UkPigeonRacing

Daz71 wrote: ↑Sat Apr 13, 2024 6:47 pm I have just thought about what I just asked I don't suppose baby pigeon's in the wild have a cage around them in a tree.... sorry not thinking straight

I did mean to say make sure they don't fall off sorry, but in saying that what they should do is walk through and then sort of gather together and just stand around but do watch as they don't fall

Your first baby pigeons are like your first baby. You tip toe around it and whisper. By the third one there's kids fighting and banging, and the baby sleeps through it.
After quite a few years with pigeons I give no consideration at all to teaching them to trap or anything like that. I have a mate who always puts his babies through the trap for several days to show them how. I don't.
I have sputnik traps and all I do is open the fronts and let them out. when the little ones are brave enough they flap out onto the ground or the roof, then flap back in again. I have seen little ones on their first time out flap up onto the board and drop straight in the sputnik. Clever little blokes.
You will be a bit cautious at first, and you should be. But remember they are HOMING pigeons. They are born with a homing instinct. It sounds like you have settled them in very well. Don't wait too long to let them out. Get them out before they get too strong on the wing and too adventurous.
You are doing very well.

Great videos!
Conditioning them to respond to the call is something that should happen from birth. I always call them in with a "C'mon c'mon c'mon", and can get every pigeon in the shed in double quick time. I feed the nest babies in the boxes, and call to them too. They watch the older pigeons coming to the call and being fed. By the time they start going out they know to come when called. It's imprinted in their brains.
Routine and conditioning. The pigeons aren't really all that hungry, they are just following what they have been taught.

Murray wrote: ↑Sun Apr 14, 2024 12:45 am Great videos!
Conditioning them to respond to the call is something that should happen from birth. I always call them in with a "C'mon c'mon c'mon", and can get every pigeon in the shed in double quick time. I feed the nest babies in the boxes, and call to them too. They watch the older pigeons coming to the call and being fed. By the time they start going out they know to come when called. It's imprinted in their brains.
Routine and conditioning. The pigeons aren't really all that hungry, they are just following what they have been taught.

That's what always amazes me with Des Coulter, as I've said before his birds couldn't have been kept more natural. They were on a permanent open loft but even if just fed, he could get them in at any time.
I'm afraid I've got lazy these days, if you you want results in this game you've got to put in the effort from day one.

Morning all, over the past days of feeding the Birds are leaving a high percentage of the French maize is this normal

Daz71 wrote: ↑Sun Apr 14, 2024 7:51 am Morning all, over the past days of feeding the Birds are leaving a high percentage of the French maize is this normal

In my experience Maize is always one that youngsters leave, a lot of fanciers feed a no maize mix to them. I personally would just cut back a little on what you are giving them, if they are leaving any corn then they are getting too much !!

Yep, little youngsters will eat a lot of smaller grains, and this is good. If they have some peas, some wheat and milo and safflower, they will be fine. Maize is really more of an old bird food.

Daz71 wrote: ↑Sun Apr 14, 2024 7:51 am Morning all, over the past days of feeding the Birds are leaving a high percentage of the French maize is this normal

All my babies have maize right from the start, put less food in and they will eat it they will soon get used to it

Mine do too, but I don't worry if they prefer other grains at first. When they get flying hard and have an appetite, they eat maize just fine!

I have maize in my mix for the babies. At first they were leaving the maize but once they started eating it this is the first grain that is eaten. Maize is an awkward shape for the youngsters to start with. Once they get used to picking it up they will eat it readily enough.