By
Ken M. Blomberg
“Pigeons for
Training”
It takes birds to make a bird dog. Lots of birds. If you’ve been around gun dogs and trainers long enough, you’ve heard those words of wisdom before. For some dogs, early exposure to planted birds can bring out the best in them. For others, one, or two hunting seasons with wild birds, does the trick. Either way, until a bird dog is exposed to enough birds, it won’t perform to its true potential.
All professional trainers I know go through hundreds of pen-raised birds during the course of a year. If you ever use the services of a pro trainer, ask questions if you don’t see their flight pens loaded with one, or many species of birds. Quail, chuckars, pheasants and pigeons are most commonly used by trainers. Due to the cost, quail and pigeons are the two most often utilized, but I’d venture to guess, the number-one training bird across the continent is the common barn pigeon.
Thirty years ago, I learned a valuable lesson the hard way. My dog-training partner and I built a carrying cage and purchased a half-dozen pheasants from a local kennel.
Well, to make a long story short, while loading the birds in our station wagon, the bottom fell out of the cage and we watched in horror as those expensive birds flew out of sight. Needless to say, the next day we were searching barns and silos for pigeons.
Abundant and relatively inexpensive, the pigeon is the bird dog trainer’s friend indeed. The domestic pigeon, or rock dove, can be found year-round throughout the United States and is at home in barnyards and city rooftops, much to the dismay of those who own structures that provide the birds shelter. The history of the domestic pigeon's importation is unsure, but our present population probably resulted from birds that escaped, or were liberated from captivity. Despite existing in a “wild” state for more than 100 years, it lives in close proximity to man, reflecting it’s past domestic state.
Pigeons nest on buildings, in barn lofts, under eves and in silos. They lay two white eggs and breed most of the year. Incubation of the eggs lasts 16 - 19 days and the squabs fledge in 25 – 26 days, allowing the adults time to raise up to 4, or 5 broods per year. No wonder they’re so abundant!
There are various fancy forms of pigeons, all descendants of a single species, the Rock Dove. Artificial selection and breeding have created many other pigeon types, like rollers and homers. When hybrid offspring of the diverse races are bred together, the results are Rock Doves typical in form and plumage.
Many wild, common barn pigeons, when kept in captivity for extended periods, will show homing characteristics. When bred, their offspring show strong homing instincts. Homing pigeons are used by many trainers, who obtain surplus birds from racing pigeon enthusiasts. For the bird dog trainer, using homers makes a lot of sense. When flushed in front of the dog and not shot, they will return to their loft and can be used over and over. Many birds in our flock have been with us for years and have seen the front end of our bird dogs time and time again.
Pigeons are made to order for young puppies. By pulling the primary feathers from one wing (they’ll grow back) a flightless bird can be released in front of a pup to build up its enthusiasm. Thrown in heavier cover, the pup is forced to use its nose and search on its own. As the pup grows older, planted pigeons bring out the best in the young dog as it prepares for the real thing.
Caring for pigeons is relatively easy. They survive quite well on whole corn, cracked corn, or one of many brands of mixed pigeon feed. Give them plenty of fresh water and shelter from the elements and they’ll do just fine. A good source of information and supplies for raising and using pigeons for dog training is Scott’s Dog Supply, www.scottsdog.com, 1-800-966-3647. They also have a great set of plans for a few bucks on building an eight-pair pigeon house that would certainly meet most everybody’s needs.