 5, 2010)

I agree slim chances. Just because he has never been allowed to fly free doesn't mean he isn't 'homed' to that other loft. If he was out in a fly pen outside then he has oriented himself to those surroundings and would no doubt consider that his home.


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## Pijlover (May 5, 2010)

I had a few rollers that were brought when adult, i simply paired them and they are still flying here and never left, you need to keep them inside for some time, let them feel as their home and produce interest in returning back if you want to fly them but if you fly them staright chances are SLIM. 

Cant say much about the homers, may be the same rule applies


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Being homers, they are more apt to return to their original loft. As Matt has mentioned, if he was out in a fly pen then he has already oriented himself to the other loft. Good luck with him.


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

outdoorcb said:


> i'm getting back into this after being gone for about 30, years but i have a question i have never ran into. * can you home an adult pigeon to a new loft that has never been out of any previous lofts.* it has never been homed before...ie out of a loft and trained to home to the original loft. it's only been in a loft/fly pen but never out.


The correct answer is yes you can. I also suspect you will be successful less then 50% of the time. As I have heard of cases where a bird returned 10 years after being a prisoner and raising young all that time. Personally, I would be more inclined to like the bird if it attempted to return home. As being in a fly pen is all that is required for a bird to imprint to "home". If you release the bird it could simply fly into the side of a building or make it some distance from home and that's about it. You risk the life of the bird as he may not have ability to fly to original loft due to having never flown before.


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## Josepe (Jan 10, 2011)

In 2005 I bought 3 of the top ten birds from the All Grizzle Race In Ok at auction.They were trained and flown to Bob Roberson's loft .Flown and raced out to 300 mi.When I got the birds I put them in my breeders loft and after a couple of months they bred and had a round of babies.A couple of months later a Super High wind came through my area and blew the roof off my loft.
When I went out to see the damage the birds were Gone.I figured they were gone forever now.Went out the next morning and there they were,all sitting on their perches. Talk about Happy.And I actually started loft flying the birds after that.So birds can be Rehomed.


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## NZ Pigeon (Nov 12, 2011)

I have locked up racers for 3 months, Bred from them and they have stayed, I have had birds return here after 3 years and I have also let birds out after 2 years which have gone back, Seen their old loft was gone, Stayed there for about 5 days then came back to mine. Aswell as some that were never seen again

There are no hard and fast rules. It's a risk for both you and the bird. A risk not worth taking IMO


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

I suppose a good homing pigeon would fly back home.


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## NZ Pigeon (Nov 12, 2011)

I know a breeder that had a stray come into their loft, It was a champion bird and has bred them multiple champions. I do not think where a bird chooses to live is a hard and fast measure of its homing ability when released from a far. Maybe the fact it chose this as home will make it more willing to get back there. All birds are different.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

NZ Pigeon said:


> I know a breeder that had a stray come into their loft, It was a champion bird and has bred them multiple champions. I do not think where a bird chooses to live is a hard and fast measure of its homing ability when released from a far. Maybe the fact it chose this as home will make it more willing to get back there. All birds are different.


as long as he was good for a breeder that is a nice thing.. he won't win races though if he is so easily sidetracked into anothers loft.


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## NZ Pigeon (Nov 12, 2011)

You might want to re-read, It was a champion bird and has bred multiple champions. So it did win a race, Once again, Just because a bird did something once does not mean it is not a good racer, Birds are all different and there are no hard and fast rules

This bird chose this loft and when released from miles away was so keen to get back to the loft it chose that it won. Its not the norm but I am just pointing out that we cannot make general comments such as 

"I suppose a good homing pigeon would fly back home."

To this pigeon, Home was where it chose home to be, We cannot know why it chose the loft but it did, It certainly does not make it a bird that "cannot win races" as it did win races.

I am not trying to argue here just reminding people that these birds have a mind of their own and will sometimes do things outside the norm, The only way to judge a birds ability to race is put it in a race. Not judge it on its previous movements and decisions.

"


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## PigeonVilla (Dec 8, 2010)

NZ Pigeon said:


> You might want to re-read, It was a champion bird and has bred multiple champions. So it did win a race, Once again, Just because a bird did something once does not mean it is not a good racer, Birds are all different and there are no hard and fast rules
> 
> This bird chose this loft and when released from miles away was so keen to get back to the loft it chose that it won. Its not the norm but I am just pointing out that we cannot make general comments such as
> 
> ...


Its very true some lost birds become the founding birds of other peoples lofts with champion results , one mans trash becomes another lofts treasure


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## NZ Pigeon (Nov 12, 2011)

Yes, This bird even raced to the loft and won, It came in as a young bird on its first fly ever, so many factors aside from its racing ability were at play and any 1 of them or even a combination of those factors lead to it getting lost and finding a new home.


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## Granny Smith (Jul 16, 2011)

NZ Pigeon said:


> I know a breeder that had a stray come into their loft, It was a champion bird and has bred them multiple champions. I do not think where a bird chooses to live is a hard and fast measure of its homing ability when released from a far. Maybe the fact it chose this as home will make it more willing to get back there. All birds are different.


I hope that anyone that gets a stray banded bird makes every attempt to return the bird to its owner.


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## NZ Pigeon (Nov 12, 2011)

Well ofcourse, Most owners don't want the bird back. This ones original owner is now regretful of his decision but takes it in good fun.

I am not sure where my post implied it was ok to keep someones banded bird.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

If it came in as a young bird that sounds like what happens allot. big deal..he just happend to get a good stray young bird. I assumed the bird was already a Champion when he duct out of his own loft and went to another one... Champion birds usually don't do that..lol.. anyway for the thread starter..If you are getting back into pigeons, start with young birds and save your time and money and some worry.


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## NZ Pigeon (Nov 12, 2011)

Also for the thread starter - If you do happen to let your bird out and it stays it does not mean it is not a good homing pigeon, It was never trained to its original loft so by all means if it does go back you could say it has a good if not great homing instinct, this still does not make it a good racing pigeon, It may lack the stamina or speed to actually race.

As I said earlier, My opinion is, keep it in to risk you being dissapointed or the bird meeting a not so nice end but if you do let it out and it stays, good for you, It may infact be a great bird, Noone can really know on here, We can just guess.


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## Shelby Hood (Nov 1, 2012)

I would also have to say it depends on how far away you are from thier previous home..... and how far thier breed can (home) in my opinion....


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