Stay at home

[Avion]

I have one young bird (DOB 19JUNE)that absolutely refuses to tripp with the other birds. He will take off with them, make several circles around the loft and he will leave with them. BUT, in just a few minutes, here he comes like a rocket and just dive bombs the loft and lands. He doesn't appear to be looking for feed because he just sets on the loft or flys from one section to the other. If I put just a little feed down in the feeder and shake the can and he will trap and feed. If I don't call him to feed, he will stay out until the other birds arrive, usually 45 min to an hour later and trap with them.

George

[Lovebirds]

Originally Posted by Avion

I have one young bird (DOB 19JUNE)that absolutely refuses to tripp with the other birds. He will take off with them, make several circles around the loft and he will leave with them. BUT, in just a few minutes, here he comes like a rocket and just dive bombs the loft and lands. He doesn't appear to be looking for feed because he just sets on the loft or flys from one section to the other. If I put just a little feed down in the feeder and shake the can and he will trap and feed. If I don't call him to feed, he will stay out until the other birds arrive, usually 45 min to an hour later and trap with them.

George

You get those sometimes and I can't explain it. I had one this year. A Silver. He wouldn't fly with the other birds.....wanted to sit in a tree. Maybe he'd do one or two laps. Soon as the birds hit the loft, he came out of the tree and started his spinning/cooing and being a nuisance. I took him 5 miles........he came home with the crew. Took him 10, and he still hasn't come home, although he was spotted and we got a phone call. The man couldn't catch him again. The birds fly over where he was every time they go out training. He hasn't come home yet. He still may show up some day, but I doubt it. One out of 54 birds, isn't bad actually, but like I said, there's one in every bunch.

[TAWhatley]

I have no advice, but obviously, that is a special young pigeon .. s/he shares my hatchday!

Terry

[MaryOfExeter]

I've got one of those right now, who I just fixed. I named him Pee Wee for looking kind of puny, and not wanting to fly. He'd take off and sound great like he was going somewhere, then circle around and land again. To get him flying, I just put him in a crate with several other birds, let the rest in the loft out first, then carry the crate to the other side of the yard and let them go. It took a few times but Pee Wee finally got the hang of following the others in the crate and flying with the flock. Then a few times I would catch just him, let the flock out, take him to the same spot and throw him up in the air. I was glad to see he sped away to catch up with them and flew the whole time We have a good sized yard, and all birds are different, so something like that may or may not work for your lazy bird.

Basically if you make him fly, he builds up more muscle, and in turn he will fly more without incouragement.

[parrisc]

George,
Seems we all had one of these at one time or another. If there is nothing wrong with the bird, I would hold and release he/she after the others are in flight, to give it the idea that he/she is on its own. Then I stand in front of the trapp with a flag and when any of them try to come in before the traning sessions is over I wave the flag at them to keep them up. If they land on the building or trees, have a good supply of tennis balls to toss at them.

Good Luck