# friendly breeds and holding pigeons



## cateyes (Apr 16, 2005)

Hello

I was just wondering is it wrong to just go in the cage and grab a pigeon and pick it up? I would liike them to be friendly but i also like holding them or putting them on my hands. How do we keep them friendly? so far the modenas seem to be a bit more friendly then the homer babyies. What breeds are usually most friendlY? also is picking them up once in a while helping them get use to being handled by me? i just hate it when i catch a pigeon and then it strugles to get free wish they wouldnt do that lol


----------



## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Cateyes, 

I appreciate and understand your MANY questions about pigeons. We all started somewhere; understanding various aspects of pigeon keeping. It would be in your best interest to search pigeon talk a bit more about your numerous questions because most likely, the answers are here Another avenue that you would benefit from is finding a mentor (real life) in your own area that raises modenas or other pigeons and ask them questions. It would seem that you have many, many questions about all aspects of pigeon keeping and many of them have been answered here by numerous people. I hope you choose to find someone in your area to better address your concerns.


Sincerely,


----------



## ZigZagMarquis (Aug 31, 2004)

cateyes said:


> Hello
> 
> I was just wondering is it wrong to just go in the cage and grab a pigeon and pick it up? I would liike them to be friendly but i also like holding them or putting them on my hands. How do we keep them friendly? so far the modenas seem to be a bit more friendly then the homer babyies. What breeds are usually most friendlY? also is picking them up once in a while helping them get use to being handled by me? i just hate it when i catch a pigeon and then it strugles to get free wish they wouldnt do that lol


Catching them and holding them is interesting... to say the least. I only have homers, but it is my understanding that generally speaking homers are the more "flighty" of birds. Also, things will vary from bird to bird and how your set-up is... for instance, my loft (a converted covered patio) has a 7' ceiling, lots of room for the birds to over-fly your head, the feathery little bas*ards when you're trying to catch them to give them some pettin' and lovin' or to check them out or what not.

As to how much they struggle when you have a hold of them... some of that depends on how you hold them... its kind of hard to describe and I basically had to figure it out on my own even after having someone show it to me when I was new... but basically you want to fold their legs back like they are when flying and hold their legs and wings in their natural swept position... with the bird in one hand like that you can use your other hand to examine them or hold them up against your chest and they'll struggle less and settle some. Anyway, its hard to explain, maybe someone will post a picture or two of them holding a pigeon in the proper way and you'll see.

As for them being friendly... if you have loft birds, well, the way I figure it, they'll always be a bit flighty. If you have one you hand raise and / or then becomes an inside bird, my understanding too is they can become quite tame.

Anyway... good luck and others will be along with good info / more words too.


----------



## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

My pigeons display a certain amount of seeming to be "unfriendly", but that is just the way they are. The breeds also make a difference. My rollers are very tame and don't mind if I pick them up, and they came from another owner.

The best way to get close contact with them, is either to start feeding them from your hand, especially when they are just 2 weeks old, and starting to eat on their own. You can get older birds to eat from your hands, especially if you feed them raw peanuts, but the younger you start the more tame they get.

My pet pigeons, Skye and Sonic will sit on my head, shoulder, you name it, but they were hand raised from 4 days on when mama left them to die.

I would not recommend taking any baby from its parents to get tame birds, but starting at 2 weeks works almost as well. The more time spent with the birds the better.

Treesa


----------



## re lee (Jan 4, 2003)

Most birds can be tamed. even homers. Box perches help in making them tamer to catch. And the more the birds are handled the tamer they get.


----------



## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

Of the breeds we've had, the friendliest have been certain rollers, fantails and nuns. Although some pigeons breeds are calmer and tamer than others (for instance Archangels are skittish by nature), a lot of it has to do with individual personality. I have one family of rollers that is calm, but they dislike being handled, while another family is quite friendly and tame. Our biggest cuddle-bug right now, though, is my son's nun hen. She will sit on your shoulder and give you kisses.


----------



## upcd (Mar 12, 2005)

*I'm In Everybodys Business*

I put my hands on everybody and in all nest boxes. I touch everything. Eggs, babies, birds all breeds. I enjoy hand feeding. I pet them. Some are use to it some assert themselves. They all have different personalities.


----------



## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

*Just like some people?*

Pigeons can be just like some people: those who are "huggers" and those who shake your hand and give a shy pat on the back. My friend, Cindy (AZwhitefeather), has a wonderful cuddle pijjiie, who is also quite the character. She also has a blind pigeon who seems to enjoy being held and petted. Then, we come to my own pigeon, Mr. Squeaks. While I can hold and pet him, he has a definite mind of his own. Sometimes he stands for my "lovin'" and other times, he wants DOWN!  However, he has come a looong way from when I first found him (see him in the STORIES section) AND he will follow me wherever I go. He seems to want to always keep me in sight! Never a dull moment with a pigeon who has "attitude."  He is quite a bird and I HAVE spoiled him rotten!


----------



## Webby (Feb 18, 2005)

I think Catching them and holding them is a good way to tame them. I been holding mine everyday for about 1-2 months.


----------

