# flying birds in the cold



## Nodaksnakelover (May 29, 2013)

Hello,
how bad is it to continue road training a group of birds as the cold weather sets in? Is there any proof that cold weather is detrimental to birds being able to fly? I ask this totally as a newbie just wanting to learn. I want to know, where is the proof that says you shouldn't road train them in freezing temps? Is there proof of some sort that says a certain temp and below will be harmful to birds flying distance? 

I ask this cause I know the town birds don't just stay at their roost all winter long. And when I was at the loft yesterday I turned them all out of the loft and their swooping around and seeming to enjoy themselves in the 30 degree temp we had made me wonder if I shouldn't have taken them down the road for a flight after all. And where I'm at this stage is only trying to get them out to ten miles. I've been taking it very slow! I'm now at the six miles out mark and could probably just take them out to the ten mile mark today if it will just warm up. 

So I'm just curious how cold do you go before you stop flying short distance on the road. 

And at what temp would you no longer let the birds out for loft flying? Would loft flying actually be a good thing? My way of thinking is a bit of exercise to warm them up would be a good thing. But yes, I wouldn't let them out in one of our full up North Dakota blizzards! 

and again, I'm just a newbie, this is my first winter keeping pigeons. 

And what about snow cover? yeah, lots of questions! Does snow on the ground throw a monkey wrench into the mix or not?

thank you ahead of time for any and all discussion this is sure to bring.


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## pigeonjim (May 12, 2012)

As long as the birds are healthy and not stressed cold weather has not been a problem for me. Predators are. Hawks are a real problem after the leaves are off. I try to stay in at about 40F, but have not had a problem loft flying in freezing temps in the past. You may not be so lucky....


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

I am not a competitive flyer, so can't address that part of our hobby, but have never had any problem with rollers flying during cold weather. In fact, old timers thought that flying birds helped to keep the birds warmer if they returned to a properly weatherized loft. Have to remember that wild pigeons fly in cold weather each winter with usually far less protection that what we provide for our birds.


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

I loft fly no matter how cold it is, but do not take on a toss if it will be below freezing. Other birds fly around, when you take a racer down the road they fly as fast as they can, I have always been told that it is not good on their eyes going that fast for an extended period of time. I could be wrong but I wont train in real cold weather.
Dave


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## Nodaksnakelover (May 29, 2013)

thanks for the replies.

I'm just curious if there have been instances of frozen lungs or eyes or what have you with birds flown in known temperatures and the like. I guess I'm just curious if this is all based on, well geez it's cold outside, I don't like it, so my birds might not like it either mentality. But however, mind you, when the temp really drops to the teens and below zero, no self respecting bird WANTS to be out in that. But yes, the feral population doesn't just stay home. They have to suffer the cold to get some kind of nourishment. 

As for our birds, we are trying to keep them in good shape not just barely getting by! 

But good to hear others have similar thoughts as I do, that loft flying can't hurt and it isn't like they can't come in when they are ready. Rather than as stated, racing home from a distance is certainly in question. But my way of thinking is five miles isn't any worse then letting them loft fly as they are going to put in approximately the same distance winging around in circles the loft area anyway. 

So I'm not sure how far I want to push it. But as winter gets set in I'll have to give up road training as I don't feel anything below twenty degrees can be good on the eyes or lungs. I'll let the birds decide what they want on how they behave. Give THEM the option of loft flying if they like when I come to the loft this winter. Should be interesting. I figure they will spend less time out circling this winter. But like I say, yesterday they were still swooping and diving in the air when I left for home. They seemed just fine with the temp and it had me wishing I had tried to do a training toss. 

This is all new to me. I have yet to have my birds out further than twelve miles. And only three of them have been that far. Had to wait to settle in the new group and let youngsters grow up from this summer's breedings. 

So what about snow, has anyone had issues with their birds getting out one day and finding their world has turned white?


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

I haven't had any issues with old birds. There have been pictures here of birds actually "frolicking" in the snow. (Geez, that's a weird word to describe it.) I have had young birds respond to snow the first time they see it, but they soon got used to it.


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## pigeonjim (May 12, 2012)

Frolicking!! Ah yes, those were the good old days, I remember!!! lol Sorry almondman, couldn't pass that up!!Hee. I have loft flown in pretty hard snow before, thought it would be good experience. Never had a problem with light rain either. You just have to use a little common sense like you were saying nodaksnakelover. Rain ok, rain and lightning and wind no. Snow yes, snow wind and bad visibility a no.....Hawks a no....


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## Nodaksnakelover (May 29, 2013)

well that temp rose to a balmy 35, sunny day, few clouds, and hardly any wind today. So I brought them all the way to town today. So it's now approximately 11 miles home if they fly straight back to the loft. So I let them loose at the edge of town and they flew over the fair grounds for a while. Circling back and forth and then finally as I watched they rose up higher and got into a tight group and ZOOM away they went straight for the direction of their loft. 

Anyhow, thanks for letting me know what your findings have been. I won't fret so much about freezing point, but as it goes down further I'm going to have to suspend road training. But for me it was more about getting them to fly from town back to the loft. As most of them are white, I would like to advertise "white dove" release for weddings, ect. I've already done that with a couple of them for a wedding. I had three trained to go to town. One was a blue bar and the leader of the trio. So on wedding day I took all three in a carrier. And when the bride and groom released the "white doves" I released the blue bar off to the side of the crowd. The three joined up in the air and one of the guests was overheard to say, oh look, they found a friend...hee hee hee!


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## Silver Wings (Jan 27, 2014)

Nodaksnakelover said:


> well that temp rose to a balmy 35, sunny day, few clouds, and hardly any wind today. So I brought them all the way to town today. So it's now approximately 11 miles home if they fly straight back to the loft. So I let them loose at the edge of town and they flew over the fair grounds for a while. Circling back and forth and then finally as I watched they rose up higher and got into a tight group and ZOOM away they went straight for the direction of their loft.
> 
> Anyhow, thanks for letting me know what your findings have been. I won't fret so much about freezing point, but as it goes down further I'm going to have to suspend road training. But for me it was more about getting them to fly from town back to the loft. As most of them are white, I would like to advertise "white dove" release for weddings, ect. I've already done that with a couple of them for a wedding.  I had three trained to go to town. One was a blue bar and the leader of the trio. So on wedding day I took all three in a carrier. And when the bride and groom released the "white doves" I released the blue bar off to the side of the crowd. The three joined up in the air and one of the guests was overheard to say, oh look, they found a friend...hee hee hee!


Sounds wonderful! How are things going for you this winter? I too have white homers.


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## Nodaksnakelover (May 29, 2013)

I have not lost any of the birds even after the brutal winter we've had! I'm most impressed! They are breeding now, nest bowls and tobacco stems for nesting are in the loft. Last I looked I have four nests and one pair has an egg already and are sitting on it. So it starts!

I've been putting two birds out of the loft every day. In hopes to rehome them to the new location. So far so good! I know for the one, the drive to be with his mate makes him stay close and re-enter the loft quickly. The other one, an unmated white bird has flown around the loft area a few times, and will even fly onto the ground to peck at the ground. My hope is, that when I have young ones going out that maybe these two will give them confidence and visually show them how to return and trap in. But the more I think about it, will probably stop tossing the boys out. I'm leery of them spooking too far from the loft and simply returning the 15 miles or so back to the old location.


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## Silver Wings (Jan 27, 2014)

Good to hear you all are faring well.


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