# How do you get pigeons to come to your hand when called?



## polo963 (Feb 25, 2011)

I was watching a video and i saw this guy call the pigeon to his hand he says they go home to there loft and they only come to his hand, how do you birds to do this?
heres the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OheOXZKmMXs

props to this guy must take alot of patience


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## Revolution Lofts (Aug 7, 2008)

It's just a matter of getting them to not be scared of you. To do this, put feed on your hand and they'll start to eat from your hand. It'll take some time, but eventually you want to be standing outside with feed on your hand, and they'll come sit on you. I'm not sure about outside of the backyard though since I haven't done it myself. I'm assuming its similar to portable training.

I wear a red lumber jack jacket when I feed the pigeons. And this one time my sister was wearing it outside, and the pigeons came and sat on her. So they are attracted to the colour of something too


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## sev3ns0uls (Jul 2, 2011)

you can try giving them peanut treat. Peanut makes them go crazy. once they are addict to peanuts, they will come to your hand.


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## sdymacz (Aug 30, 2010)

Spend time with them, call them when feeding, some my pigeons are all over me even when they have food in feeder some just want food others make a run for it. That is when I have to watch out because the friendlier ones they will make them self comfortable around my feet or on my shoes. Some I can pick up like a baby wont even move they might even cuddle with my hand or try pecking at it to see whats in it, others I try not to because they squirm in my hand and run wildly


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

People who use pigeons like falcons probably train them like the falconers do. I imagine you'd need to feed call train them first. Get them used to the sound or word that means food. Then feed them from your hand every time you feed them, making the sound.


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## Revolution Lofts (Aug 7, 2008)

Becky that's exactly what I did! My feed call was whistling, and I'd whistle coming down the sundeck stairs and they'd get all excited and start flying around in the loft. When I got to the loft, I could barely open the door since they'd all want to get at my hands and come out. 

What I did was that I didn't let them eat from a feeder, but they ate from my hands everyday. Eventually when I'd open the loft door, they would come and sit on my arms/hands and start eating.

It might help to have a small loft in my opinion. The loft I had these birds in was 3 X 3 X 3, lifted 2 feet off the ground. This puts them in a "tight" position and when they see 1 bird eating from my hand, the rest would follow.


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

I usually sit on the floor of my loft and let them walk all over me and eat from my hands. I don't do it a whole lot but it's nice when I do  The birds are really smart and know where their food comes from. I can always tell when mine are hungry when I let them out because they fly right at my and either turn in front of me or buzz my head before "leading" me back to the loft. Trying to get my attention  They also like to try to eat my fingers when I stick them in the crates or through the wire on the loft cause they think they will get peanuts out of it LOL.

There's a sport they do in....India? I can't remember, but they let the birds go like half a mile or so away or so. They have this big red ring sort of set up and the birds have to sprint back as fast as they can and the first bird to drop down in the ring and land on the owner's hand wins. It's incredible how well trained they are and it's crazy that this was even thought of in the first place, haha. But very cool. People come up with all kinds of ways to compete with pigeons. I don't remember what breed they use for this but it's a lot like falconry, or as I've heard it mentioned, "pigeonry".


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## sdymacz (Aug 30, 2010)

Ive got four American Helmet youngsters in my house and when I go to see them they cant wait for me to open the cage so they can hop out on my arm and sigh with relieve when sitting perched high on my shoulder, they cling to me like Velcro even when I try to put them on top of cage they fly back, their mother is like that too shes the hen that I can pick up with out running away


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## goga82 (Aug 17, 2009)

i dont need to call my pigeon to land on my hand.. soon as he see me he makes sure he lands on me.. somewhere.. where he dont care as long as he gets to own me..
it all depends how much time they had spent with you growin up.. on the other hand i had ferals that were emaciated and i was bringing them up to the normal weight.. they for some reason fly if loose in the house.. liked to land on my lap.. just last feral i rescued.. couldnt walk.. bloody legs tangled .. 3 days later he was sitting on my couch... he was a sweet old pigeon.. released him few days ago..
depends on the trust animal has..

i had few ferals i raised.. if i was taking them out for some free flight before their release.. all i had to do was clap my hands.


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## chayi (May 1, 2010)

Easy get them very hungry the trick to all training is food and patience they will eventually come to your hand.


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## Josepe (Jan 10, 2011)

Start feeding them from your hand when they're Young,and hungy.


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## dogging_99 (Apr 21, 2009)

Peanuts,Peanuts,Peanuts LOL
Once you get them hooked on Peanuts! you can't get them to quit landing on your hand, hat, shoulder , I only give mine 2 per day each. Sometimes if a hen is being run by the cock and wont let her eat I give her 4 per day. 
I never feed them on me they must wait on there perch for there share


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## atvracinjason (Mar 4, 2010)

TRUST!
That bird has to trust you...as a young man I would marvel over the man across the road who would feed blue jays from his hand...I'd say he triggered any bird interests I have, point is these birds fed from his hand beacause they trusted him...they would come...eat and leave...he never tried to hold them(although I have a few pidgies who love being pet)he just let them come to him...sound hippie enough for ya?...


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

polo963 said:


> I was watching a video and i saw this guy call the pigeon to his hand he says they go home to there loft and they only come to his hand, how do you birds to do this?
> heres the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OheOXZKmMXs
> 
> props to this guy must take alot of patience


Same way the lady at the city park would do it with the park pigeons until they made it a felony punishable by 25 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. You use feed.


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