Advice

[Buster121]

Have they not been out Steve. How old?

Some have some not all ages from 4 upwards

[Buster121]

Back in the mid 90s I moved from Sussex to Cornwall. 200 miles. I took all my pigeons with me. Many had won in Sussex including my Lerwick winner at 650 miles. When I moved I had to keep them in an old garage while I got my loft up. Once moved into the loft I think I only had them in for a few days before letting them out. As Murray said all my best ones broke fine. The Lerwick winner was also later moved to 3 different addresses in Somerset and I broke her to them all. I also had a stock cock that I broke to 5 different locations.
I think you can keep them in for to long and when eventually let out they just fly and before they know it their away from the area.

That's what happened yesterday Andy

[Andy]

Back in the mid 90s I moved from Sussex to Cornwall. 200 miles. I took all my pigeons with me. Many had won in Sussex including my Lerwick winner at 650 miles. When I moved I had to keep them in an old garage while I got my loft up. Once moved into the loft I think I only had them in for a few days before letting them out. As Murray said all my best ones broke fine. The Lerwick winner was also later moved to 3 different addresses in Somerset and I broke her to them all. I also had a stock cock that I broke to 5 different locations.
I think you can keep them in for to long and when eventually let out they just fly and before they know it their away from the area.

That's what happened yesterday Andy

Hopefully some will work back Steve. How many are you missing?

[Buster121]

Back in the mid 90s I moved from Sussex to Cornwall. 200 miles. I took all my pigeons with me. Many had won in Sussex including my Lerwick winner at 650 miles. When I moved I had to keep them in an old garage while I got my loft up. Once moved into the loft I think I only had them in for a few days before letting them out. As Murray said all my best ones broke fine. The Lerwick winner was also later moved to 3 different addresses in Somerset and I broke her to them all. I also had a stock cock that I broke to 5 different locations.
I think you can keep them in for to long and when eventually let out they just fly and before they know it their away from the area.

That's what happened yesterday Andy

Hopefully some will work back Steve. How many are you missing?

Not many as I only let few out

[Murray]

What advice would folks give on breaking prisoner birds

I had to move all my pigeons two years ago. We moved 70 miles from Bendigo to St Arnaud.
Unfortunately we had to rent a house while our cottage was having work done and the birds spent a winter in an old tin hen house.
When we finally moved in and put them back in their loft I did what I've always done. A couple of days latter I started letting them out.
The results were enlightening. I lost quite a few. I lost quite a few that I was quite fond of. I did not lose a single one of my best pigeons.
The Billiondollarbaby spent a night out.
The Grizzle Thone spent a night out.
The White Flight Thone spent a night out.
Free Beer's father was back in that afternoon.
Free Beer's mother had a fly around and back in.
The inbred Heremans cock sat on the roof and did a few laps then back in.
And so on.
Even my old pied Jos Thone' hen who was 12 at the time just settled straight in.

I've said it for years. Good ones stick.
I was a bit gutted at the time, but as a result of losing some that simply didn't stick, the quality of the loft has increased dramatically.
My advice? Let them settle for a few days then let them out. If they don't want to stay, you probably don't want them.

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This is a picture of a little pied daughter of the Billiondollar baby.
Two days after I put them back in the loft she was the first one out. Remember she's spent months locked up in a hen house.
As you can see, she chose to stay. And she leaves good ones.

Murray these are birds bred myself so always been here, I tried some yesterday that had been flying out before and just up, up and away

They've been locked up for some time?
You'll probably lose them.
I have one pair here that were pretty wild with the shifting and everything so I kept them in. We've been here a couple of years now and I dare not let them out. They are a good stock pair and I reckon it'd be 50/50 whether they'd stay after all this time. It that.
You've got to either bite the bullet and get them out or keep them in.

[king]

As others have already said breaking race birds is very easy. I've never had one go back to their old loft more than once. And I've scored and Won with broken birds.
Prisoner stock are totally different. The longer they have been kept in, the harder they are to break, and the more likely you are to lose them.
If you value them keep them in. If you don't, they'll do you a favour if they don't return.

[Buster121]

Thank you everyone for the help and advice

[Diamond Dave]

Someone mentioned the washing up liquid trick to Tony Steve. It might serve your purpose more...

Good luck mate. Hope thr rest of em go well.

[Buster121]

Someone mentioned the washing up liquid trick to Tony Steve. It might serve your purpose more...

Good luck mate. Hope thr rest of em go well.

Yes that was me lol

[Buster121]

At 9.30 this morning my 11 year old red cock turned up