Thread: Pigeon Training

I don't really know but I think you look after them really well for a few months so that they get used to you then let them out.

Originally Posted by NeAvO

I don't really know but I think you look after them really well for a few months so that they get used to you then let them out.
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That's a risky guess! Maybe this is the wrong place to come for info. There must be somewhere else you can go for advice, somwhere more "animalish"?

I'm sorry about this useless post but when I first read homing pigeons I thought you were talking about the homing pigeons in Worms Armaggedon

Originally Posted by megabenman

I'm sorry about this useless post but when I first read homing pigeons I thought you were talking about the homing pigeons in Worms Armaggedon
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They were great! But I prefered the grannies!

Originally Posted by badassbob

They were great! But I prefered the grannies!
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Nothing beats the "super cow"

Originally Posted by NeAvO

Nothing beats the "super cow"
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what about the super sheep!!

Oh yeah sheep.

Pigeons. Hell yes. I have absolutely no idea on how to train them. Still, back when I was eight, we lived a few doors down from a guy we had dubbed The Pigeon Man. I don't know what he really used the pigeons before, but he had tons of them and used to rattle a crisp/chip packet so they'd all come back flying to him. Then I think all the pigeons covered him and he turned into a pigeon golem, roared loudly and said "Yes my pigeon beauties, come, COME TO ME!". Although I might have imagined that last part.

..Or made that up. -_-;

You definitely can train them...dunno how, I think NeAvO's right. I know in Ghost Dog and Training Day they have trained pigeons. In Training Day the pigeons flip over in the air when they clap to signal that the 5-0 is coming!

I just found this:

"How long do I need to keep my new birds in before I can let them out to fly?
This all depends on the age of the bird. If it is a new hatch (about 8 wks old) then keep them in for a week or two, so they can get settled and then you can allow them out to fly. If it is a yearling or older bird flown from another loft the time increases, while chances of "lofting over" decrease. Any bird flown from another loft will always feel that the first loft was "Home", you just need to try and settle him to yours. Allow them several nests and time to become aquainted with the loft. This is the tricky part, since you never really know how a bird will do until you actually let them out. I had a bird who after trying to get rid of him after a month would not leave. And another whom after being kept prisoner 2 years left me the first chance it got to return home. So, if they are older and you really want the young out of them, your best bet is to keep them prisoners.

When do I start training my Young Birds?
Young birds should be loft flown from the time they can get themselves out the trap. By the age of 3 1/2 to 4 months old, they should be routing with the others, taking the occasional trip out and disappearing from the loft for a time. When they are routing for at least 45 min each time out and trapping well, then you can consider training.

How do I train my Young Birds?
Everyone trains differently, and uses what works for them, so I'll pass on what works for me. After your birds are routing and trapping well (hopefully this is a couple months before the racing season starts) you need to start your schedule. Crate up your birds in the AM and take them 3 to 5 miles, this depends on your area's landscape. Open areas with few trees, will let you go to the full 5mi. Just a side note...when figuring toss spots you need to make sure it is an open area with few wires, trees and traffic. Also that your measuring is done in AIR miles. Going 5 mi out the road on your car odometer is not the same as birds flying 5 miles. They don't have to follow the roads. :0) Use a map to plot out your toss sites.

Now, release your birds at the first drop site and watch them. They will circle around to get oriented and then hopefully take off in the right direction. Time your birds, head home and see how they trap. Toss your birds at this same drop spot until they no longer circle and fly home straight away. For some it takes 3 to 4 tries, others more, some less. But you want to make sure they KNOW this area before moving on. You follow this same procedure at each toss site. The milage increments should go 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, and the rest in 10 mile increments up to 90. Sadly, you will lose some birds. You will also have a few that straggle in days, possibly even weeks later. The ones that come in later, let them rest a day (no loft flying) then get them right back out there in the toss schedule.

How can I get my birds to trap? (they perch on the loft roof, trees, etc.)
To get your birds to trap they need to understand that the rest, food, pair partner, babies, or whatever they need is INSIDE the loft. They need to know that in order to get ANY of these things they have to be INSIDE the loft.

In all birds, young birds mostly, the motivation for trapping and racing is food. One of the biggest and most common mistakes made by almost all fliers is in overfeeding. If the bird has eaten or has overeaten earlier, they will have no reason to get back into the loft after time spent flying. NEVER feed your birds before loft flying or tossing. They need this extra motivation to get home and into the loft quickly. Also, homers really only need about one oz. of food per bird per day. (This amount can increase depending on heavy training, or nesting.) If your an overfeeder (as I was once..lol) begin feeding this amount immediately, and only when they trap. When the birds inside the loft are done eating, pull up any excess feed. DO NOT leave some out for the stragglers. This will teach them that they need to hurry into the loft in order to eat. And though it may be hard, you need the mind-set of "You don't trap with the rest, You don't eat" After a day or so of this, they learn and start trapping quickly.

In order to teach your birds that the roof, trees, etc. ar NOT the place to be you need to "scare" them off wherever thay are perched. If on the loft roof, a tennis ball tossed up near them will get them in the air. If on the ground, a good loud shout or hands clapping will get them going. If in the trees, go get your kids long range, super soaker squirt gun, your tennis ball, whatever it takes to get close to them to get them out of there. It will take a few tries for them to get the idea, and there will be "dummies" who take longer, but they MUST get the idea that if they are not IN the loft they need to be in the air. If they want to rest, drink, eat, etc. they have to be INSIDE the loft.

For the new or kindhearted, this will be harder on you than them. But if you want your birds flying and trapping well, these things have to be done."

Taken from this website. Good luck!