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Dan Listermann
Senior Member
Username: Listermann
Post Number: 3859
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Monday, December 25, 2006 - 06:00 pm: | 
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This morning I found that my two oldest racing pigeons have started to nest!  They are a bit young for this, ( they are like teenagers ) so when the two eggs come, I will remove one to only allow them to raise a single chick, at least for the first time or so. Eventually I want to get my kit ( flock ) to about 15 - 20 from the current 7 so I can absorb the inevitable losses.
I am happy!
Dan
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Miker
Advanced Member
Username: Miker
Post Number: 617
Registered: 02-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 26, 2006 - 04:01 pm: |
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Our local paper had a (very) short review of the new book, "Pigeons" that I thought you might be interested in, Dan.
http://www.andrewblechman.com/index.html
P.S. I think you should start raising Passenger Pigeons.
(Message edited by miker on December 26, 2006) |
Bill Pierce
Moderator
Username: Billpierce
Post Number: 6116
Registered: 01-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 26, 2006 - 07:45 pm: |
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It's interesting that the last surviving passenger pigeon died in 1914 at the Cincinnati Zoo. |
Dan Listermann
Senior Member
Username: Listermann
Post Number: 3861
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 26, 2006 - 10:17 pm: |
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Bill, her name was "Martha" and she is still there - stuffed.
"Animal Planet" had a real nice British show on the pigeon's homing ability. I have been in contact with Dr. Sheldrake who was featured on the show. He is a bit of a crank but we share an interest in mobile pigeon lofts like those used in war. I need to e-mail him my copies of US Army Signal Corps Field Manuals regarding pigeons. Cool stuff if you are into it.
Dan
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Bill Pierce
Moderator
Username: Billpierce
Post Number: 6120
Registered: 01-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 26, 2006 - 11:03 pm: |
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All right, Dan, I'm almost afraid to ask for fear I will be deluged with more information than I want, but are all pigeons imbued with the homing instinct, even the ubiquitous urban "flying rats"? |
aleman
Member
Username: Aleman
Post Number: 135
Registered: 04-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 26, 2006 - 11:23 pm: |
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My hovercraft is full of eels. |
Dan Listermann
Senior Member
Username: Listermann
Post Number: 3862
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 27, 2006 - 01:36 am: |
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The urban "flying rats" are probably largely desended from lost homing / racing pigeons so, to one degree or another, they do have the homing instinct. Though you have to keep in mind that the military / racing breeder was / is not interested in birds with "average" homing instinct. They only want to select and breed birds at the high end of the instinct's range. If you let nature select pairs, other considerations probably drive the instinct to an average which is to a racer useless. In all my reading about breeding the birds, nobody has ever suggested trapping a feral bird for any purpose.
Belgium is the home of the sport.
Dan
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Dan Listermann
Senior Member
Username: Listermann
Post Number: 3865
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 27, 2006 - 04:53 am: |
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Check out http://www.belgianexperts.com/pigeons.php
Dan
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Chumley
Senior Member
Username: Chumley
Post Number: 4504
Registered: 02-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 27, 2006 - 06:53 pm: |
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Get rid of me from the B&V! Send me one 3-L double magnum of Double Bastard.
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Chumley
Senior Member
Username: Chumley
Post Number: 4505
Registered: 02-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 27, 2006 - 06:56 pm: |
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I'm sorry...that was fat and mean, and in defiance of the Christmas truce...but today's "Pearls Before Swine" comic strip was just too timely with this thread going on!
Get rid of me from the B&V! Send me one 3-L double magnum of Double Bastard.
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Dan Listermann
Senior Member
Username: Listermann
Post Number: 3867
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 27, 2006 - 09:37 pm: |
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Chumley, there is no need for gloves in the handling of pigeons. I am unsure about how they might react to beer.
Dan
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John Jacox
Member
Username: Johnj
Post Number: 204
Registered: 03-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, December 28, 2006 - 01:41 am: |
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Anybody that's looked at a statue might disagree about there being no need for gloves! |
Dan Listermann
Senior Member
Username: Listermann
Post Number: 3868
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, December 28, 2006 - 01:51 am: |
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John, it is one of the first things that you get over.
Dan
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ELK
Senior Member
Username: Elkski
Post Number: 1732
Registered: 01-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, December 28, 2006 - 03:23 pm: |
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I see all these flying rats under our new highway bridges around here and can't help but to wonder how much damage they do to the cement and steel and can see the mess they make. I also wonder how good they would taste. I mean they look like a fat dove.
Rip them lips!
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Ron Siddall
Member
Username: El_cid
Post Number: 238
Registered: 12-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, December 28, 2006 - 03:26 pm: |
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Mmmmm, roasted squab. Tastes just like chicken.
This space open to interpretation
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Dan Listermann
Senior Member
Username: Listermann
Post Number: 3873
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Friday, December 29, 2006 - 01:22 pm: |
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This afternoon, NPR's "Science Friday" will have something on about pigeons. It is likely the book mentioned above, if I had to guess. I am on the road, but should be able to pick it up on their site later.
Dan
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Dan Listermann
Senior Member
Username: Listermann
Post Number: 3878
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 02, 2007 - 03:31 am: |
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Well it has been a week and we still have no eggs. Further I am told that the cock of such a young pair can miss, producing infertile eggs. . .
On the positive side, they are still sharing a perch! If nothing else, both on the same perch causes their butts to hang over the side so I don't have so much poop to scrape off. You take what you can get.
Dan
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