Anyone catch wild pigeons and free-range them?

[aPrimitive]

From what I read on pigeons (even if caught wild) If you lock them up for a couple of months (or even better until they all nest for the first time) that you can then free range them and they will return to the coop at night. The reason I want wild is because they already feed themselves all year long now and will in the future (with some food here and there to keep them wanting to return). Less than 5 miles away from me are a **** load living in this abandoned building and I'll just figure out a way to catch a bunch of them and then free range them and use them as animal food.

 

[sourland]

Pigeons generally have a strong homing instinct. My gut tells me that such birds would readily return 5 miles to their 'home'.

 

[Curtiejlee]

I have a lot of feral caught pigeons! They'll need food in the winter and during breeding season. They take about 4 or 5 weeks to a couple months to acclimate to a new loft, but usually stay. If you have existing birds they'll be more likely to stay around.

 

[jak2002003]

From what I read on pigeons (even if caught wild) If you lock them up for a couple of months (or even better until they all nest for the first time) that you can then free range them and they will return to the coop at night. The reason I want wild is because they already feed themselves all year long now and will in the future (with some food here and there to keep them wanting to return). Less than 5 miles away from me are a **** load living in this abandoned building and I'll just figure out a way to catch a bunch of them and then free range them and use them as animal food.

Wild / feral pigeons carry some very nasty diseases and parasites. If you breed from them and 'use them as animal food', there is a good chance you animals will get sick.

What are you going to feed the wild pigeons too?

Many fancy pigeons and doves are very inexpensive, big and fat, and clean disease free. You would be better off getting a few pairs of these. They breed very fast and you will soon have more than you need.

Those wild pigeons will return to their abandoned building, even after a few weeks. They will get attracted back when they are out flying and see the other wild pigeons. If they are adults, they will also have mates and nests and will return to claim them back.

 

[cluckcluckluke]

I am no pigeon expert but if you are able to hold a par of breeding birds, then hatch some offspring. You can raise the babies and let the parents go. The babies should stay with you.

 

[aPrimitive]

Thank you very much. Sounds like you know lol. I was told to expect probably half of them not to come back.

 

[Hokum Coco]

Many fancy pigeons and doves are very inexpensive, big and fat, and clean disease free. You would be better off getting a few pairs of these. This "IS BY FAR" the best advice on the thread!! I would still not trade my "Personal Experience"with feral pigeons (part of me just says it is wrong.)

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Pigeons generally have a strong homing instinct. My gut tells me that such birds would readily return 5 miles to their 'home'. Your gut if right Sourland however I have successfully had feral bond with my loft after raising one clutch of eggs sometimes just after a few weeks if you already have an existing flock. Now that I am back into pigeons (and have some money) feral are not allowed in my loft I also had them come in through my trap and squat. Here are a couple pictures to show an example I gave this one a bit of a chance I tossed him on a training trip but he could not keep up and did not home.

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I have a lot of feral caught pigeons! They'll need food in the winter and during breeding season. They take about 4 or 5 weeks to a couple months to acclimate to a new loft, but usually stay. If you have existing birds they'll be more likely to stay around. Agree 100%

Feral Pigeons get a bad wrap. Pigeons in my area you can not feed or approach. The ones you can are sick or just beginning to fly and fell out of their nest.
I have 63 trips around the sun. As a child of 14 I wanted pigeons but had "no money" I got pigeons from where else the feral birds in the neighbourhood.
I would climb on top of bridges and roof tops at night to obtain my prize young squabs mostly that I would take when they were nearly fledged.

Most wild pigeons are healthy at least in my neighbourhood our winters cull the weak or sick ones. I would recommend keep any wild bird in isolation for a month and check for parasites of maybe just dust them to be on the safe side. I had one wild pigeon (I think his parents were racers from the white wing tips) that I raised that could home from over 500 miles. Any beauties as kids we called them (pigeons with a lot of white or browns) are in my opinion from lofts where the birds have got lost possibly and gone feral. I know there are some excellent birds mixed in with the feral and you may be even lucky enough to catch a banded bird that has went wild (most breeders do not want a bird that did not home). All pigeons have some homing ability the question is how much. Some breeds or ornamental pigeons are not designed to fly.

My pigeon stock is supposed to be all pure white birds in a perfect world (so much for a perfect world) All of the offspring in my loft came from pure white Belgium homers.

 

[aarontheman]

there was once a good fancier in my area he won a race form ireland to france and he was getting rid of the pigeons in cork (living in dublin in ireland ) he gave them down to a friend in cork far away form dublin they came back to dublin he fed them then they started to breed i dont catch them they fly into my loft so i just kept them there until i know if they are sick or anything like that if they are i feed them then give them water and if i can make them better i do theese pigeons stayed around for a while the original homers didnt come to anyone loft but the youngesters did so know i have 3 feralish pigeons
so it is possible just make sure they are healthy
message me if you have any questions

 

[Curtiejlee]

Forgot to mention. I have all my birds on a worming and parasite program. I use ivomech and just poultry dust. The ivomech gets rid of any internal and most external parasites and the poultry dust kills any remaining external. I do this whenever I buy or catch any new birds and have never had a sick one.

 

[jaimes]

How much