# Disaster with our first flight



## P.S. I Dove You (Aug 31, 2010)

*Disaster with our first flight**Update good news*

*I let my first loft of white homers out late yesterday. Only 6 actually made the flight. The other 13 stayed in the loft. Some came out, looked around and went back in. 
After they finally took flight, the group of 6 flew away and were gone for more then an hour. I locked the bobs so no more could get out but the flyers could get back in, worried I had made a mistake. Finally they returned and landed on the roof of the house. They flew around a while longer and vanished again, just before dark. I had to close up the loft for the night without my full flock of 19. It is still dark yet this AM and I will open the loft again when it is light. I believe the birds are around somewhere, but am worried they will not figure out how to land on the landing and go back in for food. 
These birds are about 4 months old and have been in this loft for a month. Any ideas?*


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## Matt Bell (May 5, 2010)

If they are 4 months old and this is their first time out, they are way too strong on the wing. They need to be out of the loft by at least 6 weeks of age, some start at 4 weeks.


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## P.S. I Dove You (Aug 31, 2010)

So what your saying is, my birds will not be back?


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

so what he is saying is yes it is possible your birds may not be back.... you should of done your homework before this, Have you not done any reading on training and settling homers? yes they are strong on the wing..what was the reason for waiting to let them out?. they could be back.... you never know... so you should keep the bobs ready when your there to watch the loft, just in case they come back to eat.... Im assuming you trap trained them.


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## P.S. I Dove You (Aug 31, 2010)

Yes, they are trap trained.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

seems as you did not listen in other threads... why not.? now you know why we told you before that birds are let out for the first time at about 8 weeks of age some do earlier... example: http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showpost.php?p=501983&postcount=2


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## P.S. I Dove You (Aug 31, 2010)

Yes, but I could not let any out at that age. We had to build the lofts (Takes time and money) and I only had 6 squeekers that I hand fed for about a week or so when I first bought this flock. I am not sure how old the "young birds" were when I bought the flock and I had to guess to seperate the old from the young. I was told they were young, so I assumed they were young enough to trian. But it took a few weeks to get the lofts up and ready for birds.
So I am screwed and I get that.
Thanks


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

P.S. I Dove You said:


> Yes, but I could not let any out at that age. We had to build the lofts (Takes time and money) and I only had 6 squeekers that I hand fed for about a week or so when I first bought this flock. I am not sure how old the "young birds" were when I bought the flock and I had to guess to seperate the old from the young. I was told they were young, so I assumed they were young enough to trian. But it took a few weeks to get the lofts up and ready for birds.
> So I am screwed and I get that.
> Thanks


well if you had put the horse infront of the cart you would not be... you really need to do some reading and get information you can use to make this work for you... keep your eyes out there is a chance they will come back...


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## P.S. I Dove You (Aug 31, 2010)

4 out of 6 are on the roof of the house right now! Yeah!! Now if I can only get them back in the loft.


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## sky tx (Mar 1, 2005)

Yep---another new/young flyer thought they knew more/better idea's than us older flyers.
WELL--just let them learn the hard way like we did.
They listen to these Feather Merchant's.
He should have started the birds with 35-45 day olds or waited until the loft was ready.
Just my opinion..
My pigeons can pull a Fright train---couple them up.


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## Guest (Sep 23, 2010)

P.S. I Dove You said:


> 4 out of 6 are on the roof of the house right now! Yeah!! Now if I can only get them back in the loft.


 I say as long as no hawks bother your birds they should all make it back inside the loft over the next day or so..the 4 on the roof will get hungry and find their waydown and in ina matter of time ..shake your food can or do your whistle that should help encourage them faster


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## P.S. I Dove You (Aug 31, 2010)

LokotaLoft said:


> I say as long as no hawks bother your birds they should all make it back inside the loft over the next day or so..the 4 on the roof will get hungry and find their waydown and in ina matter of time ..shake your food can or do your whistle that should help encourage them faster


That is what I did. Thank you.
There are now 5 of them back, and are resting on the next door loft, not ready to go back to their house yet.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

P.S. I Dove You said:


> That is what I did. Thank you.
> There are now 5 of them back, and are resting on the next door loft, not ready to go back to their house yet.


good birdies!... your disaster has turned in to a whew! (wipe brow)..lol..



ask ,ask and ask more questions, BEFORE you do something you may feel unsure about.. it may help you in the long run.


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## Guest (Sep 23, 2010)

spirit wings said:


> good birdies!... your disaster has turned in to a whew! (wipe brow)..lol..
> 
> 
> 
> ask ,ask and ask more questions, BEFORE you do something you may feel unsure about.. it may help you in the long run.


 your not giving her/his birds enuf credit there, homers are pretty smart to say the least , look at goldenboys babys that he sold that were never out of the loft an came all the way back home and trapped in without any help.. I have rarely lost any young birds that were to strong on the wing unless ther was a hawk envolved that is


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## P.S. I Dove You (Aug 31, 2010)

I joined this forum to learn. I am fully aware that I do not know more than anyone else, but I have what I have and have to work with that. I will make mistakes. I just hope I can get help more often then ridicule.


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## Guest (Sep 23, 2010)

P.S. I Dove You said:


> I joined this forum to learn. I am fully aware that I do not know more than anyone else, but I have what I have and have to work with that. I will make mistakes. I just hope I can get help more often then ridicule.


dont worry your doing good there ,letting birds out for the first time is always a nail bitter no matter how prepared you are ,young or old, its always out of your hands when they make their first venture beyond the loft .


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

LokotaLoft said:


> your not giving her/his birds enuf credit there, homers are pretty smart to say the least , look at goldenboys babys that he sold that were never out of the loft an came all the way back home and trapped in without any help.. I have rarely lost any young birds that were to strong on the wing unless ther was a hawk envolved that is


It would remiss to not tell someone the possiblity of losing birds.. it happens, if not, then there would not be a sentence like "stong on the wing" it is just not an absolute like many things about pigeons..

the word disaster was not chosen by me.... I was just making light of the "disaster" as there is good news to hear.. and I said "good birdies" so how is that not giving credit.. quoting my posts has nothing to do with this thread, so just leave mine out of your thoughts please.


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## sreeshs (Aug 16, 2009)

So have they trapped in yet ?


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## atvracinjason (Mar 4, 2010)

When I was picking up my first group of squeekers I asked the flyer what are some of the beginner pitfalls I should avoid...with a big smile on his face he told me "It doesn't matter what I say you'll make them anyways, call me when you get yourself in trouble".......so I call him frequently


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

LokotaLoft said:


> this post by you pretty much sums it all up to me about how helpful you were trying be ,making comments like that after the fact is pretty much just ridicule that nobody needs here and I will use what you say to make my point when I see the need for it too .


because this member has been told what to expect already.. in other threads.. why don't you do some reading..before you judge my responses... Im done commenting here because of you.


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## Guest (Sep 23, 2010)

spirit wings said:


> It would remiss to not tell someone the possiblity of losing birds.. it happens, if not, then there would not be a sentence like "stong on the wing" it is just not an absolute like many things about pigeons..
> 
> the word disaster was not chosen by me.... I was just making light of the "disaster" as there is good news to hear.. and I said "good birdies" so how is that not giving credit.. quoting my posts has nothing to do with this thread, so just leave mine out of your thoughts please.


maybe next time just add a little more kindness to your posts , they felt bad enuf thinking they lost their birds


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

LokotaLoft said:


> maybe next time just add a little more kindness to your posts , they felt bad enuf thinking they lost their birds


what are you the Pigeon talk police?... I will comment how I see fit... I could of had a sweet smile on my face while I was typing my posts... how do you know what my tone is in text... I said twice to look out for the birds!!!! I thought that was pretty postive..


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## Guest (Sep 23, 2010)

spirit wings said:


> what are you the Pigeon talk police?... I will comment how I see fit... I could of had a sweet smile on my face while I was typing my posts... how do you know what my tone is in text... I said twice to look out for the birds!!!! I thought that was pretty postive..


yup thats me the PTP


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## P.S. I Dove You (Aug 31, 2010)

sreeshs said:


> So have they trapped in yet ?


No. They are busily eating grass in the pouring rain. They are eating near the loft though.


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## P.S. I Dove You (Aug 31, 2010)

spirit wings said:


> because this member has been told what to expect already.. in other threads.. why don't you do some reading..before you judge my responses... Im done commenting here because of you.


Actually, you could have told me 15 times what to expect, and I would not have expected this. Call me stupid, I have to experience it to learn it I guess.


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## sreeshs (Aug 16, 2009)

P.S. I Dove You said:


> No. They are busily eating grass in the pouring rain. They are eating near the loft though.


Keep an eye and continue your trap call. Do not give them feed or water outside or they will continue roaming. 

Were they hungry when you let them out ? If they are hungry they should have trapped.


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## sky tx (Mar 1, 2005)

maybe put some grain on the landing board.


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## Guest (Sep 23, 2010)

P.S. I Dove You said:


> Actually, you could have told me 15 times what to expect, and I would not have expected this. Call me stupid, I have to experience it to learn it I guess.


 the first time out the birds are never predictable , the fact that they are around the loft shows they know where they need to be .. even if it takes them all day to go back in Im sure when it gets darker if they havent gone in yet they will then ,the darkness motivates them back to their perches


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## P.S. I Dove You (Aug 31, 2010)

I put some grain on the landing in a very small cup. When I let them out they were out of food in the loft. I feed at 5:00 pm and it was 4:00pm yesterday when I let them out. I fed at 5:30 last night to try and get the 6 flyers back in, but they didn't go back in. I put a little bit of feed on the small landing just inside the bobs, so if they want more, they have to go through the bobs and will be back in the loft. But the other 13 that are still in the loft may have eaten it all by now. I fed them this AM so they would leave the feed where the bobs were alone, maybe. 
As I am typing here, there are 3 of them on the landing!! Maybe they will go in with in the next few minutes. ( ;


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## garacari (Apr 26, 2010)

Hang in there. Believe it or not, you are learning LOTS right now. There are just some things that can't be learned from books or forums. My first flight was a mess - birds scattered everywhere. Only a few months later and we (me and the birds) are a well oiled machine.


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## jeff houghton (Jul 17, 2010)

Your birds look nice by the way.And hey everybody on this site has made probably the same mistake as you by the way.You will know for next time.Good luck getting your birds in.


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## JaxRacingLofts (Apr 11, 2010)

A trick people use to slow down this roaming with ybs that are strong on the wing is to soap their wings. 
I would get a five gallon bucket and a bottle of dawn dish washing liquid and make some soapy water.
Dip each bird and then let them dry off and sun bathe on your landing board with the screen open. 
This should help prevent the birds that roamed from teaching the other birds that stayed how to stay out over night. 
You might loose some birds it happens but the ones that come back and stay you know you can trust. 
These are just my thoughts on this. Good Luck.


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## mur933 (Jun 20, 2010)

I hope you will those birds trapped sometime soon. 
But remember when you let them out again tomorrow they will straight fly away even longer and get lost. This what happened to me many times in past 
Here is my exp to tell you about older young birds. If you track my posts on this thread you would get an idea how bad I was goin thru 2 months ago. I lost so many birds also every time I let them out 1st time they would just fly away and get lost. 
So I got some advices from the forum to soap the birds long flights before letting them out so that they feel weight on their wings and they won’t fly away. I did it. But I woudnt soak white birds wings with a soapy water they would look ugly. but I liked another idea to put rubber bands around the big flights on their wings instead of soaking and then let them out real hungry watch for hawks and other animals 
The birds will not be able to fly but stay around at the loft and learn the area around. 
Feed them out side a little bit on the lending board. Do this a couple of days and then take off the rubber bands and let them out just 15 to 30 min before dusk also skip their feed the day before you let them out without rubber bands on their flights. This is how they will learn the area around and when fly they will not get lost.
That is how I finally trained 8 older YB like 6month of ages , they have been flying really good these days.


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## P.S. I Dove You (Aug 31, 2010)

Thanks soooo much!!!! I will definatly try the rubberbands and soapy water. I am starting to feel better about this. Thaks everybody.


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## P.S. I Dove You (Aug 31, 2010)

Well, 3 have found their way in the loft. YEAH!! 2 are still out and 1 is still MIA. Thats the news. Thanks everyone.


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## maniac (Sep 27, 2009)

Just remember, there is no magic involved and it ain't rocket science. Advice should always be taken into account when you make choices. Being dumped on isn't useful but I doubt that it was mean spirited.


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## JaxRacingLofts (Apr 11, 2010)

The "mia" bird may have went back to its original loft. I would call the fancier you got the these ybs from and let them know your missing one.


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## P.S. I Dove You (Aug 31, 2010)

I already called and she said she woould keep an eye out for it.


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## mur933 (Jun 20, 2010)

CHECK OUT THIE VIDEO
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPReyZgHzWY


P.S. I Dove You said:


> I already called and she said she woould keep an eye out for it.


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## drifter (Oct 7, 2009)

Are you suppose to dunk the whole bird or just the wings? Is it possible for the bird to be too soapy and not be able to fly at all? Thanks for any advice anyone can pass on to me.


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## P.S. I Dove You (Aug 31, 2010)

mur933 said:


> CHECK OUT THIE VIDEO
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPReyZgHzWY


THAT WAS GREAT!!! Thanks sooo much!!


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## JaxRacingLofts (Apr 11, 2010)

grifter said:


> Are you suppose to dunk the whole bird or just the wings? Is it possible for the bird to be too soapy and not be able to fly at all? Thanks for any advice anyone can pass on to me.


I would dunk the whole bird up to its neck..(you could add some permethrin-10 to kill external lice and mites) Gently hold its wings open across its back and give a good dip. 
You could also just get a spray bottle and spray the top of the wings, underside of the wings and the tail feathers. A quick dip seems easier. Either way make sure *NO WATER* gets near the birds eyes or nose.


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## mur933 (Jun 20, 2010)

watch the video on you tube i reffer on my previous post...It is very good to learn how to soap YB. Typically you just sock the wings, not the whole bird
No as soon as they dry it out they can fly ,,so it is just to get control on older YB flying away when they still need to see around the loft...every time you let them out you gotta soak them again. 


grifter said:


> Are you suppose to dunk the whole bird or just the wings? Is it possible for the bird to be too soapy and not be able to fly at all? Thanks for any advice anyone can pass on to me.


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## JaxRacingLofts (Apr 11, 2010)

mur933 said:


> CHECK OUT THIE VIDEO
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPReyZgHzWY



Yeah that video shows exactly what I was talking about. Thanx for sharing.


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

P.S.
You are doing fine! Some homers behave like that. Some just don't have navigational skills. I have resettled homers older than 4 months old. Obviously these birds were unflown at the breeders loft. Soaping is one good idea. At my place that would be a death sentence because I have resident hawks. What I do is to put the birds at some settling cage and put it outside the loft so that they can see their loft. I also put the cage at loft roof and finally at my house's roof. I leave them there for 1 hour each for the next several days. Obviously the best way to resettle birds is to have them train starting at 4 weeks old. Basically they really can't fly yet so they wont leave. As people mentioned older birds are very risky to resettle especially mated ones! Those birds had tendency to go back home! Can't blame them! They aren't called homers for nothing. Those birds that came back are semi-resettled. Resettling birds are very stressful. Believe me!


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## benjajudy01 (Feb 18, 2007)

P.S. I Dove You said:


> I joined this forum to learn. I am fully aware that I do not know more than anyone else, but I have what I have and have to work with that. I will make mistakes. I just hope I can get help more often then ridicule.


Some people like myself learn from their mistakes. Can't we just tell someone what their mistake was without being rude. This forum is for fellowship, knowledge, questions and enjoyment and not to be putting people down trying to learn. Gosh, I remember all the stupid, dumb questions I asked years ago and still asking. Please be nice and always give a helping hand and answer, we ALL have to learn.


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## The_Dirteeone (Apr 18, 2010)

Sorry you got blessed out here,but there is plenty of good advice on this forums.Live and learn,you will get more birds,dont worry if you did loose some,you can loose them to hawks or other things.I lost my first 4 eggs to a snake,then realized I had a 1 inch gap under my door,ooooooppppss!!!Good luck and good learning.


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## jeff houghton (Jul 17, 2010)

benjajudy01 said:


> Some people like myself learn from their mistakes. Can't we just tell someone what their mistake was without being rude. This forum is for fellowship, knowledge, questions and enjoyment and not to be putting people down trying to learn. Gosh, I remember all the stupid, dumb questions I asked years ago and still asking. Please be nice and always give a helping hand and answer, we ALL have to learn.


Very well put.


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## Guest (Sep 25, 2010)

I always love the tack and kindness that so many here have shown others with their warm responces in making a disaster not seem like such a disaster for the ones who feel they are in peral ... keep the warmth going , we are all here to learn and pass on wat we know to make things better for everyone else in need when ever they are in need ..we are not here to point fingers and pour salt on open wounds  did number 6 ever show up ? hope it does and that your birds are all in and doing fine


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## P.S. I Dove You (Aug 31, 2010)

I intend to lear from my mistakes. I know I will make them. I am finding homers are more stressful then the old barn pigeons I use to own. 

benjajady01, the loft in your avatar looks like my lofts. Cool!!


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## chayi (May 1, 2010)

I bet that all your bird will trap in if they are hanging around your house and trees give them a few days with hunger and you will see the best site i love watching is there butt as they trap in the loft


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## P.S. I Dove You (Aug 31, 2010)

I got all but 1 back in the loft yesterday, thanks. I am planning on letting them out again tomorrow. No feed tonight. None until late afternoon tomorrow when it is time for them to come home. 
The 1 that is still out is missing. Don't know what happened to ol' number 6. I feel bad about him, but I know it is gonna happen once in a while.


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## jpsnapdy (Apr 4, 2010)

P.S. I Dove You said:


> I got all but 1 back in the loft yesterday, thanks. I am planning on letting them out again tomorrow. No feed tonight. None until late afternoon tomorrow when it is time for them to come home.
> The 1 that is still out is missing. Don't know what happened to ol' number 6. I feel bad about him, but I know it is gonna happen once in a while.


Yes, it will. "It's all in the game", my mentor used to say. You may take some time to get used to it, I never have got used to losing a well bred pigeon, so I'm extra extra careful.


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