Is it safe to let my homing pigeons out of the coop yet?

Question

I bought three homing pigeons from my neighbor. Two of them have mated. They have had several baby's, and I have had them for about five months now. I heard that if they have had several baby's that it is safe to let them out. They even have a chick right now that hatched a while ago. Would it be safe to open the coop?

Answer 1

Five months is plenty for pigeons to home if their coop has everything they need, and there are several ways to do this:
1 take one of the two that are mated and let him out with the one by himself that has not mated jet preferably the male, when you let them out try to keep the two you let out alittle hungry so they know to go in when they come back from their flight. ther is some small risk of loosing them this way but you have the advantage because of the hunger, the mate is inside and worst case they will go to were you got them.

2 - take the last six flight feathers at the very end from each side of their wing and tape them together with masking tape.
by doing this you limit how far they can fly off the floor, let them out of the coop this way for about five days and then let them fly.

Answer 2

I'm unsure, depends how far away your neighbour is, I'd say it's worth a try but since you live quite close to your last home they could end up back there. If you think your neighbour wouln't mind retrapping them for you then let them out, it's unfair to keep them inside all their lives.

Answer 3

It relies upon. Do you propose on allowing them to fly unfastened for the duration of the day or confining them? in the event that they are going to be released on a daily basis then they choose not often any area, a cage could do.

Answer 4

I would think so, but I'd ask your neighbor. He's the one with the knowlege of his birds. I do think though, that since he's so close they might very well go visiting. But, I think that with babies in the nest they won't go far or stay away long.