# help my pigeons have gone missing



## jazz (Aug 3, 2009)

i have just recently started racing pigeons. i bought six squeekers and have trainer them. i have given them basket training for nearly 4 weeks. i let them out for the first time and they all flew around and came back. i let them out again today and 2 never turned up. i have been waiting all day but they havnt come back. they are nerly 10 weeks old. what could be the cause of this. and is there any hope of them coming back. please help


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

It is to soon to worry Jazz, sometime takes 2~3 days to came back, especially young birds. They get easily distracted. Did you let them out hungry?


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## jazz (Aug 3, 2009)

yh i let them out hungry i have seen them a couple of times but then the went missing. do you think they will come back


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

I sincerely hope. Some of mine also wew missing for 2~4 days when first released. When they return leave them in for couple of days. Ussually the older the bird the homing instinct is stronger.


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## jazz (Aug 3, 2009)

thanks for the help. i do hope they come back. they are my first set of pigeons and do not want to lose them. i will keep you updated with the pigeons.


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## g0ldenb0y55 (Dec 23, 2008)

At ten weeks old your birds are probably routing/ranging. Give them time and they'll be back. It's only 12 noon now.


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## jazz (Aug 3, 2009)

im in the uk. it 8 in the evening. il give them till tomorow morning and see what happens


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## g0ldenb0y55 (Dec 23, 2008)

Well that's different story then...lol. Give them a couple of days, I bet tomorrow morning you'll have them lined up ready to get into the loft to eat!


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## jazz (Aug 3, 2009)

i do hope so.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

I released my birds yesterday at 9:00 in the morning. It's 3:00 in the afternoon on the next day and I just had one come home. Don't give up just yet.


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## jazz (Aug 3, 2009)

thanks for the help. that has given me alot of hope. i apreciate every ones help


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

They may have been distracted by something and beeing their second time outside they are still easily intimidated by the world around them, but your chances of them coming back are good. You may see them before dark or tomorrow morning.

*I just noticed you had two different threads going on the same subject so they are now combined.*


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## jazz (Aug 3, 2009)

thanks for the help. hopefully they will be back


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## Airbaby (Aug 9, 2008)

I had a bird this year on its first time out get up with the flock and try to fly with them, well when the flock returned it was not with them. I would see it circling every few hours or so and then it would disappear. The evening finally came and it was back circling again, it wanted to land but was unsure how to so it just kept circling. Well it took all day but if finally landed and came in..however.i opened the door to the loft when it landed so it could see the other birds eating inside from where it landed..from there i would say it was in the loft within about 45 seconds when it seen it was meal time, the poor little bird was exhausted...but who knows where it went most of the day while it was gone, my Dad figured it was gone for good, but it goes to show you never know and they do come back.


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## jazz (Aug 3, 2009)

it has been 24 hours since i let them out and they havnt come back yet. is there any chance of them coming back


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

2~3 days took some of mine to be back. Keep the loft open. I know how you feel, don't give up.


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## jazz (Aug 3, 2009)

thanks i will keep a look out for them. do hope they come back


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## ZigZagMarquis (Aug 31, 2004)

They might come back. They might not.

I've had YBs stay out overnight and show up the next day. I had a prisoner escape once, figured he's a goner and he showed up about a week later wanting back into the loft bad! I've also released birds never to see them again.

Some folk loose the majority of their YB team some years. If you fly your birds, you will loose some. It happens.


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

Any news, Jazz??


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## jazz (Aug 3, 2009)

its has now been nerly 3 days since they have been missing. is there any chance of them coming back now ?????????????????


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## crbrumbelow (Apr 29, 2009)

I let out young birds a week ago that had been flying for 3 weeks and 5 havent come back. It took two days for the ones that did come back to get here. Like I said its been a week and the other 5 are yet to still show up. Part of it I believe is that they got caught up in storms that were surrounding my area. I just hope that when I let the others back out that they will catch up and come in.


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

Year ago I released three birds. They were rehab birds with various problems. One of them has been two months with me on treatment and rest between two weeks and month.
Week later, I was sitting in the garden and saw them determinately walking down the driveway towards the house. At that time I kept sick pigeons in my entrance hall of the house. They went in and ever since, I let them out and in when weather allows, but they come back at the afternoon. Usually youngsters try their luck somewhere else. Older birds from different flocks chase them away and they come back to safety. Just like teenagers they want to taste life.


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## jazz (Aug 3, 2009)

the birds have still not come back. it has been 4 days.


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

It is difficult to predict anything. Your birds shouldn’t be far. If they don’t come by week time you may try contacting fanciers in your area. Someone’s flock may attracted them and they will probably stay together too.


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## joel11230 (Aug 17, 2009)

Have your birds come back?


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## jazz (Aug 3, 2009)

no my birds are not back. i have finally accepted defeat.


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## cotdt (Apr 26, 2010)

What do pigeons do, when they go ranging for long periods of time?


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## saku4me (May 7, 2010)

cotdt said:


> What do pigeons do, when they go ranging for long periods of time?


Lol, they're ranging or expanding their horizons.


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## JRNY (Nov 17, 2009)

I just let out 5 youngsters on Monday at 9am. Trapped the last one at 2pm. Plus they where hungry. But I guest they was so happy to be out that it took a while. Today I let them out flap around had them in the loft on command. The trick is have them hungry.
But there are unpredictable. Also god for bid a hawk comes.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

cotdt said:


> What do pigeons do, when they go ranging for long periods of time?


oh if only they could talk!


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

jazz said:


> i have just recently started racing pigeons. i bought six squeekers and have trainer them. i have given them basket training for nearly 4 weeks. i let them out for the first time and they all flew around and came back. i let them out again today and 2 never turned up. i have been waiting all day but they havnt come back. they are nerly 10 weeks old. what could be the cause of this. and is there any hope of them coming back. please help


At ten weeks of age, they would be what they call "strong on the wing". Ideally they would have been out on the landing board at 28 to 30 days of age. People do try to be nice, and to give a person hope. But, in this case, it appears it was all false hope. 

I don't really understand what you mean by basket training, when the birds have not yet been settled. The term "basket training" could mean a couple of different things. You will need to take some special precautions such as soaping the wings, cutting some flight feathers, etc. Or you could lose the rest of them as well.


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## yang_fla0vr (Mar 31, 2009)

Another conclusion is that they probably found a new home...which mean that whoever has it owns it now...because most young birds that are release for ranging tends to fly with another group of young birds which in this case they get so caught up having fun with the other group they tend to go home with them...lol...this happened to me too many time...So in this case I fly my young birds with old birds together...and it has been working out pretty well...Or hawk probably ate them...


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