Behaviour

Jack Prescott
(Internet Published) Mar 2001

Pigeons that have been used to flying in a kit will sometimes become silly or partly disorientated if they, by chance, become isolated and caused to fly on their own. There is no logic in this behaviour. An example is when all of the kit is safely down and eager to enter the loft but one or even two continue to fly, despite all manner of coaxing.

I have learned to recognise the signs and I know that if I don't take prompt action, I am going to be fooling around for a long time. The sun may go down and then I shall be messing about in very bad light and with my feet chilled like two blocks of ice. Therefore, the prompt action required is to make the entire kit take off again. It works like magic - The idiot or idiots quickly hook up with their kit mates and then with my usual coaxing the entire issue is down very soon. The disqualification's with contest Tipplers due to one kit member that had failed to drop, caused by this solo flying allergy are extremely common.

The mere fluttering of droppers does not often work but a solution that often does is to employ droppers that will fly briefly and hook the disturbed "solo", stupefied or obstreperous individuals. No man should underestimate the value of active droppers. Static droppers with no movement in them are of no value at all in difficult times.

Large kits of pigeons that are used to regular exercise as a large kit often become nervous and stupid if the kit gets split up. Typically, about 20 of them drop to the loft but one or just a few continue to fly nervously. It is remarkable how such as these quickly settle down when the other 20 are cause to fly again. They hook up and in a short time the entire kit drops together.

There is a warning however, that unless a kit is trained to darkness or bad light, every pigeon will become nervous and unmanageable if, by chance, still out of the loft as the daylight fails. Except for contesting tipplers, I believe that flying into bad light should be avoided. It is too risky and the last thing that any fancier wants is to have pigeons out all night.

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