# Is 2 month old homers too late to settle in new loft



## Nomad_Lofts (Apr 12, 2011)

I am about to recieve 4 yb that are about 2 months old is to late to home them to my loft as I wish not to have any prisoner birds???? help help


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Nomad_Lofts said:


> I am about to recieve 4 yb that are about 2 months old is to late to home them to my loft as I wish not to have any prisoner birds???? help help


depends, if they have not been out of the loft or able to see their surroundings they can/possible to settle, if they have been flown or let out to see the surrounds of their old loft then they could fly back there.


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## Nomad_Lofts (Apr 12, 2011)

Thank you spirit any one else have any comments


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## Goingatitagain (Feb 5, 2011)

spirit wings said:


> depends, if they have not been out of the loft or able to see their surroundings they can/possible to settle, if they have been flown or let out to see the surrounds of their old loft then they could fly back there.


 I have to agree with spirit, If they have been out, it might tough. If they have not been out, a week or so in a settling cage and trap training , may hold them.

There are times when you can resettle Youngsters and times you can't.


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## lmorales4 (Jul 8, 2010)

Its easy to settle two month old birds but you have to get them on the settling cage now for about 1 week and then do the dish soap on the wings method for their first few times out.


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## Ashby Loft (Aug 31, 2007)

I just took a bunch of birds first week in May from a guy. Some of them were born in January. His loft was open every day and some had been flying from his loft. I kept them in my loft for a month where they have an aviary to sit and look out from every day. I started loft flying them a few days ago. So far they are still with me. 

I think at two months you should be fine.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

lmorales4 said:


> Its easy to settle two month old birds but you have to get them on the settling cage now for about 1 week and then do the dish soap on the wings method for their first few times out.


which makes them even easier for a hawk to grab.. IMO...


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## g-pigeon (Aug 24, 2010)

You should be fine do the soap on the wings and don't leave them alone in case of hawks.


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## lmorales4 (Jul 8, 2010)

So you would go with the alternative and lose the birds or would you rather he keep them prisoner??? It's plenty safe if he's out there with them


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

lmorales4 said:


> So you would go with the alternative and lose the birds or would you rather he keep them prisoner??? It's plenty safe if he's out there with them


soaping handicapps them, if you have to do that to keep a pigeon around then I prefer not to try it.. IMO it is like an offering to the bird of prey, if you want to risk letting them out chances are just fine if they have never been flown or seen their surrounds.. if they have then they should be prisoners in my book.. the soap keeps them around for as long as the soap is on there.. who knows if they will take off at any one point someday the day you wash the soap off?.. if your going to lose a bird I rather lose it because if flew off rather than eaten by a hawk because I handicapped it.. but that is just me.. the options are his to learn from..


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## JaxRacingLofts (Apr 11, 2010)

Dr. John Lamberton on youtube has a nice video check it out and hope this helps...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPReyZgHzWY


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## newtopidgeons (Mar 11, 2011)

And theese birds that nomad asks about should be fine if they havnt been flown right? I dont think he should have to worry much about a 2 month old that hasnt been flow some were else? Without soaping?


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

newtopidgeons said:


> And theese birds that nomad asks about should be fine if they havnt been flown right? I dont think he should have to worry much about a 2 month old that hasnt been flow some were else? Without soaping?


he did not say, but I think they may be fine if not flown..


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## Matt M (Mar 2, 2011)

We didn't have good luck trying to settle any birds over 8 weeks of age no matter how much time they had spent viewing the immediate surroundings. We lost about a bunch right off the landing board earlier this year even with them being trap-trained, having an aviary view during the day for weeks and several days of being put in a wire cage up on the house to see the surroundings. They were kept in too long and were just too strong on the wing, didn't matter how much preparation they had, they just took off, gained altitude and then couldn't seem to figure out how to put the brakes on.

We also have some large trees in the neighborhood which doesn't help so I would think your success of settling older birds might be much better if you can see the loft for long distances all the way around.

Since the early mistakes we have settled 17 more young ones without losing any and have them loft flying and ready for road training now. The big change in success rate was simply getting things started EARLY. Birds are weaned between 25-28 days old and start their trap training about a week after weaning as soon as they are over the stress. The birds were loft flying by 6 weeks and started routing on their own soon after that.

I don't think I will mess with trying to keep the early ones in longer next year to shelter them from hawks. I guess I'd rather take the risk of hawks getting a couple rather then losing a bunch right off the landing board when they're too strong on the wing.


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## Nomad_Lofts (Apr 12, 2011)

I will keep you posted they have not been out of there home loft. As soon as they get in they will enjoy the large aviary getting a nice view of there surroundings a week of trap training then its up up and away and back home for supper.


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## newtopidgeons (Mar 11, 2011)

I did fine settling bird that were older when I got them. I took it slow and only lost 1 so far out of 21. The other 20 all fly around and come back in every other day. "knock on wood"


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

just to mention.. really good racing stock would be risky,, heard of a story of a homer sold at the right age (young), never been flown.. first time out at the new home.. flew back to home loft.. the seller called the buyer and said hey your bird is here..so he did get him back.. not sure what he did with him/her..but for a young to fly home the first time out at that age was pretty cool.. do not think it happens much. you said they have not been flown.. so lets see what happens..


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## umaximus (Nov 12, 2010)

"it is like an offering to the bird of prey"

It is offering to the prey every time you let the birds out. Isn't that how it's always been? HahahaLOL

Just depends if you want to baby and protect them or would u rather let them out, try them, and see how they do. Do what's most important to you?


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## JM1120 (May 30, 2011)

My brother in law gave me two tipplers and two homers, the homers were 2 year old siblings, and the tipplers were a 2 year old male, and a 6 year old female. We kept them in our garage during Snowmageddon 2010, in a cage, and then just this spring built them a loft. One of the homers got loose before we got her located (settled) and disappeared. The other three, despite being older birds, are very much located, and we let them out every day. So I don't think 2 months is too late.


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

It is doable. I have settled birds older than that. The military during WWII settled birds between 6-8 weeks old and it worked for them. Putting birds in an aviary is not enough. You have to put them outside the loft in a settling cage to see their own loft. You have to make sure they know your loft roof, too, else how would they know where to land. That goes with the landing board as well. You have to put them there, too. I even go further and put my birds on a settling cage on my house roof for them to see the airspace. (Not to surprisingly, many of them have been saved with that settling cage from Cooper's hawk).


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## hankabus (Dec 3, 2009)

RodSD said:


> It is doable. I have settled birds older than that. The military during WWII settled birds between 6-8 weeks old and it worked for them. Putting birds in an aviary is not enough. You have to put them outside the loft in a settling cage to see their own loft. You have to make sure they know your loft roof, too, else how would they know where to land. That goes with the landing board as well. You have to put them there, too. I even go further and put my birds on a settling cage on my house roof for them to see the airspace. (Not to surprisingly, many of them have been saved with that settling cage from Cooper's hawk).


I agree with rodsd it is doable. just dont rush it I know that is hard not to do as they are ready to fly but the longer you can keep them in the settling cage imo the better. I have put birds in the settling cage on the landing board for as long as 3 weeks and trap training at the same time. the first time I let them out was a distance of 20 feet, some went straight to the landing board and then trapped in and 3 of them took off and flew up as high as any homer I have ever seen, they flew over several times and I never seen them again for 2 days. I got stressed out thinking I just lost 3 birds cuz they were so strong on the wing. A friend of my wifes called and said she thought she saw 3 of my birds in a town 15 kilometers from my town. I drove there to see if I could find them but didnt see them and presumed they were lost. The next day guess what 3 missing birds on the landing board. I must say I was impressed with the little buggers, they were gone for a couple of days and came home. So I did learn that birds strong on the wing are not always lost. I think due to the length of time on the landing board they knew where home was and I am very thankful (lucky) they came home.

Regards
Hank


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## mikel (Jun 9, 2011)

it is going need a lot pf patience,they are already strong on the wings,so have patience in settling them down on your loft,putting them in settling cage,everyday would help a lot,just dont rush them to settle,IMO once your bird fly out from your loft it is not yours anymore until it trapped in your loft,lots of things could happen when they start to fly(fly away,got lost,hawks etc etc..),good luck on your new birds,hope to see them flying around your loft


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