[saxons stump me]

I'm new to pigeons and am wondering how to get my Saxon Shields to come back into the loft at night. I was hoping to have a flock that would fly together in the day and come home at night. I bought 11 of them from a breeder at a very large show last fall. Now I have 25 (they are very prolific!) but they just fly all over the place in various directions and perch "wherever" for the night, so I go catch them to get them safely back in the loft. This routine is getting old. Am I doing something wrong, or does this breed simply have no desire to return home?

 

[maniac]

When and where do you feed them ?.

 

[saxons stump me]

I feed them in the morning inside the enclosure.

 

[Crazy Pete]

You cant feed them then let them out. You have it back words. Keep them in for 3 days on half rations then when you let them out hungry they will pay a lot more attention to you.
Dave

 

[jeff houghton]

You have to get the balance right.I always give my homers a little food before exercising ,but just enough so that when i call them they come in for me.Ive found if i give them nothing they circle the house about 10 times and drop in.I believe they need some fuel in them to want to fly.I would try giving them a quarter of their food before release and the rest on their return.

 

[saxons stump me]

Great advice, I guess I have to be smarter than the pigeons. I'll try this right away.

 

[LokotaLoft]

Great advice, I guess I have to be smarter than the pigeons. I'll try this right away.

feeding before they are let out is just wrong , you will have no control at all over getting them back in if you feed them before letting them out

 

[jeff houghton]

Giving them a decent feed is wrong yes For obvious reasons but if they have no intersest in flying because of hunger a little aint gonna hurt.Its like somebody once posted if you sent your kid out to play with no dinner in him he,ll soon be back in looking for food.

 

[Crazy Pete]

If they wont fly in the morning you either feed to little, or to early.
Dave

 

[MaryOfExeter]

Feed them after you let them out, and don't expect them to do any more flying than they already are. You'll need flying breeds for that, not show breeds Also, they don't have any homing ability, although they do have the instinct. Which means they will come back inside, but if they get too far from the property and out of sight from the loft/familiar places, then they're easy to get lost.