# I just bought an older homing pigeon can I teach it to home to me?



## never right (Feb 12, 2010)

I just bought six pigeons, they are about 2 years old and were kept in a small cage by their previous owner and weren't ever let out to fly, I would like to be able to let them out and start training them to home. Is this still a possibility since they were never out of their cage before? Also, is there other ways of making them accept a new loft? I am curious like if they were mated and had a nest and egg/eggs and you let them out would they come back to the egg/eggs? Or if you let one out would they come back to the mate?


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## Jimhalekw (Jan 1, 2010)

Sorry to say that your birds are far better off not being flown. They are safe, snug, healthy, and happy to just be there and breed babies for you to fly. If you fly them the chances of even one bird being left is not good. Think about the good side free rent, food, mate, and child care.  Jim


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## blongboy (Nov 10, 2009)

Jimhalekw said:


> Sorry to say that your birds are far better off not being flown. They are safe, snug, healthy, and happy to just be there and breed babies for you to fly. If you fly them the chances of even one bird being left is not good. Think about the good side free rent, food, mate, and child care.  Jim


yea that how i just lost 4 of my main birds


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

It is possible, but very risky. Rehoming/resettling old birds I only would recommend to non-beginners. Because those birds are 2 years old and is now breeding season, how about you just breed them and fly their young?

Basically you want these birds to be happy in their new home. They also must see the outside. I have resettled birds up to 2 years old, but those adult birds usually give you headache like they fly somewhere and wont come back a day or couple of days later so you thought you lost them.

The way I resettle my birds includes exposing them outside. Basically I just put them in a basket where they can see all 4 corners. I put them in front of the loft for several hours. I also put them on top of my loft for several hours. I also put them on top of our house roof to see everything. I do that for several days. The birds will try to remember the place by observation. When I feel that they felt like "home", then I may be tempted to release them late in the afternoon hungry. My other birds who already know home can guide them. I have to admit that this is very risky still. If they get suddenly scared and take off, then they may get lost. The worst part is when they have a mate somewhere in their old loft. They obviously want to go back there.

I also noticed from experience is that the longer you keep old birds to be resettled, the more you will lose them. I don't know why is that! It seems to be opposite of what we expect.

Good luck! Just breed them and fly their young, then you wont have much headache.


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## Mindy (Apr 2, 2009)

I think if you fly these birds you will never see them again. I also think you should keep them prisoners and if you want to fly some birds raise there young and fly the babies. Please don't let them out, it will be a death sentence for them for sure. min


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## soymi69 (Nov 12, 2007)

It is possible but require some coordination on your part. If you know where you purchase your bird then it will help a lot. First breed your bird, wait till it get paired up, then when you see the cock chasing the hen this is the best time to loft break the birds. If the birds leave and return to the original owner you call the previous owner and tell him to catch the bird and separate it away from his flock not give him water or food. Once you pick up the bird you then give him water and food. This will happen several times if you keep letting the bird go out but by not feeding it and giving water from his old loft he will then realize that his new loft is the only place where he can get food and water, soon he will acclamate himself and will not even bother to come back to his old loft.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

If they were in a cage where they could see their surroundings, it would be a big risk to let them fly free. IMO, the best thing for them would be a nice loft with a flypen attached to it. have another section or a seperate loft to keep their young you may want to raise from them, and then you could fly their young.


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

Please do not let them go. Breed from them and fly the babies. I personally would never try re-settling any homer older than a yearing. If they are as good homers as they are supposed to be, letting them out at 2 years old should be very, very risky. Especially if they get stressed in any way (from you, other birds, predators, going without food/water, etc). They may not know where 'home' is, but they will fly off and try to find it.

It is possible, of course. But as mentioned before, the birds shouldn't be allowed to sleep, eat, or drink in any loft other than yours, if you can help it. If they go back to their previous home, go get them, keep them in for another week or so, and try again. If you do choose to attempt this, keep them in for at _least _a month before letting out to fly. Get them on a feeding schedule, and teach them to use the trap door. Make sure they have plenty of room, perches, nestboxes. Again, goes back to the potential stress of overcrowding. Plus, 'home' is where the heart is, so they need to be comfortable and like where they live  Having some territory (their own perch and nest box) is part of what makes them happy.


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## sky tx (Mar 1, 2005)

Its very risky resettleing older birds---It will be best to "kiss them goodbye" as you may never see or hear from them again.


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

never right said:


> I just bought six pigeons, they are about 2 years old and were kept in a small cage by their previous owner and weren't ever let out to fly, I would like to be able to let them out and start training them to home. Is this still a possibility since they were never out of their cage before? Also, is there other ways of making them accept a new loft? I am curious like if they were mated and had a nest and egg/eggs and you let them out would they come back to the egg/eggs? Or if you let one out would they come back to the mate?


 You have gotten all good pointers from various posts. Just wanted to point out the obvious, that there is a reason why they call them "Homing" pigeons. The better the homing pigeon, the greater the homing instinct. 

I have heard of cases where a homing pigeon (also called racing pigeon) was released after spending ten years in his "new" home....and he circled the loft once, and was gone !! His wife and kids be damned, he was going home !!


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## never right (Feb 12, 2010)

*Crazy thing just happened!*

Sunday I was outside with the birds and open my loft and zoom right under my arm and out one of the birds is gone. It flew up on the neighbors house and looks all around, and I thought well I didn't even get a chance to kiss that one good by. In about 20 minutes it went ahead and flew off.

Today, tuesday I am out in the rain trying to fix the plugged gutter and something flys up from the ground by my loft, I couldn't believe it there it was, so I caught the other five and put them in a little cage left the loft door open and a couple minutes later I have the pigeon back. I guess he couldn't find his way back to his original loft never having been out of the cage so he came back here for dinner. Or maybe he went home and they didn't recieve him or feed him so he came back here. I guess I will never know, but at least he came back. I think I need to hurry up and get a trap on my loft.


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## Jimhalekw (Jan 1, 2010)

Glad that one came back, we have all had a sort of bad mishap like that, and most don't turn out so well.How far away do you live from the person you bought them from? That could be a big factor in why that bird returned. Jim


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## never right (Feb 12, 2010)

I am probably only 10-15 miles from the other cage they were raised in, and like I said they were never let out of the cage.


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## Jimhalekw (Jan 1, 2010)

10-15 miles is probably why that bird came back to you, and I think you are probably right in thinking it went to find the old home, or tried to. When it couldn't get food there was you. Glad to hear you had good luck. Jim


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

never right said:


> Sunday I was outside with the birds and open my loft and zoom right under my arm and out one of the birds is gone. It flew up on the neighbors house and looks all around, and I thought well I didn't even get a chance to kiss that one good by. In about 20 minutes it went ahead and flew off.
> 
> Today, tuesday I am out in the rain trying to fix the plugged gutter and something flys up from the ground by my loft, I couldn't believe it there it was, so I caught the other five and put them in a little cage left the loft door open and a couple minutes later I have the pigeon back. I guess he couldn't find his way back to his original loft never having been out of the cage so he came back here for dinner. Or maybe he went home and they didn't recieve him or feed him so he came back here. I guess I will never know, but at least he came back. I think I need to hurry up and get a trap on my loft.


well if the old loft is that near, you could always go over and collect your birds if they did decide to go back there.


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## never right (Feb 12, 2010)

yes I could always go over and get them granted there was a way of trapping them there. I much prefer them coming back to me, I can see where going to get my birds every other day could get very monotonous.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

never right said:


> yes I could always go over and get them granted there was a way of trapping them there. I much prefer them coming back to me, I can see where going to get my birds every other day could get very monotonous.


yes and they may not beable to be caught, or they could get caught by a preditor at night if not in a locked loft.. so actually never right you are RIGHT , on this one!


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## Guest (Feb 27, 2010)

I say just breed from them and fly the youngins, thats always the best way to go if you want to keep pigeons


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## never right (Feb 12, 2010)

*Successful flight*

I guess I don't listen to everyones opinions and warnings that well, that and after realizing my birds didn't have much value as future breeders being five males and one female I decided to trap train them and let them out, tonight they flew out flew for maybe 45 seconds and came down on the roof looking for the door and in they went, so I chased them back out and they flew around for a minute or two and then lit on the roof and a wire, I whistled and fed them and then went in the house for a minute to grab phone came out and they were all in eating their hearts out, I guess the answer to this question in the end is that yes an old pigeon can be taught new tricks.


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## Action (Oct 18, 2009)

*Good Job!*

Seems like you did a good job trap training them. I wish you luck and I hope they stay.
Jack


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

never right said:


> *I guess I don't listen to everyones opinions and warnings that well*, that and after realizing my birds didn't have much value as future breeders being five males and one female I decided to trap train them and let them out, tonight they flew out flew for maybe 45 seconds and came down on the roof looking for the door and in they went, so I chased them back out and they flew around for a minute or two and then lit on the roof and a wire, I whistled and fed them and then went in the house for a minute to grab phone came out and they were all in eating their hearts out, I guess the answer to this question in the end is that yes an old pigeon can be taught new tricks.


One time out of the loft, does not make a settled homing pigeon. Someday, a day, a week or a month from now....something could trigger a homing reflex. That, or your birds simply have a low homing instinct.


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## g0ldenb0y55 (Dec 23, 2008)

SmithFamilyLoft said:


> One time out of the loft, does not make a settled homing pigeon. Someday, a day, a week or a month from now....something could trigger a homing reflex. That, or your birds simply have a low homing instinct.


I was thinking the same thing...


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

yes, we always here the so called "rehoming" success stories... but never hear about the part when they decide to go "home"...lol...


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

spirit wings said:


> yes, we always here the so called "rehoming" success stories... but never hear about the part when they decide to go "home"...lol...


Spirit wings & g0ldenb0y55,

I had a beuatiful silver get "lost" one season during a race, and two years later he came home. The funny thing, he was in perfect condition and was wearing a countermark. Now, since I use chip rings, someone had taken that bird in... (some would say stole)..."Re-Homed" it, and you would think road trained it, and felt so comfortable and confident, he decided to race this bird. Problem was, the race "clicked" something in this bird's head....and so two years later, home he came. 

But, who knows...maybe these particular "Homing Pigeons" will stay around the loft for awhile, maybe the "Homing" issue may only kick in when he takes them down the road. If he can get them to return from say a 100 Miles, then I will really believe that these 2 year old pigeons have been "Re-Homed". I hope he keeps us posted on their progress.


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