# My first time letting young birds Loft Fly



## Andyfitz

This is going to be my first year racing pigeons. I finally got the courage up yesterday to let the young ones out for the first time. They were already trained to the trap and over the past week I had been giving them half portions of food. So around 6 pm yesterday I opened the aviary doors for the first time. For the first minute they just hung around then 10 of them took off. Some flew into the trees and others went way up in the sky after about 40 minutes I tried to call the birds in only the ones hanging out in the aviary and roof of the loft came in. as of this morning my the 10 are still out. I am hoping that when I get back from work today some of them will have decided to come home.


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## Ashby Loft

I hope they make it back for you. How long have the birds been in your loft before you let them out? 

I've been whistling when I feed and trap training for about a month. I think mine are almost ready to start flying.


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## Goingatitagain

I Know how you are feeling. Training YB"s is a true test of one's nerves. We all lose birds when we start to train them.

How old were these birds. Sometimes waiting to long to let them out allows them to get real strong on the wing. When they get their first taste of freedom, all they want to do is fly. Unfortunately when they get up high, being young they get confused and paniced and lose their direction.

This is why it's so important to have a settling cage up on your landing board so they can look around. We usually let our Yb's spend at least a week in the cage, letting them trap for food and getting used to you calling them in. Food is the only motivation you have right now. If any of our youngsters start to get strong on the wing, I soap them. Alot of people don't like to do it, because they are defenseless aginst any hawk attacks. It's imperative that you stay close by as they get their first taste of freedom. It gives them the chance to look around , fly up on the roof alittle to scope thing's out. Soaping holds them down and and gives them the chance to settle, without really getting up in the air.

Then again You can have them all loft flying really well, take them on their first toss and lose half of them. Sometimes there is no rhyme or reason to training YB"S. It's defintely a test of nerves.

I really hope you get them back, keep an eye out for them. The ones that do make it back learned a good experience and should hold to your loft well. 
Wish you the best !!


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## Andyfitz

Goingatitagain said:


> I Know how you are feeling. Training YB"s is a true test of one's nerves. We all lose birds when we start to train them.
> 
> How old were these birds. Sometimes waiting to long to let them out allows them to get real strong on the wing. When they get their first taste of freedom, all they want to do is fly. Unfortunately when they get up high, being young they get confused and paniced and lose their direction.
> 
> This is why it's so important to have a settling cage up on your landing board so they can look around. We usually let our Yb's spend at least a week in the cage, letting them trap for food and getting used to you calling them in. Food is the only motivation you have right now. If any of our youngsters start to get strong on the wing, I soap them. Alot of people don't like to do it, because they are defenseless aginst any hawk attacks. It's imperative that you stay close by as they get their first taste of freedom. It gives them the chance to look around , fly up on the roof alittle to scope thing's out. Soaping holds them down and and gives them the chance to settle, without really getting up in the air.
> 
> Then again You can have them all loft flying really well, take them on their first toss and lose half of them. Sometimes there is no rhyme or reason to training YB"S. It's defintely a test of nerves.
> 
> I really hope you get them back, keep an eye out for them. The ones that do make it back learned a good experience and should hold to your loft well.
> Wish you the best !!



some of the birds where my birds that I bread this past winter others were given to me. The ones that were given to me have been in the loft for about 1.5 months and the ones that I bread were not the oldest of my youngsters we will see I am about to leave work and see who came home today. 
I will keep you all posted Thanks for the thoughts


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## Andyfitz

Got home and checked only had 2 come back still a couple out there though I have seen them fly by.
I have been feeding them half the portion of food leeding up to there first loft fly. how long should I keep up half portions of food for?


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## Goingatitagain

I would just feed them just in the evening. Let them out, and look around and fly some.Then when you are ready to bring them in, they are coming to your call and are good and hungry. Once they are flying and coming right in you can go back to feeding twice a day. 

Remember, right now, food is the only motivation you have. As far as the ones that are still out when you let the others again tomorrow they should come in with them.

Our Yb's have been flying about 2 months now and after they route I don't let them linger for long before I bring them. Sometimes I will let them sit out for 10-15 min and then right in. I always try to be the one in control. 

As you learn your birds you will do fine !! Hoping to hear you got the rest of them back.


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## RodSD

As long as they are flying as a group, don't worry. Right now they may not know where to land so those birds that entered your loft would have to be taken outside again the next day to lure the "lost" birds. It seemed that your birds are very (too) strong on the wing.


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## Print Tippler

What time did you let them out at? Best to do like and hour before sundown. Thats how i do it, feed them at sundown everyday, once a day, and then when i let them out its close to that time so they know not to go anywhere. i did that for 2 or 3 days.


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## RodSD

To me the best time to release the birds is one hour before your usual feed time because of habit they expect food at that particular time. When I loss a bird, it usually comes back during feed time or late in the afternoon before sunset.

I used to do the hour before sundown until I encountered problem where hawk attacks them at those time and those birds get to spend the night away getting lost. In other words, they ran out of time to come back home.


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## Andyfitz

So I let the birds out for a second time a few days go with no feed in the morning and an hour before feeding time. When I called them back they looked at me like I was crazy. After a while most of them trapped but I have lost 10 since the first time I let them out. So I decided to back track and work on some trapping more. I also think I have been feeding them too much so there feed has been cut down to 1 tablespoon a day. With the less feed the last couple of days they have seemed to be more responsive with trapping. How long do you all think I should go back to the trapping for before I let them out again? Also I still have some flying round the house they will land on the roof of the loft but will not come down and trap. So hopefully they will decide to come in soon.


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## JaxRacingLofts

Andyfitz said:


> So I let the birds out for a second time a few days go with no feed in the morning and an hour before feeding time. When I called them back they looked at me like I was crazy. After a while most of them trapped but I have lost 10 since the first time I let them out. So I decided to back track and work on some trapping more. I also think I have been feeding them too much so there feed has been cut down to 1 tablespoon a day. With the less feed the last couple of days they have seemed to be more responsive with trapping. How long do you all think I should go back to the trapping for before I let them out again? Also I still have some flying round the house they will land on the roof of the loft but will not come down and trap. So hopefully they will decide to come in soon.



I am dealing with trap training / loft flying my ybs as well. Like you, I was told I was "over feeding" my ybs and this is why they take off like a rocket outa the loft (and don't come back for days). 
I've had my ybs on 1/2 rations on Thursday, no feed just water Friday and nothing no feed or water on Saturday and release that evening and still my earlier hatches from January and February took off and I didn't get them all back until Wednesday. 

So I decided last week to change up their feed by mixing it 50/50 with rolled Barley...They still get their fill and today it only took me 2 hours to get them all to trap back in. To me they seem like kids in a swimming pool just having too much fun to worry about eating or drinking. If you mix in the Barley you don't have to worry about cutting back their feed. Barley seems to be the last thing the birds like to eat...so you can bet once they figure out if they are late all they are getting is Barley they will trap alot quicker. 

Like today, I had a whole group of slackers waiting at the trap to be "first in"..I had to chase them off the landing board with the flag and made them leave and go fly..they did a big circle and came right back...so we'll see tomorrow if they were just really thirsty or don't want to be late to dinner.


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## Crazy Pete

You hatched birds in January and did not fly them till now? Your lucky to have any of them back. They should be in the settleing cage by 6 weeks and in the air by 7 weeks.
Dave


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## JaxRacingLofts

Crazy Pete said:


> You hatched birds in January and did not fly them till now? Your lucky to have any of them back. They should be in the settleing cage by 6 weeks and in the air by 7 weeks.
> Dave


True, noob mistake on my part. I was waiting to have a "team" to loft break and start training tosses with and then somewhere along the way I decided to wait and finish breeding and do all of the birds at the same time. 
Next year, should go smoother. By the way I have been loft flying for a few weeks now but I can't seem to get my birds to kit together in a tight group. 
I might need to try the early morning and late evening loft flying others are doing.


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## Andyfitz

Crazy Pete said:


> You hatched birds in January and did not fly them till now? Your lucky to have any of them back. They should be in the settleing cage by 6 weeks and in the air by 7 weeks.
> Dave



Most people in my club who breed in January wait many months until they start to loft fly. That is why I waited so long myself. But next year I plan on starting it early I think that may have been one of my problems. They say not to let them out in the winter due to the hawks but if I am loosing them now what is the difference at least if I loose them to a hawk I know it was nothing I did wrong


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## Ashby Loft

Crazy Pete said:


> You hatched birds in January and did not fly them till now? Your lucky to have any of them back. They should be in the settleing cage by 6 weeks and in the air by 7 weeks.
> Dave


Do you need a settling cage if your loft has an aviary?


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## spirit wings

some have aviaries that work as the landing board and the door to get in the loft is the trap door... I have a seperate door for the trap door..the aviary's roof serves as my landing board, and trap door to get in the loft.. that way if some are still out the birds in the loft can still use the avairy .. if the avairy was the settling cage and landing board they could not use it as it would opened for the stray birds to get in.. but usually what I would do in that situation would be to close the aviary and let the loft birds use it..if you see a stray bird wanting in ..then open it and set the bobs right so no one in the loft gets out..or just fly your loft birds and then hope the strays come in with them in the evening to eat.


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## Ashby Loft

spirit wings said:


> some have aviaries that work as the landing board and the door to get in the loft is the trap door... I have a seperate door for the trap door..the aviary's roof serves as my landing board, and trap door to get in the loft.


This is how I have mine set up too. In addition, this year I've built a small, removable box I can place in front of the trap. I put every young bird in there a few times just to make sure they will trap.


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## Crazy Pete

Andyfitz said:


> Most people in my club who breed in January wait many months until they start to loft fly. That is why I waited so long myself. But next year I plan on starting it early I think that may have been one of my problems. They say not to let them out in the winter due to the hawks but if I am loosing them now what is the difference at least if I loose them to a hawk I know it was nothing I did wrong


We have a guy that does the same thing he didn't let his birds out untill 2 weeks ago but, he has had birds for 30 yrs. Its a lot different when its your first time.

I have an aviary with a sputnik and I still use a settleing cage. So I may be to cautious but I don't loose many birds. If I were going to have babies in Jan. and not let them out till now I would soap the wings you just have to stay out with them at all times.
Dave


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## cubanlofts

it sounds like u r releasing birds without call training them, they should coming at ur call, or u fed them before releasing them.
lock them up, feed once a day, call until they get used to ur call, releasing them late is a good idea, but release them on an emppty stomach, unlesss u r going to free flight


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## cubanlofts

12 Volt Man said:


> Do you need a settling cage if your loft has an aviary?


I dont have e settling cage, but i have an aviary and a 360 view on main loft, also i have a removable cage that leads to the roof of the loft.
as soon as my babies jump from their nest, i wont even bother them, and they can just come out and chill out, but I am free flying now, and theres no hawks around to mess with babies.
but watch out if u keep birds for two long without settling, cause older birds are stronger on their wings and they might get lost, thats why birds should be out of the nest by their 3 or 4 week, and if they dont I boot them out of the nest.


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## JaxRacingLofts

As for my loft flying I found out today I am still over feeding. I had one of the best fliers in the club take a look at my operation and it was the first thing he noticed. I left the feeder in the loft with uneaten food Barley (surprise surprise) and released them to fly. 
So knowing your supposed to remove the feeder after 10-15 minutes or just waiting until they "get their fill" and finish it all are totally two different things. 
Tonight, I removed the feeder after feeding and well see how they respond tomorrow when I call them in.


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## cubanlofts

JaxRacingLofts said:


> As for my loft flying I found out today I am still over feeding. I had one of the best fliers in the club take a look at my operation and it was the first thing he noticed. I left the feeder in the loft with uneaten food Barley (surprise surprise) and released them to fly.
> So knowing your supposed to remove the feeder after 10-15 minutes or just waiting until they "get their fill" and finish it all are totally two different things.
> Tonight, I removed the feeder after feeding and well see how they respond tomorrow when I call them in.


U will see a difference if u do, even if they do not coming in, remove the feed, and do not feed those that didnt come in till next day after flying, hunger will teach those sloppy ones to trap faster.


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## hillfamilyloft

JaxRacingLofts said:


> As for my loft flying I found out today I am still over feeding. I had one of the best fliers in the club take a look at my operation and it was the first thing he noticed. I left the feeder in the loft with uneaten food Barley (surprise surprise) and released them to fly.
> So knowing your supposed to remove the feeder after 10-15 minutes or just waiting until they "get their fill" and finish it all are totally two different things.
> Tonight, I removed the feeder after feeding and well see how they respond tomorrow when I call them in.


Call your bunch in. After the first birds enters feed them their rations, when the first few birds are in get their fill and go to the perches, I would pull the feed. Any bird that did not respond to your call goes hungry until they do. I would focus on getting them in the trap when you call then how long they are flying. Then you can call them in during the end of the session not rewarding the lazy first birds to land but the long flying pack. Soon the early landers will go back up and fly some more. It is an art to get the team tuned in to how you want them. Sure is fun when you do. I remember I had one bird that would fly and fly. I used him as my que when it was feeding time. When he started circling close it was time to call them in. More and more birds began to fly with him longer and longer. Keep us posted on the progress.


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## Andyfitz

From the sounds of it most birds should just hang out on the loft there first few times out loft flying. If they all take off should you call them in right away or wait a while?


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## Goingatitagain

Patience is the virtue when training YB's. An ideal situation is when they go out the first couple of times is for them just stay on the board or up on the roof of the loft. This gives them a 360 view of their surrounding's which is engraved in their brain. Usually they first just fly tightly around the loft and land. 

The problems start when they get up high especially if they are strong in the wing. As i said before in an earlier post when they get out of sight of the loft sometimes they panic and get confused, that's when people have losses. Sometimes after a day or so they find their back, sometimes they are never seen again. 
That's why it's so important to get them out before they get strong and let them just hang around the loft.

To answer your qustion, let them have some freedom and after an hour or so you can call them in with your feed call. Keep them hungry. That is your only motivation.

The stronger and longer their flight's become, the more they hustled in once they land. This type of training will go along way once you start road training and racing !


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## cubanlofts

get them use to ur calling and feed.
Release ybs late without feeding, call.
ybs will fly around a little in small circles, land on a tree or neighbors, dont freak out, ybs will do that, them call, trap and feed.
ever ybird is different, ones r more outgoing than others, some will stick around and look around, others will take off with the flock


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## Goingatitagain

Andyfitz said:


> This is going to be my first year racing pigeons. I finally got the courage up yesterday to let the young ones out for the first time. They were already trained to the trap and over the past week I had been giving them half portions of food. So around 6 pm yesterday I opened the aviary doors for the first time. For the first minute they just hung around then 10 of them took off. Some flew into the trees and others went way up in the sky after about 40 minutes I tried to call the birds in only the ones hanging out in the aviary and roof of the loft came in. as of this morning my the 10 are still out. I am hoping that when I get back from work today some of them will have decided to come home.


 How are your Yb's doing and hope they all made it back.


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## Andyfitz

Thought I would drop a quick post to update on my birds. After a week and a half of less food and trap training again the birds are a lot more responsive to trapping. Tuesday I let them out to loft fly again. They all stayed around and when it was time to call them in they just looked at me again. Eventually a small group of them went in and got there feed then the food was taken away. By the end of the night all but one had returned. Yesterday I let them out again. Some hung out on the roof of the loft and of my house while others went down to the ground and picked around. To my surprise this time when I called them in they started to trap for me. When I called them in all but five where in by night time all five had returned and the one that did not make it back yesterday came in also. I guess all of my hard work is starting to pay off and hopefully tonight my nerves will be able to relax a little more when I let them out again. Should I not be letting them go on the ground and the roofs?


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## cubanlofts

Thats good news, for young birds is not bad, now, if u r going to race, no, I dont recommend let them pick up from the ground, if u r gonna race, u wanna call and trap, in my case I dont race, so, i release and they all go to fly, them I call and feed, but i leave my door open, I do free flying from 5 pm till they go to bed, now, when the hawk season begins, thats another story, In the hawk season I reduce feed to the essential and release and trap fast, to avoid hawks getting them, and I watch them very closely.


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## Andyfitz

cubanlofts said:


> Thats good news, for young birds is not bad, now, if u r going to race, no, I dont recommend let them pick up from the ground, if u r gonna race, u wanna call and trap, in my case I dont race, so, i release and they all go to fly, them I call and feed, but i leave my door open, I do free flying from 5 pm till they go to bed, now, when the hawk season begins, thats another story, In the hawk season I reduce feed to the essential and release and trap fast, to avoid hawks getting them, and I watch them very closely.


Yes I am going to be racing them. So are you saying that wen they are hanging around on the ground I should call them in? or should i shoo them off the ground


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## cubanlofts

Andyfitz said:


> Yes I am going to be racing them. So are you saying that wen they are hanging around on the ground I should call them in? or should i shoo them off the ground


If u r gonna race, u want to release, call and trap asap, U dont want ur birds hanging around after a race, u want them to go in, so they can clock in asap, seconds in a race can make a winner or looser, most likely aftera race they ll be thisrty, but after a 150 miles race a bird sometimes will keep on flying circles in top of the loft, yes, if u r gonna race, u should always release hungry, call and trap, so they will get used to, birds only motivation in life is food, that motivation must be manipulated


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## fireman

How much food should be fed each day to new pigeons that I am training?


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## cubanlofts

if u r training, feed 15 to 20 minutes, them take feed away, be sure u dont feed till next day. once a day only


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## Hareloft

to andyfitze don't let them get to strong on the wing next year.I let mine out when they are still really young I open the trap and let them out on there own. I do not force them out and I do not use a settling cage I use belgium sputniks and they trap back in really good.


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## cubanlofts

Hareloft said:


> to andyfitze don't let them get to strong on the wing next year.I let mine out when they are still really young I open the trap and let them out on there own. I do not force them out and I do not use a settling cage I use belgium sputniks and they trap back in really good.


I have nevr use belgium sputniks, but i hear they r really good, now, I was thinking, racing wise, feeding, and all that u should talk to Hill family loft, he answered u a while back on this same post, I know who he is, and he is being racing for a while, he is ur man to ask, trust me on that one.I have some of his pigeons from tiger and big Bertha, that a friend sold me and they have won here in MO several times, 5 times to be axactly, they place always on the first 3, and Iam talking about big combines. but Iam no racing anymore due to politics. 
The cock out of tiger and Bertha, I force him to married a descendant of the red hen, ans both babies were born bullets, the female was sold in auction last year for 1500 and I still have the male, and many of his descendants, so Hill family loft and I have a lot in common. I love his birds. and U should really think on getting some birds from him, e mail him a PM, his birds r strong, fast, and very heallthy, he has pedigree on eerything, and he is very reasonable, he should be asking for an arm and a leg, but he is not, if u get birds from him, use them as foundation birds, he is very picky and he has no trash on that loft, every bird is hand picked and he will get rid of birds that r not top notch.. Good lUck 
THE FRIEND THAT SOLD ME HIS PIGEONS, i BEATED HIM EVERYTIME WITH THE BIRDS HE SOLD ME, HE STILLS REGREAT THAT, LOL


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## cubanlofts

hillfamilyloft said:


> Call your bunch in. After the first birds enters feed them their rations, when the first few birds are in get their fill and go to the perches, I would pull the feed. Any bird that did not respond to your call goes hungry until they do. I would focus on getting them in the trap when you call then how long they are flying. Then you can call them in during the end of the session not rewarding the lazy first birds to land but the long flying pack. Soon the early landers will go back up and fly some more. It is an art to get the team tuned in to how you want them. Sure is fun when you do. I remember I had one bird that would fly and fly. I used him as my que when it was feeding time. When he started circling close it was time to call them in. More and more birds began to fly with him longer and longer. Keep us posted on the progress.[


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## cubanlofts

I Though This Was A Pigeon Place, Iam Out Of This Plce Politics In Here, Go To Hell Who Ever Ruin This Place


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## PigeonVilla

cubanlofts said:


> I Though This Was A Pigeon Place, Iam Out Of This Plce Politics In Here, Go To Hell Who Ever Ruin This Place


lol does this have to do with all the ads surrounding the site now ? 
I broke down and bought a sputnik for my birds but they seem to be able to climb out of it whenever it is open ,other then that I like it .95$ plus shipping out the door


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## cubanlofts

PigeonVilla said:


> lol does this have to do with all the ads surrounding the site now ?
> I broke down and bought a sputnik for my birds but they seem to be able to climb out of it whenever it is open ,other then that I like it .95$ plus shipping out the door


yes, alll ther ads in here, eventually a place agets a littlle traffic, and cabooom, ads go in, whats nexts, our e mails sold to politician and spammers


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## SmithFamilyLoft

Andyfitz said:


> This is going to be my first year racing pigeons. I finally got the courage up yesterday to let the young ones out for the first time. They were already trained to the trap and over the past week I had been giving them half portions of food. So around 6 pm yesterday I opened the aviary doors for the first time. For the first minute they just hung around then 10 of them took off. Some flew into the trees and others went way up in the sky after about 40 minutes I tried to call the birds in only the ones hanging out in the aviary and roof of the loft came in. as of this morning my the 10 are still out. I am hoping that when I get back from work today some of them will have decided to come home.


 You should have asked for the advice months ago, instead of letting them out, and then hoping to get them back in. It appears you waited way too long. The YB's should be out on the landing board at about 28 days of age. It appears you now how birds which are months old and "stong on the wing". 
Maybe you will get some of them back, maybe not. You will do better next year.


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## SmithFamilyLoft

PigeonVilla said:


> lol does this have to do with all the ads surrounding the site now ?
> I broke down and bought a sputnik for my birds but they seem to be able to climb out of it whenever it is open ,other then that I like it .95$ plus shipping out the door


 The owners of the site are looking to make some money. You didn't think that setting up a site like this, and providing all that bandwith was for free did ya ? Maybe they considered a membership fee of $20 to belong to this site, and decided instead to allow ads.


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## rpalmer

SmithFamilyLoft said:


> The owners of the site are looking to make some money. You didn't think that setting up a site like this, and providing all that bandwith was for free did ya ? Maybe they considered a membership fee of $20 to belong to this site, and decided instead to allow ads.


One has to ask why now after such a long time without them.


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## PigeonVilla

rpalmer said:


> One has to ask why now after such a long time without them.


I agree , its like hammertime with the ads now  they even have ads about getting rid of nusance pigeons on here ,thats just wrong in my opinion


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## JaxRacingLofts

SmithFamilyLoft said:


> The owners of the site are looking to make some money. You didn't think that setting up a site like this, and providing all that bandwith was for free did ya ? Maybe they considered a membership fee of $20 to belong to this site, and decided instead to allow ads.


Funny thing (not really) but I haven't been online in a few days and I clicked a link to a thread I was subscribed to and as I was reading the post ads were popping up under the text for Pigeon removal services. 

Once I logged in to reply the garbage ads in the threads disappeared but for the folks that are not members to this site thats sending the wrong message don't you think?


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