Things You'll Need
- Elevated loft
- Nest box
- Grit
- Pigeon feed
- Water
- Pigeon basket
Instructions
Training
Pick up and interact with your new pigeons. Do not make any sudden movements, but move slowly and deliberately, and feed them by hand. They should be tame enough so that they know and trust you, and you can pick them up at any time. A pigeon from a previous owner may be wary of a stranger at first, but with time the new owner can develop a relationship with them.
Keep the pigeons in their new loft and do not let them out for at least two months, or they will fly back to their original owners. Provide them with food and water, and visit them at least once a day.
Place the pigeons on top of their loft roof every few days. They will fly around a little, but will return if you leave some food or shake some grain.
Wait three to four months before placing the bird in a pigeon basket (available from pet stores) with food and water. Familiarize them with the basket by keeping them in it for a few hours, and then overnight a few times before you are ready for their first flight. It is not a good idea to use their original basket, as it might confuse them, leading them to fly to their previous owner once released.
Drive with your pigeon basket about one mile away from their home, and let them go. The pigeon will fly back to your loft. Gradually build up the flying distances every few days until they can cover 70 or 80 miles and can find their way back to the new owner's home. If you continue building their stamina, a typical pigeon will be comfortable flying distances of around 500 miles.