# Best time to release pigeons?



## zgrywusek (Nov 21, 2011)

So I had an idea to release my pigeons yesterday. I released them and they were all behaving pretty good until hawk came and my red hen decided to mess around with him. Hawk chased her and she was gone for two hours and then somehow returned. (HAPPY!), problem was out of 7 birds released only three found how to get back into my loft. I have a landing perch about 2ft long. Two of my birds decided to sleep on my sheds roof (I caught them and put them in the loft) one bird slept on neighbors roof (returned AM and I caught him too).

How can I train them on how to get back inside? What is the best time to release. Step by step guide would be greatly appreciated.

I will take a pic of my loft tomorrow if I come back home early enough.


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## napcinco05 (May 10, 2011)

Do you have a settling cage? I got 7 yb's from my first round. Usually i put them in that cage and put the cage on the roof. I let them stay there for 1-2hrs just to get used to the place. Do this atleast for a week then finally let them out. Be sure they have strong wings already so they could avoid any attacks right away.


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## Pollo70 (Jan 3, 2012)

zgrywusek said:


> So I had an idea to release my pigeons yesterday. I released them and they were all behaving pretty good until hawk came and my red hen decided to mess around with him. Hawk chased her and she was gone for two hours and then somehow returned. (HAPPY!), problem was out of 7 birds released only three found how to get back into my loft. I have a landing perch about 2ft long. Two of my birds decided to sleep on my sheds roof (I caught them and put them in the loft) one bird slept on neighbors roof (returned AM and I caught him too).
> 
> How can I train them on how to get back inside? What is the best time to release. Step by step guide would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> I will take a pic of my loft tomorrow if I come back home early enough.


I prefure to loft fly in the evening keep them on the hungry side so when its time to call them in they know its feeding time also its good to have some kind of call or signal u use everytime before feeding I whistle and rattle a can with a small amount of feed in it they hear that and they start trapping like crazy like I say pigeon see pigeon do!


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## zgrywusek (Nov 21, 2011)

Just FYI i have show birds (swing pouters and Indian Fantails).

Indian Fantails don't even come out of the loft.


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## ND Cooper (Mar 4, 2008)

When you want to release/fly your Pigeons, let them out about 1 to 2 hours Before you would normally feed them.
If you are Training your young/new Pigeons to return to the loft, let them out 10 to 15 min. before you feed them.
Remember to Allways Call them in with a signal: Blow a whistle, wave a flag, rattel a can of dried corn.
This to them means: Feeding Time!
Do this Every Time, and they will allways stop what ever it is that they are doing, and come running to the Feed.
If you want to have your Pigeons enter the loft every time that you give them the signal, then feed them Inside the loft.
Some keepers feed outside the loft, and lock out the Pigeons untill it's time to loft (sleep/go in for the night), where they will feel Safe and secure (home).
Gradually increase the flying/outside time, but allways be sure that they will be hungry and they will do their best to come in for feed.
You can do this in the morning, and in the evening if you exersize them twice a day.
When hawks are around it's dangerous. Sometines you just have to wait a day or more to safely release your Pigeons.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

zgrywusek said:


> So I had an idea to release my pigeons yesterday. I released them and they were all behaving pretty good until hawk came and my red hen decided to mess around with him. Hawk chased her and she was gone for two hours and then somehow returned. (HAPPY!), problem was out of 7 birds released only three found how to get back into my loft. I have a landing perch about 2ft long. Two of my birds decided to sleep on my sheds roof (I caught them and put them in the loft) one bird slept on neighbors roof (returned AM and I caught him too).
> 
> How can I train them on how to get back inside? What is the best time to release. Step by step guide would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> I will take a pic of my loft tomorrow if I come back home early enough.


You have to take a couple steps back and use your food to call them in from a settling cage, when they come in to a feed call without hesitating too much then you can let them out again, if they do not trap they stay out and hungry..do not get them in unless they are about to get eaten by the hawk of course..but how they learn to want to come in is being hungry and the only way to remedy that is to trap in where the food is..so catching them is teaching them they do not need to trap in to eat. for young or new birds I find the evening is the best time to let them out..they do not go too far then and want to trap in as it will be dark soon.


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## Jaysen (Jun 21, 2010)

zgrywusek said:


> Just FYI i have show birds (swing pouters and Indian Fantails).
> 
> Indian Fantails don't even come out of the loft.


I'm pretty sure flying show birds would be a bad idea. Granted I haven't see a swing pouter, but the pouters I have seen really wouldn't fly all that well.


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## NZ Pigeon (Nov 12, 2011)

spirit wings said:


> You have to take a couple steps back and use your food to call them in from a settling cage, when they come in to a feed call without hesitating too much then you can let them out again, if they do not trap they stay out and hungry..do not get them in unless they are about to get eaten by the hawk of course..but how they learn to want to come in is being hungry and the only way to remedy that is to trap in where the food is..so catching them is teaching them they do not need to trap in to eat. for young or new birds I find the evening is the best time to let them out..they do not go too far then and want to trap in as it will be dark soon.


All good advice, I am not sure if I would leave them out all night though due to danger from cats and other night predators.

If my birds do not trap I catch them and have a seperate cage where they cannot access food, They go out the next morning and they sure trap fast when they see the rest of the birds eating. Same sort of theory as Spirits method but maybe a little bit safer for the birds.


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## NZ Pigeon (Nov 12, 2011)

Jaysen said:


> I'm pretty sure flying show birds would be a bad idea. Granted I haven't see a swing pouter, but the pouters I have seen really wouldn't fly all that well.


Thief pouters are a flying breed and fly really well, Also Norwich croppers fly good even with their massive blowing crops. I have not had swing pouters myself but they look to me like they could fly to me, Just take a bit longer to train them.

A mate of mine was using a pigmy pouter as a dropper until it started flying with his racers


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

NZ Pigeon said:


> All good advice, I am not sure if I would leave them out all night though due to danger from cats and other night predators.
> 
> If my birds do not trap I catch them and have a seperate cage where they cannot access food, They go out the next morning and they sure trap fast when they see the rest of the birds eating. Same sort of theory as Spirits method but maybe a little bit safer for the birds.


I did'nt think of that, that is a good idea as long as cat or critters claws can not get between the bars of the cage..otherwise they are a sitting duck..at least out they would be up high on a roof or tree. I leave mine out but do not have the cats to worry about..only ***** and foxes and things..but have not lost one yet..and they only needed one night to get the drift..lol..


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## NZ Pigeon (Nov 12, 2011)

spirit wings said:


> I did'nt think of that, that is a good idea as long as cat or critters claws can not get between the bars of the cage..otherwise they are a sitting duck..at least out they would be up high on a roof or tree. I leave mine out but do not have the cats to worry about..only ***** and foxes and things..but have not lost one yet..and they only needed one night to get the drift..lol..


The cage goes inside my loft hallway so it is very secure. No cats or dogs can get in their.
The cats here climb trees and walk over roofs so unfortunately nowhere is safe, In saying that my dog keeps cats off our property.

It only takes on **** or fox and theres goes your pigeon. I believe it comes down to risk analasis, I am happy to fly my birds when they have young as the risk of losses to BOP are basically NIL here, I am sure you know your area better than I do and obviously you care for birds so I'm sure your decision to leave them out is fine but if the thread maker has cats in their area its probably best not to take the risk.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

NZ Pigeon said:


> The cage goes inside my loft hallway so it is very secure. No cats or dogs can get in their.
> The cats here climb trees and walk over roofs so unfortunately nowhere is safe, In saying that my dog keeps cats off our property.
> 
> It only takes on **** or fox and theres goes your pigeon. I believe it comes down to risk analasis, I am happy to fly my birds when they have young as the risk of losses to BOP are basically NIL here, I am sure you know your area better than I do and obviously you care for birds so I'm sure your decision to leave them out is fine but if the thread maker has cats in their area its probably best not to take the risk.


yeah, you did not state you put them in the loft esp if he has cats in his area..that could be not good as well if he left them outside in a wide wire cage... safe is good as long as they don't get used to being brought in and don't learn how to trap.


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## NZ Pigeon (Nov 12, 2011)

spirit wings said:


> yeah, you did not state you put them in the loft esp if he has cats in his area..that could be not good as well if he left them outside in a wide wire cage... safe is good as long as they don't get used to being brought in and don't learn how to trap.


Just wanted to point out that leaving birds out at night is not the only option, there are safer options out there.


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## zgrywusek (Nov 21, 2011)

In my case I had to get those birds from my shed. it is easily accessible to a cat or other predator. My only surprise is that pair which decided not to trap was the one that had the 2 week old baby. Also two of my birds that rarely go to aviary trapped right away vs. one's who are always there. Next release will be soon but definitely on a empty crop!

P.S swing pouters can really fly fast, when I released them I actually saw my red hen escaping the hawk who came down from a tree. These birds can go few miles away from loft.


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## sdymacz (Aug 30, 2010)

If they have young don't fly them and feed them regularly till the young eat on their own


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