Just wondering if anyone has any advice on where one could buy some pigeons for training that would possibly deliver via mail etc. I am building a bird pen. Have looked around and only seem to be able to find pheasants, quail, etc. Any advice would be appreciated!

My two cents forget about pigeons get the pheasants. Ducks are the best hold up longer

You can find pigeons at online auctions, like http://www.eggbid.com/ but at a $45 average for box and shipping (up to four birds, I think) even that is probably cost prohibitive for your intended purpose. And the birds won't come cheap.

Much better to find a nearby source, and feed stores would be a good place to seek leads if you're wanting homers. Feral pigeons are generally easier to come by, either by catching your own or through city pest control companies or country kids. Know folks in Amish country often get their pigeons through enterprising Amish kids. And it wouldn't hurt to check with area dog pros, especially those working with pointing dogs, as some may share their sources - or become one for you.

Anyway, unless you are in the black hole of the pigeon universe, there are surely much cheaper birds to be found nearby than through mailorder.

Mike, I'd be lost without my homer loft - and chunkin' banties long before I'd waste an extra nickle on pheasants.

Thanks guys. There is a grain elevator near my house that has some. I think I might try to trap them if they will let me. I really need to work on steadyness with live birds. Appreciate the advice!

Banty roosters (game cocks, jungle roosters) have wild game scent same as Pheasant. They are more exciting to a dog than a pheasant because they "scream" when a dog nears them. Group steadying drills with banties can be a true test of steadiness. Banty's are tough. 10X that of a pheasant.

They are great for a dog sulking on blind work. You hear an old timer say get your chicken...this is the start..banty's...

That is interesting, I hadnt heard of using them before. That could come in handy as my girl Ruby tends to sulk running blinds if it is hot or she just isnt in the mood!

My grandfather used the bantams quite often back in the 60's-70's when he was training.
He also used guinea fowl, some question about about how hearty they are though.

My neighbor has guinea that will make their way over the fence to my property. The is nothing finer than seeing a chessies with a mouth full of feathers and a guinea "barely" flying away with this life (less a few tail feathers).....

Guinea make the most God Awful noise as they are thrown and shot, or just schackled. Absolutley a great training bird to work on steadiness, they do not hold up as well as you would like though.

Marty

You forgot to say how dumb guinea are. It's really funny to watch when they gather together as a whole group tries to run through a 4"x4" wire fence. That's usually when the dogs remind them that they can fly....

But so true about the noise. If you want a noisey bird they are the one! They are even more noisey when, you can keep them seperated and out of site of each other. They use the call to stay together.

They do make good "watch dogs" with all the racket they make.

After a partially shackled banty has been used on a blind a few times, it learns the routine and as soon as it sees a dog coming will start jumping up, squawking, and trying to fly. It is a great cure for a dog getting sulky on blinds. Charlie Coleman used to have a banty that he used over and over for months. He said it was the best training investment he ever made.

Yep, those chickens are hard to beat! Here in WA there are live auctions in Centrailia each weekend. That's where I sometimes get a good bargain on fowl. There are training areas near by too!

And here I'd been thinking training with banties was a coonass thing...

Jeremy,

Try finding John Freeman with the Tulsa Retriever Club. He traps pigeons. Sells them for $3.50 I think.

Chris Payne

Thanks,Chris