First time letting homers out. Please give me some advice.

[deroid]

I have 8 homing pigeons varying age from 9 weeks to 4 weeks old. I have an aviary on one half of the coop and a settling cage on top of the other. I have three of the birds that sit in the settling cage by the Bob door on a regular basis is it time to let them fly? Do I just minimize their food then let them out an hour before sunset. Do I just open it up and let them fly at their will. I didn't realize it would be so difficult to let them go. They are trapped trained and come to the food but they still appear to be afraid of me. Any advice would be great. And I have already begun construction on a new coop.

[deroid]

do I have to soap them???

[deroid]

Crickets.....crickets.......crickets

[SRSeedBurners]

I'm a newbie but I kinda followed three rules when I let my Highflyers out for the first time:

Fly them hungry.
Fly them late.
Fly them on a perfectly windless day.

They got up and immediately found spots to loiter around which I was not ok with at first but looking back it was good for them to have a better look around. They started flying more regular about 4-5 days later.

I did make a mistake of letting a younger one out with the first three who had been flying for a few weeks. They dragged him off over into a neighboring subdivision and he was gone for two days till he found his way back. Won't do that again.

Btw...4 weeks seems really young to me. I have a couple now that are 6-1/2 weeks old and I'm just now considering letting them out to flap around (not with my older ones yet either!)

[Blisters]

I would wait a few more weeks. Four weeks old is awful young. When you do let them out for the first time do not scare them out. Let your bobs up and let them go out on their own. If there are a few left in just kind of gently guide them out. Let them sit around on the loft or on your house roof. Don't frighten them trying to get them to fly. Let them have a good look at the loft and their surroundings. Hopefully you have them trained to feed by shaking a feed can or noise of some sort. Also let them out when hungry and later in the day. After a hour or two shake your can and have your bobs down. After a few times they will start taking short laps around your yard and in time go out more and more. It will all work out. Just don't get in a big hurry.

[deroid]

Okay got the nerve up to open the door. About a half hour after that of them standing there they flew to the ground they pecked around at the ground for a few minutes I let them stay out for 45 minutes 2 stayed in the pen. I then whistled and shaked the can and put the food in their cage and then 2 minutes later they all flew up in back in the cage. It wasn't such a terrible experience I expected them to just take off and disappear.

[Jay3]

Glad it went well.

[deroid]

Can someone let me know what age I should let squeakers out. I have read a lot on line and it seems people are doing it at 6wks old????

[deroid]

Okay let them out for the second time now they're on top of my house and my neighbor's house its 8 at night the sun sets at 8:15 should I be worried

[Jay3]

Did you let them out hungry? Are they trained to a call? This happens. They are enjoying themselves and don't want to come in. They will probably come in in the morning.

[Jay3]

Hi deroid, maybe this sticky will help you.

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f116/t...eons-7449.html

[deroid]

They all went back in.....i know I may sound like a nut but I want to do this thing right. Thanks again

[YaSin11]

Hi deroid,

Glad to hear they all made it back safe.

You do *not* sound like a nut. It is always better to read/learn about something and then do it 'right'

Wish you Good Luck