Flag Training Racing Pigeons
Flag training is used to keep the racing pigeons loft flying beyond loft flying that they are motivated to do. Depending on what system you are racing under birds are sometimes motivated to return to the nest or their mate. This will decrease the amount of time they spend loft flying. The only two ways to increase flying time is to road train them or to use flag training.
Flag training is the use of a flag on a stick. Yes, this is very high tech stuff (joking). I use an 8 ft green garden stake with a large red piece of cloth attached to the end. When the racing pigeons are first introduced to the system each time they want to come down and land, the flat is raised into the air which spooks them into flying again. After a few days of this the flag pole can be posted in front of the landing board the the birds will stay in the air until the flag is removed.
A positive way to enforce this is when the flat is removed the birds are immediately called in and fed. They will later know when the flag is down it’s dinner time. The call will almost not be necessary as the flag will become a form of “the call”.
Negatives of this training technique is that if birds are tired or if they become too wise, they will land on near by structures or even try to land in a field. If you keep the edge of their hunger too sharp this is especially true.
Positives are that you maximize the amount of actual exercise time for time spent loft flying. Also most hawk attacks occur when birds are out loft flying and are down on the ground where the hawk will ambush them. Flag training can reduce the amount of time they are at risk. Beware however, hawks get wise too and are known to attempt to hit birds in the air if they are desperate enough.
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Kastle has the right idea, birds want to fly and its natural so if you really need to flag I’d treat for respiratory check web pressingonloft.com need help leave a message Don
The secret in training Pigeons is to maintain your method and never change. I always use the flag training, and my birds never come down unless that flag has been taken down. I also have my whistle and that also never leaves my mouth. My birds know me, and I know them, and when I let them out for exercise, they respond and fly for an hour, then I take the flag down and blow on my whistle, and within minutes they all are on the landing board, all fighting to get in. The winners and legends in the Pigeon sport are very few in number, for they have learned this truth.
I would like to say when flag flying you need to watch the birds when you fist start and let them land when they cant go any more when there condtion gets better they will fly longer and will fly as long as thay can. how long is that. only you will know. I hope this helps.good lock. ps.it is like when we go on a treadmill we take it up to as fast as we can go now we find that we need to stop because we cant breed but if the treadmill keep going we wiill step off because if we dont we will cracsh.so like the birds if we dont let them land when they cant breed thay will land anywhere they can so we need to wacth them all the time.
HI Guy’s i only flag them at the start of the season after flying for around 3 weeks i do not have to do it.
Very good point kastle, thanks for posting!
I tried it this year for the first time. Major fail. I live among some very large trees. My birds simply learned to land 80 feet up in an oak tree. Now that’s where they always land first before entering the loft. By flagging them whenever they wanted to land on the loft, I successfully trained them not to land on the loft. BEWARE!! If you live in the open or a rooftop, this can work.