# free flying??



## loveitalia (Nov 13, 2005)

Hi All,I have two new pigeons, young adult kings. I want them to free fly, dont know where to start....


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Hello and welcome to Pigeons.com

Thank you for your looking out for your birds happiness & well-being.

What do you mean by "Free Fly", allowing them access to come and go as they please? 

If you have White Kings they really are not designed by mother-nature to be great flyers. Allowing them access to the outdoors unattented or attended will endanger them and it is not really in their best interest.

It is the homing pigeons that fly great speeds and when trained, can find their way home and inside their loft on command.

White Kings are lovely pigeons, maybe you could build them a nice aviary so they can still enjoy the great outdoors without a threat of predators.


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## loveitalia (Nov 13, 2005)

*To fly or not to fly?*

Hi Treesa,
I reckon they are Kings, but I'm new to pigeons so not completely sure ..they are big, robust red and white guys, with dark red feet and legs.Previuos owner said they were kings.Got more info from him today, apparently they were free daytimes when he had them, and have already successfully raised young twice. 
I worry about keeping them in as they are used to at least three hours a day out. I have them in a largeish cage, about 2metres cubic, but dont believe this is nearly large enough.Dont want them to pine away-to they do this? Also, when I put in a bath dish for them, they stayed in it for 45 mins...normal??


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

I have two King pigeons. The previous owner just let them go and obviously they didn't do good out in the wild. Both were found with broken legs and starved. I wouldn't take the chance to let them free fly. They are too big and heavy to be good fliers.
Unless you have your own big yard, no predators (hawks, cats etc) and you are sure they will stay around then please don't let them out.
Maybe you can build a loft or if you have a screend in patio they can get some exercise a few hours a day.

They are awsome birds, I just love them.

Reti


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

loveitalia said:


> I worry about keeping them in as they are used to at least three hours a day out. I have them in a largeish cage, about 2metres cubic, but dont believe this is nearly large enough.Dont want them to pine away-to they do this? Also, when I put in a bath dish for them, they stayed in it for 45 mins...normal??


They definitely need some room just for cruising, but they don't need the skies, as they aren't built for speed, nor do they need the excercise. Try an enclosed patio as Reti suggested, or build them a large frame aviary for spending sunny days.

i have had pigeons spend 10 minutes just sitting in the water, enjoying the water surrounding them. My heavy show girls will sit and float, and if I turn the hose on in the water, and the water moves, they just go around and round, remind me of ducks! LOL

What do they do for 45 minutes, any movement of splashing around? The water feels good and it does kill parasites like mites that can be on them, as they drown.


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## JasoninMN (Nov 5, 2005)

It sounds to me like these are utility kings, not show kings, since they have already been flying. Utility kings are better equipped for flight then the show kings. They will be at risk from predators though, so you might want to pen them until you get some young out of them.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

JasoninMN said:


> It sounds to me like these are utility kings, not show kings, since they have already been flying. Utility kings are better equipped for flight then the show kings. They will be at risk from predators though, so you might want to pen them until you get some young out of them.


Good information, thanks for explaining the difference! So these kings have the ability to fly, better then show kings, but not like homing pigeons?


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## re92346mos (Jul 21, 2005)

loveitalia said:


> Hi All,I have two new pigeons, young adult kings. I want them to free fly, dont know where to start....


Hi, it is in the best interest of the Kings to keep them from predators. Kings are also a utility breed, they are not as quick as flying breeds to escape from a predator. Just my opinion but I would keep them confined with a fly pen big enough for exercise, and to sun.


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Loveitalia, 


I agree with the general consensus here, if there are indeed king pigeons, they will be in great danger free flying. 

Try to get confirmation that this is their breed, perhaps these are just large white homing pigeons

If you could weigh them, this should also give us an idea whether they could be kings. Homing pigeons shouldn't weigh more than 500 grams and that is on the very heavy side. If your birds weigh more than this, than they could for sure be kings.


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## re92346mos (Jul 21, 2005)

Pigeonpal2002 said:


> Hi Loveitalia,
> 
> 
> I agree with the general consensus here, if there are indeed king pigeons, they will be in great danger free flying.
> ...


They also could be Modenas LOL They look like Kings to the untrained eye.


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Rena, 

You're right! Well, I was figuring that by weighing the birds, this will give us an idea whether these pigeons should be out free flying or not. Modennas, kings, runts or any of these large breeds shouldn't be alllowed to free fly.


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## loveitalia (Nov 13, 2005)

Thanks for all that. Getting info could be difficult, I was given these by an albanian friend, his Italian is only marginally better than mine(poor).Will weigh them asap, didnt have the heart to disturb them tonight as theyve been making pigeon-love all day(I now know for sure which one is the boy
Ive been measuring today, for sure there is room to put in a six metre flight next to the house, its covered and has a concrete floor.Wish the freefly issue was more positive, feel bad about keeping them in.
Another bath today, they stayed in it about 40 mins, really chilled out, splashing for a bit, then just sitting about relaxing. They seem to be waterproof, a quick shakedown and theyre dry again! Lovely to hear them cooing while Im outside, a big constrast to the lovies, who wolf-whistle when you walk past.)


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## re92346mos (Jul 21, 2005)

Hi, make sure they have a enclosed part so they can get out of the wind, rain and it stays dry.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

loveitalia said:


> Thanks for all that. Getting info could be difficult, I was given these by an albanian friend, his Italian is only marginally better than mine(poor).Will weigh them asap, didnt have the heart to disturb them tonight as theyve been making pigeon-love all day(I now know for sure which one is the boy
> 
> *boy, that's the life!*
> 
> ...


Have a great day!


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