# New Guy Breeding Pigeons for the first time.



## Andyfitz (May 29, 2010)

Hello all,

This is my first season breeding pigeons. I started to pair up my homers this week. I have 6 nest boxes but am only going to use 5 this year. I put 4 pairs together this week and they are doing ok so far. One set that I put in the nest box did not get along for the first few days and the cock scalped the hen a little bit the other day. I checked on her this evening and they and the fighting has seemed to stop and where the scalping occurred is seeming to scab up. Should I be Concerned about her well being? How long do I need to keep the cocks and hens locked in the nest box before I can leave the perch doors open? They all have food water and grit in the boxes so that is not a concern.

As for the fifth nest box. I have had the lights on for 18 hours a day now for 2 weeks and noticed in the hen section that there was one nesting on the floor. Then the other day she laid an egg on the floor. she and another bird where taking turns laying on it. I became concerned that it may have been a cock put in the hen section accidently. So I took both of them and put them in the nest box along with the egg in a nest bowl. This morning I went in and saw that she laid her second egg along side the first. I figured since they where already paired up I could leave the perch open on the nest box. This evening when I got home from work they where not lying on the eggs so I locked them back in the nest box. My question is do you think they will go back to lying on the eggs? Am I right in thinking that it was a cock accidently put in the hen section?

Thank you all for reading this. All replies will be a great help for the new guys first year with a loft.


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## GEMcC5150 (Oct 24, 2010)

You may hav put a cock in the hen house or you may have two hen paired up if you find two more eggs in that bowl then you know it was two hen it you get squab in 18 day then you know you missed sex a bird. Eather way have fun with your new hobby.


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## Matt Bell (May 5, 2010)

A tip about the scalping issue...generally when pairing birds and locking them in there is a divider placed for a few days where the cock bird can not get to the hen for the exact reason of what you experienced. You can generally tell when the hen has taken a liking to the cock and when its safe to remove the divider...just a tip for next time.


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## Andyfitz (May 29, 2010)

Matt Bell said:


> A tip about the scalping issue...generally when pairing birds and locking them in there is a divider placed for a few days where the cock bird can not get to the hen for the exact reason of what you experienced. You can generally tell when the hen has taken a liking to the cock and when its safe to remove the divider...just a tip for next time.


Thanks Matt it is A learning year for me I will do that next year. Should I be worried about the head getting infected


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## PigeonVilla (Dec 8, 2010)

I agree with with matt a little research and you could have avoided that mishap as younger cock birds tend to be way more aggressive with new mates and trying to drive them to mate and nest , keeping then divided at first is a must when introducing new mates .As for the scalping it should heal with time as long as he doesnt keep pecking her head , antibiotic ointment wouldnt hurt either .


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

Matt Bell said:


> A tip about the scalping issue...generally when pairing birds and locking them in there is a divider placed for a few days where the cock bird can not get to the hen for the exact reason of what you experienced. You can generally tell when the hen has taken a liking to the cock and when its safe to remove the divider...just a tip for next time.


That is the proper way to force pigeons to mate with each other. If you have lots of time you can just let them choose their own mates and it will be easier.

When the hen started bowing up and down, and both start kissing, then you may have successfully mated them.


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## Matt Bell (May 5, 2010)

As far as the injury, scalping happens with pigeons from time to time, its just one of those things, though it usually involves the babies which can't get away and then it can be pretty nasty looking. I wouldn't worry about the hen, she should be fine, but as was stated if you feel like putting some ointment on her head that wouldn't hurt her any either.

Trust me, its a learning game for all of us, no matter how much one thinks they know. If a fancier ever tells you he knows everything, feel safe in reaching the conclusion that they really know nothing.


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## Andyfitz (May 29, 2010)

thank you all for your input. The hen and possibly cock that laid egss are not sitting on them. Should I go ahead and disgard them?


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## GEMcC5150 (Oct 24, 2010)

I think I would let the eggs sit for a few days and see if they will pickm up on them.


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## Matt Bell (May 5, 2010)

If its in Maryland as your user ID says, and the birds are not sitting on them then yes disgard them. The eggs are already frozen and will be no good even if the birds do go back to sit on them.


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## Feathered Dragons (Oct 15, 2010)

Matt Bell said:


> As far as the injury, scalping happens with pigeons from time to time, its just one of those things, though it usually involves the babies which can't get away and then it can be pretty nasty looking. I wouldn't worry about the hen, she should be fine, but as was stated if you feel like putting some ointment on her head that wouldn't hurt her any either.
> 
> Trust me, its a learning game for all of us, no matter how much one thinks they know. If a fancier ever tells you he knows everything, feel safe in reaching the conclusion that they really know nothing.


Will the Cocks and Hens do the scalping of the babies or is it the Cock that does this?


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## Matt Bell (May 5, 2010)

I would bet its only the cocks, but I have seen some pretty aggressive/territorial hens as well.


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

Both cocks and hens can scalp. I've seen it. The cocks are more vicious though because cocks are the most territorial.


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## Andyfitz (May 29, 2010)

Matt Bell said:


> If its in Maryland as your user ID says, and the birds are not sitting on them then yes disgard them. The eggs are already frozen and will be no good even if the birds do go back to sit on them.


Yes I am in MD they never took to the eggs so I took them away. All of the pairs have been locked up for about 7 days now do you think it is safe to open up the nestboxes now?


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## Andyfitz (May 29, 2010)

Hello again,
Just a quick up date and a quick question. The pair that had laid the egg in the hen section never took to the eggs in the nest box so I discarded them. I noticed that another pair in the hen section where mating and kissing so I took them over and put them in a nest box yesterday. 

Today I let them out of the nest box. all but 2 pairs made a nest in there nest bowls. The pair that where one had been scalped was among those who did not make a nest at all along with another pair. I guess my question today is it possible that it could be 2 cocks put together? The pair that had the scalping incident seems to want nothing to do with each other. As for the second pair that did not build a nest I need to observe them tomorrow to see if there is any love in the air.

Any input would be great thank you all for putting up with the new guys questions.


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## g0ldenb0y55 (Dec 23, 2008)

Cocks pairing up I've never seen before. Cocks tend to be territorial and won't allow for another cock to share it's space. Hens pairing up is a more common occurrence although I've yet to see it in my loft.


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## Andyfitz (May 29, 2010)

g0ldenb0y55 said:


> Cocks pairing up I've never seen before. Cocks tend to be territorial and won't allow for another cock to share it's space. Hens pairing up is a more common occurrence although I've yet to see it in my loft.


well I guess that is my question the one pair that fought and one got scalped when locked in the nest box together are not showing an interest in each other after a week could it of been two cocks put in the nest box together and thats why they fought?. should I give them more time locked together? am i just worrying to much? or trying to rush things?


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## g0ldenb0y55 (Dec 23, 2008)

If they show no interest after a week then you shouldn't waste your time or the health of the other bird by force mating them again. The same thing might happen. If you're really wanting to get babies from the 2 birds in question you can try pairing them with different partners. I would put a known hen with the scalped bird to see if it's starts showing like a cock bird.


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## Matt Bell (May 5, 2010)

I don't think the scalping pair would be 2 cock birds. If they were, it would have been way worse than a scalping incident. Probably the hen is a picky one (in my experience your better hens do seem to be picky) and just doesn't want anything to do with that particular cock bird. The way I handle the picky ones, I basically let them pick out of all the cock birds, and once she chooses then I mate the rest of them the way that I want. She will choose better than you will I almost guarantee it. 

Also, I have had 2 cock birds pair up before, just so happened they were nest mates so they were not aggressive towards each other. Thats the only pair I have ever seen that were 2 cock birds. Hens pairing up is much more common.


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## Andyfitz (May 29, 2010)

Matt Bell said:


> I don't think the scalping pair would be 2 cock birds. If they were, it would have been way worse than a scalping incident. Probably the hen is a picky one (in my experience your better hens do seem to be picky) and just doesn't want anything to do with that particular cock bird. The way I handle the picky ones, I basically let them pick out of all the cock birds, and once she chooses then I mate the rest of them the way that I want. She will choose better than you will I almost guarantee it.
> 
> Also, I have had 2 cock birds pair up before, just so happened they were nest mates so they were not aggressive towards each other. Thats the only pair I have ever seen that were 2 cock birds. Hens pairing up is much more common.


Thanks Matt!!!

I will probably put her in the cock section and keep an eye out and see who she is mating up with and then move them into the breeding section.

It is confusing for me because this is my first year breeding with birds given me from 2 people. One guy marked all his cocks and hens with different bands so it is helpful. The other guy wrote down whether they were a cock or a hen on a piece of paper when he gave them to me. Later he gave me the pedigrees for them and on some it says it is the opposite sex. Than he wrote on the paper from reading in the forums and book it seems hard for veterans to sex pigeons. So bring in the new guy and it makes it even more confusing.


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## Matt Bell (May 5, 2010)

I would go by what he wrote on the paper when you got the birds. Most people make up the pedigrees when the birds are young and just save them. It can be very difficult to sex pigeons when they are that young. He probably wrote down the sexes on that paper as he was catching them to give to you, much more reliable. Even then, can be hard though.


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## hankabus (Dec 3, 2009)

Andyfitz said:


> Thanks Matt!!!
> 
> I will probably put her in the cock section and keep an eye out and see who she is mating up with and then move them into the breeding section.
> 
> It is confusing for me because this is my first year breeding with birds given me from 2 people. One guy marked all his cocks and hens with different bands so it is helpful. The other guy wrote down whether they were a cock or a hen on a piece of paper when he gave them to me. Later he gave me the pedigrees for them and on some it says it is the opposite sex. Than he wrote on the paper from reading in the forums and book it seems hard for veterans to sex pigeons. So bring in the new guy and it makes it even more confusing.



I wonder if you may have 2 cocks in one and 2 hens in the other?? Sounds possible???

Hank


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## Andyfitz (May 29, 2010)

I had 2 out of the 5 pairs lay there first egg yesterday. It is so nice to see some results from my first time pairing up birds. 

Today I noticed that one of the cocks from another nest box is guarding the nest box above him also. since he was guarding it it looks like he would not allow the other pair to go in and lay the egg and she laid it while on the perch and it fell to the ground and broke. Any Ideas what to do about this problem?


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## Matt Bell (May 5, 2010)

Before pairing make sure each cock bird takes a box. Only leave the number of boxes open as the number of cocks you want to breed (in other words, if you have 12 boxes but only 10 cocks, only have 10 boxes open) this will allow them each to only take one box. Then you can introduce the hens to their mate and pair up as you were. The problems come with extra boxes and aggressive cocks.


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