Staying out on the loft all night, trapping in the morning.

[Ashby Loft]

I've been letting my young late hatch birds out of the loft for the last few nights. 12 birds all not been flown before. I settled them into my new loft for more than two weeks. I let them out before feeding them approx. a half hour before sunset. They don't seem to want to get out and fly much yet. Just up to the roof of my house or over to the fence. I'm sure they will get out and fly more within a few days.

My concern is this..... The birds are content to just sit on top of the aviary in front of the trap all night long. The first night I went out after dark and caught them then put them back in the loft. The next night I left them to see if they would trap on their own. At 4:30am it was still dark when I left for work and they were still sitting there. When I got home at 2:30pm, they had all trapped. Last night same thing. I left them out. I assume when I get home from work they'll all be back in the loft.

Should I be concerned about this? I never had any trapping issues with my old smaller loft. Do you folks think they will start trapping better on their own? Maybe they weren't hungry enough?

[4nursebee]

I'm real new at this...

Hold food-get them hungrier. This might require conditioning to the food and rattling can.

I'd be concerned about this in my area due to owls.

[Airbaby]

When we first built our loft we got birds donated to us from 15 different lofts. It was not long ( only a few days ) and some of the birds became sick. Long story short we had about 80 birds and eventually when training started we had only 26, however through out the process of trying to cure the illness or curb it the only time we had birds that would stay out overnight was when they were sick. In fact we had one bird in particular stay out over night in a severe thunderstorm with 75 mph winds, and when i went out in the morning it was alive on top of the house, it eventually died after sitting on the house for almost 3 days before it died.
Now i am certainly not implying your birds are sick, however through my own experience the only time i had birds stay out overnight with no desire to enter the loft before dark was when they were ill. My birds now will come in the loft before dark hungry or not.
I hope things change for you, best of luck

[della]

I think that food is the key issue: they need to be hungrier when you let them out, so that they trap before dark in order to have their tea. When I trained my young birds I did have to catch some of them after dark and pop them through the trap for a few days until they got the hang of things (they pretended to not remember how to trap) but after that, things are fine unless the birds are just not hungry. I give mine a light breakfast on days that they are going to fly, and a large dinner, so that they are keen to go back in and have that dinner!

[Lovebirds]

Originally Posted by 12 Volt Man

I've been letting my young late hatch birds out of the loft for the last few nights. 12 birds all not been flown before. I settled them into my new loft for more than two weeks. I let them out before feeding them approx. a half hour before sunset. They don't seem to want to get out and fly much yet. Just up to the roof of my house or over to the fence. I'm sure they will get out and fly more within a few days.

My concern is this..... The birds are content to just sit on top of the aviary in front of the trap all night long. The first night I went out after dark and caught them then put them back in the loft. The next night I left them to see if they would trap on their own. At 4:30am it was still dark when I left for work and they were still sitting there. When I got home at 2:30pm, they had all trapped. Last night same thing. I left them out. I assume when I get home from work they'll all be back in the loft.

Should I be concerned about this? I never had any trapping issues with my old smaller loft. Do you folks think they will start trapping better on their own? Maybe they weren't hungry enough?

I would say that one of two things is going on. Either the birds ARE sick OR something is scaring them and causing them not to want to go into the loft. Most birds, whether hungry or not, will WANT to get inside when the sun starts setting. That's just instinct. I've had birds sit out all night in a tree but it was because (I found out a few days later) that a cat was visiting them at night. The cat couldn't get IN the loft, but it was walking on the avairies and standing in front of the windows. Once the cat was gone, the birds settled down and were ok.
If I was you, I would go back to the settling cage and trapping to the feed call for 3 or 4 days and then let them out again. I would not let them out and leave them to sit on the outside of the loft every night. That's just asking for trouble.

[Ashby Loft]

I don't think they are sick. I'm betting I've been feeding them a bit too much. I thought about that last night and I didn't put quite as much out.

Today, as previously happened, the birds had all trapped when I got home from work. Tonight, I flew them again and as of right now (not quite dark) all but 3 have trapped. I think they are getting the hang of it.

[ohiogsp]

Either feed them at night when you call them in or feed them when you get home and don't let them out again. I think I am understanding you right you are letting them out after you feed right? You should not do that if you are. I feed right before dark every night and the birds are always in.

[Ashby Loft]

No, I've been feeding after I let them out.

[ohiogsp]

Only give as much as they clean up in about 10 minutes. Then when you feed they will come in.

[JohnG]

Try putting the birds in a settling cage on your landing board. Lock them out there all day. When you are ready to let them in, when it is time to eat, shake your feed can and whistle and call them through the trap. Try this for 3 to 4 days. Make the birds come in when you call them, then feed 1 ounce per bird. Make sure you lock then our all day with no feed or water in them. They will get it in their head that when you call them,they are to come in.

[Ashby Loft]

They all trapped tonight. I think they've figured it out. Thanks!

[della]

I remember the first time mine all trapped of their own accord - I went to bed that night feeling so contented that I had passed an important milestone in my pigeon experience. Good work, and good luck!

[SmithFamilyLoft]

Originally Posted by 12 Volt Man

I've been letting my young late hatch birds out of the loft for the last few nights. 12 birds all not been flown before. I settled them into my new loft for more than two weeks. I let them out before feeding them approx. a half hour before sunset. They don't seem to want to get out and fly much yet. Just up to the roof of my house or over to the fence. I'm sure they will get out and fly more within a few days.

My concern is this..... The birds are content to just sit on top of the aviary in front of the trap all night long. The first night I went out after dark and caught them then put them back in the loft. The next night I left them to see if they would trap on their own. At 4:30am it was still dark when I left for work and they were still sitting there. When I got home at 2:30pm, they had all trapped. Last night same thing. I left them out. I assume when I get home from work they'll all be back in the loft.

Should I be concerned about this? I never had any trapping issues with my old smaller loft. Do you folks think they will start trapping better on their own? Maybe they weren't hungry enough?

Just a guess, but my take would be that the birds are over fed and undisciplined. You have no control over your birds, and they more or less come and go as they please. It's like having a bunch of teenagers running a house hold...you need to have an adult in charge. Same with pigeons, you need to have a handler in charge, right now, the birds are running things.