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I searched the internet websites, posted questions on the Pigeon Mailing List, read books, and consulted pigeon fanciers privately to try to learn what works best to train young birds. Well, I am here to tell you that there is no set rule for the techniques used. It is up to the handler to decide what is best for his/her situation.
I should say that the most important things to keep in mind is that the birds learn by doing and what you do as a manager. You must be consistent with all aspects of loft management and the training releases. You must also be patient and not rush them before they are ready. Allow the birds to accept you as someone to be trusted with their proper care and safety, and not as someone that mistreats them if they do not perform as expected.
You begin your training at a very early age by building their confidence in you. Take time to give them those occasional treats. Inspect them regularly for parasites and other health conditions. However, don't handle them more than is necessary (especially while they are growing new feathers). When feathers are growing, they have blood flowing into each shaft. Handling the bird at that time can be painful and the bird associates the pain with you, so you can see why it is best to not handle them at this time.
Once the birds have been weaned, they should be moved to the young bird loft. They should be allowed to be outside each day, but, not free to do what they want. I created a retaining basket that I position onto the landing board. It is a wood frame with wire sides and top. I attach it to the landing board so that it can not be knocked off by the birds or by predators. The youngsters are allowed to come in and out by way of the opened trap for a day or two. Then I place them outside in the basket and close the trap. They soon learn that they can come in when they want, but can not exit the trap. Once they learn this, they tend to stay out unless hungry or thirsty. You should be calling them in to eat during each feeding.
Now comes the part that requires the most patience. Remove the basket and let the birds out. Do this when they are hungry and they will not stay out too long. Never let them out on a full stomach, as they will stay out too long and be subject to predator attacks or may fly into a tree instead of coming into the loft. They must always have the incentive to return to the loft when called or when returning from any release. The feed can is the most important tool used in the training process, so do learn how to use it to your advantage.
The birds may not want to fly (once they find that they are free to do so), but you need to be patient with them and not force them from the loft. They will fly when they are ready. I have had some that flew for a few minutes each time they were released, and some that would sit on the loft roof while the others flew around in sight of them. Sometimes this goes on for nearly a week. I allow my birds to loft-fly twice per day until they are ready to be taken on their training releases. By this time, they should be tripping (flying for 45 minutes or more and out of sight of the loft). When the training begins, you must have a plan, a map to identify the roads to follow to stay near the line of flight from the race stations, and the nerve to release single birds as well as multiples.
During my first season with racers, I was very conservative on the distances at which I did these training releases. The first was only a few hundred yards just to get the birds use to the basket and to give me the confidence to continue the training. Most of the information that I have read suggests that the birds be stepped out as follows: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 40, 60, and 80 miles with releases being 2 or 3 times at each distance. I started out this way, but I found that it is not absolutely necessary to do so many short-distance releases. They seemed to home at the same time if it was a 20 mile or 5 mile toss. In other words, they are still tripping when you release them closer than 35 miles or so. Therefore, I make the first releases at 5 - 8 miles (depending on how long they have been tripping). I then release at 15 miles several times before advancing them to the 30 mile release point. Once they are returning well from 30 miles, I take them out to 100 miles in 20 to 25 mile increments.
I train during various weather conditions. I have released the birds when there was still some low scattered fog, as long as the sun was visible in most areas. I do not release them in really windy conditions or in the rain, but do several releases under cloudy conditions to build the confidence of the birds. I allow loft flying during windy conditions and in the rain if the birds want to fly. I believe it is important for them to experience flight in a rain shower, since there is a possibility that they may be faced with such a situation during a race. I want them to have as much experience as possible before being faced with the situation at a great distance from home. When I asked on the internet if people flew their birds in the rain, I got negative responses from all directions and was told to never fly them in the rain. I suppose I am just a little bit stubborn. I have not seen any negative impact on my methods thus far.
