UkPigeonRacing

I agree with you Murray. Not sure about being happy or unhappy as I don’t know what emotions they would have. But I like you have pigeons sitting on me, walking around my feet, looking calm and content in the loft, if that’s happy mine are happy. . When outside the loft they are just the same. I can walk among them in the garden and they follow Roxanna around for sunflower hearts. My traps are at shoulder height and they are quite happy to sit there while I walk passed right next to them. Not the most regimented system at all but the birds are “happy” with it.

Mine are happy then as well, sometimes they do my nut as there are that many on me and fighting to get on my shoulder, some sit on my feet whilst cleaning out etc

Our young cat, Banjo, grew up with the pigeons from the day we brought him home as a small kitten a bit over a year ago. He went through a stage of going in through the sputnik and visiting the birds when he was small.
The other day I had the baths out on the lawn, and Banjo was lying on the grass beside them while they splashed around. I had put the older cats away but forgot he was still out.
Today a similar thing happened.
I called Flynn and Ollie in, Ollie is a real hunter. He would nail one for sure.
I assumed the Banjo baby was in too.
I let all the birds out and was pottering around. When I walked around the corner I saw him in the stock shed, looking at the pigeons in the bottom boxes.
The door was wide open, they could have flown out over his head. Instead they were taking no notice of him at all.
We have had that before. A kitten raised with the pigeons will not touch them.

Have you managed to sell your house yet Murray

No, we haven't even had a firm offer.
Interest rates have gone up every month over the last year or so, and it has flattened the market. Things seem to be moving again but our house may be a bit harder to sell. It has a larger garden, and many people these days don't want a garden. They want a small area with shingle and native plants that never need to be cared for.
We have 2 generous bedrooms with built in wardrobes and a separate bathroom on one side of the house.
Our bedroom has a walk in wardrobe and ensuite bathroom, but the living areas are smaller. But well big enough for us!
With the 10 metre x 4 metre patio area, it is a great place to live.
Somebody will want it, but just for now, I am happy here.
So are the pigeons.

Murray wrote: ↑Thu May 11, 2023 8:28 am No, we haven't even had a firm offer.
Interest rates have gone up every month over the last year or so, and it has flattened the market. Things seem to be moving again but our house may be a bit harder to sell. It has a larger garden, and many people these days don't want a garden. They want a small area with shingle and native plants that never need to be cared for.
We have 2 generous bedrooms with built in wardrobes and a separate bathroom on one side of the house.
Our bedroom has a walk in wardrobe and ensuite bathroom, but the living areas are smaller. But well big enough for us!
With the 10 metre x 4 metre patio area, it is a great place to live.
Somebody will want it, but just for now, I am happy here.
So are the pigeons.

When I win the lottery the weekend I will take it off your hands just to help you out, I like big gardens and patios , same here with interest rates going up again this week

I took some late breds, that missed out on the early training, down to the creek yesterday. About half a mile.
They took off and were circling home before I got back.
I am turning the older youngsters around because the club races are from the opposite direction this year.They have had about 20 tosses and I have only lost a handful.
A few from the other way and they can have a break while I get the younger ones educated.
It is a pity that there is no young bird racing right now. Some of them are very fit and well.

Murray wrote: ↑Thu May 11, 2023 9:43 pm I took some late breds, that missed out on the early training, down to the creek yesterday. About half a mile.
They took off and were circling home before I got back.
I am turning the older youngsters around because the club races are from the opposite direction this year.They have had about 20 tosses and I have only lost a handful.
A few from the other way and they can have a break while I get the younger ones educated.
It is a pity that there is no young bird racing right now. Some of them are very fit and well.

Good to see they coming well, does the club change direction regular or does it get voted on

They tend to race from north one year and west the next year.
This year we may change from west to north week by week if there is a strong northerly wind which could push them away.
The main priority is getting the pigeons home.

Murray wrote: ↑Fri May 12, 2023 4:53 am They tend to race from north one year and west the next year.
This year we may change from west to north week by week if there is a strong northerly wind which could push them away.
The main priority is getting the pigeons home.

OK thanks for that, makes sense as you say birds come first