A Few questions

[Jiggs]

Good day

I recieved 6 pigeons (3 cocks, 3 hens). I have been interested for a while now and decided to take the plunge. They are (I am told) between 2-4 years old. Right, so I read up on them and built a loft. got the feed, bowls etc. I have searched the net and found lots of facts and tips etc, however there are a few that are not answered that I hope someone(s) can help me with.

1. Tips on how long I need to keep them penned before they will not fly back to origional loft.
2. Volumes to feed them (as I think I am over feeding them, I figured over rather than under until I can find out
3. Tempratures to completely close up a loft. The coldest in winter here is about 1-3 degrees Celcius. Is that 2 cold for a wire mesh front when they are in boxes at the back?
4. Tips on training the hopefully arriving chicks. I am waiting for them to make nests. ( I put pine needles and cut string on the floor)

Could someone can help me out. I would apprieciate, as well as post other questions until I can join in discussions when I have some knowledge on the pigeon world

Jiggs

[SmithFamilyLoft]

1. Tips on how long I need to keep them penned before they will not fly back to origional loft.

Hello Jiggs,

Welcome to this site. You did not mention the breed. If they are Homing Pigeons, the answer may be never. I have heard of homing pigeons getting out, after ten years, and flying back to the orginal loft. There will be more posts to follow, to help you on the other questions.

[Jiggs]

Racing pigeons (are they the same as homers?) is what I have. If that is the case I presume I will have to just breed with them and use the babes as my stock?

[Birdmom4ever]

No, I woudn't fly them if I were you. Just fly their offspring. I learned this the hard way.

Feed: some people recommend about an ounce per bird per day. Others say feed them as much as they'll clean up in 20 minutes. When they're breeding, though, they should have some food at all times as it takes a lot to feed the kids. I feed my pigeons twice a day, just enough that there are a few grains and peas left over when it's time to feed again, but not much. If there's a lot of food left, you're feeding them too much.

Don't forget a good quality pigeon grit, especially when they're breeding. They really crave it while they are raising chicks. It provides calcium and minerals.

Nests: pine needles are excellent, but I wouldn't use string. Adults or chicks could get their feet tangled in it. You can also buy tobacco stems from the pigeon supply houses. They, like pine needles, have insect-repellant qualities.

Temp seems a little cold for an open-front loft, but perhaps you could cover the front with plastic during the coldest part of the winter. Pigeons can take cold, but you don't want drafts in your loft. They do love sun and fresh air in nice weather.

If you don't already have some place to buy pigeon supplies, here are links to Foy's and Global. They sell everything you need for pigeons.

Foy’s Pigeon Supply: http://www.foyspigeonsupplies.com/

Global Pigeon Supply: http://globalpigeon.com/

Enjoy your pigeons! It's a great hobby, but be warned, pigeons are highly addictive!

[Ralph]

As far as training the young that are born to your loft, I would wait till they are between 6-8 weeks old. Assuming they are homers, start by using a flight pen so they can see their surroundings. Do this for about 7-10 days. Then start letting them out daily for short periods. They will initially hang around the loft and take short flights. Then you will notice they will take off out of sight. They will travel about 10 miles out familiarizing themselves with their area. This is called routing. When they start this process it would be good to place them in a pet carrier and take them in any direction about 5 miles. After a couple of times take them 10 then 15 miles out. After this they are trained.

During the time you are using the flight pen you will want to have their bob window or trap as their entrance. You should have a landing board so they can land comfortably. This will train them to enter through the trap(bob) window. This way when they do return from a flight they will know how to enter the loft unsupervised as they will usually beat you home.

Unfortunately the other posters are correct when they tell you you should not ever release your breeders. I am just building a flock of white homers and got in 7 breeding pairs. I feel bad that they will have to be caged their whole lives but as long as they have plenty of sunlight and a small flight pen they will stay healthy and happy.

Good luck!!

[Jiggs]

This info is valuable so thank you for the replies.
My loft is correct as I have built it following the pictures posted on other threads here.

I figured as much according to the tips but was hoping for a miracle to fly these birds I have as they come from good stock. Two of these birds I have to give back to the owner as he is only lending them to me to get some decent offspring. The other 4 will then just have to be my breeding stock.