UkPigeonRacing

Hi chaps. Just pairing up for the first time this weekend and, touch wood, it’s started ok in terms of the selected pairs all mating (bar one couple who have only been in the loft for a week and haven’t settled yet) and no violence.

However, challenge I’ve got is that with all my stock birds being yearlings they’ve not yet got into defending a nest box and taking ownership. So, when I open the box to let a pair out and get used to going in and out, they just mate on the floor then fly up to any random box and perch on the front rather than going back in.

I was thinking tomorrow that I might leave the hens in the boxes and let the cocks roam the loft, hopefully going back to their hens and perching on the correct box front when they’ve done.

Is that a daft thing to do and, if so, is there a better way?

Many thanks in anticipation of some wise words.

Thanks everyone. Some really good input as always. I really appreciate it.

That video was very useful - particularly the 20 mins per day idea, so guess how I spent my day today!

I don’t have widowhood boxes, just the ones with the up and over fronts that you can set back a few inches into the box to create a perch up front.

As someone suggested, the birds might start to get a bit more ‘invested’ in a box once laying starts?

I’m honestly shocked at how time-consuming and involved mating is. Took me right by surprise as when I was a kid we just let the birds pair to which ever they liked and do the same with nesting. This time around as I’ve bought stock birds (that have never mated before) that need to be matched in a particular way I’m having to be far more precise.

But, so far so good. I’ve only got that one pair where the hen won’t have the cock at any price yet, the other 12 are getting on fine.

I have ended up with 3 more hens than cocks though so might have to enter the buying market for some cocks. No point in having prisoners with no mate! If anyone can recommend any good sprint / middle distance pigeons I’ll check them out.

Thanks again everyone. Great forum.