# Free pigeons please help.



## bethannsignorin (Nov 19, 2010)

Hello I have approximately 50 to 60 pigeons. I have a very small funeral release business. I do maybe 1 or two funerals a month, the problem is, I cannot continue with all the losses. I had several hawks terrorizing my flock last 2013 winter and I lost 40 birds. I applied for a depredation permit and this past winter I finally got the cooper hawk who had been terrorizing them this winter. he actually entered and exited my coop throught the belgium drop bobs. Now the last funeral release i did, a cooper hawk swooped down and got one of those and none of my birds returned. the other cemetery I frequent also has redtails nesting there. so I have had enough. I would like to give all but a handful of my birds to someone who would appreciate them. I have mostly white, but i do have a few rollers and a few fantails. i live near pittsburgh pa and would like to find them a good home. I lost 12 in the past 3 weeks and it is not fair to the birds. thanks for listening. Beth Signorini


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## whytwings (Feb 12, 2011)

I guess it comes with the territory Beth . You seem to have had some incredibly bad luck ....I'm so sorry for your losses


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## LUCKYT (Jan 17, 2009)

Sorry, about the losses, but I am not surprised, Cemeteries make Ideal Hawk Habitat. Why not just switch to Weddings and other special occasions?
I would try local ebay or craigslist ads screening people carefully.
It might be hard to find homes for that many at once. 
If they are Homers, which they had better be if you are releasing them, Make it clear to whoever takes them that you do not want them back, and that they will have to be locked up.


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## Jass SamOplay (May 29, 2012)

It breaks my heart when someone talks of giving up on pigeons.
We're travelling in the same boat Beth. Falcon wiped off more than half of my birds. Maybe one could keep a pet BOP to chase wild ones off. Or use some flying mechnical toy to scare those bloody beasts off.

The other day I saw a video on youtube. They used a whistle,tied it on back of their pigeons. When pigeons fly fast it whistles loud. Falcon approached the flight of birds and it got scared as got closer. Watching that soothed my soul,trust me.


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## bethannsignorin (Nov 19, 2010)

Thanks everyone,, I am not sure which way to turn at this point. hawks have become so numerous in our area. I don't feel right just sending them out to be slaughtered. at home I can protect them especially with the depredation permit, but I have too many lol of course who doesn't. I want to keep a few and just let them fly here at home. just to the point of frustration and want to thin them down. keep me in mind if any one would like some they are beautiful healthy birds.


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## pigeon-lover0 (Apr 1, 2012)

Hope you find homes, best regards!


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## Jass SamOplay (May 29, 2012)

I understand what it feels like when you lose birds everytime you fly them.
Hey Beth, I haven't owned or flew any but you might wanna google/youtube Kelebek and Catalonian pigeons. Check 'em out how they fly, you may like 'em. Since you've white homers mostly and hawks can get them easily they've developed a taste for them. I appreciate you said you'll keep some pigeons at home to fly, you may want to give catalonian and kelebek pigeons a try. They are used to catch hawks. Also they fly so interestingly when attacked so its not easy for hawks to catch them. Once the hawks realise they couldn't catch the agile prey they'll go elsewhere to find other sorts of prey which demand less effort to catch.
If I had a depredation premitt I would have catched all and sent them away. You may want to buy some carcasses from slaughter and feed the hawks at sites away from home for 15 days or so to break their habit of attacking pigeons. Sometimes these tricks work out well.


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## bethannsignorin (Nov 19, 2010)

Jass SamOplay, thanks for the tips. I definitely want to keep a few. I will check out those other types of pigeons.


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## LUCKYT (Jan 17, 2009)

It really does not matter what type of Pigeons you fly. One is as pretty much at risk as another. the only breeds that stand a chance are the flying, or performance breeds. 
If you had avoided cemeteries, and done Weddings, ect, and trained you birds differently, you would not have had these problems.
Doing Cemetery releases is asking for it. Sorry, I am told i am Not Nice, but....
I have gone to Grave yards most of my Life, LOOKING for Hawks, because there usually is plenty of trees, and game for them.
I would NEVER, legal our not take the life of a Bird of Prey..... I feel it is a Sin.
If you can not figure out how to deal with them... start keeping Canaries


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## bethannsignorin (Nov 19, 2010)

I too do not like to take the life of anything but when you walk in your coop and find bloody bodies they are way too aggressive. In our area birds of prey have even been aggressive towards people. Believe me it was a very very last ditch effort. I have had pigeons for 10 yrs and this is the first time I have had this much problem with hawks. You are entitled to ur opinion. I respect all wildlife and domestic life. I hope you are as perfect as you think you are. Obviously my birds are more important.to me than you think as I am trying to find a home for.th and am not going to do releases any more. Everything has risk so do racing and performance pigeons. So you can pick on someone else now.


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## LUCKYT (Jan 17, 2009)

"Walk in your Coop and find Bloody bodies?" 
Are we talking about a Raccoon, or a Hawk here?
I never try to hurt any ones Feelings, but the truth tends to do that sometimes.
I have had my feelings Hurt by People many times over the Years when it comes to Mistakes I have made with Creatures in my care. But I Listened and Learned, and tried not to take it personal. 
I really doubt your problem at your loft was Hawks. They do not do multiple kills like that, in or outside of a Loft, no matter what anyone says.......


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## bethannsignorin (Nov 19, 2010)

I listen. and learn as well, but I also learned, treat others with respect. It was definitely a cooper hawk, it was seen exiting the belgium drop bobs. I am not an idiot, I do know the difference between a raccoon and a hawk. I should have been more specific for you ,the last straw was one picked clean bloody body. we have continually made improvements to our coop and contacted the game commission for guidance. tried moving pinwheels, yard ornaments, a barking dog statue, christmas bulbs hanging along the coop, I also have 5 dogs that are near there when they are outside and they have barked at the hawk. we tried air soft gun, waving our arms, yelling at him. he would not fly even if I was in the coop. he became extremely aggressive. believe me I did not want to resort to removing him. i wanted to just relocate him and the game commission said no, he will return. All i wanted to do was possibly find someone who would be interested in my pigeons as breeders or pets so as not having so much expense, I have several animals and critters who are very well taken care of , as are my pigeons. i am not a child and i do not appreciate being spoken to as one. you are not mean, you are an ass.


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## LUCKYT (Jan 17, 2009)

Sorry, no one spoke to you as a Child... You said "Bloody Bodies" NOT bloody body, BIG DIFFERENCE..... If i read it wrong I apologize. I Know pigeons AND I know Cooper's Hawks ALMOST as well as I know Pigeons......I deal with them Daily here.
I only go by what I read. If one got into your Loft, it was just that once, unless it was REAL easy to get in and out, under normal circumstances it would not attempt it twice.........


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## Jass SamOplay (May 29, 2012)

Oh Wow! You've tried what you could, Beth. I wouldn't be so patient.
Not only mine (once) but hawks have entered into other member's lofts too via traps and caused damage. I lock the trap always when not flying. Such a hawk who has become a free loader needs to be sent away.
Leopards,wolves,jackels are a problem in nearby areas here. What farmers do to protect their livestock is either relocate the animal with help of officials or ....

I wouldn't do it for fun but to protect my pigeons I definitely would try to find a solution by relocating the predator. It isn't good if a hawk feeds its young pigeons in every meal. More pigeon catchers will emerge and rodent population will explode.
Touchwoood,(thankfully) my pigeons are way to agile for a hawk to catch. In my 23 years of pigeon keeping I've never lost a Highflyer(I'm not talking about homers),I've never lost a highflyer to a hawk despite their attacks. Falcon goes for highflyers and hawks for homers.


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

If you do every thing and the hawk will not fly away get a 10 million candle power spot light, you blast them 2 times and they dont come back, at least the ones that bothered me didn't.
Dave

http://www.amazon.com/Cyclops-C18MI...potlight/dp/B0018F1CJ4/ref=pd_sxp_grid_pt_0_0


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## Jass SamOplay (May 29, 2012)

Hawks used to hide around my loft in trees. I requested the neighbours to trim down the branches and they listened. It helped.
Then I observed that hawks doesn't land easily on dense trees nor they like them. I cunningly gave bad comments at neighbours tress and said they doesn't look good in your yard. I said these new age dense trees are so beautiful to watch and will beautify your yard. They fell for it and planted those dense trees on which hawks couldn't land. Now hawks don't hide to ambush near my loft. I forget the name of those trees. Something like icastus. I'll ask for it for those who are interested.


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## bethannsignorin (Nov 19, 2010)

LuckyT- you are not worth my time. and thanks for the support from the others. I truly tried everything possible. we had even tarped the loft for about 3 weeks to try to get him to lose interest. no luck. not everything one does is clear cut . I am sorry I even posted on this site now. I really thought it was more adult than this.


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## LUCKYT (Jan 17, 2009)

Sorry to offend, but any Bird person would have gladly told you releasing pigeons in a cemetery is not the thing you want to do.
(even if they do not Hit them there, they are very capable of following them Home)
I like the Hawks just as much as my Pigeons, and I am sure I have as many or more Hawks then you do there SINCE I do not do anything to hurt them.
I just manage my pigeons properly.
When some one blames the Hawks and not their own lack of research in such matters and does not train and maintain their Flock properly, and they get offended by hearing about, I do not care. 
It is not a Hawk problem but a Management problem. 
I fly a team of between 20 and 40 most of the year with only one Hawk loss this Year. MY FAULT, NOT THE HAWKS................. 
You want me to be civil when you apply for a permit to KILL Birds of Prey?
When I grew we had very few Birds of Prey because of Chemicals and attitudes like yours. 
Gee, this is messed up, we can not talk about culling Pigeons, but with Hawks it is ok? LOL


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## re lee (Jan 4, 2003)

She is trying to GIVE her birds away so no more will be killed The hawk found her loft and used it to feed far as cemetarysThere are plenty of places TODAY hawks a found.THEY are a problem More so then they should be. BUT are to be lived with. Around here hawks COOPERS are bad from OCT to APRIL redtails Are in the warm onths. NOT a problem They are to slow BUT Giving person a hard time over tryng to do right. By giving there birds away Is not right So Lucky How about backing off And stop being rude


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## LUCKYT (Jan 17, 2009)

re lee said:


> She is trying to GIVE her birds away so no more will be killed The hawk found her loft and used it to feed far as cemetarysThere are plenty of places TODAY hawks a found.THEY are a problem More so then they should be. BUT are to be lived with. Around here hawks COOPERS are bad from OCT to APRIL redtails Are in the warm onths. NOT a problem They are to slow BUT Giving person a hard time over tryng to do right. By giving there birds away Is not right So Lucky How about backing off And stop being rude


 I am not being rude. 
"More so than they should be?" that is funny... They are Hawks, that is what they do! LOL They are sending a BAD message to all others out there. If they wanted to do the right thing they should say: " I do not know how to train my Pigeons to avoid Hawks, so i need to find Homes for them. 
SO you condone the Killing of NATIVE Birds of Prey to protect some ones mismanaged pigeons? 
There is a BIG difference between being rude and telling it like it is.
Just a side bar, if this Person has so many Pigeons to give away, what were they keeping 70, or 80, 100? they said they lost 40 at one time.


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

Well not " at one time " they said the winter of 2013, and it sounded a bit rude to me made me think of Sky Tex for a minute.
Dave


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## LUCKYT (Jan 17, 2009)

Whatever, that is your opinion. This person portrays Hawks in a way that is bad for the Hobby. and the Hawks.
40 Birds, at once or singly in one winter, shows a lack of management or a desire for monetary gain over the well being of the Birds. If stating the facts is being rude, so be it. I thought we were about the Pigeons?...
GEEE... it is O.K. to mention Culling Hawks, but do not mention doing it to pigeons..... 
That is messed up.


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## LUCKYT (Jan 17, 2009)

GEE Folks.... I just got a warning, for standing up for the welfare of Pigeons, and Hawks.
SOOOO defending the feelings of a commercial interest is more important than the welfare of the Pigeons? 
There is no politically correct way to tell the truth but to tell it.


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## chayi (May 1, 2010)

I dont know I read every post twice and LUCKYT had a little sarcasm in the "If you can not figure out how to deal with them... start keeping Canaries" but other than that he told her the honest truth and she got very upset about the whole post. LUCKYT has a lot of knowledge and experience 2433 post vs 16 you can learn a lot from him... I'm sorry this post went sour. Hope to here from LUCKYT soon.


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## bethannsignorin (Nov 19, 2010)

Unfortunately hawks are bad for the sport. The winter I lost 40 I had gotten a new enclosure and did not realize the hawk was able to pull the birds through the wires. there were 2 at that time that would sit under the coop and wait for the pigeon to walk by. Unfortunately I do work and cannot sit by my coop at all times. I learned from this. I have had red tails, cooper hawks and red shouldered hawks sitting on my coop. I have photos to document this. I have rewired And made multiple improvements to my coop. In regards to culling I do not . I hand raise any physically challenged bird and keep them in a seperate coop. I even have one with a crooked beak which I hand feed every day and have done so for 2 yrs. Cut me some slack. I like to learn as well, just don't enjoy criticism and sarcasm when it is not warranted. Not every issue is black and white. I only wanted a place for my pigeons to retire to and thin my numbers a bit. I guess I should have just let the hawk continue his work according to Lucky. I am glad he has never had a problem with a nuisance hawk. It is heartbreaking in multiple ways. I will not respond to any more of his replies. I am hardly a commercial interest when i have made approximately 150.00 doing the occasional release. And as far as I see it the "welfare" of my pigeons is important or I would not have made the post in the first place. and at one point I did have about 100 birds. I see also I have not made enough posts. No I do not post alot. I have talked with a lot of local pigeon people and game officials, feed dealers , there are many ways to find information. I probably will never post on here again and will unsubscribe as well. just not worth the aggravation.


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## re lee (Jan 4, 2003)

Beth I wouyld not give up on This forum. Lucky T Is gone for now. And if he had so many hawks He had to keep his birds in to not lose any. It is not how many posts you make it is how you post. Being rude is not good at all. You are trying to do right by your birds So that is what counts. Whites have a set back They need more selection to get them homing better. As without hawks they get lost easyer. Because many have not been bred well. But crossing them with better birds such as grizzle race bred birds. White cock over grizzle hen You soon get much better whites That home rather well. BUT that is a different story. And cematarys If they have plenty of trees MAY have a few hawks. But road training there are plenty of hawks also. Birds get hit and birds get lost And birds get scared and fly to far off line and get lost. Hawks today are at a large number. Being protected. BUT there old food supply is at a much smaller number Balance is not there as it was a 100 years ago. But nature is to be lived with. You are doing Good for your birds.


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## chayi (May 1, 2010)

Beth I'm sorry for your lost and killed birds, I know it's hard to lose birds. I have a lot of white birds and usually my white homers have a more difficult time making it home either they get lost and make it back home hours later or they never return. I don't get this problem with my other color birds. I know it's heartbreaking one feeds, train, take care, spend time with ones birds and to get them lost or killed its sad. I've lost two or three birds a year I don't know what i would do if I lost lots of birds the way you did... Beth like Re Lee said "don't give up on this forum" me and lots of other people can learn from your experience dealing with BOP. I hope you would keep us posted on how you keep dealing with BOP.


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## bethannsignorin (Nov 19, 2010)

thanks so much for all your support, I really agonized over the decision with the BOP. I may try to breed with some others to get a better strain. I do realize the whites are an easier target. thats why I only work with the local funeral home and don't release any farther than about 5 miles from home. really not in it to make money. I would like to make enough money to feed them, lol. Just getting a little discouraged.


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## re lee (Jan 4, 2003)

It is not that whites are an easy target. They stand out more yes but a flock of black pigeon would be seen also. The birds hould be taught to not sit the loft. Trap fast. lock the trap down And home well. At 5 miles you would think they would get on home. I would train them out to 100 miles Just so yu fin the better birds. And cross them over to Increase there ability. Hawk season the hawks increasend also the other birds migrate Leaving a different prey. And the old prey has dwindled Over the yars. Rabbits. quail. pheasent ECT. UT hawk numbers are still getting higher. And pigeons are a target. Train them and it helps. Being on notice lookin helps. BUT the pigeons have to Get home. Some whites circle at the release to long. This is improved by building better birds. That takes time. Nature is CRUEL in a way every thing has to figt to stay alive IN he wild an average pigeon any color has about a 3 year life span Wherelft birds can hve 10 to 15 years average. SOME longer but That is a different story. So loft birds have a better chance. And that says even though some will fall prey Not as many will. We learn as time goes. And the past never returns But the future is ahead and that means we can get better at what we do.


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## bethannsignorin (Nov 19, 2010)

mine do trap pretty fast, they also trap immediately when I whistle and I have saved them from the cooper hawk many times. I have gotten much better in a lot of areas. lol. I think i do need to train a little better. I have also heard that release birds have to be trained from E,N,W,S where as racers do not. is this true? thanks


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## Jass SamOplay (May 29, 2012)

Beth, hey ...
Please don't walk away. If you had some bitter experience I'm sorry for that. There are different people in this world and different is the way they carry themselves. I suck up all the negativity and try not to reciprocate.
As re lee has stated, better strains lead to better racers who can shake off the hawks better. And training is important. What I mean is that if you lock your birds up they will go OUT OF FORM. The more you train them the more they exercise become agile and fit and can't be run down by hawks. Pigeons are marathon runners and can keep up their energy way way way longer than any BOP. You just need to select birds who can give better and desirable genes to your flock better.
Then comes training. With a BOP infested territory like yours and mine its very important not to let the birds out at same time everyday. Fly them at different times on different days so hawks can't expect when your birds come out.

The best set up for pigeons is a well ventilated wooden loft and an aviary attached to it which pigeons can access any time they want to. So when hawks come near the aviary pigeons run into loft for cover. Hawks will know soon they can't get to pigeons as they won't be visible to them hiding in the loft. If we don't do this pigeons don't feel safe and even settled ones may not come back as they're intelligent and know the setup isn't safe for them. HARDWARE CLOTH is what is most prefered for pigeon coops cuz' not only hawks many other sorts of critters can get to pigeons and can harm them. I would like to request you for your pigeons to please use hardware cloth.
I'm a teacher by profession. Winter holidays are over and I too work all day. Days are short,when I come back home theres barely any daylight. Pigeons are locked up and will stay locked up till feb15. So no losses now I'm happily medicating them to get strong for coming summers.
Point is, like you ma'm,I can't sit there to protect my pigeons all day but the right set up does the work for me.
Please post as many things you like to tell,share and ask. We all are here to talk it out-teach and learn.
Sorry for the blah...blah...blah. For one,you talked of giving up on your racers. For two,you thought of giving up on this forum, just tryna' motivate ya'
Be happy


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## bethannsignorin (Nov 19, 2010)

Thank you so much. I really do love my birds and don't want to give up. just feeling frustrated. in the spring and summer I do fly them everyday. I tried to ignore the negativity and most times I do , I decided to stand up for myself.


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## re lee (Jan 4, 2003)

bethannsignorin said:


> mine do trap pretty fast, they also trap immediately when I whistle and I have saved them from the cooper hawk many times. I have gotten much better in a lot of areas. lol. I think i do need to train a little better. I have also heard that release birds have to be trained from E,N,W,S where as racers do not. is this true? thanks


Many people will train there race birds around the clock/or the four directions. To ten to twenty miles then go a set direction. I would wait until your hawk season goes down before I road train much now. When hawks are around and the birds are in the sky The birds often fly higher then the hawk And soon the hawk gives up. Plus the birds can do evasive action and get away. But sitting the are an easy target. And when taking off and landing they are easyer to hit. Release birds in training in an open area. At cementarys Well that is different BUT having the birds get up and head on home Helps. That means building better birds.


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## hamlet (Oct 26, 2004)

Hello. To OP: are you present at releases? If yes, can you release a regular homer or a more agile( hawk proof) or tail marked white ( veteran hawk proof) bird with the release? That way the hawks would single out that odd one and give your birds time to get home fast? 
I think that racers do not have the agility of the tumbler pigeons: fe: some tumblers can be kept in balconies because they have good brakes. So maybe for your situation, try to mix a tumbler blood into one pair and see what happens. Or try to find the birds that Sam recommended and mix the genes. 
Why do you fly them daily? If it's work then, that's fine, but if not, i feel that just the decreased calories will substitute.
Have you tried to hang c/d s on or around the loft?
Did you know that hawks can not jump up from an enclosure to escape? I mean an opening that they get in from the ceiling, but can not figure out a way out? This can be used to your advantage if the opening is small enough. Maybe someone has tried this, but i may have seen one where there were a settling type of trap for pigeons to enter, but would deny entry to the hawks. I have tried to hang a leather flap like a doggie door on the entrance of my birds and they got used to pushing it to get in. 
You said that they come down on command, do they also trap freely?
How about a scare crow for a guardian next to the entrance when you are not there?
I have also witnessed the daily loses in the coop/loft at my neighbors's house. But it was at least one long tail(cooper or sharp shin) hawk's doing. 
I do not really understand the white dove release at funerals unless it was just one bird. I associate the white with the wedding dress, but i am not a native son so i am still adjusting. 
I wish someone would use the anti pick spray deterrant on their hawk's food and see if it works. A product like Bitter Apple. I have been meaning to try it. I think i will get to it soon or i can ask a falconer. 
I wish that luckyT was living near you so he could smooth out the situation with the B.O.P.s.
I do not know how relocating hawks helps the situation. Because we know that they are migratory. So having a resident hawk, better yet: a kestrel hawk, would help somewhat. People say that hawks are cannibals, but i have never seen a red tail go after a long tail, Only a falcon does that occasionally. I am yet to see a hawk get eaten by another, but that may happen only in captivity. 
Another wish: if we could have a separate area where we could talk about the hawk/ pigeon relationships only. Maybe there already is/are : the homing/racing and the performing breeds sections. All the hawk proofing efforts would unite and offer quicker aid to the situations. 
I currently have two young ones: highflyer/tumbler mixes whom i am working with almost daily this winter in hopes of having them ready for5-10 miles of release in the future. They have seen some hawk action already with success thanks to this forum.


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## Jass SamOplay (May 29, 2012)

A known of mine lost many of his white birds to a falcon. His flight of birds is colorful and white birds are prime targets. The sun hasn't shone here from 14th december due to dense fog except for only two days after it rained heavily. He colored his three remaining white birds with blue color and flew his flight on those two days. The falcon came but this time it couldn't find any target cuz he has habit of attacking white birds. Infact, those three whites(blue colored) were never targeted.
Outrageously cocloured birds do repel falcon/hawk attacks!
If I visit his loft by chance I'll post pics of his blue colored birds.

PS: he colored his one hen dilute red. Mama Mia, that hen became prime target of not one but many hawks. She was attacked everytime he flew her on those two sunny days


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## Jass SamOplay (May 29, 2012)

(From Google)


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## CBL (May 13, 2014)

I love the colors. Ony thing I read was to not fly them in rain as the color dye interferes with their waterproofing. I had seen this in a documentary about a guy who colors his birds after the american flag or for different events. He claims they are not so waterproofed.

I guess if the birds dont get lost and or it doesnt rain in the forecast for a few days they will be good to go, just beautiful. Temped to color my whites. Food coloring and spritz them right?


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## budice7575 (Nov 11, 2007)

Do you ship


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

bethannsignorin said:


> Hello I have approximately 50 to 60 pigeons. I have a very small funeral release business. I do maybe 1 or two funerals a month, the problem is, I cannot continue with all the losses. I had several hawks terrorizing my flock last 2013 winter and I lost 40 birds. I applied for a depredation permit and this past winter I finally got the cooper hawk who had been terrorizing them this winter. he actually entered and exited my coop throught the belgium drop bobs. Now the last funeral release i did, a cooper hawk swooped down and got one of those and none of my birds returned. the other cemetery I frequent also has redtails nesting there. so I have had enough. I would like to give all but a handful of my birds to someone who would appreciate them. I have mostly white, but i do have a few rollers and a few fantails. i live near pittsburgh pa and would like to find them a good home. I lost 12 in the past 3 weeks and it is not fair to the birds. thanks for listening. Beth Signorini


. 


Something does not sound right, for one the trap needs to be changed. I also would shut down for the winter and renew in the spring, any pigeon being released in winter that is not very savvy or is too young is hawk food. You have to build a team of mature birds by protecting them in the winter esp. I still have plenty of my original crew from 5 years ago, so it can be done. They are in the safety of their loft more than out of it, so that's where to begin. If a bop comes around they are locked in for a few weeks. Spring and summer they can be let out and releases with minimum of losses. I know bops can be tiresome, but they do move on when they are not being fed.


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## Jass SamOplay (May 29, 2012)

Does it look outrageous?
-The birds moult away the feathers and replace them with their original colored feathers in about a year.
-It helps to break the habit of hawks/falcons attacking birds.
-birds don't go out of practice of flying.
Its a win - win situation


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## CBL (May 13, 2014)

Does anyone have experience of coloring their birds and not having any hawk attacks


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## re lee (Jan 4, 2003)

I am not sure putting dye on the birds would hep much. Looking arounf before you release helps. Trying to understand some of the local feeding times for the hawks would help. But some areas are hawk infested and lock down is about all that you can do. Hawks hunt for food. But seems they notice the easy target areas. Remember race /homers circle and circle. Hawks can see them far away. Then on release they circle Most often then head out. Plus in a non open area of release You can have the hidden hawk That will swoop at the birds. Any color is a meal. White can be seen better. This subject of hawks has been covered and spoke of many times. And still the hawks do what thy do. Nature is hard to control. And nature is what it is. But yet man trys.


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## adrean41 (Jan 6, 2010)

Hi Beth.
I would take the pigeons. I live in New Orleans, Louisiana.


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## Jason Heidlauf (Apr 2, 2012)

I had a hawk get in my loft it killed 4 birds before I found him ..since I moved a cooper hawk tryed to get one of my birds the hawk did not see the screen all I seen was hawk feathers when he hit the screen hard


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