white homing pigeons for weddings?

[brandonf]

does anyone raise homers for this purpose?
im interested in something like this. if anyone has any information about this, or does it please feel free to pm me or post and ill get in contact with you.

thanks
brandonf

[Airbaby]

I dont raise white pigeons for weddings, but was wondering do you already have birds and a loft? If so, and you have experience in caring and training pigeons all you would need is some white homers homed in and from there i wouldnt think there would be anything more to it other than showing up to the wedding and releasing the birds.

[brandonf]

thats kinda what im thinking, as a college student i think this could potentially be an easy job for me to make a little extra cash during wedding seasons. and it would be great training for AU races

[ggoss1]

I do. Ask away.

If your expecting to make money it's not really profitable. It took me at least two years worth of training and breeding to ensure I had good homing pigeons that would home accurately and handle distance. Even right now I only push my birds 10 miles. Luckily for me there is like 20 churchs and 6 cemetaries within that mileage.

I am also very strict about when, where, and how to fly them.

[MaryOfExeter]

It can save a lot of time by getting good homers, as many white birds have been bred too much for color, and not enough for the homing ability. Yes, those people did need them to fly back, but like ggoss1, a lot of people usually have quite a few churches within a short distance, so homing ability doesn't need to be as strong.

Anyways, I don't have a whole lot of advice right now, until you ask specific questions (too tired to go off and explain things you may already know ). But I will go ahead and say once you get some babies up in the air, you may want to train in a decent sized radius around your loft before you go out any farther. Then you'll be prepared to release in any direction from your loft.

[lizz]

hey, i'm curious...and this is coming from a pigeon mom, not someone who's 'doing' anything with their birds...is it dangerous for the whites used in wedding releases? i mean, they're such perfect targets for hawks, do a lot of them get picked off?

i realize they're not flying the same distances as racers, but still....just was crossing my mind this morning when i read about some idiot in NY that apparently used ringnecks for a wedding release, and now all the poor little guys are up in trees, clueless as what to do next. got me thinking about how even the 'right' birds to use might still be in danger....

[spirit wings]

Originally Posted by lizz

hey, i'm curious...and this is coming from a pigeon mom, not someone who's 'doing' anything with their birds...is it dangerous for the whites used in wedding releases? i mean, they're such perfect targets for hawks, do a lot of them get picked off?

i realize they're not flying the same distances as racers, but still....just was crossing my mind this morning when i read about some idiot in NY that apparently used ringnecks for a wedding release, and now all the poor little guys are up in trees, clueless as what to do next. got me thinking about how even the 'right' birds to use might still be in danger....

they are like any other homer out there released, predators are not picky about color, a white one taste just like a red one, but I do not have their eyes so Iam not sure they see white before they see blue check, I really think it is more about movement than color. a well bred racer may have an advantage as they are bred for long distance and do it fast, the whites that are just homers and not from a long line of proven race birds they do fine 40 or 50 miles out, but that is all I would go with these "color bred" homers. My flock out fly hawks with no problems.

[plamenh]

In general it is better option to use homers, as their chances for survival are higher at least by coming back. Any bird flying in predator range is in danger no color matters. Predators attack on movement usually.
I witnessed following situation. Coming back home, I realized that usual birds' presence in my garden is missing. Then I noticed strange bird perching on my neighbor’s garage. It was hawk. On the roof on my house was sitting single pigeon, not moving. I almost fell down, as I know what panic usually starts when hawk is around. While I was attempting to get hold of my cell phone camera, hawk took of and disappeared. Till today, I don’t know if that pigeon was most stupid or clever bird in the world, but it was alive.

[LokotaLoft]

Originally Posted by plamenh

In general it is better option to use homers, as their chances for survival are higher at least by coming back. Any bird flying in predator range is in danger no color matters. Predators attack on movement usually.
I witnessed following situation. Coming back home, I realized that usual birds' presence in my garden is missing. Then I noticed strange bird perching on my neighbor’s garage. It was hawk. On the roof on my house was sitting single pigeon, not moving. I almost fell down, as I know what panic usually starts when hawk is around. While I was attempting to get hold of my cell phone camera, hawk took of and disappeared. Till today, I don’t know if that pigeon was most stupid or clever bird in the world, but it was alive.

Actually the "ONLY" option is to use homers as they are the only ones equiped with the know how and would know the way home from any event away from their loft

[plamenh]

THE BEST OPTION – for me will be not to use birds at all in any human rituals. Excuse me for my ignorance but what is the point. Only because it is pretty for 10 seconds behind wedding couple?

[ggoss1]

Plamenh-

I am in internal investigator by trade. I sit and interview/interrogate and send to jail 2 people a day. It gets very very negative sitting down everyday and having people lie to you after they victimized innocent people. So for me I need a balance in my life. I chose to do white bird releases because I get to see the full spectrum of human emotion of love. When my birds are released by someone at a funeral they come to me and thank me because they feel like birds are helping them with the release of thier grief. To experience genuine love through birds is amazing. On top of that....my birds enjoy the flying. I keep them close and safe on purpose. I cancel in bad weather,windy weather, or if I have hawks spotted in my neighborhood. I have yet to lose one bird.

Anyhow that why. Hope this helps.

[MaryOfExeter]

A healthy white bird in a flock of healthy blue birds will get targeted first. A healthy blue bird in a flock of healthy white birds will get targeted first. A lot of racers have a hard time keeping white birds because they stick out like a sore thumb with all the darker birds. But the opposite is just as bad. But of course, doesn't matter who he goes after, the slowest to get out of the way gets to be dinner.

[lizz]

eesh, i couldn't do it. i'd be driving along behind them with a shotgun, looking for hawks!!

but i did just learn a bunch! you guys rule! i love this dang forum!

[plamenh]

Hi Ggoss1,
Don’t get me wrong. I know that as long there is demand, it will be someone to answer. Unfortunately there is too many so called professionals, owners of the pet stores, Vets, dove releasers who care only for money and not for the birds’ well being. Pigeon fanciers and breeders who “eliminate” birds from their breeding or racing programs just because they are not perfect. On the other side it is great when the person involved, loves and understands birds, it helps both birds and business.

[ggoss1]

I know there are people out there that care about money from the pigeons waaaaaaaaaay more than the pigeons themselves. It's a shame. But as far as pigeons for weddings. I think it is a great way to have a business coexisting with nature. Usually people go....are those pigeons? And I say why yes yes they are.....and then they go...wow I didn't know pigeons could be so beautiful. And that of course helps create awareness. So much so that I get calls from past people I have talked to when they find a sick or injured bird.

But....if we are going to have angst over any kind of pigeon business....it should be those websites where people raise the pigeons to shoot them so thier lab can be trained. HORRIBLE!