Here is some information on training pigeons with their web links...
http://www.speedpigeon.com/training_racing_pigeons.htm
Pigeon Facts
The earliest record of man keeping domestic Pigeons is 3000 BC Egypt. Pigeons are strong fliers and have been widely used as emergency carriers at many times in our history as they will instinctively return to their place of birth. It is this ability to fly and the instinct to return to the coop that we draw upon when we use Pigeons for the training of a hunting Griffon.
Pigeons and Doves are monogamous, they mate for life, but on the death of a mate, they will re-mate in time. During courting, including head-bobbing, cooing and "kissing" the two will build a nest anywhere they can find a ledge. When the time is near for egg laying, the male will chase the female to the nest and force her to stay on the nest. The female lays 2 white eggs and both the male and the female Pigeon take turns incubating the young. Generally the male sits from the late morning to the afternoon, and the female will sit the rest of the time. Incubation is about 17 days, the young will care for the young in the nest for another 17 days, both parents feeding them "pigeon milk" which is secreted by the glandular walls of the crop. As the young get older, small seeds will be mixed into the milk, and eventually the adult pigeons will feed a mixture of pure seeds, water and grit. Parents will frequently set another clutch of eggs once their first has hatched, and thus will raise two sets of young at a time, incubating the younger.
Once a squab is old enough, it will leave the nest to walk on the ground and learn to feed and drink water from its parents. Young pigeons (Squeakers) lack the white skin saddle (cere) between the bill and forehead and emit a high "squeak" and so are easily distinguishable from the adults. A Squeaker can be taken from its coop, and will then instinctively home to wherever it is raised. Once a bird is an adult, if moved to another location it will need to be wing clipped in order to stay in a new coop.
About 28 days after hatching, training to home can begin, with the first lessons being how to enter the coop through the trap door.
To raise enough pigeons for our ongoing dog training, we keep a "breeding coop" of racing homers that are not permitted to fly free. These birds breed from March to September, and often produce eggs this entire time, even during their molt. The breeding coop consists of a coop and a flight pen, made with wood and plywood, with wire chicken mesh stapled on the flight pen. The coop (you can purchase the plan) has a feed bin and nest boxes and exits to the flight pen with a covered with a porch (equipped with more nest boxes). The flight pen contains a water fountain, a feed and grit box, and a perch. Nesting material is available - straw and hay mainly, pigeons are not always great nest builders, but some do their best if they are provided with materials. Every spring, before egg laying begins, the nesting boxes are cleaned. Do not breath the dust from pigeons, you can get very sick. Once breeding begins, it will not end until fall, with pigeons breeding non stop. Good quality food is necessary so as not to deplete the breeding birds. A mixture of commercial laying mash, seeds and grains, or a commercial pigeon mix are all good ideas. Pigeons also need salt, grit and oyster shell. Water is essential, as well as for drinking, Pigeons need to take a daily bath, especially when sitting on eggs (moisture).
Our other coop is for our fliers (our training birds). These are pigeons that have been removed from the Breeding coop as squeakers, so they will home to the flying coop once they are adults. Once they have learned to go in and out of the trap door they are taken progressively further from the coop to practice homing. The outside wall of the flight pen has a trap door with bobs which hang down, allowing the pigeons outside to enter while preventing the pigeons inside from going out. The trap door also has a solid predator door that closes over top, preventing predators from coming in after the pigeons. Sometimes the bobs are propped up, allowing the pigeons to come and go at will especially in the mornings, this extra flying will help to condition their wings and make them strong fliers. You must be careful that no cats, hawks or owls are feeding on your pigeons, so leaving the bobs up or the predator door open is not normally a good idea, as predators can also enter your coop, and can kill many birds in just a couple of days.
UNDER CONSTRUCTION: coming soon: Training methods
Homing Pigeons will fly home over many miles, allowing you to train in different fields and if you have quality racing homers, you will even be able to train across the country. Unlike Game birds, a homing pigeon will simply fly home once they are released from a sock or a launcher, this is excellent when breaking a young dog to stop to flush.
When we plan to train, we make sure our pigeons are not let out in the morning. We take a 100 or 200 airline crate into the coop and set it up on it's end, the door at the top. By netting or grabbing pigeons, we place the pigeons into the crates. When the crate is full, the door on the crate is latched and the crate is carried out to the training area.
There are many ways to use pigeons. I will mention just a few of them here.
First, there is my favourite.. the electronic bird launcher. This type of unit allows you to hold a pigeon in an the launcher, then when a button is pressed on the transmittor, the launcher is activated, instantly throwing the pigeon 8 feet or more into the air, where he can fly away. The launcher is the simplest way you can train using pigeons, chukars, quail or pheasant where you can control the timing of the flush.
Another piece of equipment is the sock, which holds the pigeon's wings against its body, to be released by you picking up the bird and tossing it into the air, or rolling it onto the ground to fly away at will.
Then there is the harness, mainly to control the bird while you are doing yard work, but we have also put a harness onto a flexi-leash which allows the bird to fly up for a ways, then come to the ground when he reaches the end of the string. The same can be done with a pop bottle, cardboard etc., with this method, you need to be sure that there are no power lines or trees around to get tangled in.
And... braiding the wings. Pigeons have amazingly flexible wings and you can restrict them from flying without wing clipping simply by bending one wing over the other (see photo). This allows the pigeon to walk but he cannot fly.
http://www.griffonpoint.com/pigeons.htm
Instructions on Reception, Care and Training of Homing Pigeons in Newly Installed Lofts at U.S. Navy Air Bases
Navy Department
Office of Naval Operations
(Aviation)
Washington, D.C.
March 20, 1918.
Instructions on Reception, Care and Training of Homing Pigeons in Newly Installed Lofts at U.S. Navy Air Bases
(1) Men in charge of, or detailed to, homing pigeon lofts in process of construction and stocking with young birds, should see that the loft is scrupulously clean and prepared for the arrival of the birds. Close communication should be had with the Paymaster, to ascertain the arrival of the birds at the first practicable moment, and to arrange for their immediate transportation to the location of the loft. The birds arriving at the loft will all be young birds, varying from six to eight weeks of age, and ordinarily contained in two crates. These birds will have completed a lengthy trip by railroad, and will probably in a comparatively poor condition, because of delays in travel and possible lack of proper care and attention. Immediately upon the arrival of the birds at the loft, the pigeon attendant should carefully examine and handle each and every bird, separating the healthy birds from the sickly ones. Healthy birds should immediately be placed in a loft where they can obtain plenty of fresh drinking water, and fed sparingly. Sick birds should be isolated and kept by themselves until full recovery, as hereinafter described.
(2) As far as possible, dependent upon weather conditions, the front of the loft should be kept open, so that the birds will have plenty of sunlight and air, and at the same time familiarize themselves, to some extent, with the surrounding country.
(3) In stormy weather, where rain or snow is liable to beat into the loft, the outside upper half of the openings in front may be covered with swinging board flaps, hanging on hooks from the top of the openings, and held out at an angle of 45 degrees therefrom by means of a stick or support, and the lower half covered by a muslin covered frame fitting close in the dowelled front openings.
(4) While cold will not ordinarily injure the birds, it must be remembered that the new arrivals are young birds, not thoroughly inured to hardships, and that their worst enemies are drafts and currents of cold air. To obviate these, it is wise to construct four separate unbleached muslin covered frames, each fitting half of the outside dowelled front window frames, and on extremely cold nights to cover the entire front openings with these frames outside the dowels. Enough air and light will penetrate the muslin, but no drafts.
(5) The birds should be fed early every morning and about 4 or 5 o'clock every afternoon and given as much food as they will clean up in 10 minutes. Never allow food to remain indefinitely on the floor of the loft. It will quickly become soiled from the droppings, and prove a sure source of illness. Never feed birds before a flight, it makes them heavy, logy, inattentive and liable not to return promptly to the loft.
(6) Baths need not be given on extremely cold days; but should be given, if weather permits, every other day.
(7) If sand is available, spread a small quantity on the floor; it will serve to supplement the grit, (which is always kept before the birds to assist digestion,) and at the same time be an aid to cleanliness.
(8) The first morning after the arrival of the birds, dependent on the weather, plenty of fresh water should be available for baths, care being taken to remove such bath water whenever soiled, and replace with fresh water. Never allow water which has been used for bathing to remain in the loft, and birds must not be allowed to drink same.
(9) While the birds are confined, the pigeon attendant becomes familiar with them and gets them used to his presence and to the fact that feed is available at certain definite times. Each time the birds are to be fed, the attendant calls the birds by rattling a tin can in which buckshot or hard peas have been placed. The advantage of the rattling can over whistling is that the rattling can is a constant, never-varying sound, irrespective of who causes it, while the whistle varies with the individual and in case of change of attendants, is liable to upset the birds. Once the birds are used to the sound of the rattle and know that it means food, they will answer to the call quite readily. Never rattle the can without giving some feed to the birds.
(10) During this period the loft attendants make an exact inventory of the birds, giving band numbers, color, special markings and facts as to physical condition of each bird.
(11) An exact record of every occurrence in the loft must be carefully kept, showing all flights, and particulars of each bird's performance; any unusual occurrence must be specially noted, even though not understood, and all reports must be recorded daily with the officer in charge of records.
(12) The following schedule gives approximate time to which it is necessary to confine the birds in the loft to acquaint them with their new surroundings
6 weeks old-4 days
7 weeks old-5 days
8 weeks old-6 days
At the expiration of this period, and at about 3 or 4 o'clock in the afternoon, but not when it is raining or snowing or a fog or mist prevailing, and before the birds have their afternoon feed, the traps of the house should be opened and the birds allowed to go out of the traps on their own initiative. It is fatal to drive the birds out of the loft. If they are driven, they will fly wildly, and without knowledge of the country surrounding the loft, will lose themselves, and fail to return. The normal young bird on being permitted to go through the trap for the first time of its own free will, will perch on the landing board or roof of the pigeon loft and probably make a few short flights in the air, returning to the roof of the loft after each one, venturing further and further away from the loft at each succeeding flight. On the day selected, the birds should be fed rather lightly in the morning and kept rather sharp so as to have their appetites assist in bringing them back to the loft after their first flight in the open air.
(13) On the second day of liberation, the trap is to be opened at about 12 o'clock noon, and the birds allowed to go out of their own free will, remaining outside for perhaps one half an hour and then called in by the rattling can and given a very slight amount of food, just enough to let them know the reason for being called in; another flight of half an hour should be given just before feeding time.
(14) On the third day, the trap is opened before the birds are fed in the morning and they are allowed to go out of their own free will and fly around the loft for perhaps one half hour. On alighting on the roof of the loft they are called in by the feed rattle and again the regular amount of feed is given, as much as they will clean up in 10 minutes. In the afternoon, about 4 or 5 o'clock dependent upon weather conditions, they are allowed another flight, being fed as above, after they are called in to the loft.
(15) Never feed a bird anywhere except in the loft and never allow a bird to alight upon the ground, or on a tree house or building, in fact, anywhere, except on the roof of the loft. Never allow the birds to remain an indefinite time on the roof of the loft, always call them in by the can and give them a few grains of food.
(16) Never liberate a bird in a heavy fog, mist, rain, or snow, unless absolutely necessary. It serves no useful purpose, and may be the means of losing the bird.
(17) After the birds have taken to the wing well, and seem to enjoy their exercise around the loft, flying as it were in one compact body they are then ready for their initial tosses which must be single up at all times, giving each individual bird enough time to locate his own course or direction of flight. For further information see article on training.
(18) Never take a bird which is in poor condition for a flight. Every bird needs all of its strength and feathers to fly properly, and if it is not in such proper condition, it will be unable to return to its home. Unless weather conditions or accident prevent, never carry a bird back to the loft. Always liberate and allow a flight home, reducing the distance, if necessary.
(19) Scrupulous cleanliness is essential in every loft. The perches, nest boxes and floor must be cleaned every day. Water and bath cans should be sterilized. A trench should be dug perhaps 25 feet in the rear of the pigeon loft, into which should be dumped, every day, the cleanings and refuse from the loft. While one attendant is watching the birds outside another should be cleaning the loft and renewing drinking water and bathing water.
(20) All food to the birds should be sifted in a fine mosquito to wire sieve to remove all dust, etc. This sifting should also be dumped in the ditch, care being taken in summer time to keep the refuse covered with dirt, to avoid flies. Watch the food, and see that it is free from taint and mold. Defective grain is a certain forerunner of a full hospital.
(21) Except when the birds are allowed open trap, in the morning and evening, the trap leading outside the loft, should always remain closed permitting entry but not exit of birds.
(22) One of the attendants should always be on the lookout for return of birds after a practice liberation and give a few grains of food to each returning bird as a reward, making note of bird and time of return. In like manner, liberator should note birds released, with exact time and distance to be flown, and on the return to loft, compare record of return and prepare flight record.
(23) A few cardinal points: Each loft attendant should become intimately acquainted with each and every one of his birds, and overcome their fear and timidity. Emphasize the fact that he is their friend; that they will receive food, water and other comforts through him. Watch the birds carefully, both in and out of the loft. Isolate every sick bird, and if not sure of the ailment, consult freely with others. A thoroughly available hospital or sick bay can be easily constructed of an old packing box, 3 or 4 ft. square with the front covered with chicken wire. Raise it off of the ground to avoid rats, cats, etc. and face it where the birds will get all possible sunlight and be protected from drafts, wet and rain. A canvas or muslin flap over the front will protect the birds from cold and rain. Fresh water is the first essential for health and full recovery of the sick birds. Careful and regular feeding and plenty of fresh air and sunlight and the appropriate remedies obtainable from the hospital, will save most of the sick birds. A little tincture of Gentian is an excellent tonic for the birds, a small pinch of it being placed in their drinking water.
(24) The above rules are for the settling of the young pigeons in their new home, and are not intended to contemplate their immediate use by the Division or Military Unit to which they are attached. It will take from three to four weeks of training, as hereinbefore set forth, to thoroughly acquaint the birds with their locality and to make them available for use by the Military Unit.
(25) Particular attention and care must be given to the method of catching, handling, liberating and trapping birds. If it is desired to catch a bird on a perch or board, walk slowly up to it, turning the head slightly in a different direction but watching the bird out of the corner of the eye. Slowly and smoothly raise both hands above the level of the bird and quickly swoop downward, bringing both hands together over the bird. By this downward motion it may be easily caught, even if it flies into the air.
(26) Attached photograph shows the proper method of holding a pigeon in the hand. It should be gently but firmly grasped with the hand, its keel in the palm, with the thumb and fingers encircling the body. The legs should be grasped between the index and second finger. In this way its wings and feet are permanently manacled. Extreme care must be taken not to bend, break, or pull out the flight or tail feathers or to frightened the birds by grasping them too tightly.
(27) Except when necessary, never make any quick movements when with the birds; move slowly and deliberately and never under any circumstances scare a bird in its home loft. Never trick a bird. Under no circumstances should a bird be caught when eating from the attendant's hand.
(28) Never handle a pigeon roughly in the trapping box. It is difficult enough to train a bird to trap quickly and fearlessly without adding to this difficulty by making it trap-shy. One of the most important phases of a bird's training is the trapping. A pigeon that will return and sit on the loft for 5, 10, or sometimes 30 minutes is a most imperfectly trained homer and not a reliable messenger. The utmost speed is desired, in the transmission of a message, and a slow trapping bird is a most unsatisfactory medium of communication. Begin with the first liberation and do all in your power to develop the youngsters into machine-like trappers.
(29) Avoid scaring birds violently from the roof of the loft. If they refuse to fly, gently force them from the roof, but never hurl pieces of board or other missles at them.
(30) Upon receipt of any new addition to a loft the officer in charge of records shall forward the following information to the Supervisor Naval Reserve Flying Corps, Navy Annex, Washington, D.C.
1st-Number of birds received
2nd-Received from.
3rd-Date Received.
4th-Checked by.
A page in the record book shall then be assigned to each bird, which shall contain the following data: Ring no., Color and sex, Date of Hatch, Breeder, Brief Pedigree and record if flown previously.
(31) Cleanliness in the loft is no less essential than ventilation, particularly if many birds are kept. Therefore the loft should be cleaned out daily and a little fresh gravel or sand should be strewn on the floor after cleaning. Sitting pairs should not be disturbed during this process; neither should nests be disturbed until youngsters are at least two weeks old when nests may be changed frequently to insure cleanliness. Grit pans should then be replenished with a supply of fresh grit, and drinking pans thoroughly cleansed and refilled with fresh water. It is desirable to perform the above duties while the birds are on the wing exercising.
(32) Youngsters should be banded about the seventh day on the right leg and the band should be placed so that the numbers will read upside down when the foot is on the floor. For example, put the top of the number nearest the ankle. An unrung youngster will indicate lack of attention and the attendant will be given a demerit.
(33) Mated pairs taking active part in delivering messages should only be allowed to raise one youngster in each nest, and great care should be taken so that one of the birds remain at home while the other is on a journey. Birds mated together that have produced young of meritorious value for carrying messages must be kept entirely for that purpose.
(34) As soon as the birds have taken to the wing well and seem to enjoy their exercise, flying in one compact body for miles around the loft, they may be put in the training baskets and liberated single toss,-one, two, four, six, eight, ten, twelve, fifteen, twenty, thirty, forty and fifty miles. The shorter distances, say up to and including fifteen miles can be indulged every day; beyond that distance and up to fifty miles every second day; and from fifty to one hundred miles every third day. Birds should by all means be liberated in the forenoon while undergoing this initial training and must not be fed until they return from their journey and enter the loft, when a small quantity of hemp or canary seed may be given.
(35) While the birds are not engaged in actual training flights, weather permitting, they must be exercised at least twice daily, allowing them to fly until they seem satisfied, and must not be disturbed after alighting on the loft or trap until every bird enters therein.
(36) The attendant in charge must at all times keep a sharp lookout for birds returning with a message while other birds are exercising. Otherwise the bird carrying some important message may mingle with the rest of the flock on returning and enter with the others unobserved. To avoid such an incident birds should be counted on leaving and entering the loft.
(37) Great care should be exercised on all birds retuning from a journey and under no consideration should they be given liberty for exercise until they are again in the proper condition for same. This is absolutely necessary, as a bird in a tired condition will not submit to the work and will bring the other birds down with him, causing a great inconvenience to the trainer.
(38) If possible birds should always be trained in the direction they will be expected to carry their messages. Should it become necessary, have certain birds trained from the different directions, as a bird trained over the same course can be depended on to return with a greater amount of accuracy.
(39) Birds feeding young should not be detailed to long journeys until they disgorge the milky substance formed in their crops at that period, which takes from four to five days after the young are hatched.
(40) It is advisable that at least two birds should be entrusted to deliver the same message, and if important, three should be used. They should not be liberated together but at intervals of at least ten minutes. Great care should also be taken, should a strange bird enter the loft, to have the message forwarded to the proper authority.
(41) Provisions should be made if possible, with the officer in charge of air craft to instruct all men who may take pigeons on a journey to attach the following information in connection with the message: Time of liberation, approximate place and approximate distance. Blanks shall be provided for this purpose, together with a suitable message holder.
(42) The following feed formula has been adopted and shall be strictly adhered to:
50% Canada Peas
25% Argentine Corn
15% Kaffir Corn or Milo Maize
10% Whole Rice
Small quantities of hemp and canary seed must be fed the birds during the Moulting and Breeding season, at least once each day, also to birds returning from a journey. It is absolutely necessary that a good supply of grit must at all times be before the birds, as this enables them to digest their food and insures good health, which is necessary at all times.
(43) The following serial and register numbers have been adopted by the U.S.N.R.F. for pigeon bands to be used on all pigeons at the different Naval Air Stations in the U.S.A., and it is requested that all attendants become familiar with same in order to locate immediately the proper headquarters for stray messages.
Serial Number Loft Designation Letter Location of Loft
N.A.S. 18....................P.F. Pensacola, Florida
N.A.S. 18....................H.R. Hampton Roads, Va.
N.A.S. 18....................S.D. San Diego, Cal.
N.A.S. 18....................M.F. Miami, Florida
N.A.S. 18....................K.W. Key West, Florida
N.A.S. 18....................C.M. Cape May, N.J.
N.A.S. 18..................M.L.I. Montauk, L.I., N.Y.
N.A.S. 18..................R.L.I. Rockaway, L.I., N.Y.
N.A.S. 18....................C.H. Chatham, Mass.
N.A.S. 18....................B.S. Bay Shore, L.I., N.Y.
In addition to the identification band on each pigeon's right leg, every pigeon should be stamped on the fourth flight feather of the right wing, and the sixth flight feather of the left wing. This marking to be done by means of the rubber stamps and ink pads provided for that purpose.
http://www.history.navy.mil/library/special/homing_pigeons.htm
It is obvious that you already know alot about pigeons and this is most likely information you already have but I happen to stumble across this as I was researching your question and passed it on. There is a number at the end that you can call if you have any questions. Hoping the number will help some.
Pigeon – Basic Care
Pigeons are gregarious and operate in groups within which they form
monogamous pairs.
The average young research bird will likely be a white carneaux or a white king.
Males are called cocks, females are called hens.
Babies from 0-4 weeks are squabs, from 4-7 weeks are squeakers, and from 8
weeks onward are called youngsters.
The breast muscles of pigeons are very well developed, and the meat is uniformly
dark.
Birds are easily frightened, everyone working around them should be aware that
any sudden movement or loud noise may upset the entire flock. Dimming room
lights may be of help.
Males and females of a species of birds may differ in size feather confirmation
and color pattern. There are also many species that do not exhibit sexual
dimorphism.
In most female birds, only the left ovary and oviduct are functional. The right
ovary and oviduct eventually degenerate persisting only in rudimentary form.
Birds do not possess accessory sex glands.
Minimum cage sizes are specified in The Guide for the Care and Use of
Laboratory Animals, exceptions must be approved by the IACUC.
Cages should be large enough to permit normal physical activity and social
interaction. Perches of varying diameters should be included in caging.
Pigeon cages are hard to keep clean, pigeons are continually losing feathers
shedding feather dust, and spilling grain and grit on the floor.
Should be fed a high quality, commercially prepared, nutritionally complete
pigeon chow or grain mixture. Pigeons also need granite grit for gizzard function
and oyster shell for egg production ad libitum.
Fresh water should be fed ad libitum.
Pigeons are different from most birds by drinking with their head down all the
time. Other birds take a sip and then raise their heads to let the water run down.
Enrichment should be provided unless specified in the protocol and approved by
the IACUC.
Examples of enrichment:
o Perches
o Other pigeons
o Food treats
To hold a pigeon, put its legs between you index and second fingers and put your
thumb over the lower back, holding the wing feathers firmly against the body.
For more specific species information including physiologic data, husbandry and
breeding requirements, or procedural information, please contact the Office of
Laboratory Animal Care (865-974-5634).
http://iacuc.tennessee.edu/pdf/Policies-AnimalCare/Pigeon-BasicCare.pdf
I hope that atleast some of this helps.... Best of Luck to All!!