# how to make pigeons fly more



## droper (Apr 27, 2011)

i have about a dozen pigeons now and they're all loose 24/7 now but they dont seem to fly around very much anymore is there any way to encurage them to fly more? should i try scaring them to make them fly


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## Nkloft (Jan 24, 2011)

maybe your over feeding them ? 
Use a flag that will help keeping them in the air for longer.


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## NZ Pigeon (Nov 12, 2011)

Keep them locked up apart from when it is time to come out to fly, Make sure they are hungry at flying time but not too hungry, Let them out and use the flag as mentioned by bears to scare them all into the sky, Once up I like to put the flag away and let mine choose when to land as that way they will feel safe to land on the loft roof rather than the neighbours. In saying that I will on occasion encourage them to stay up with the flag but I prefer to do this when they are flying straight past the house rather than when they are trying to land, As I said I am a bit advocate for not scaring birds that want to land, encouraging them to stay up however I support, Its a fine line and a major part is feeding methods.

So the real trick as bears has mentioned is feeding them right, I like to give mine around 3 tablespoons of wheat. Also they get a few tit bits when they trap in as a rewards, A few pigeon peas, Maize, Sorghum and sunflower in very small amounts as these are heavy feeds and you want to keep your birds light to keep them in the air. Obviously they need grit too

Racing pigeons need a different diet, The methods above are what I use for my rollers and high fliers and they fly well.

Another trick is to watch closely and try and pick your birds that want to fly hard and long, Keep those birds locked up every other day that way they should fly longer and the group should follow, One thing to watch with this method is that you don't ruin your best birds, Short flies may cause a decrease in fitness level over time, Like I say watch closely, Try different things and you should get there.


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## tpvang (Jun 15, 2010)

I believe it has to be genetics too, but do watch their feed.


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

Well for one thing they shouldn't be out 24/7. They'll pick up lazy habits. Let them out twice a day. You can encourage them to fly by crating them up and letting them go across the yard, using a flag, etc. Then when they land call them in. Always feed them after you fly, not before. A tablespoon of food per bird each feeding will do. Two tablespoons in the afternoon if it's cold where you live.


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