# my Pigeons won't return to my loft



## Badger999 (Oct 4, 2009)

Hi,

I need some help and advice. i am a new fancier and have a mix of racing as well as high flyers. Some young some old I regularly fly them about 3-5 miles away from the loft and they all promptly return however recently they have started sitting on my house roof top. when it gets dark they fly towards the loft and then suddenly mid air they decide they don't want to go in and go back to my house roof (very annoying) some of them do come in and roost without any problems. i have to then get up on the roof in the dark and try to retrieve them. i have tried different methods like feeding them an ounce a day and releasing them hungry however it seems like they are too frightened to return and this habit has gone into some young birds too.

The loft is comfortable free from predators and with plenty of space to roost and that's where some were even born. i don't understand what the problem is and would seek some advice from you experts out there 

regards


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## brandonf (Jul 26, 2009)

hmm, you said you feed less. i would think that would help a little bit.

another thing that you might try is taking them a little bit further so they get a little bit more tired from flyin.
kinda like people, if you run 2 miles forever eventually its nothing to run 2 miles. you might try stepping it up a notch and start taking them 8-10 miles


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## Badger999 (Oct 4, 2009)

Hi,

thanks for replying as you suggested I am in the process of training at the moment but all my training is hindered when the birds don't come back to rrost and hang around on my roof. They fly towards the loft but then mid air suddenly turn away and go back to the roof to. It is really frustrating cause i can't find the cause of what's bothering them.

i am planning to keep them hungry for a bit longer. How long can pigeons remain hungry for?


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## brandonf (Jul 26, 2009)

they will get hungry enough and head in the loft. if most of the ones that are staying out are young birds, then i wouldnt be worried to much. young birds will do that. is there somethign around the loft this is hindering them from landing?

trees? fence? top of the loft?


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## Badger999 (Oct 4, 2009)

There is nothing that i can think of. However if there was then some of them would not return. i am so confused!


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

It sounds like they might be confused too, or frightened and unsure. 

Are the older birds teaching them bad habits?

Have you made any changes to the loft,recently?

Did you trap train them and train to the whistle?


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## Guest (Oct 4, 2009)

sounds like something is scaring them to me .. do you have a trap for these birds or can they come and go at will ? the only thing you really can do is make them hungry enuf to come in, so no feeding them unless they enter the loft and if they dont come in on time dont feed them til the next time you feed your birds .


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## BACALA (Sep 13, 2009)

just wondering...do you have a light in the loft...?..if you leave it on all night..birds get disoriented....the stay up where"s dark..


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## Badger999 (Oct 4, 2009)

Trees Gray said:


> It sounds like they might be confused too, or frightened and unsure.
> 
> Are the older birds teaching them bad habits?
> 
> ...


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## Badger999 (Oct 4, 2009)

BACALA said:


> just wondering...do you have a light in the loft...?..if you leave it on all night..birds get disoriented....the stay up where"s dark..


No there is no light in the loft however there is a light in my garden which is movement sensitive and only comes on when its dark but how has that got to do anything with the pigeons changing their mind mid air trying to fly towards the loft?


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## ezemaxima (Jan 12, 2008)

Don't feed the one's that decide to stay outside. Leave them alone if they are not in danger of being attacked by a predator during the day or night. They will eventually get hungry and return in the loft. When you do finally get all your birds back in... build a trap door and train them before releasing them again. Good luck


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## Badger999 (Oct 4, 2009)

Hi,

Thanks for the advice. miraculously today morning after staying out all night they have returned to eat. have locked them all up now. How do you make one of these trap doors is it something easy to make? or can you buy it? I am good at DIY

thanks


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

You can buy it at the pigeon supply houses. Training your birds by the whistle teaches them its MEAL time when they hear it and helps them to KNOW they are going to EAT when they come inside. The trap is an absolute necessity if you fly birds, once they learn to trap train and eat at the sound of a whistle, getting them back inside is a piece of cake.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

also, they could of got hit by a hawk when trapping at some point and you just did not see it, and now they are leary.


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## brandonf (Jul 26, 2009)

a trap door is a must if you want to make sure that all come back at the same time.


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## Badger999 (Oct 4, 2009)

Thanks for all the advice. I was looking at some traps and the Sputnik trap looks good all round any suggestions. I just don't understand though how they cannot fly back out through the Sputnik as there is no shutter or door?

i do shake the food tin when i call them and they tend to come but the issue was mid air they then decide they don't want to. It's really annoying. Also any of you know how to train them to return through the trap?

thanks


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## bloodlines_365 (Jan 15, 2008)

its about the controlling the tempo... food is the answer dont feed or water for about two days but locked them up so they wont go anywhere.....then wait and see whose the boossed.... i bet you this birds would fly and beg for food and water at your knees.. and then practice good handling skills when and how much to feed them... dont be a foe your smarter than this birds dont let them out smart you....

ohhh sputkik or drop trapped traps.... birds cant get out cause of a simple concept (you analized it) then till us why they cant get out....


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## conditionfreak (Jan 11, 2008)

Recently our club had a bird found in the trailer, that was supposed to have been let out the previous Saturday for a race. It did not exit and join the race on race liberation day. The liberator was supposed to check and make sure (by using a broom to sweep the trailer sections if necessary) but did not see this bird.

We discovered the bird the following Friday night when loading the birds up for the next race. That means that the bird was in the trailer with no food and no water from Saturday morning to the following Friday night. This was also during a hot week of August.

Amazingly, the bird felt healthy and not light, when I caught it to give it some water immediately (and a little later, some food). It belonged to another club member and he said it was doing fine, and he sent it to the following weeks race and it came home, but nowhere near a winner.

So, I know that they can make it for seven days without food and water, without showing signs of severe health problems.

Maybe this bird was lucky. I don't know. But it was a very hot week inside a metal trailer. There is never any food in there for any reason and the water had been spilled after the previous release Saturday.

I was amazed how good the bird felt. When catching it inside the trailer, I expected to pick up a very light and weak bird. That was not the case.


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## Badger999 (Oct 4, 2009)

Incredible story- does seem like they can go on forever.


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## Big T (Mar 25, 2008)

Feed is the tool to train. Trick is whisle, shake a can, ring a bell but make a consistant sound that means food is on the table come eat. Make this sound even if all the birds are in the loft. Feed all the birds in the loft for about ten minutes. Make sure each get to eat but remove any leftovers when done. The birds on the roof are out of luck. They will quickly learn if they do not come when you call they do not eat. Always remove leftovers, and never feed them before flying them. If you plan to fly them that day wait to feed them until after they fly. They will learn.

Tony

PS Do not feel sorry for them if they trap later and feed them otherwise you teach them nothing.


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## lordcornwallis (May 2, 2010)

i have 3 tumbler young birds who have been out since 5 last night ,today they are sitting on my house roof getting soaked by the rain i have tried putting old birds out to bring them down bit to no avail,i am very frustrated indeed by there antics after all the 3 they were out with came in ok


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## diwaj (Aug 7, 2008)

These birds will teach the young ones & others also to sit in the roof, so when they come into ur loft arrest them.
I had similar problem, with 1 bird, I tried all the ways I can, in end 5 birds where sitting there. So i stopped all these birds and now the team is good.


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## lordcornwallis (May 2, 2010)

thank you my friend


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## klondike goldie (Apr 20, 2009)

1st. always give your birds fresh clean water, never withold water. Use the feed to train them. Once the birds are all in, I would keep them locked up for a week. 1st. & 2nd. day call them however you call them, whistle, bell,shake can,word command...what ever then feed them 1/4 their normal daily ration. Days 3 and 4 call them then give them 1/2 normal daily ration, days 5 & 6 call them then feed them 3/4 of their normal daily ration. Day 7 back to normal ration. It would help if you had a trap and a setteling cage to put them in and then call them in. http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/album.php?albumid=1391&pictureid=21305


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## lordcornwallis (May 2, 2010)

thank you lc


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## talk2ravinderpal (13 d ago)

Have u ever find out what were they scared off? I have the same story it's been four days.. all of them sit on my roof.. even they slept whole night on roof they come down to the loft to eat in the morning... but suddenly while even eating they fly off .. seems like they scared of something but can't think of anything...even when I shake the food can they trying to land but in the middle they fly back to roof... I have some trees in my yard. Any suggestions would help. Thanks


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