This will be the foundation or the starting point for the training of picas. Training in the earlystages.


There are many different ways to train male picas; there is not one that is better than the other. But never let them fly or train with any other breed of pigeons. First off, there are none better to train with except the picas. Most important, if one decided to train the picas with for example homers, then during a suelta or even training, what if a homer flies by? The pica will follow that homer to her loft or home. So never let them near or make contact with any other breed of pigeons if you plan to fly them in sueltas. This also applies to the hen, never use a different breed other than a pica for training and sueltas for the same reasons as stated above.

Here is an example: a good amount of picas to keep and train is about 6 cocks and 3 blue bar hens. The more picas the less interaction there will be with them. To get to that amount of picas, the first step is to train the cocks to chase after the hen. In order to do this, separate the cock from the hen for 2 weeks. When they are still young they will rely on the owner for food and nourishment; so therefore, it will be used to the owner’s advantage. When it is feeding time for the picas, let them out hungry. Using the feed, the special whistle call, it will tell him to go back inside his pen for food. Repeat this daily until it is a ritual. Keep in mind that when the pica cocks grow older, it will be easier to lure them back into their pens by using a hen for bait and they will have food readily available when they are in their individual pens.

no nameHow to tie the white feathers on to the tail feather of the hen

There are many ways to do this, here are two:

ü Using a vent tube from a bicycle

1. Cut off a small piece of the hen’s tail feather
2. Insert the vent tube about one inch over the tail feather
3. Insert a duck feather or pigeon feather that is white to the other side



ü Using white duck feathers, cut off the tip of the duck feathers (the part that goes into the duck)

1. Cut off a small piece of the pica hen’s tail feather
2. Slide the duck feather one inch over the cut off pigeon tail feathers
3. Using a needle and thread, carefully puncture through both of the feathers
4. Wrap the thread around the tail feather tightly and tie a knot
5. Or instead of using a needle and thread, simply use regular duct tape.


The next step is if all the picas are around the same age. For example, if there are picas around the ages of 3 to 6 months leave them in the young pigeon loft and take out the different color hens as soon as possible. Tie the white feathers to the blue bar and blue checked hens and let the pica cocks start training this way. When the pica cocks are maturing by cooing and showing off, take the hens out one by one until there is none left. This is to motivate the cocks to chase after the hen. When training the young cocks in flight, let them fly with the hens and after some time use fewer hens, until there is only one that flies with them. Then after completing that step, put the cocks into their own pens.
They are many methods, and based on the cocks there is different approaches one must make to accommodate for each cock. Some people start with this one and then go to the step before this one. Don’t be scared to try these methods, they are very easy to learn and with experience one can develop their own method(s).

For the pica hens, the training is different from the cocks. Establish a special bond with the hen and by using the special whistle call and food. The overall accomplishment is to make the hen believe that she is the partner or mate. She will listen when the whistle call is made and return when she is called. In the suelta, if she has had enough of the game, she will return to the owner. She is rewarded with food and then locked up and another hen will be used in her place.
Note: It is very important to take great care of the hen(s), for they are the masters of the suelta. If they lose trust in the owner, they can sometimes fly away from the cocks in fear deserting everybody. So, she must trust you at all times and never lose that trust.

The hens are also locked up separately at all times so they do not mate with each other and continue to lay eggs even though there is no way for the eggs to be fertile. When the hen has fully matured to adult pigeon hood and sexually active she will have food readily available at all times. The time a hen is ready for a suelta is when she is sexually active. By keeping her separate at all times, she will only have one thing on her mind, to mate with a proving pica cock.

Training for the suelta

Training for the suelta is done simultaneously for both sexes.

1. Release the cocks and time them for 5 minutes
2. Release the hen after the 5 minute mark
3. The cocks will find the hen and pursue her
4. Call the hen back or when she has had enough she will return

Note: The suelta training could last minutes, hours or days. If they owner can not be heard by the hen, she could stay out for days. The cocks will still pursue her even into the hours of the night.

Depending on the weather and time of year, suelta training is as follows:

1. Spring to Summer
· Twice a day

2. Winter to Fall
· Once or twice a week

Or as many as the owner prefers to have. No one will hardly notice the difference when the cocks have been locked up for months and then released into a suelta. The pica cocks are always ready to chase after a hen.

Recommendation for a suelta training:

Start with two cocks and see how they work then add a new cock every other day. Let them grow in pride and in self esteem and that gives them the opportunity to build their character. Continue with this until you have completed the whole group. If it does not work out the way it should, go back to two cocks and start over. Or even one cock and one hen if it is the case. Sometimes there has to be a winner in order for the cocks to grow. At this point, it will be trial and error. On another note, remember to change the hens. Call the hen in and change her for a different one, so the cocks will not be used to one hen only.
Also, the cocks must be much tamed to the human touch. The only way to do that is to touch them/pet them every day. Play fight with them, throw them away and let them come back and repeat it again, hold a hen as bait and let them fly and sit on your head, hand and arms. The pica cocks will like that and together you all will build a special bond between everybody.
If there is a noticeable amount of cocks flying well and staying close to the hen, and trying to lead the hen away from the group then that is means they are being trained well. Build up their condition for about one to two hours each time there is a training suelta. Picas can go for days, but in real sueltas it mostly last approximately one to two hours. So after training for one to two hours then stop the training and call the birds in to rest.

Small Suelta

no nameAfter noticing the great developed picas in training, then it is time to take the picas to a friend’s house for some friendly competition. Choose a nice sunny day to bring the picas over to a friend’s house. Make sure the cocks have not flown that day to prepare them for the small suelta. Plus they are conditioned to fly for a couple of hours and want one thing, the suelta hen. The friend should have prepared some hens and they are in condition to fly and are sexually active and deprived.
Next, put the cocks into wire cages that surround the suelta hen which is also in a wire cage in the middle so the cocks can see her. Observe the anxious cocks build up their drive for the hen. If there is any doubt in a cock, this is now the time to say so and remove him from the game. The others should now be ready, so release the cocks and have confidence in them. Hold the hen and tease them, by pushing them away and play with them. When the cocks are getting bored and start to fly away in search of another hen, then release the hen and enjoy the suelta before the cocks are gone. Your friend should have some cocks as well and all of his cocks are releases at the same time yours are.
The cocks will follow her to the moon if she takes them there. After some time she will come down and your friend will be able to call her back to him and the cocks can be gathered or if the hen goes into her loft, the cocks will follow her inside and you can gather your cocks that way. You can do this over a time period and if you and some friends decide to organize a small championship in someone’s backyard, feel free to.