Advanced Imprinting

Jack Prescott
(Internet Published) Aug 2001

When my young pigeons are 4 weeks old they can pick up their own feed and find the water supply in the young bird section. At this age, I reckon that they should be isolated from their parents and placed upon a system of training.

I have said with monotonous regularity that no sane man will attempt to train more than just a few at a time. A kit of contest intended Tipplers need only be 3. A kit of contest intended Rollers or Competition Tumblers need not exceed 20. Obviously, 4 week old trainers cannot fly but I reckon that they should be placed outside of the loft on a raised table or plank about 15 feet from the front of the loft. Under constant watch and protection these youngsters will imprint and become loft trained before they can fly strongly. They learn to accept the pull towards the loft. The same youngsters if placed on the actual loft top will not have the influence of the "Pull" from a more remote position.

By the age of 5 1/2 weeks old any young Tippler, Roller or flying Tumbler should be capable of strong flight. A lot of these are lost in their first attempts to fly around the loft area. It is therefore logical to control these youngsters and make sure that they don't do more than flutter about on the loft tops and the raised platform 15 feet from the front of the loft.

Between 5 1/2 and 8 weeks old these here trainees are a menace to themselves if they happen to get up in some kind of fright before then.

Now instead of just driving out these here trainees at 5 1/2 weeks old, I take them to the end of the yard at a distance of about 40 feet and loose them one at a time to fly to the loft top or the raised platform. This trains them to respond to the magnetism of the loft, which they would not learn of just allowed to squat on the loft top. At the age of 8 weeks they are imprinted, if this caper is carried out every day (Time involved: 1/2 hour)

My next stage of to take my 6 foot bamboo cane and cause the trainees to fly using a few established pigeons as droppers. On this system I do not loose any trainees, due to this advanced imprinting. I allow that it takes time and patience but these here elastic bands, gummed tapes or starvation tactics I do condemn. A man has to beware of cats and hawks and such handicapping simply may backfire.

[Internet Published Aug 2001 at http://www.tipplers.com/jack/]