# My Pigeons Disappearing



## Nkloft (Jan 24, 2011)

Couple weeks ago when i took my Pigeons out for the first time 3 of which were flying at my loft just took off and not to be seeing again, i was really surprised because they flew at my loft before they knew the area they werent routing at that time and there wasnt a hawk they just flew straight and never came back. and today again i have this young pair that also flew at my loft and laid eggs two sets in weeks since the first set broke and again when i went to the loft today the second set was broken also i guess they are still imature and cant take care of the eggs so i decided to take them out. they flew couple mins around the loft and disappeared after few hours of not seeing them i was shocked thought they were flying since they only fly for not even 10 mins and come back inside. What could be the reason for them Disappearing ?? Its really hard everytime i raise couple homers to fly around the loft they either Disappear or get eating by the hawk.


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## sev3ns0uls (Jul 2, 2011)

I have some youngster that are like that too. I keep them in my loft and loft fly them around my house for many many times. Yes these are homing pigeon im talking about. One sunny days as i was happily let them loft fly again, one by one the took off and never came back as they are following my older birds going 2-4 miles away from my loft. I lost 4 so far. They all are homer and i got them when they are 2-3ish months old. They loft fly almost once a week for 3 months and once they rout farther from the loft, they just dont came back by the end of the day. there was only once time where a spear hawk chase them but they came back that day. 

Anyway, i came to the conclusion that maybe they dont have strong homing ability or too young. 
on another thought, some birds will not come home if they dont like your loft or maybe they dont settle (like they are being bully by dominate birds and cant claim any area in the loft) so they decide to leave the loft.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Nkloft said:


> What could be the reason for them Disappearing ?? Its really hard everytime i raise couple homers to fly around the loft they either Disappear or get eating by the hawk.


Well...if you know hawks are present and you are trying to train/fly youngsters...that isn't a good combination, really.....it won't end very well for your birds....


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## Nkloft (Jan 24, 2011)

sev3ns0uls said:


> I have some youngster that are like that too. I keep them in my loft and loft fly them around my house for many many times. Yes these are homing pigeon im talking about. One sunny days as i was happily let them loft fly again, one by one the took off and never came back as they are following my older birds going 2-4 miles away from my loft. I lost 4 so far. They all are homer and i got them when they are 2-3ish months old. They loft fly almost once a week for 3 months and once they rout farther from the loft, they just dont came back by the end of the day. there was only once time where a spear hawk chase them but they came back that day.
> 
> Anyway, i came to the conclusion that maybe they dont have strong homing ability or too young.
> on another thought, some birds will not come home if they dont like your loft or maybe they dont settle (like they are being bully by dominate birds and cant claim any area in the loft) so they decide to leave the loft.




They are 7 months old so i dont think its the age and also they were born in my loft i didnt buy them. also they actually were the bullies they would chase all the other pigeons around they took over 3 nest boxes.


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## Nkloft (Jan 24, 2011)

Jaye said:


> Well...if you know hawks are present and you are trying to train/fly youngsters...that isn't a good combination, really.....it won't end very well for your birds....



There were no hawks when i took them out and they were 2011 birds around 7 months old.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Nkloft said:


> They are 7 months old so i dont think its the age and also they were born in my loft i didnt buy them. also they actually were the bullies they would chase all the other pigeons around they took over 3 nest boxes.


If you just let them out for the very first time and they are 7 months old, they are heavy on the wing and will take off. The ideal age to train and fly youngsters is 6 to 8 weeks, to 2 months of age.


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## Nkloft (Jan 24, 2011)

UPDATE: The male came back, but his mate is still missing.


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## Nkloft (Jan 24, 2011)

Skyeking said:


> If you just let them out for the very first time and they are 7 months old, they are heavy on the wing and will take off. The ideal age to train and fly youngsters is 6 to 8 weeks, to 2 months of age.



No i've taken them out before when they were young and they flew around like i said they know the area, but since they never routed before that might be the reason ??


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

reasons why homers take off.. there are only guesses.. one is over crowding, birds if they feel the place has too many and not enough space they can take off. another is predators..if they feel it is not safe there..they may take off. another is strong on the wing, if they were locke up for a good amount of time and not flown as youngsters at all or very little ..they may just be flap happy and take off., Another is some join feral flocks or a follow other pigeons to their home and the keeper there keeps them, also some birds may route and get taken down by a bird of prey and it just seems like the took off.


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## Nkloft (Jan 24, 2011)

UPDATE: The Female Came back today so its all good . I think the problem was they probably got lost ?


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## Nkloft (Jan 24, 2011)

spirit wings said:


> reasons why homers take off.. there are only guesses.. one is over crowding, birds if they feel the place has too many and not enough space they can take off. another is predators..if they feel it is not safe there..they may take off. another is strong on the wing, if they were locke up for a good amount of time and not flown as youngsters at all or very little ..they may just be flap happy and take off., Another is some join feral flocks or a follow other pigeons to their home and the keeper there keeps them, also some birds may route and get taken down by a bird of prey and it just seems like the took off.


I agree with you you only can guess. but My loft is big enough to hold about 25-30 birds and thats what i have now between that numbers. They also been out before when they were young they flew around the loft all the time. like i said in my other post i think its just they got lost.


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## sev3ns0uls (Jul 2, 2011)

spirit wings said:


> reasons why homers take off.. there are only guesses.. one is over crowding, birds if they feel the place has too many and not enough space they can take off. another is predators..if they feel it is not safe there..they may take off. another is strong on the wing, if they were locke up for a good amount of time and not flown as youngsters at all or very little ..they may just be flap happy and take off., Another is some join feral flocks or a follow other pigeons to their home and the keeper there keeps them, also some birds may route and get taken down by a bird of prey and it just seems like the took off.


yes all of those are possibilities.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Nkloft said:


> UPDATE: The Female Came back today so its all good . I think the problem was they probably got lost ?


That is great news!, The thing about homers is they really do want to make it home.. and they do if they can. I hear more news about returns than I do about fly offs or fly aways it seems.


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