German Wirehaired Pointer Club of America

[cabinetman]

This is probably a stupid question, but; I noticed that most of the dog supply web sites sell plans too make housing for pigeons. With that said, will regular common pigeons come back to the coop you build, or do you need to train with homing pigeons?

[Dave1967]

The easy answer is Yes. You will have to keep them in your pigeon house for a week or two and then only let one or two out at a time. If you have an old barn or a bridge or even a city park where you can catch/trap them it is just as easy to catch and use as you need and then go back and catch some more as it to maintain them on hand. As a kid I would catch them, use them to train my pup and then sell them to a restaurant for .35 each, it kept me in shot gun shells. At one time I had seven wooden pigeon crates set up in the oak tree where I had my tree house. The next door neighbor finally complained to my Dad and I had to look for a new source of income.

[KYSER]

Right on Dave. I built a loft and tried to get ferral pidgeons to home but they kept finding their way back to the silo I got them from, I know they were the same ones because I had put zip ties on their legs, so I thought why worry about feeding and watering, just go back and get them again. Funny thing is they are easier to catch after a few visits. They know they get a few free days room and board in a nice loft before they get released again.