Pigeons..tell me what you know.
#6558159
06/18/19 03:06 PM
06/18/19 03:06 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,190 Kentucky
Abu65
OP
trapper
|
OP
trapper
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,190
Kentucky
|
We are building a pigeon coop to raise pigeons to help in training our dogs. I know nothing about the proper care of pigeons. I would like to keep them healthy and well taken care of. I do have a source for pigeons possibly 8 or so to get started with.
It is what it is.
|
|
|
Re: Pigeons..tell me what you know.
[Re: Abu65]
#6558245
06/18/19 06:18 PM
06/18/19 06:18 PM
|
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 6,120 Northern Wisconsin,Rhinelander
Hodagtrapper
Muskrat Master
|
Muskrat Master
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 6,120
Northern Wisconsin,Rhinelander
|
Coo, coo, coo, coo, coo, coo, coo................................................................................................................................................. Chris
>>In God we trust<<
|
|
|
Re: Pigeons..tell me what you know.
[Re: Davisfur]
#6558246
06/18/19 06:20 PM
06/18/19 06:20 PM
|
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 21,049 St. Louis Co, Mo
BigBob
trapper
|
trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 21,049
St. Louis Co, Mo
|
Seems like if you build them a loft to roost in they do a lot better. Or at least ours seemed to. They like roosting up off the ground and for some reason like having a floor between them and the ground. Also if you are going to have a fly area for them it would be helpful to build it double walled because raptors are terrible on pigeons. Worked with a guy that lost several thousands of dollars worth of racing pigeons inside his pen before he figured out that a (((retail hawk))) was able to reach through the wire and catch them and then eat most of the pigeon through a 1 inch by 2 inch hardware cloth wire pen. Did you mean a Red Tail Hawk?
Every kid needs a Dog and a Curmudgeon.
Remember Bowe Bergdahl, the traitor.
Beware! Jill Pudlewski, Ron Oates and Keven Begesse are liars and thiefs!
|
|
|
Re: Pigeons..tell me what you know.
[Re: Abu65]
#6558247
06/18/19 06:20 PM
06/18/19 06:20 PM
|
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 4,103 Bonner County, Idaho
Wild_Idaho
trapper
|
trapper
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 4,103
Bonner County, Idaho
|
Join versatiledogs.com and ask there. Most everyone over there raises pigeons for dog training. I used to but now I just trap them or buy them as needed. I only raised them for a year or so and didn't have a great setup so I won't comment.
Real name Eric The sharpest hammer in the box of crayons.
|
|
|
Re: Pigeons..tell me what you know.
[Re: Abu65]
#6558322
06/18/19 08:36 PM
06/18/19 08:36 PM
|
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 7,240 West Michigan
Getting There
trapper
|
trapper
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 7,240
West Michigan
|
The best thing is to google on how to get started. JMO
To Old U.S. Army 60-63 SGT.
|
|
|
Re: Pigeons..tell me what you know.
[Re: Davisfur]
#6558329
06/18/19 08:45 PM
06/18/19 08:45 PM
|
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,597 NC, Orange Co.
QuietButDeadly
trapper
|
trapper
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,597
NC, Orange Co.
|
Pigeon racers hate that bigmeat. The guy I worked with that raced them cussed dove hunters to no end. As you can imagine myself having a great fondness for dove hunting I rubbed it in every chance I got lol. If the racers do not like that, they should keep their pigeons at home. The ones that take up residence in our silos rarely ever get back home. I have a collection of bands myself.
Life Member: NCTA, VTA, NTA, TTFHA, MFTI Member: FTA NRA NWTF
|
|
|
Re: Pigeons..tell me what you know.
[Re: QuietButDeadly]
#6558431
06/18/19 11:34 PM
06/18/19 11:34 PM
|
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,912 east central Minnesota
Maddog47
trapper
|
trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,912
east central Minnesota
|
Pigeon racers hate that bigmeat. The guy I worked with that raced them cussed dove hunters to no end. As you can imagine myself having a great fondness for dove hunting I rubbed it in every chance I got lol. If the racers do not like that, they should keep their pigeons at home. The ones that take up residence in our silos rarely ever get back home. I have a collection of bands myself. How do we race them if we keep them at home?
Peace is that brief glorious moment when everybody stands around reloading Thomas Jefferson
|
|
|
Re: Pigeons..tell me what you know.
[Re: Abu65]
#6558442
06/19/19 12:06 AM
06/19/19 12:06 AM
|
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,597 NC, Orange Co.
QuietButDeadly
trapper
|
trapper
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,597
NC, Orange Co.
|
You apparently do not teach them to come back home very well.
Life Member: NCTA, VTA, NTA, TTFHA, MFTI Member: FTA NRA NWTF
|
|
|
Re: Pigeons..tell me what you know.
[Re: Abu65]
#6558452
06/19/19 01:29 AM
06/19/19 01:29 AM
|
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 15,686 Champaign County, Ohio.
KeithC
trapper
|
trapper
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 15,686
Champaign County, Ohio.
|
This is what I had posted on my old website:
Here is how I train homing pigeons for free flight. For the first week you have the young homers every time you feed them make a consistent noise. You can whistle, shake a can of feed or say anything you want as long as it stays the same. They will associate the sound with being fed and this will be your feed call.
The second week place a cage on the outside on your landing board, so that the pigeons can only enter the loft, not fly away. Put the pigeons in the cage wait a couple of minutes for them to settle down and then do the feed call and feed them. They will try to get in to get the feed and thus learn how to trap into the loft. Do this every day.
The third week, if all is going well, skip their feed for a day, but give them water and an hour before dark put them on the board. Slowly remove the cage, so that you do not startle them, enter the loft, do the feed call and feed them. They should immediately enter. If they do not they should still try to get back in to sleep in the loft.
Do this every other day, but give them half of what they will eat in the morning and the rest when they enter during the training in the evening.
The fourth week if all is going well, skip there feed and in the evening put them on the board remove the cage and stand back and watch them for half an hour before calling them in. They may enter right away at first, but eventually they will start circling around and landing on higher perches.
Always make sure they are slightly hungry when you fly them and that they have food waiting for them in the loft.
Once they start routing, flying in big circles out of sight, put them in the cage you will release them from and let them go in several different places in your yard. This acclimates them to being in the cage.
If this is going well start releasing them at about 1 mile away from all different directions.
Slowly increase the distance you release them at until you have them trained out the distance you want them to fly.
Keith
|
|
|
Re: Pigeons..tell me what you know.
[Re: Davisfur]
#6558486
06/19/19 07:14 AM
06/19/19 07:14 AM
|
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 3,302 S/W Wisconsin
rpmartin
trapper
|
trapper
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 3,302
S/W Wisconsin
|
Pigeon racers hate that bigmeat. The guy I worked with that raced them cussed dove hunters to no end. As you can imagine myself having a great fondness for dove hunting I rubbed it in every chance I got lol. Sounds like that guy should come up with a kevlar vest for his homies. Lol
Life member, NRA, NTA, RMEF, Pheasants Forever. WTA,TTA,FTA,SA,GOA, member
|
|
|
Re: Pigeons..tell me what you know.
[Re: Abu65]
#6558556
06/19/19 09:51 AM
06/19/19 09:51 AM
|
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 849 Washington
wildflights
trapper
|
trapper
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 849
Washington
|
Don't add birds from multiple sources. They don't have to look sick to have something that can wipe out your roost. I lost over 50 homers after taking in a bird from a guy the next town over. Build a one way trap to recall them. There'll be times when you don't want them out. The little hawks are murder on them in the air. If you buy big, strong racing homers they can sometimes shake off hawk attacks. They'll come home severely cut up and in need of doctoring. Get a can of spray on antibiotic. Amazing how they can survive some of those deep ripping talon wounds. https://www.chewy.com/farnam-wound-...Xvu-EIfIj-7UWA94f7z2VUHhC9RoCfXgQAvD_BwE
Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire. -Gustav Mahler
|
|
|
Re: Pigeons..tell me what you know.
[Re: Abu65]
#6558804
06/19/19 09:39 PM
06/19/19 09:39 PM
|
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 611 Southaest Kansas
Coyote Clayton
trapper
|
trapper
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 611
Southaest Kansas
|
The trap door needs to face to the east. The coop needs to be high enough off the ground coons can't get in or climb up something to get up on top and then in. Cats can be an issue. Cats can jump six foot straight up. They will need food and water until you turn them loose. Any waterer will work. Corn milo. The coop big enough for the birds to roost. Nesting boxes are best. If you can, get birds that are young. The ones with long but sparse yellow hair are the best. Fully feathered but with the yellow hairs. Put their beak into the water source until they shake their head. Once. The coop stays closed for 30 days. After you turn them loose you never need to feed or water them again. They cannot be harassed after dark. Meaning nothing gets in the coop. Snakes included. You can train all day if you need too. Using older birds and you will lose some. To many males can create havoc with the girls. Ya only need one or two. 8 birds will produce 30 in no time. They lay two at a time every two months. We went from 14 to over a 100 in less than a year. It got to the point I would always kill 6-8 birds each time we ran and never hurt them. Killing the males over the dogs ensured we weren't hurting producers.
Praise the Lord and Pass the ammunition.
|
|
|
|
|