# Flag flying



## Kal-El (Oct 10, 2008)

Can someone tell me the steps I need to follow in order to train my birds with flag flying?


----------



## g0ldenb0y55 (Dec 23, 2008)

Thanks for creating a thread for this Kal-El...I'm curious to know how that all works as well.


----------



## Pegasus (Feb 6, 2007)

Let me answer this curiousity for you guys...Get a long pole about 15 or maybe longer then tie something that serves like a flag then everytime the birds will pass by over you, wave it, until they adopt the fact that they can not land unless the flag is not waving anymore...This only make them fly if they don't really fly at all...Which some of homing pigeons don't spend time flying only roosting or roofing around...You have to have your back-up plan/method when doing this so they won't land away from your roof, which is the shaking of the feed in the can, so that once they land on some other roof you can lure them back closer to where you want them to land, I prefer mine on the roof in my YT video (10' above the loft)...I only do this flagging when I know they are not or don't want to stay flying more than ½ an hour...Also to add more to this, when you get tired waving your flag, just do it when they are about to land...But you have to check how long they've been in the air...I say maximum ranging or loft flying is 45 minutes to an hour either AM or PM exercise...DO NOT OVER WORK your birds, they might get so tired and can't fly away from the BOP's and that's going to be your lose...Good luck fellas and have fun waving those flags...


----------



## james fillbrook (Jan 2, 2009)

thanks Pegasus


----------



## g0ldenb0y55 (Dec 23, 2008)

Thanks Oliver for detailed info! The 2 birds that I loft fly are routing for a good 30-40 mins. The flag thing will be useful when if my birds get lazy on me!


----------



## Kal-El (Oct 10, 2008)

Pegasus said:


> Let me answer this curiousity for you guys...Get a long pole about 15 or maybe longer then tie something that serves like a flag then everytime the birds will pass by over you, wave it, until they adopt the fact that they can not land unless the flag is not waving anymore...This only make them fly if they don't really fly at all...Which some of homing pigeons don't spend time flying only roosting or roofing around...You have to have your back-up plan/method when doing this so they won't land away from your roof, which is the shaking of the feed in the can, so that once they land on some other roof you can lure them back closer to where you want them to land, I prefer mine on the roof in my YT video (10' above the loft)...I only do this flagging when I know they are not or don't want to stay flying more than ½ an hour...Also to add more to this, when you get tired waving your flag, just do it when they are about to land...But you have to check how long they've been in the air...I say maximum ranging or loft flying is 45 minutes to an hour either AM or PM exercise...DO NOT OVER WORK your birds, they might get so tired and can't fly away from the BOP's and that's going to be your lose...Good luck fellas and have fun waving those flags...



I guess I should be more clear. I've already tried the method pegasus described above exactly to the tee. But, I created this thread because I want to know if any other fanciers were using flag waving as a training tool; and if there are different versions.


----------



## Pegasus (Feb 6, 2007)

*Kal-El...*

You guys are welcome...

I know I flagged mine once last summer...I've seen some Tippler fanciers here in NYC, do this method to make their young fly with the experienced OB tipplers but for some reason the YB fly higher than the OB so there are separate groups/flocks of tipplers in the sky...I don't know anyone around me doing this...Also to add more to this, when I visit the tippler fanciers loft will be low probably about 3' high...I'm not sure what is the logic reason about the loft being so low and no room for the birds to fly inside...


----------



## Kal-El (Oct 10, 2008)

Pegasus, I guess we both unknowningly did the same thing! But I'm going back to flag training to try to find out what birds are going to make the cut.


----------



## Bluecheckard (Jun 23, 2008)

I do this before but I just clip the pole with a flag infront of the loft. now I just let them out and let them fly for a while then call them in to eat.


----------



## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

Some birds I've read need flagging like Oriental rollers, doneks, some tumblers, etc. Some probably should not need to like homers. I used to flag them basically by putting a black plastic bag on my rake and wave like an idiot. Sooner or later they will learn that flagging for them to fly is poor version of encouragement. They just look at me waiving the flag and not fly so figure it out first. Ask yourself why in the world they wont fly? One answer I had was that my birds were too fat. At many times I overfeed them so they rather stick around. I even mistakenly feed them first, then fly them. They wont fly with full stomach. So now fly them before feed time. I also learned a painful lesson. If you feed them around 4 pm, release your birds to fly around 3 pm. That way they have 1 hour of flying. If you fly them around 4 pm, they are too hungry and will just go down to eat and not fly. People say fly them hungry. What I have learned is that you have to fly them semi-hungry. Now if they have respiratory disease, then that is one big problem! I also wish to add that some birds love to fly, and some don't. If you are hardcore racers, those that don't wish to fly will encounter the 'c' word.


----------



## george simon (Feb 28, 2006)

*Book*

*Go buy the book "FLAG FLYING SYSTEM by ALFRED STAINS. There is also a chapter on flying the Natural System in the book. *GEORGE


----------



## Kal-El (Oct 10, 2008)

Thanks George!


----------



## LUCKYT (Jan 17, 2009)

I never had any luck with it, always counted on their condition to keep them up.


----------

