# Mean Pigeon - But I love her!!



## [email protected] (Jul 11, 2013)

I got a pigeon from my neighbor who owned a pet store. The bird was given to her at around 2 years old. She gave me the bird because she knew how much I liked chickens and wanted a Victorian crown pigeon. Anyway, the pigeon is a white, fan-tail pigeon and I like her a lot. I bought her a nice cage with plenty of room.... She was very scared when I first got her and was very lonely... I kept her in her cage for a few months and looked after her. She never really bit me until a month or so after having her new cage. I figured she was too cooped up and needed to fly around some... but I was living in a small dorm and felt bad, so I let her out almost 24/7 and she ended up hating being in her cage. (Making a bunch of noise and trying to get out.) I thought this would make her nice, but she ended up being mean to me any time I was trying to pick her up, regardless whether or not she was in her cage. So, I moved about a month ago and decided that when moving, I would keep her in her cage 24/7 so she would realize that it was my house and she wouldn't be mean. I figured she claimed my entire dorm room as her territory and that could explain why she was always so mean to me and I think I was right. Now-a-days, when I try to hold her or anything, she's okay with it and will struggle a little bit... She only bites me or tries to slap me with her wings if I am reaching my hand inside her cage.... That makes me sad because I really like birds and I want her to be nice to me...

I try talking to her every day... I put her cage almost in the middle of the room, near my desk so I'm by her when I do homework or work... I try to her her often to pet her...

Am I too late? Is she already too old to be turned into a nice birdie?
What can I do to stop her from biting me?
What can I do to stop her from trying to fly away?
What can I do to have her be able to sit on me or be okay with me petting her?
I'll do anything... I promise!  I just want her to love me back.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

First off, you kept her locked up 24/7. Then you gave her complete freedom of the whole place, and now you have her locked up again like a prisoner. Would you be happy locked up 24/7? A caged bird needs a couple or few hours out of cage time to exercise and interact with you. Don't give her complete freedom all the time, or yes, she will see the whole place as her territory, and of course will not like being caged. You keep changing the rules, and she doesn't know what to expect. Also, many birds will bite when you go into what she perceives as her territory. That's normal. And pigeons don't normally liked being petted. Some do, but most don't. They like to be given time to learn to trust you, and they want to come to you. A relationship with a pigeon is on their terms. Not ours. It isn't like with a puppy. You have to go slow, don't grab her and scare her. Don't try to force her to be how you want her to be. Tempt her with treats, and get her to want to come to you. Don't force petting on her. Pigeons are smart, but they're all different, each with their own personality. Some are friendlier than others. Just let her be herself, let her out a couple of hours a day and interact with her. Get her to try chopped unsalted peanuts, or safflower seeds by putting some in her feed. She will eventually try them, and when she does, she will love them. Eventually she will come to you for the treats. They don't like to be picked up, they will come to you when they want to. The idea is for you to get her to want to. It's on their terms, so it's in getting her to want to be friends.


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## Oars (Jun 6, 2006)

Yes I agree with Jay that each pigeon probably has his/her own personality. I thought mine was a feisty mean thing, always wing slapping me, charging at me and biting me. Then one day she suddenly just decided to be nice. She got used to me. It took about 3 months though.

Be aware that once she has gotten used to you, if it's a female bird she will go through a 28 day cycle of differing moods. A week before laying eggs is when she will be very friendly and want to be around you all the time and beg for you to pet her. Once she has laid the eggs she will be less friendly, will still let you pet her and coo when you do, but less so. Then a week later, she will pretty much do nothing but ignore you as she continues to sit on her eggs, only getting up once in a while to poop, eat, and drink. Then after 3 weeks she will abandon her sterile eggs and become real friendly again before laying her eggs on day 28 of her cycle.

While she is incubating her eggs she may show territorial behavior and may bite you if you try to enter her cage (if she is caged).

Birds are territorial.

Outside their cage they will be less likely to bite you.

It takes months for her to get used to you. Be patient. Approach her when she's outside her cage. Approach from a low angle to make her feel less threatened. Put a few seeds in your hand and offer them to her at a low angle. Try to put your hand palm down her her feet to see if she will stand on them, to start.

Good luck.


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## Abdulbaki (Jul 31, 2013)

She doesn'thave to stop biting you inside her cage to be friends, If she does then she is likely a "bad" mother.
If you got her a nice place with a mate & provide food , water , and a nest she will Absolutley appreciate your presence and everything you do to her
don't take it personally pigeons aren't humans =)


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Abdulbaki said:


> She doesn'thave to stop biting you inside her cage to be friends,* If she does then she is likely a "bad" mother.*
> If you got her a nice place with a mate & provide food , water , and a nest she will Absolutley appreciate your presence and everything you do to her
> don't take it personally pigeons aren't humans =)



Not always the case. I have some very nice friendly hens who are great mothers. They just know me and trust me. But it is true that most don't like you coming into their box or territory, but are fine outside of it. That is pretty normal.


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