# Not The Best First Release



## g-pigeon (Aug 24, 2010)

hi yesterday i decided to let out my young bird racing team. not a toss just let them out to get accustomed to the area.
they have been in the flight cage so they know the area. the birds are all under 2 months old.

they come running to the feed call.
i thought i was prepared the birds were hungry.
i removed the flight cage and let the birds out.

they stayed on top of the coop for about a half hour.
i decided to call them in.
3 birds came in right away. the others stayed on top of the roof.
now it s begining to get dark.
somehow the birds got spooked and took of.
this morning two more came back.
still waiting on the rest.

not a great start
i hope they all come back


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## g-pigeon (Aug 24, 2010)

missing birds are two of my sfl hatchlings which have been out before and 3 of aces birds.
i know these are good birds so i am hopefull they will come back


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## ace in the hole (Nov 27, 2007)

Hope they did not go to far and will return. 

What you could try now is go by the loft and repeat you feeding call as loud as you can several times about 30 seconds apart. If they are in the area it may bring them in. Give the birds in the loft a little food at this time so as not to cofuse them.

Here is what I do when starting the birds. I use a cow bell, the neighbors probably dont like it but it can be heard a long ways off. I ring the bell as I pour their feed. Once the birds are trap trained I put them in a crate were they can see me put the food down as I ring the bell. Then I take the training crate and set it on the end of the landing board. As I open the crate to release the birds "onto" the landing board I ring the bell again. The next time it is a foot from the landing board, then two, then four, then eight and so forth. I continue to move back and ring the bell at release untill they land on the roof first before trapping. I still continue to move back until they are in the air. If they go up and start getting what I think is to far out I start ringing the bell and it brings them back. Only after I have reached this point in their training do I alow them to exit the loft on their own. By starting my birds this way I have not lost a bird in settling for several years.

I also only feed my young birds once a day, in the morning so this is their only chance to eat.

Mark/ACE


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## newtopidgeons (Mar 11, 2011)

ace in the hole said:


> Hope they did not go to far and will return.
> 
> What you could try now is go by the loft and repeat you feeding call as loud as you can several times about 30 seconds apart. If they are in the area it may bring them in. Give the birds in the loft a little food at this time so as not to cofuse them.
> 
> ...


This seems to make alot of sense to me. I havnt yet owned pigeons so I may not understand fully, are you saying once the birds are acustom to the bell even if they havnt flown but for 30 seconds that they will come in at the ringing of the bell? Or better, if the birds hear the bell, no matter what will they land?
thanks


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## g-pigeon (Aug 24, 2010)

that is what i will do in the future .
really thought i was doing it right.

i am at work i will try and get home and do it again


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## ace in the hole (Nov 27, 2007)

newtopidgeons said:


> This seems to make alot of sense to me. I havnt yet owned pigeons so I may not understand fully, are you saying once the birds are acustom to the bell even if they havnt flown but for 30 seconds that they will come in at the ringing of the bell? Or better, if the birds hear the bell, no matter what will they land?
> thanks


Nothing will work every time under all conditions. It is just the better they are trained the better they will respond. In order for this to work at all the birds must be hungry. If a hawk hits nothing will work in that moment,but if they don't go to far the bell may bring them in later.

I am a pro dog trainer. I use that to my advantage when training birds. The better trained your dog is to come when called the better chance you have he will come every time he is called. The same with the birds. I have raised three rounds of young before letting them out in the spring. With the first round being four months old I settled 76 young birds without a single loss.

It is a lot more work to do it this way but it is worth it. I know guys who have lost up to 1/2 of their young bird teams when trying to settle them.


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## g0ldenb0y55 (Dec 23, 2008)

Sorry to hear the news. hope you get your birds back.


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## luckyloft (Oct 21, 2006)

Sorry to hear about your losses.Dont get discouraged, sometimes things just happen.I've let young birds out and never lose a one and also let out a group and they just take off and some never come back.Same parents same conditions same training methods. Jeff


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## Pigeon0446 (Apr 22, 2007)

That sucks I hope you get them back today but with these hawks around here taking everybodies experienced OB's. These new YB's really don't stand a chance I was gonna let my YB's out early ths year but I changed my mind. The way these hawks have been going after my OB's I'll wait a lil while and wet them down so they can't take off for the first few times I let them out. I kinda do it like Ace where I pack them up and let them go in I never let my YB's out of the coop on thier own the only way they go out is in a crate. What I do now since I'm not letting them out I have a tunnel that I have up on the roof and pack the birds up and let them out into the tunnel and they run into the bucks to eat. So by doing this so many times even if I hold them in another month they'll be so used to being up on the roof that when i finally do let them out of the crate so be it soaked down the first few times they aren't scared of being out there.

Here's a video of my set up from last year I've changed it up a lil for this year. But you'll see how fast those guys ran in last year. I've gotta get a new video of this years set up. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BU2cn5cISlU


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## g-pigeon (Aug 24, 2010)

thats really nice that was a great idea with the roof
heres a picture before i lost them
it was begining to get dark


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## Pigeonmumbler (Jun 6, 2010)

Pigeon0446 said:


> Here's a video of my set up from last year I've changed it up a lil for this year. But you'll see how fast those guys ran in last year. I've gotta get a new video of this years set up.
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BU2cn5cISlU


LMAO…. That is very clever, I have seen many settling cages for traps, But that one takes the cake…lolololol… I love it!!!


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## SouthTown Racers (Jan 14, 2009)

That is funny..... looks like it serves its purpose!!


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## g-pigeon (Aug 24, 2010)

Three more are back


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## Pigeon0446 (Apr 22, 2007)

Thats a lil better there's still a chance the other 2 could still pop in tommorrow. Which ones are still missing the ones you bred out of Warren's pair or the ones you got from Ace?


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## newtopidgeons (Mar 11, 2011)

Congrats on the 3, maybe the others will make it back as well.


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## g-pigeon (Aug 24, 2010)

two of the ones out of warrens and two from ace are still missing.sfl birds have been out before.i have been expecting them to return.but who knows bop out there and they all took of flying in the dark


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## Goingatitagain (Feb 5, 2011)

Pigeon0446 said:


> That sucks I hope you get them back today but with these hawks around here taking everybodies experienced OB's. These new YB's really don't stand a chance I was gonna let my YB's out early ths year but I changed my mind. The way these hawks have been going after my OB's I'll wait a lil while and wet them down so they can't take off for the first few times I let them out. I kinda do it like Ace where I pack them up and let them go in I never let my YB's out of the coop on thier own the only way they go out is in a crate. What I do now since I'm not letting them out I have a tunnel that I have up on the roof and pack the birds up and let them out into the tunnel and they run into the bucks to eat. So by doing this so many times even if I hold them in another month they'll be so used to being up on the roof that when i finally do let them out of the crate so be it soaked down the first few times they aren't scared of being out there.
> 
> Here's a video of my set up from last year I've changed it up a lil for this year. But you'll see how fast those guys ran in last year. I've gotta get a new video of this years set up.
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BU2cn5cISlU


 What a neat idea, and from the looks of the tunnel , it looks like it works great. I will remember that little trick.


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## Revolution Lofts (Aug 7, 2008)

Same thing I said to blessitwings who is having a similar problem as yours currently. Is there another pigeon fancier nearby where you let them out or where you live? Maybe they trapped into someone elses loft and are there right now. I would give them a call cause every year, another guy who lives like 2 houses from me always manages to get some birds in my loft when he lets them out. Good luck!


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## Rafael/PR (Sep 8, 2008)

Lol Pigeon0446 That Was Some Video Had Me Rolling, And For Q-pigeon Hope The Other Two Come Back


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## umaximus (Nov 12, 2010)

SouthTown Racers said:


> That is funny..... looks like it serves its purpose!!


Hahaha. That is a little funny but the birds sure go in to trap.


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## g-pigeon (Aug 24, 2010)

yes that was a awesome idea. and it does look funny but it sure works.

no gurbir there are no other fliers in my neighborhood.
just me so far.


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## conditionfreak (Jan 11, 2008)

I have had my young birds out for about three weeks now. They are routing around the property but have not left my sight yet.

I lost one somewhere along the way. Not sure what happened to it. But doing okay so far.

I did have a hawk hit twice during the last three weeks, but both times were when I had my old birds out (not any young birds), and both times my birds all returned. One bird did fly head on into a fence, trying to evade a hawk on its tail. An extreme measure, and I am sure it didn't do it on purpose, but it worked. The hawk kept going and the pigeon got up and flew to the coop.

There is a lot of difference between flyers that live in big cities and those that live out in the country, like I do. I have done both and adjustments have to be made for each of the three locations. Big cramped cities, suburbs and middle of nowheres. All the same, but all different. At my location, there would be nowhere to put a tunnel. They are on the landing board or they are not. I would have to have a tunnel hanging in mid air to do what that video shows.

I guess I could put a tunnel on the ground and then have steps up to the landing board. Wouldn't that be a funny video.


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

Settling YB's is a little bit of damned if you do, damned if you don't. You end up feeding some to the hawks around here almost no matter what you do. Keep em penned up for too long, and they get strong on the wing, and they can end up getting spooked and not make it back. I would review all the settling ideas and different ways folks do it. I don't think I have any good secrets or suggestions different from what other folks on here have suggested. If I was to suggest anything, I would suggest getting them outside sooner rather then later, but not in a forceful way. 

I really don't think my interference into what the birds would do naturally in the wild, has really increased the odds of my success. My "system" is based on my equipment. They are hand placed into my aviary when they are 28 or so days of age, and still being weaned. If they wanted to, and can figure it out, they could fly up and out of this aviary and onto the landing board, but more often then not, they want to head back inside the loft which is ok as well, as I have a secondary trap they soon learn to go through. I do this every day, and at some point, they will follow some of the older birds out onto the landing board, and typically head right back in, just like they might do if they were hatched in the wild. They do a little bit of exploring on their own, and as they gain confidence and can flutter a few feet, they venture further and further. I think the key is to not force the issue, let them explore at their own pace. 

The down side is they are of course prime hawk bait, and some percentage may get killed right then and there. My experience is, I have had fewer losses due to hawks, then if I let them get to say six or seven weeks of age before turning them out, and they can fly down the street and end up in some tree a half mile from home. I have experienced greater losses from fly offs when birds are strong on the wing, and a hawk makes a dive and they scatter to the four winds. The season is still earlier, there will be losses, it is all part of the game.


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## g-pigeon (Aug 24, 2010)

One more of aces birds came back today.still missing one of aces birds and the ones I bred out of sfl
I guess it could have been worse.i think my birds were older and went further


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

g-pigeon said:


> One more of aces birds came back today.still missing one of aces birds and the ones I bred out of sfl
> I guess it could have been worse.i think my birds were older and went further


Well...this is embarrassing as all hoot...you raise a couple of birds out of a pair of mine, and they get lost of the landing board !!.......


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

SmithFamilyLoft said:


> Well...this is embarrassing as all hoot...you raise a couple of birds out of a pair of mine, and they get lost of the landing board !!.......


lol.. you can say your birds have such strong homing instincts even when hatched at anothers loft they still fly off to find their parentage's oringinal home...lolololol... they won't buy it will they...lol...


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## ace in the hole (Nov 27, 2007)

Hey George, If that one of mine shows up here in Florida you'll probably want it back for breeding stock. LOL


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## g-pigeon (Aug 24, 2010)

yes please let me know if it shows up : )
Warren it was my inexperience not the quality of the birds that got them lost. But the sfl birds are sitting on one egg now.that's all she laid.its due to hatch in about 10 days


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

SmithFamilyLoft said:


> Well...this is embarrassing as all hoot...you raise a couple of birds out of a pair of mine, and they get lost of the landing board !!.......


They probably started routing and ranging already. Do your birds develop early or not? I noticed that some birds get wing strong right away. Some don't.


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## g-pigeon (Aug 24, 2010)

i am missing the young birds i lost.
they were the first ones i bred in my loft and were very friendly. they would fly on my hand to eat and follow me around when hungry.
i was really hoping they would have come back this weekend.
oh well i am still hoping they will return

ace the birds that returned are
band numbers
19263,19271,19257,19258,19268,19270,19262

just vaccinated them for salbac this weekend.


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## ace in the hole (Nov 27, 2007)

g-pigeon said:


> ace the birds that returned are
> band numbers
> 19263,19271,19257,19258,19268,19270,19262


The one you are missing 19269 is one of the two birds you won in the drawing out of Zeppelin"s Wild Child. 

You never know, with any luck you could still see them back yet.


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## g-pigeon (Aug 24, 2010)

i sure hope so.
are you selling anymore bird ace or are they all spoken for


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## ace in the hole (Nov 27, 2007)

g-pigeon said:


> are you selling anymore bird ace or are they all spoken for


I just brought my post up to date in the Birds Wanted and For Sale section here on PT yesterday. In that post I incuded total cost for two, six and eight bird kits including box and shipping. 

At this time I only have deposits on two birds from my third round. I have had a lot of interest but not alot of follow through with the deposits. I am fostering out the first set of eggs from my top four breeding pairs. These I am offering as eight bird kits from my very best. They are in the middle of laying this round now so they will be ready to ship in May.

Mark/Ace


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## g-pigeon (Aug 24, 2010)

My birds from ace have been doing well now they follow me around when they are hungry.they were pecking at my feet.i had them follow me outside and back inside to eat.i was shaking the feed can while doing this.after vaccinating then twice already I am amazed they have no fear of me.


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## g-pigeon (Aug 24, 2010)

I have continued training the birds the way it was recommended and no issues.they are all coming in pretty quickly. I think soon they should start routing .


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## g-pigeon (Aug 24, 2010)

Birds are doing real well soon as I call they fly in.some even fly on me .


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## raftree3 (Oct 16, 2010)

What did you do different?


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## cbx1013 (Aug 12, 2009)

I did my 3rd release of the spring tonight. The last one was disrupted by two hawk strikes... tonight was no different.

I released 12 yb's and 4 ob's that are all lofted together. I had most of the yb's trapped when my hawk showed up. It was pretty touch and go, he went after 2 or 3 of the birds at different times, one was a horse-race for sure.

I finally got the last of the ob's trapped at dusk. I was just going in when the last yb did a fly into a nearby cedar. I wasn't sure it was him, but he finally landed on my neighbor's drive, and then flew away- sadly in the direction of where I think the hawks have their nest. 

He was an oops baby from Nov., and I think he's pretty strong on the wing. Traps well from the aviary, just seems unsure of getting down to the landing board. Probably spooked pretty good as the hawk made a couple direct tries for him. I'd like to get him back, as he's apparently got some spunk.

Perhaps I'll get a chance at him tomorrow. Currently 15 for 16 on this toss.

Don


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## g-pigeon (Aug 24, 2010)

what i did different was i would put all the birds in the basket i would not let them wander out on there own.
i actually would put a little food in the basket and they would all rush in to eat.
i feed only once a day now.

once in the basket i will take them about 75 feet away and start shaking the feed can.

i then release them while shaking the feed can.thel all trap within one minute or less.

now i can let them wlak out on there own and they are usually following me around. then eventually they fly on the roof. once they do that i get the feed can and they trap right away and i feed them.
still worried about hawks so i do not let them stay out to long


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

g-pigeon said:


> what i did different was i would put all the birds in the basket i would not let them wander out on there own.
> i actually would put a little food in the basket and they would all rush in to eat.
> i feed only once a day now.
> 
> ...


when are they supposed to get time for getting in shape and routing?


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## g-pigeon (Aug 24, 2010)

Hi spirit wings

a lot of road training. starting out with very short distances


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