Racing pigeons - so much fun!

[twofatponies]

We have our own racing pigeon visiting this week. He's very comical, and very tame. Today he was hanging around outside the barn door that leads to the paddock (so it is kept shut). After I turned my horse out and was going back in, he really seemed interested in coming in the barn, but a bit wary of getting too close to me, or maybe just thinking very slowly. I held the door open for him and made encouraging noises, and he worked his way closer. I decided to be patient about it and stood there for a good five minutes while he sized up the doorway and the human standing in it. Then, like a cat, he hung out right on the door sill for a minute, pretending to be uninterested in coming in... then he waddled in and wandered down the aisle.

When I left he was perched on the top of one of the stalls, keeping a horse company and watching the goings on.

[Bluey]

We had racing pigeons, never went further than five hours drive and they beat us home every time.
We didn't race them often, mostly someone took them to the seasonal track as they drove over with some horses and turned them loose.
The pigeons went home and got a time posted.
We had some with beautiful iridescent colors.

If yours doesn't leave soon, the band on the leg will tell you who to call.

[twofatponies]

How long is too long? He's been there a couple days.

And also - is there a way they are used to being caught? He seems to like being around, but never gets closer than 4-5 feet from me. I'm good at catching birds, but if he would just walk into a certain kind of familiar box or something, I'd offer him that first.

[Bluey]

Are you sure it is a racing pigeon?
It sounds like it, as few pigeons are that tame., other than in some city park and those pigeons don't wander off.

I would not know, but if it looks ok, nothing wrong with it, it should be flying off home...

[twofatponies]

Are you sure it is a racing pigeon?
It sounds like it, as few pigeons are that tame., other than in some city park and those pigeons don't wander off.

I would not know, but if it looks ok, nothing wrong with it, it should be flying off home...

I've never seen a "wild" or "city" pigeon around here at all (way out in the country) in the nearly ten years i've lived here. And this one has two bands - a green one and a yellow one. The consensus was it was a homing pigeon taking a break. But...

[Foxtrot's]

We had one arrive here once too - totally exhausted he was. We have a nice place for a pigeon B&B - he stayed in the barn roof, nice and safe and we have a pond. We put out water and seed for him close by. With a few days he righted himself and flew on. He had probably been blown off course.

[CAH]

About a year and a half ago we had one show up in the horses paddock. Gorgeous bird. Double banded as well - couldn't get close enough to reach the numbers. I did a little research and decided to let him be. He hung out for about 48 hours, eating, drinking and just relaxing. Took off for parts unknown but it was nice while he was here!

[Marcella]

We have a homing pigeon (double banded) stop by every few weeks. Not sure if it is the same one, but it always rests in the same stall and seems to know where to go for food and water.

They are beautiful birds!

[Blinkers On]

FWIW, pigeons are not nocturnal. If you want to catch one with little resistance, do it after dark. They can not see. My dad used to do this with his flock of r. pigeons. He loved them. I don't

[FancyASB]

My Dad raced pigeons for years and years. I always went with him to turn them loose and my Mom stayed home and was the timer. He did have some either get lost, exhausted, or something with the weather that were gone for days at a time. As I remember he never lost a bird while racing. I still have his timing clock ca 1933. I also have his "stud" books, people would pay for breedings because he had such good stock. He built a two story pigeon coop too. He became involved with homing pigeons during WWII. He was with Patton and they sent messages from the tanks via homing pigeons; I still have the little glass containers they put the messages in. I can't remember exactly how my Dad caught his birds because he had them whistle trained and they just came to him; he loved his birds!!!

[Foxtrot's]

That is a neat bit of history about the homing pigeons during the war.

They used to use pigeons on the white water rafting expeditions - sent the photograph film in early by pigeon post and they were ready for the rafters when they eventually arrived at camp.

[twofatponies]

Neat about the historic uses of the pigeons.

"Ours" is still there. He likes to be in the barn during the day, doodling around in the aisle or sitting on the stall tops, and he prefers the peak of the roof in morning. Once in a while he does a few big swooping circles in the sky, then lands again. He's perky, sleek and healthy looking.

[Bluey]

My Dad raced pigeons for years and years. I always went with him to turn them loose and my Mom stayed home and was the timer. He did have some either get lost, exhausted, or something with the weather that were gone for days at a time. As I remember he never lost a bird while racing. I still have his timing clock ca 1933. I also have his "stud" books, people would pay for breedings because he had such good stock. He built a two story pigeon coop too. He became involved with homing pigeons during WWII. He was with Patton and they sent messages from the tanks via homing pigeons; I still have the little glass containers they put the messages in. I can't remember exactly how my Dad caught his birds because he had them whistle trained and they just came to him; he loved his birds!!!

Neat story.
I think that is how our pigeon racing started, when someone came back from the Korea War and had experience with pigeon messaging.

We had a pigeon return little window high up in the coop and that is where we timed their arrival.
We used anise to make the coop smell special to them.
Some we had were sought after for their beautiful colors.

Pigeons are the rats of the bird world, destroying stored crops and bringing diseases where they live.
Cities have to implement pigeon control measures just as they do for rodents.

Just like with rats, some make pets out of them and find that, as individuals and well cared for pets, they are lovely birds.

[KPF]

We've also had one "visit" our farm for several days at a time... same bird has come twice in eight or nine months. We figure we must be on his "route" and he gets tired and drops in. He's really pretty-- white with red around the ends of his feathers. He hangs out by the house and/or barn for a day or two, then poof, he's gone. We have a big house in the middle of a huge field and I wonder if he ends up here just because of our good visibility from the air. We've never had another one visit, just this particular one, twice.

[Wanderluster]

This thread is making me cry ! My dad raced pigeons as a boy and told me a few stories when I found a young pigeon that had fallen from his nest. The bird was happy to be given a horse ride back to my house but once there he fell in LOVE with my dad. I never knew that my dad had birds but it explained his love of airplanes. He loved his airplane and in the last two dreams i have had about him he is flying.
I have a barn loft, although I shouldn't even entertain the thought of taking care of more pets, what does it take to keep a small 5-8 flock of pigeons? Could I take them out to a nearby park and let them fly home for exercise? These are really dumb questions and the replies should begin with WTF are you thinking wanderluster you are obviously nostalgic and not thinking clearly for a moment. :confused: So I am asking as a hypothetical question.