# How long should they fly



## GEMcC5150 (Oct 24, 2010)

We have been tosing our YB everyday and there up from 5 to 15 min and trap back into the loft. Today toss was 1.8 miles in a new direction and they were home and eating in under 15 min. I read some were that they need to be flying for an hour before you take them out 5 - 7 miles is that true? We keep incressing the distance but the time is still short. I would like to take them out longer distances but am conserned. This group in only 3 months old.
So should we keep doing it the way we are or is it time to take them out 5 miles?


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## sky tx (Mar 1, 2005)

Take them 5 miles--maybe 2-3 times and if they come home in good time--move them to 10 miles.
A 4 month old bird--with good training --is good for a 300 mile race.
Sounds like you are Babying your birds. Push them . See what you have. See what pairs are putting out the best birds.


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## blongboy (Nov 10, 2009)

sky tx said:


> Take them 5 miles--maybe 2-3 times and if they come home in good time--move them to 10 miles.
> A 4 month old bird--with good training --is good for a 300 mile race.
> Sounds like you are Babying your birds. Push them . See what you have. See what pairs are putting out the best birds.


i like how you said this ..


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

They should be able to do it. There is no hard rule.


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## GEMcC5150 (Oct 24, 2010)

sky tx said:


> Take them 5 miles--maybe 2-3 times and if they come home in good time--move them to 10 miles.
> A 4 month old bird--with good training --is good for a 300 mile race.
> Sounds like you are Babying your birds. Push them . See what you have. See what pairs are putting out the best birds.


Ok sky we go the 5 miles this week. I told my bride about you reply and she just said NO. I may think your right in we are babying them, and that ok we are not racing just flying for pleasure.


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## GEMcC5150 (Oct 24, 2010)

Ok today 2.5 miles and from release to trap 16.3 min. I think tomorrow we head out 4 miles in a dfferent direction.


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## sky tx (Mar 1, 2005)

O K Gem
Have fun-----
My wife was a very good handler--her best year was
6 club wins and 1 combine win.
She pushed them to the limit---the just SO-SO birds did not make it to the races----They were no longer around.


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## ND Cooper (Mar 4, 2008)

So....
Should this be Moved to ???? 
Anyone?

How about the RACING PIGEON Section??????

And I thought that I was Asleep at the controls..... 

Oh, That's Right, You Racing Pigeon Owners Make the Rules, Even after All this Time!!!

Please Put your Racing Pigeon questions, UNDER THE RACING PIGEON SECTION!

NO?

WHY NOT?


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## ND Cooper (Mar 4, 2008)

If I were to loft fly my Pet Pigeons, every day, I would allow them as much time as they needed, before they would be hungry enough to get fed.
Young, and old!
When they ALL come in, They ALL get Fed.


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## boneyrajan.k (Jul 15, 2010)

If u are not racing then you can think about my schedule......I am also not a racer,i just keep homers as part of my hobby and tosses them just for fun.
*My schedule is.....*
The trap door is kept open from 7.00 AM TO 6.00 PM.......Everyday throughout the year(365 days).The homers can come in and go out as they wish.......so basically they are like domesticated ferals,so they have more success against hawks,i have never lost one to hawks till now


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## PigeonVilla (Dec 8, 2010)

ND Cooper said:


> So....
> Should this be Moved to ????
> Anyone?
> 
> ...



Again ?? These are not racing birds just birds for outdoor enjoyment or white dove release why would he need to post it under Racing pigeons ??These are general questions anyone can answer that has or has had homing pigeons .
There is no need for you to make people feel like they are posting in the wrong forums , just give your advice or leave it alone .


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## GEMcC5150 (Oct 24, 2010)

Thanks All. But I kind of agree general questions kind of fit in this group. I don't race and I'm not in busness so I think I'm it the right place.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

the white do not have to be pushed hard like racing pigeons are.. your not entering any races with them.. with my whites..I let them loft fly for a few months to get in shape and start flying well as a flock and then took them down the road, only because they were not routing...so I made them route so to speak.. if you want to use the birds as release birds away from the loft..get a few to road train and use those..it is easy to take a few birds down the road instead of all of them..mark those with a colored snap on so you know the ones you are road training and can use for release.. if they are for pleasure.. then really loft flying is lovely to look at and that is all they really need to do..they stay safer that way too..


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## GEMcC5150 (Oct 24, 2010)

Right now we only have 5 YB that are flying and two that are trap training. All of them are now flying everyday. Today they will get out close to 4 miles. We are just having fun with them and will use them in Ministery outreaches this summer. I think the two younger will be flying soon and the group will be 7. We have 3 more in nest, we would like to get to a flying flock of about 20. The bird just arived from the us this Jan so I think we are do OK.


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## Jaysen (Jun 21, 2010)

Sounds like fun. 

Some things to consider: 
•*What kind of distance are they going to be flying?
• What kind of winds will they experience?
• What geographic diversity do they need to overcome?

For example: we are in for racing. 12 miles north of my house is a giant lake that has Canada on the other side. All races are to the south and west which means that cross winds are more likely than tail or direct head winds. Our birds will be CROSSING ridges, not flying along valleys. This means that I need to focus training from the south to west and plan tosses to provide for various wind conditions on the day of the toss. Because our racing is 150-600 mi I need to toss some longer distances.

While you are not racing, you should train your birds based on the same types of ideas. Give them training that will help them get home fast and safe. Experience now means survival later. And if you are going to be flying from "all over" make sure you train from all points of the compass.


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## GEMcC5150 (Oct 24, 2010)

Jaysen: Thank you for your thoughts. We have been going in a different direction each day so that they get the total lay of the land. I understand how so racers only train in the direction of the races but I hope that our birds will know how to get back from where ever they get tossed.


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## Jaysen (Jun 21, 2010)

Good start. Just remember to keep that up with the longer distances as well. 

And unless you are going super long on releases you probably don't need to go over 30mi.


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## g0ldenb0y55 (Dec 23, 2008)

If you are not racing your birds then babying them until you get to your desired distance in tossing is a great way to keep the chances of any losses minimal to none. IMO


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## GEMcC5150 (Oct 24, 2010)

g0ldenb0y55 said:


> If you are not racing your birds then babying them until you get to your desired distance in tossing is a great way to keep the chances of any losses minimal to none. IMO


That is what we were thinking but we still want to get the bird to a good 50 miles distance. I'm thinking that, not to make my bride unhappy we will just keep going with ever incressing tosses. The birds are just so much fun to fly we have lost one and that was painful. We are just soffies at heart.


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## sky tx (Mar 1, 2005)

And you always lose your FAVORITE


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

I think folks are just in too much of a hurry to get pleasure birds down the road..really there is no hurry, let them mature some and build some muscle and confidence..then take them down the road.. you can wait a year and still do it.. I think they should be loft flying for a few months before stressing the young birds just for fun.


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## GEMcC5150 (Oct 24, 2010)

Well yeaterday they went out 2.5 miles and all returned as a flock today they had a short flight. Tomorrow will be their first work day, we have two outreaches this weekend and they will open the outreach. Thank you Lord for letting us love your creation.


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## rpalmer (Mar 10, 2011)

spirit wings said:


> I think folks are just in too much of a hurry to get pleasure birds down the road..really there is no hurry, let them mature some and build some muscle and confidence..then take them down the road.. you can wait a year and still do it.. I think they should be loft flying for a few months before stressing the young birds just for fun.


You and I are on the same page about this. I think that any and every time you force a bird to do something it will naturally do in time, you induce stress. And we all know stress often leads to some medical condition.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

rpalmer said:


> You and I are on the same page about this. I think that any and every time you force a bird to do something it will naturally do in time you induce stress. And we all know stress often leads to some medical condition.


but said all for not..lol.. people just want to do what THEY want..


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## rpalmer (Mar 10, 2011)

spirit wings said:


> but said all for not..lol.. people just want to do what THEY want..


Yes. Some folks want good information and advise that they will follow, and in time pass along. Others want someone or anyone just to verify what they already want to do.


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## GEMcC5150 (Oct 24, 2010)

rpalmer said:


> Yes. Some folks want good information and advise that they will follow, and in time pass along. Others want someone or anyone just to verify what they already want to do.


And I think both are a good use of PT. We need to learn and we need to be confirmed.


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