# Aggressive dove/Wing clipping



## Fever (May 28, 2007)

I'm having trouble with one of my doves being much too aggressive towards the others. While reading on it, I found a page that said one way to manage an aggressive ringneck is to clip the first six feathers on one wing. That will allow his victims to be able to escape him.

Before I consider doing that though, I'd like to hear if any of you think it's too harsh. I know doves aren't strong fliers like a pigeon, but I'm a bit concerned that doing this would cause him a lot of stress. On the other hand, my birds that he keeps attacking seem to be a bit stressed. I do have another cage and could put him in isolation with his mate, but it doesn't allow them a lot of room for flying like the big coop I built (I don't want to punish his ladyfriend cuz he's a jerk!  ).


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## jbangelfish (Mar 22, 2008)

*I have a mean one too*

Clipping wing feathers won't cause any permanent harm but it does take considerable time for them all to grow back. If you do clip the first few feathers, don't clip below the second row that covers the bottoms of the primaries.

A time out in a cage by himself seems also to cool them off and several persons here have had success with this.

The aggressive one that I have has cooled off for now but he is an ornery little cuss.

Bill


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

Renee (Lovebirds) has a "fool proof" (from what I've heard) method of taming down bullies. It involves banding each food and twisting a rubber band in between them. I don't know exactly how, so please keyword the thread (bully or bullies should bring it up) or hopefully she will see this and respond. Good luck!


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## Fever (May 28, 2007)

Thank you both! Ifound the bully-band thread, and will give that a try. I think it'll work, since his main method of bullying is to hop on the other dove and peck at their head or to wing slap. Anything that slows him down just a bit should do the trick. I've tried isolating him, but it doesn't cool him off at all - he still tries to get at the others through the cage! He sure isn't going to like this...


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

You need to totally isolate him, with out his mate, for a week...remove him from the room so he can't see them. It has worked with bully birds.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Charis said:


> You need to totally isolate him, with out his mate, for a week...remove him from the room so he can't see them. It has worked with bully birds.


That may, and probably does work with some birds. I however have tried everything...........I removed birds from the loft, locked them in thier box, locked all the OTHER birds in THEIR box and left one free in the loft HOPING that he would discover that he can no longer get into any box but his and give up. NONE of that worked. I banded the legs together and in less than 24 hours, I had a different bird. 
I know that some people think that banding the legs together is cruel. If it's done right, it does nothing to hamper the birds movement inside the loft UNTIL he tries to fight..........that's when he discovers that he "ain't all that".......They should be able to walk, fly, poop, eat, drink.........do everything that they would normally do EXCEPT fight and I mean put up a good fight. They will still TRY to fight.......but when they discover that they can no longer get in the fighting stance but the OTHER bird can, you'll see a difference.


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