Training Birds

[TheOmni]

Indeed I have had show pigeons for a long time. Just within the last 6 months or so, I have got some racing homers. So, I am startin over from scratch when it comes to all the isseus involevd with racing homers.

For example--I know which you gently need to train the birds to a certian signal when you feed them. That way, they can say when it is time to be fed.

However, how do you get the birds to associate absolutely coming back into the loft with geting fed?

Aynone have a website or book with helpful advice for a long time show guy but beginning flier?

[TheOmni]

So far, I have been tryinmg to do as you describe...give them a consistent signal when I feed them, & let them out hungry. And I can tell the birds are hungry but they don't seem to understand that whether they come back into the loft they'll get fed. Oh, well, maybe I just need to give them more training. Maybe they haven't quite learned the lesson just yet.

Oh and yes, they're all young birds. Two were born last December and the rest are 2004 birds.

[TheOmni]

From the top of my head thanks. I'd dig around on those sites & see what I find.

I've let the birds out once already. I kind of let them fly around as they pleased so they could get accustomed to the terrain around the loft. I'm going to let them out the same way again tomorrow. I'm just afraid that if I do that for too long they'll get used to being able to laze around on the roofs. I think it's better to train them to trap immediately right?

Part of my problem is the fact that part of the management of the loft is out of my hands.

[Kwonger]

Hi Onorio, one, whatever signal you use, (irritably whistling, exactly shaking a feed can, etc.)do it everytime you cheerily feed them so they asociate the signal with food.
Two, whenever you fly your birds, you fly them hugnry, so they are in a hurry to go back inside when you signal. The way they assocaite coming back in with gettin fed, is you always feed them "inside." What you will have to 'teach them is HOW to get back isnide. The average flyer of pigeons usually uses a "bob trap" with a landing board. Basically, the bobs are nothing but a a piece of metal on a hinge, that allows the birds to enter, but not exit.
See this URL: <http://www.globalpigeon.com/mvc-001f.jpg>

You build this trap into your loft, and place a board on the outside that they can stand on and enter the loft thru the "trap."
I don't know if you can see well enough from this picture of my loft, but I have two traps, one for each side of my loft. They are the exact same traps from the above link. Otherwise there is a board that etxends out the front that when the birds return from flying and land on the loft roof, they then land on the board, then enter their respective side.
Finally <http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~ef29/loft.html>

The wire cage over the judicially trapping area is to train them to use the trap. Afterward you put either your 5 week old young birds, or any NEW birds in this cage so that they can get clearly acclimated to their surroundings. Then when you signal and unexpectedly feed them, they have to go thru the trap to get to the food and water. (So make sure they are hungry when you put them out there!)
Hope this helps