# settling one year old birds



## ALnaturAL (May 23, 2009)

I was given 3 one year old homing pigeons can I ever let them out or are they prisoners?


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## birds+me=happy (May 21, 2009)

I'm not the expert in homing pigeons, more of a fancy breed person but I would say if you keep them there long enough you should be able to release them.


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## ALnaturAL (May 23, 2009)

how long do you think


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## birds+me=happy (May 21, 2009)

I don't know for sure. If I were you I'd wait about a month or two. As long as they're very well aquainted with their home, they should be fine. But it also depends where you got them from.


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## Covenant Loft (Feb 10, 2009)

I'm also not an expert but I do believe if a homer is any good at all it will try to make it's way back home. Unfortunetly it may not have the muscle needed to make it home and therefore end up elsewhere. 

Great question though, I hope some of the experts will answer.

Walter


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## sreeshs (Aug 16, 2009)

If you intend to race them or use them in training flights, there is a good chance that they will fly back to their original home, provided it had been previously flown and homed there.

Usually the cocks with a mated pair won't leave the place, so if these pigeons never had a pair (mate), there is a good chance they will prefer to stay back with the mate, but I woun't still risk them on training flights. Its not only the location or geography which provides the necessity for homing but a mixture of good life including food, safety and mate.


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## soymi69 (Nov 12, 2007)

Homing pigeons have very good homing instinct and depending on the bloodline, if you want to take the chance you can try settling them, but if you don't know the background of the birds I highly suggest not to let them out. It don't matter if you have the birds a month to 10 years if they came from a good bloodline they will leave your loft and die trying to head back to their original loft. The only possible way you can settle a homing pigeon is if you know where they come from. That way if they return you ask the old owner to separate the bird immediately and don't feed of give them water, you then pick up the bird in the afternoon and give him feed and water along with your other birds. These practice will have to happen several times until the bird realized that the only source of food and water is his new loft, again this only work if the birds are flewned and if you knew the previous owner.


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## ALnaturAL (May 23, 2009)

Thanks for the info. The old owner doesn't live more than ten miles away so I guess they will have to be prisoners. I would rather they were able to fly around


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## g0ldenb0y55 (Dec 23, 2008)

If the birds have not been settled or loft flown at the previous owners loft then there's a chance you can rehome. Resettling yearlings or older homers is very risky because there's a good chance you'll lose them but in your case the previous owner is only 10 miles away so if they happen to take off then you can just pick them up!


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## Covenant Loft (Feb 10, 2009)

Justice543 said:


> Let me shoot it to you straight I have 2 one year old bird and one 4 year old bird that I settled into my loft i kept the 1yearolds in the loft for about 5months and the 4yearold in there for 1month and now they are all doing well everyone of them have came back so far and they had all been flown from diff lofts So yes you can settle them when they are a yearold


These are just my thoughts as I am no expert. It is my belief when it comes to releasing flown birds acquired from another loft there is no set rule whether a bird will retunt to it's new home or try and sometimes succeed to make it to it's original loft. I also strongly believe one of the determining factors involved is bloodines and genetics.

Walter


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## Guest (Mar 26, 2010)

what it comes down to is if you dont want to have prisoners you should just buy a kit of young birds that you can settle to your loft


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## soymi69 (Nov 12, 2007)

Justice543 said:


> Let me shoot it to you straight I have 2 one year old bird and one 4 year old bird that I settled into my loft i kept the 1yearolds in the loft for about 5months and the 4yearold in there for 1month and now they are all doing well everyone of them have came back so far and they had all been flown from diff lofts So yes you can settle them when they are a yearold


I agree with covenant! Again a really good homing pigeons will be hard to settle in a loft, specially if it had been race up to 300 to 500 miles. If you really want to settle this birds talk to the previous owner and see if he will work with you. I have birds that I breed and have young and keep for over 2 years and they were yearling, I decided to settle them, I cut the flights and did all the things I can do to ensure the birds can learn the loft first and not to fly right away. The birds do know how to get in and out of the loft but once their wing grew and realized they now can fly they did couple of turns and then gone, so you can never tell what will be the outcome, all I can say if you take chances then you might get rewarded or you might get disappointed which is part of this wonderful hobby.


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## Covenant Loft (Feb 10, 2009)

soymi69 said:


> I agree with covenant! Again a really good homing pigeons will be hard to settle in a loft, specially if it had been race up to 300 to 500 miles. If you really want to settle this birds talk to the previous owner and see if he will work with you. I have birds that I breed and have young and keep for over 2 years and they were yearling, I decided to settle them, I cut the flights and did all the things I can do to ensure the birds can learn the loft first and not to fly right away. The birds do know how to get in and out of the loft but once their wing grew and realized they now can fly they did couple of turns and then gone, so you can never tell what will be the outcome, all I can say if you take chances then you might get rewarded or you might get disappointed which is part of this wonderful hobby.


Soymi69 very well put.

Walter


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## ALnaturAL (May 23, 2009)

thanks every one I'm going to try and settle them after they make one round of babys


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## Guest (Mar 28, 2010)

ALnaturAL said:


> thanks every one I'm going to try and settle them after they make one round of babys


 personally I wouldnt do it but I see you dont care if they stay or not after you get some offspring from them so oh well , its up to you


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## soymi69 (Nov 12, 2007)

Your birds your decision! Good luck! Atleast you know where the birds come from. See if you can do that on a $300 bird. Then you will understand some of our situation.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

ALnaturAL said:


> thanks every one I'm going to try and settle them after they make one round of babys


They do not call them homers for nothing. you will get tired of going back to get your birds or perhaps you do not really care... some stay for a spell and then take off, some just take off from the get go.. not sure why someone would want to risk it... but if their loft is only ten miles the bird should make that with no problem, then you will have to go get your birds everytime you let them out... perhaps.


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## soymi69 (Nov 12, 2007)

A proper etiquette is if you were given a birds do your best to take care of the birds, and not fly it. Some guys will lend you birds then ask to return them once you get the young birds you need. Its just proper that you don't try to fly the birds or settle it to your loft. Now if you bought the birds then its a different story because the birds are yours. I did that one time gave a guy pair of good birds and the deal is not to fly them and once he's done to give it back to me. Well the birds were my prisoner birds and they came from another states so the guy decide to settle the birds, lost the hen. So do you think I will lend anymore birds after what I experience? Do what you think is right out of respect to the person that gave you the birds.


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## Covenant Loft (Feb 10, 2009)

soymi69 said:


> A proper etiquette is if you were given a birds do your best to take care of the birds, and not fly it. Some guys will lend you birds then ask to return them once you get the young birds you need. Its just proper that you don't try to fly the birds or settle it to your loft. Now if you bought the birds then its a different story because the birds are yours. I did that one time gave a guy pair of good birds and the deal is not to fly them and once he's done to give it back to me. Well the birds were my prisoner birds and they came from another states so the guy decide to settle the birds, lost the hen. So do you think I will lend anymore birds after what I experience? Do what you think is right out of respect to the person that gave you the birds.


soymi69

Very good point, we want to do all we can to put a positive spin on our great hobby.

Walter


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