# Birds won't fly



## Grim (Jul 28, 2007)

I have three YBs, all over two months old now. I can not get them in the air. All they will do is sit on top of the loft or my house. What am I doing wrong? I have tried it with them hungry and full and no flying.

I have a wedding in my family in April and would like to do a release for them with my own birds. So I feel like I am in a rush to get them routing so I can start tossing and all they want to do is stare at me!

They don't seem to feel vulnerable either since they will walk around on my house pecking at the shingles. They have done a few excited flights but they only fly about 12 feet to the other part of the roof.

I have also taken the oldest of the 3 about 300 feet from the loft down a utility ditch and he will fly back but no circling over the loft.

Also I have no OBs to show them the way since I have all prisoners.


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## roller (Oct 25, 2007)

i don't know either..my birds fly but only for like 5 minutes then they land on the roof and stay there until it gets dark and they are OB' and YB's..the loft is well ventelated..is it the feed?..someone tell us what we are doing wrong


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Hopefully some expert will come help you guys. I can say that every year I have one or two that do what you are describing. Not sure what you can do about it. But, that's one or two out of 30 or 40 or more birds. 
I'm sure that someone will tell you that you are overfeeding. I've done what you said you've done. Let them get VERY hungry and have fed them well. They still just want to "hang out" till everyone else comes in and then they are ready to come in too. IF I take them down the road, they'll fly home, but as long as they are here in my yard, they want to lounge.


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## Grim (Jul 28, 2007)

Oh I would love to take them down the road but they would probably be lost. Since they have never flown high over the loft I don't see how they would make it back.

Should I flag them up? I'm thinking not...


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Grim said:


> Oh I would love to take them down the road but they would probably be lost. Since they have never flown high over the loft I don't see how they would make it back.
> 
> Should I flag them up? I'm thinking not...


IMO, the only people who should flag their birds are those that live in a wide open space. Here, they just go sit in a tree. Tried it......it didn't work.  Now if you've got open spaces, then they will fly cause I know people who do it, however they live where you can see for miles......We tried flagging our OB's too.......they just go sit on the house. I've actually got to where I don't worry about it so very much. If ALL my birds did this, then I would be concerned, but when just a few do it, it's just hopeless. And when it does come time to start training, I just hope they'll follow the others home. What else can you do?


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## Pigeon0446 (Apr 22, 2007)

I think the best way to do it would be to just keep taking them a little bit further from the coop each day and eventually you'll have them comming back from wherever you want. Like I have over a hundred YB's every year and they will never fly for me around the loft. But somhow I still win races here on Long Island in a club with over 35 lofts every year. But the way I start training them since the don't fly I take them to the back of my house which is about 150 feet from the coop a few times then to the front yard. then to the corner of my block which is only about 600 feet away. Then to the school yard about 1000 feet away. and I keep going gradually until i get them to about a mile then you can jump them a little becasue by then they should have the idea. But everybody has thier own way of doing things this is just how I do it and it's been working for me. But it is alot of work especially when you have over 100 pigeons like I do, but it shouldn't be hard for you with just 3 birds. I 'd say just take it slow and teach them slowly. I know alot of guys say the birds know thier way and don't need to be taught I don't believe that I think they need to be taught.


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## Grim (Jul 28, 2007)

I took the two younger birds off about 100 feet from the loft and set them on the ground. They both flew up to a power line and one didn't make a good landing and missed and came back to the ground by me. The other looked at him and flew down to the ground as well. 

I have some work to do, but now that I think of it they may just be to young. They don't exactly fly quickly and seem to take extra effort in slowing down to land or avoid an obstacle.

Other than that they trap well. 

Maybe I am overfeeding them but then I think if they are really hungry they would trap instantly and then it would defeat my purpose.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Grim,

This may sound dumb, but are you sure they are homing pigeons? 

It sounds to me like they are just not built for real flying.


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## kalapati (Aug 29, 2006)

maybe because of fear. instinct tells them that it's a hawk season and mr cooper is always around. wait till the ravens or crows start nesting pretty soon. they will become territorial and they will drive away the falcons.

and when your birds sense that mr cooper is gone then they may start rejoicing and fly high.


kalapati


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

Something I found that worked pretty well, was loading them up in the crate and taking them across the yard. We have a pretty big yard, on a hill, with trees, so I made my way from being in clear view of the loft, to the road where they'd have to get up above the trees to see the loft nicely. I'd take them out everyday, moving them from one "stop" to another until I made it to the farthest point. At first they were all over the place when they came out, but after a week they had a pretty good kit in the air. It's different for everyone, but that's what worked for me.


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## Grim (Jul 28, 2007)

Treesa yes they are delbars. All the parents are AU banded and I have seen some pedigrees. I think they are just to young to feel confident or their number is to small to feel comfortable in the sky. I will have 6 more babies in the next few months all weaned.










I think I am going to continue with the small tosses from greater distances from the loft to make them think.


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## luckyloft (Oct 21, 2006)

Grim. I dont know if this will help but here goes.The first year I raised young I let 3 out togeather.They were very calm and sort of just set on the roof.1 week later I put 3 more out.And the first day togeather they started taking short flights around the roof and within about 3 to 4 days they were all flying togeather.I dont know if it was the small numbers or what.I have always turned out about 10 young birds at a time since then and have not had the same problem. Jeff


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## Grim (Jul 28, 2007)

Ok thanks for your experience. Thats what I was thinking that I just didn't have enough birds for them to feel like a flock and explore. I will just have to be patient.

Thanks to everyone for their input.


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## k-will (Dec 15, 2007)

if you are only letting 3 out,this is not so abnormal.when you put the next ones out with them they will fly.youll see.


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## bloodlines_365 (Jan 15, 2008)

i have three young ones that dont fly too,, what i did i tossed them up in front of the house with old birds flying and then they join in and they start flying after a few days of loft flying i tossed them up to one miles and so on, but sometimes be causios cause they get disoriented very quick ....... problem solve


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## roller (Oct 25, 2007)

i let mines fly with my rollers. But then they don't fly as long as my rollers. when i let my rollers fly only they fly for a long long time! but if i let both of them out. the rollers follow the homers to the roof! this blows!..maybe i should race rollers too!...LOL


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## re lee (Jan 4, 2003)

You can jump the birds up to get them flying. At first they may jusy jump up and land but each day they will fly more. You can use a empty water bottle or small ball. I use a empty grit bag with a couple of small boards inside toss it up in the air and they take off. Like I said soon they just fly. . You do not want them sitting to long with hawks near.


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## LuisO (Nov 14, 2005)

Hey Grim,

Good luck training your birds. I'm pretty sure they will get the hang of it. Working with them in wooded areas is a bit different than open spaces like lovebirds mentioned. You have already gotten a few very nice suggestions. 

I would recommend to continue training these youngsters. A good foundation for younger squeekers comming out of the nest are slightly older YB who already know how to trap and fly to the roof or to the ground. Thus helping the younger group become more confident and smarter faster, especially in FLORIDA! If you have a few older HENS (HENS ONLY) that are already loft trained let them out with the 3 youngsters, they will help you as hens tend to be more relaxed. Release a cock bird and he will chase down the youngsters and get them all agitated and fluttering all around, not good.

Once you see that the youngsters are strong, and being lazy, take a tennis ball to the roof and get them into the air. Our loft sits very similar to LoveBirds loft, wooded. I believe the birds need a bit more time as they don't have much air space before they don't see the loft anymore. As YB their homing senses are still developing and I believe they all develop with experiance and time.

Rollers and YB: I would not suggest this, unless you want to loose one or both of the breeds. Rolles tend to fly slower and perform creating attention for hawks. Rollers also stay within sight of the loft, homers need to expand their knowledge and will loft fly for 10+ miles away from the loft. Rollers will never do this, although some rollers do tend to fly pretty high and long.

Hope this helps a bit.

Luis


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## LuisO (Nov 14, 2005)

Hey Roller,

I believe your homers have learned from the rollers they really dont have to go anywhere. let them out a few times and tennis ball the roof a few times, get them flying as good as you can over a week and then toss them a few miles. They'll get flying. Homers are ment to home, get them out there!!!


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## bloodlines_365 (Jan 15, 2008)

LuisO said:


> Hey Grim,
> 
> Good luck training your birds. I'm pretty sure they will get the hang of it. Working with them in wooded areas is a bit different than open spaces like lovebirds mentioned. You have already gotten a few very nice suggestions.
> 
> ...


this is really an excellent suggestion!!!! start tossing them up.....


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## Grim (Jul 28, 2007)

Just and Update.

I placed them in a box and carried them about 100 feet away where they couldn't see the loft because of woods. I released them in a clearing and they took off high and fast. They would slightly almost stop because they almost collided with tree tops but got the hang of it and were even diving and playing in the air. I think they and I got the hang of it.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Grim said:


> Just and Update.
> 
> I placed them in a box and carried them about 100 feet away where they couldn't see the loft because of woods. I released them in a clearing and they took off high and fast. They would slightly almost stop because they almost collided with tree tops but got the hang of it and were even diving and playing in the air. I think they and I got the hang of it.


Sounds like you're making progress. Much more than I am.............


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## Grim (Jul 28, 2007)

I read that on another post. I wouldn't be to worried I am sure they will know where home is. Besides it may be cold and strong winds but they are still outside checking out their surroundings.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Oh yes, they are always learning and taking mental pictures of everything.


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