UkPigeonRacing

Buster121 wrote: Tue Aug 11, 2026 11:40 am What advice would folks give on breaking prisoner birds

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.

008.JPG
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.

Rdhd Danny wrote: Tue Aug 11, 2026 12:11 pm Pair them up with eggs or young and lock one partner in and allow the other out, they very rarely will go off mate

Diamond Dave wrote: Tue Aug 11, 2026 12:30 pm Steve, you may remember a while ago I asked a similar question about a yearling hen who flew 430 miles as a y.bird.
I was gifted her by a very good friend. I broke her to the loft on eggs.
I sent her to her first inland race and she didnt come for a day or 2.
I suspected that she had gone back to her old loft in Sunderland.
I asked the advice of many of the ppl on herr whether she would do any good and most said no and a few said get rid.
I have percevered with her and she has since had 6 races were she has been my 2 or 3rd bird back so I now have every confidence that she will race the distance for me next year.

Diamond Dave wrote: Tue Aug 11, 2026 12:30 pm Steve, you may remember a while ago I asked a similar question about a yearling hen who flew 430 miles as a y.bird.
I was gifted her by a very good friend. I broke her to the loft on eggs.
I sent her to her first inland race and she didnt come for a day or 2.
I suspected that she had gone back to her old loft in Sunderland.
I asked the advice of many of the ppl on herr whether she would do any good and most said no and a few said get rid.
I have percevered with her and she has since had 6 races were she has been my 2 or 3rd bird back so I now have every confidence that she will race the distance for me next year.