# wanted feral



## jony ortega (Jul 4, 2010)

hi iam looking for some one local giving ferals away for my new loft


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## GEMcC5150 (Oct 24, 2010)

Why do you want ferals?


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## jony ortega (Jul 4, 2010)

GEMcC5150 said:


> Why do you want ferals?


becuse they the best flyers and easy to train and tame


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Why do you think they are easy to train and tame? Unless you are talking about very young ones. Adults can be very wild and difficult to tame. Their nature isn't really very tame.


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## jony ortega (Jul 4, 2010)

Jay3 said:


> Why do you think they are easy to train and tame? Unless you are talking about very young ones. Adults can be very wild and difficult to tame. Their nature isn't really very tame.


well i got adult giving to me and training is easy and there normally agressive like homers ,ive had one foe 1 year and he is a great pet he fly far and always make it back to his cage not the loft on his own but i build a nice 8ft long loft and want to keep them ,ive had homers babys that have never flown they come back for food but never let me close the cage they have betrade me


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

You can certainly train young ferals to home back...adolescents possibly as well. You can even, occasionally, do that with an adult if you nurse them to health and they decide your place is a pretty good deal for them.

But my concern would be if you tried to have a loft of recovered Ferals...they would probably try to fly back to their Feral roosting/sleeping places....

So I think what you would like is, perhaps, young adolescents or younger who have been found/saved and healed and either _need_ to be placed somewhere, or have human caregivers who cannot or do not want to go through a proper Soft Release process.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

with ferals you will have to remember if something happens to you..then what will happen to them..or if you decide to move.. domestic pigeons with bands on can be sold or given away.. not too many want a flock of ferals... and someone may call to have them exterminated..( even though they are a wonderful bird.).. just something to think about..and I would not think there are many lofts breeding ferals.. they would have to take them from the wild which is not something someone should be doing.. they have mates and perhaps babies they are feeding and a whole family which is their flock.. taking them would destroy all that...


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## jony ortega (Jul 4, 2010)

spirit wings said:


> with ferals you will have to remember if something happens to you..then what will happen to them..or if you decide to move.. domestic pigeons with bands on can be sold or given away.. not too many want a flock of ferals... and someone may call to have them exterminated..( even though they are a wonderful bird.).. just something to think about..and I would not think there are many lofts breeding ferals.. they would have to take them from the wild which is not something someone should be doing.. they have mates and perhaps babies they are feeding and a whole family which is their flock.. taking them would destroy all that...


true but thats why iam asking people giving them away so i dont catch them
ive had adults fly back home and they werent even raised here or ever lived here


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

jony ortega said:


> true but thats why iam asking people giving them away so i dont catch them
> ive had adults fly back home and they werent even raised here or ever lived here


you may beable to find some that have been hand raised and they need to find homes for them.. but to resettle them and fly them would be risky .. just like with homers.. but if you got a pair that you can breed then you could fly their young.. good luck in your search.. there are ferals in need of a good home out there.. somewhere....


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## GEMcC5150 (Oct 24, 2010)

Over all I just think this is not a win win for the birds unless you were going to just have birds that were or needed rehab. There are many good birds that need homes look up URGENT help needed for 130+ abandoned pigeons in N. Cal
MickaCoo they are treying to find home for 160 birds of mixed breeds


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## dtrojcak (Aug 31, 2010)

spirit wings said:


> they have mates and perhaps babies they are feeding and a whole family which is their flock.. taking them would destroy all that...


Don't flyers/breeders do the same thing when they sell old birds or culls?


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

dtrojcak said:


> Don't flyers/breeders do the same thing when they sell old birds or culls?


they break pairings, and sell pairs and single birds... but not when they are on eggs and or babies.. usually breeders/flyers have different sections and the birds that are flown are the flock but not breeding.. so the domestic life IMO is not as intricate as the wild flock that can have a nest/eggs/babies at any given time.


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

Why would you want ferals when you could have homers that do the same thing?


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## jony ortega (Jul 4, 2010)

MaryOfExeter said:


> Why would you want ferals when you could have homers that do the same thing?


ferals can be resettled when homers cant


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

Homers can be resettled if they are anywhere up to 3 months old. Ferals have some homing ability as well and can be just as hard to settle as homers. Just depends on the bird. I have a feral here that came in with my homers, and now I train her with my birds. She's been on a few 20 mile training tosses since she's been here.

BUT if you really want ferals, then I suggest adopting some. There are often a lot of ferals that come in injured or sick, or as abandoned babies that need new homes once they are brought back to health. I'm always against catching ferals to breed and sell, or buying from people who breed only ferals. Most of the time they only breed them to sell to dog trainers or flea markets as table birds. It's not very often that you find someone responsible, breeding them just to have them around, or to study their colorations. There are already too many in the "wild" and too many in shelters.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

dtrojcak said:


> Don't flyers/breeders do the same thing when they sell old birds or culls?


This is a reasonably good point, actually.

Jony, if you can find some Feral-born Pigeons which need to be placed by someone and have been in the care of someone for a while, and for good reason have NOT been released, then this is a fairly good possibility.

I think what most folks are saying is (as they were in another thread here similar to yours) don't go catching Ferals or buy from someone who does that...


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## GEMcC5150 (Oct 24, 2010)

Go help the bird that need homes if all you want are a mixed breed anyway and that is all that ferals are a mixed breed of lost birds.


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## dod rennie (Jan 3, 2011)

Ferals are pidgeons like any other breed they have the same homing instinc when I was a kid and had no money to buy breeds we got baby ferals hand fed them and they homed no problem


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

I do not think it is a question on if they will home.. they have been proven to do this naturally...alot of ferals are homer and homer cross.. the question is where is he going to get them and is it smart to have a loft full of ferals.. as most if taken from wild would be unbanded and then if something happens to him and or he moves who is going to want these birds and take care of them in the way they are used to with regular food and fresh water... if they are left with someone else or if someone else moves in... they could just exterminate them... like they do feral pigeons all over the country..


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## jony ortega (Jul 4, 2010)

spirit wings said:


> I do not think it is a question on if they will home.. they have been proven to do this naturally...alot of ferals are homer and homer cross.. the question is where is he going to get them and is it smart to have a loft full of ferals.. as most if taken from wild would be unbanded and then if something happens to him and or he moves who is going to want these birds and take care of them in the way they are used to with regular food and fresh water... if they are left with someone else or if someone else moves in... they could just exterminate them... like they do feral pigeons all over the country..


well iam not going to mave and i cant afford to buy pigeons or pay shipping thats why i want ferals there free i always have there feed and now a loft thanks to a special friend but a cant afford pigeons and i love them


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## Pip Logan (Oct 6, 2009)

Well buddy good luck! I hope you find your special pigeon. Can you post a pic of your loft? You said ity was 8 feet that sounds realy cool. I am in the prosses of building a 8x6 footer now.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

jony ortega said:


> well iam not going to mave and i cant afford to buy pigeons or pay shipping thats why i want ferals there free i always have there feed and now a loft thanks to a special friend but a cant afford pigeons and i love them


well maybe you can save some from the exterminator...better for you to give them a good home than to be killed... but that does not mean they will stick around.. so you will have to find someone who breeds ferals and has babies.. which.. sounds pretty doubtfull.... but you never know who you will meet on this site.. good luck.


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## jony ortega (Jul 4, 2010)

Pip Logan said:


> Well buddy good luck! I hope you find your special pigeon. Can you post a pic of your loft? You said ity was 8 feet that sounds realy cool. I am in the prosses of building a 8x6 footer now.


how do i post the pics iam working on it not done yet but have the basic done


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## jony ortega (Jul 4, 2010)

spirit wings said:


> well maybe you can save some from the exterminator...better for you to give them a good home than to be killed... but that does not mean they will stick around.. so you will have to find someone who breeds ferals and has babies.. which.. sounds pretty doubtfull.... but you never know who you will meet on this site.. good luck.


would you know anyone local to me giving pigeons away


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

jony ortega said:


> would you know anyone local to me giving pigeons away


no I do not..... join a racing club... alot of the members of clubs will help someone out and give birds away.. but they would be homing pigeons, which you would have to get younger than 40 days old so they will stay at your loft... homers would stay just as well or better than ferals... and you can get those free too...


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## GEMcC5150 (Oct 24, 2010)

Please check with animal control and Craigslist. Farm and Garden topic pigeons. Do some homework and you will get some nice birds


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

jony ortega said:


> would you know anyone local to me giving pigeons away



There are several breeders down here in Miami, I don't know them personally as many times when I had injured birds brought in to me they didn't care to pick up their birds. There is one guy he has the most beautiful show homers, why don't you try to do a search and contact one of those guys. I am sure they would give you some of their "undesirable" birds. They don't have to be ferals. 
I love show homers. Each one I had were so laid back and sweet and tame.
I haven't heard of people keeping and breeding ferals in Miami.

Once in a while we do get the occasional young feral that needs some TLC and then could be placed in a loft. If you are willing to wait I could give them to you if you stil would be interested. Right now I don't have any though, but baby season will soon start so there will be some.

What area of Miami are you located in? You can pm me if you want.

Reti


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

GEMcC5150 said:


> Please check with animal control and Craigslist. Farm and Garden topic pigeons. Do some homework and you will get some nice birds


Yup...Humane Societies as well. If you have any which are local.

You know, here's a thought: take some unreleasables....there are tons of 'em everywhere (you know, birds which were rescued but have lost full ability to be set free again - wing damage, eye damage, musculo-skeletal damage, etc).

I cannot imagine it will cost much if anything. You are in FL ? There are members here from FL...maybe also GA and LA, too.....

Get a few of different sexes, hopefully they pair up and breed...and, while you could not free-fly the adults (because they are unreleasable)...you could start homing-training the babies.


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## Pip Logan (Oct 6, 2009)

Jaye said:


> Yup...Humane Societies as well. If you have any which are local.
> 
> You know, here's a thought: take some unreleasables....there are tons of 'em everywhere (you know, birds which were rescued but have lost full ability to be set free again - wing damage, eye damage, musculo-skeletal damage, etc).
> 
> ...


I was thinking the same thing!


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## jony ortega (Jul 4, 2010)

Reti said:


> There are several breeders down here in Miami, I don't know them personally as many times when I had injured birds brought in to me they didn't care to pick up their birds. There is one guy he has the most beautiful show homers, why don't you try to do a search and contact one of those guys. I am sure they would give you some of their "undesirable" birds. They don't have to be ferals.
> I love show homers. Each one I had were so laid back and sweet and tame.
> I haven't heard of people keeping and breeding ferals in Miami.
> 
> ...


iam in miami do you any giving homers away let keep in contact


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

jony ortega said:


> iam in miami do you any giving homers away let keep in contact



Sure, I will contact you as soon as I hear of any birds in our area needing needing placement.

Reti


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## jony ortega (Jul 4, 2010)

Reti said:


> Sure, I will contact you as soon as I hear of any birds in our area needing needing placement.
> 
> Reti


any female pouter as well


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

You should really go for taking in some unreleasables and breeding 'em..not to sound like a broken record..but...they are so, so, so HARD to find homes for, the unreleasable Ferals.

Your situation is almost-tailor-made for taking in a few and trying to get 'em to pair up.....


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

I'll find him some.

Actually I have a friend who has two unrealeasable ferals, the male is not flying due to an old wing inury. The female was handraised and loves to be inside but has learned to live in a screened in pation. If you would take in those two they can not be let out but you could let them have a couple of babies and train them to home.

Let me know if you're interested. I would have to talk also with my friend also, of course.

Reti


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Im sure they will want to know what kind of set up they are going to and see pictures.


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## jony ortega (Jul 4, 2010)

Reti said:


> I'll find him some.
> 
> Actually I have a friend who has two unrealeasable ferals, the male is not flying due to an old wing inury. The female was handraised and loves to be inside but has learned to live in a screened in pation. If you would take in those two they can not be let out but you could let them have a couple of babies and train them to home.
> 
> ...


sure ill take them


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

She is on vacation right now, but she will be back soon, in less than two weeks.
As SW mentioned we'll have to see your set up. 

Reti


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

That's great ! 

Jony, as Spirit says, you may want to take some photos of your setup so you can show the people who may give you the Pigeons the sort of housing and care you will have for them...


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## ewakahuna (Sep 27, 2010)

Having been rehabbing ferals for 3 years now withthe Wild Bird Rehab Haven. I've allowed selected pairs to breed. My experience is that they can be good homers. I've had the best luck with those born in the breeding loft with regards to homing. I gradually release them at greater distances from the loft and work them up to 15-20 miles. No racing, just enjoyment for me and excercise for the birds.


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## ad7878 (Mar 20, 2011)

HI IM LOOKING TO BUY turkish pigeon in nj if any one have for sale email me [email protected]yahoo.com


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

ewakahuna said:


> Having been rehabbing ferals for 3 years now withthe Wild Bird Rehab Haven. I've allowed selected pairs to breed. My experience is that they can be good homers. I've had the best luck with those born in the breeding loft with regards to homing. I gradually release them at greater distances from the loft and work them up to 15-20 miles. No racing, just enjoyment for me and excercise for the birds.


That's excellent. Very interesting too...although I have to say I am not surprised they do well in that sorta context.

Let me ask you...do you allow the original breeding pairs out ? Or just the offspriing/babies (or should I say, grown-up babies) ?


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## jony ortega (Jul 4, 2010)

how do i post picture


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

jony ortega said:


> how do i post picture


When you scroll down the page of a thread you will see a box with "manage attachments". Click on it and it will take you to the page where you can download pics.

Reti


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