# Soft release. How have you done it?



## Margarret (May 3, 2007)

Hello all,

I have heard the term soft release, but am not really certain what all it entails. I did read the stickey that Treesa wrote and understand allowing the bird/s to be released some contact with the wild flock before release. I appreciated the information about feather condition and flying. I can do those things. But I do have a bit of an unusual problem in that there are no wild flocks here to release to.

I have a three week old pair of squeakers, in the weaning process now. They are the babies I wrote of in another thread, the off spring of Big Daddy and Feather, both physically impaired unreleasable birds. The babies are doing very well. What might I do at this point to ease their transition to a wild flock.

I have handled them very little since their hatching, letting mom and dad do the care. Soon they will be able to fly and I'm going to put them in the biggest loft, along with mom( who can fly somewhat)so they can get up to speed and strength in the flying dept. But since there is no other wild flock to socialize them with, will the flock in the big loft substitute?

Any experience with returning ferals born in captivity to the wild would be of interest to me. I do have a friend who feeds a wild flock who will take them for the last couple of days before release.

Margaret


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## rainbows (Aug 19, 2008)

Margaret
check TreesGray's thread on soft release in the wild "feral" pigeons forum.
.....to release or not to release
http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f23/to-release-or-not-to-release-10874.html


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Margarret said:


> Hello all,
> 
> I have heard the term soft release, but am not really certain what all it entails. I did read the stickey that Treesa wrote and understand allowing the bird/s to be released some contact with the wild flock before release. I appreciated the information about feather condition and flying. I can do those things. But I do have a bit of an unusual problem in that there are no wild flocks here to release to.
> 
> ...




Hi Margaret,




If the friend is close, bring the 'Squeakers' to the feral flock, during feeding/grazing times, for them to have forays now.


As their 'Aunt', spending just a little time with them first, palm-nest and otherwise, making friends with them, in ways which will allow them to decide you are 'alright'...will make this easier for all concerned...since they need to know you'll be looking out for them on these forays.


Possibly 'Big Daddy' could be in on it also..?


That would be ideal...if he could.

In fact, I'd say by all means definitely do have 'B-D' along for him to chaperone-supervise them directly, as you look out for him-and-them.


That would be really the very best of all.



Five or six forays, seven...fifteen, twenty, thirty minutes each...will see them acquire very valuable things from the experience.


They may be 'nervous' initially...but, they will gain self-confidence readily.


I have had many 2-week-olds, 2-1/2 week olds...3 week-olds, who new to little peckings, were nervous and unsure in the forays...


Any youngster will usually be nervous regardless of age, in their first few times of it.


I of course remained close to watch over them and intervene if need be...and by the third or fourth foray-session, these quite young 'peepers' have been so sure of themselves, as well as pecking very well ( usually 'hugging' the ground as they peck ) that if an adult feral crowds or pushes them at their Seeds, the 'Peeper' gives the transgressor a good 'Wing Chop' and a vocal scold...and the Adult feral moves over an inch or two to let the 'Baby' peck.


After that, usually, no one bothers them again...


Allowing them these supervised/chaperoned forays before they can fly, lets them overcome shyness, discover and develop assertiveness, perfects their pecking 'in' competitive situations, and results in their being accepted by the feral flock as a boni-fide member...already, even if obviously not even fledged yet.


Too, the youngster soon begins to tune into the 'modes' of awareness which the ferals have for being 'Wild' Birds...which is also very important for them to acquire.


So that later, at 50 odd or 60 odd days or so, they may be released TO "that" flock...at that location...and all the basic 'platform' is in place and ready.


The rest, they learn once 'with' the flock as a 'Flying' member, usually roosting with other independant-youngsters at night...graing with the flock, by day.


So...if your friend is close enough by for this to be feasable...then that's what I'd do if I were you.


If your friend is not close enough by for this to be feasable...we will have to consider other less optimum/ideal, options.



Best wishes..!



Phil
l v


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Margaret,

The wisest course is to place any pigeons that are going to be released in an aviary with others, adults and youngsters, of its kind. This way they become part of a flock before release and are released as a little flock into a larger flock. That increases their chances of survival.

Even youngsters that have been raised by their parents and "shown around" by the father bird once fledged have a very low survival rate in the first year. These two will have an extra disadvantage .

Is it possible to get the youngsters to Terry? 

Cynthia


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## Margarret (May 3, 2007)

Rainbows,
Thank you for referring me to that stickey. I have read it. It covers nearly everything but my situation.

Phil, 
Unfortunately the release site is over 50 miles away.

Cynthia,

Yes, I could get them to Terry. I don't want to impose something on her that I could do myself.

Margaret


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

Don't have any extra advice but just want to wish you luck.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Margarret said:


> Yes, I could get them to Terry. I don't want to impose something on her that I could do myself.
> 
> Margaret


You KNOW they are welcome here, Margaret, and can go to the duck pond park when ready. It would be good if you could get your feet wet with this release stuff, though. I'll have to look at the link provided and be sure it is the one I'm thinking about .. Nona (Little bird) did an awesome soft release thing .. perhaps this is the same .. sorry to not know off the top of my head, but I don't! 

Terry

Yep .. that's the one!


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## kippermom (Jan 11, 2006)

I also have a dark gray adult feral pigeon that seems to have recovered from a leg broken in two places (long story in other threads!)...he is now in a mid-sized outdoor cage adjacent to my aviary while he regains his strength without risking re-injury by a hard landing and also acclimates to outdoor temps. I have scoped out a couple places where there seem to be feral flocks of his coloring. I have read the threads referenced and there is no way to "introduce him" gradually and I have no other ferals to release with him at the same time. Should I put him in the main aviary and see if he seems to fit in there or just take him where there is a feral population and release him??? I can also try to return him to the person who rescued him last month him so he can be released near where he was found if that seems like the best plan. He has been through so much already, a real trooper, I hate to screw it up now...


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Kipper...you and Margaret have 2 different situations. I am gleaning (having not read your other thread, sorry....) that your bird was an adult when injured/found....yes ?

If so....no real need to reacclimate him to a flock. Main concern is just getting that leg mended significantly so he can use it again. If he/she is an adult, and was found in a vicinity where there are flocks of ferals, then I might be inclined to re-release him there....providing it's a safe place, of course.

Margaret, as Cyro has already said....the acclimation with their parents in the loft is a good step...but ultimately not good enough to move from that to a release. The odds would be stacked against them, rather heavily, if you tried that. Beyond this (the loft acclimation), they need to observe (up close and personal) a wild flock of ferals foraging, landing, spooking, interacting.....repeatedly. As Phil says...4 times absolute minimum...one week even better, even if just for 15 minutes/day or so. The longer the observation periods, the better....

If you cannot swing it, due to no proximity to healthy and abundant feral flocks.....best to hand the babies off, IMHO.

BTW...kudos for all you have done for this pidgie family.....


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Jaye said:


> Kipper...you and Margaret have 2 different situations. I am gleaning (having not read your other thread, sorry....) that your bird was an adult when injured/found....yes ?
> 
> If so....no real need to reacclimate him to a flock. Main concern is just getting that leg mended significantly so he can use it again. If he/she is an adult, and was found in a vicinity where there are flocks of ferals, then I might be inclined to re-release him there....providing it's a safe place, of course.
> 
> ...





I spoke carelessly then...


What I do, if I am raising from their infancy, is every day, from two-weeks old...till starting to fly, or in some cases evenafter they are flying but where they will respond to being called...the youngster spends likely twenty minutes or or a halfhour among then ferals, as I supervise.


Though this is more than they need, and it all soon becomes 'Old Hat' to them, ( which IS the idea of course - that it would, ) they enjoy it, and I am out there anyway, so...



If one is going to do this, please understand that every youngster is potentially different to some extent, as for how fast they acquire their skills and abilities.

And, that unless one has a way to call them where they will fly back in or to you, then stop the forays before they are able to fly up to the roof or over a fence or whatever makes sense for your situation.



There is no arbitrary assignment of 'no less than four fifteeninute sessions'...



But rather, provide what the individual youngster needs, till you are satisfied he is confident, assertive, able, and tuned-in, in the fewral Grazing context.


Once flying and old enough, and 'ready' for release TO his Flock, all 'this' will already be in place for him then.





So what matters, is that the youngster as an individual, gets enough opportunity, under supervision, for being with the ferals...grazing with them, so that the youngster is assertive, confident, able to peck and graze in competitive situations with older adults...and acquires the modes of awareness, such as 'Schools of Fish' have, for 'being' with, and being in-tune-with...their Flock to be...or with the Flock they have been with, which is transferable to any other Flock.


They can not do or get this if 'in-a-cage' watching, or by any other 'watching'...they get it by actually doing it...and for that, they require opportunity to make their learning 'steps' by being literally 'in' and 'with' their Wild adult fellows...and to know their 'parent' is close and watching over them.


Praise...words and nods of encouragement, suggestions, eye-contact and so on can be important also...and the Baby-Youngster will be looking to their 'parent' or 'Aunt' or 'Uncle' for cues and affirms...and to see they are not being abandonded or forgotten about...so, one gently keeps one's attentions on one's charge.



Here is a little Album of one I recently got in who was about 16 days old when he arrived -


http://public.fotki.com/PhilBphil/august-23rd-2008-peeper/




Phil
l v


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

It is best to release adults where they were found, early in the day, on a fine day with a good three day forecast.

If you release him into a new flock his instinct will be to home back to you or to his original flock.

Cynthia


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## Margarret (May 3, 2007)

TAWhatley said:


> ;321870]You KNOW they are welcome here, Margaret, and can go to the duck pond park when ready. It would be good if you could get your feet wet with this release stuff, though. I'll have to look at the link provided and be sure it is the one I'm thinking about .. Nona (Little bird) did an awesome soft release thing .. perhaps this is the same .. sorry to not know off the top of my head, but I don't!
> 
> Terry
> 
> Yep .. that's the one!



Terry, 
Yes, I know they are welcome, and I truly appreciate that. I'll pm you in a bit and chew this over with you.

Margaret


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