UkPigeonRacing

Diamond Dave wrote: Tue Aug 11, 2026 2:41 pm Have they not been out Steve. How old?

Andy wrote: Tue Aug 11, 2026 8:19 pm 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.

Buster121 wrote: Tue Aug 11, 2026 8:59 pm

Andy wrote: Tue Aug 11, 2026 8:19 pm 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 wrote: Tue Aug 11, 2026 9:23 pm

Buster121 wrote: Tue Aug 11, 2026 8:59 pm

Andy wrote: Tue Aug 11, 2026 8:19 pm 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 wrote: Tue Aug 11, 2026 12:25 pm

Murray wrote: Tue Aug 11, 2026 12:03 pm

Buster121 wrote: Tue Aug 11, 2026 11:40 am 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

Diamond Dave wrote: Wed Aug 12, 2026 9:20 am 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.