# Tips on befriending a baby from the start?



## Kimberly_CA (Jan 5, 2008)

I very much miss my little hand raised Claire and am expecting a new baby in just a couple days. I would like this baby to grow up to like me like Claire did. How can I go about this while still letting the parents feed him/her normally? Can I start picking up the baby daily once it is a certain age and any suggestions on what I could hand feed it and at what age?


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

You can start petting the baby once it open his eyes, once s/he is a week of age you can pick him up for some cuddling time. It's no guarantee that the baby will be tame. One of my ooops babies from two years ago is totally wild and hates me, I can't go anywhere near him.
On the other hand my Andrew who was born on my balcony 7 years ago, I handled him once the parents were leaving him alone in the nest. I was cleaning the nest and cuddle him and fed him seeds by hand and he became tame but with me only. Even when the parents where around they didn't mind me playing with Andy.
I guess it helps if the parents are at least semi-tame too.

Reti


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

you have to remember they all have differing pigeonalities some can tame up nicely while others do not, someone here mentioned before that when the babies are weaned but not flying well, they take them into the house and hold them alot and give treats, then when they mature they are "tamer" than others...could work if you happen to get one that is open to the idea


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## karijo (Apr 11, 2006)

I hand fed Brooklyn from just a week old. 
He had no other pigeons around him so he really bonded to me and my two chihuahuas (especially Lucky, who sat by Brook's cage from the start and rarely left his side).
Brook is by far the tamest pigeon I've ever seen, met, heard about. He is slowly learning to adjust to being around the other pigeons in the loft and is causing less trouble now. I hope he takes a mate one day, but as far as he's concerned he already has one. 


I handled my buda babies from Day One. I cuddled and kissed them. Only stepped in and hand-fed them 2 or 3 times. But handled them daily. Both of them are exceptionally friendly, will step up on my hand and snuggle, get and give kisses, love being pet, and hang out on my shoulder while I tend to the loft. They're still young, almost 50 days, but I still make sure to handle them daily so they stay tame.

The rest of my birds are also tame though, and I attribute that to the 2 month quarantine they undergo in my house before they get to go to the loft. They're alone except for interacting with me, and by the time they go to the loft they're really mellow, most will step-up on my hand when it's offered, and they all will sit in a lap for pets and cuddles. Even Friedman likes attention in his own weird way. LOL

I think I work with generally tame/mellow breeds, but also think if you spend the time you will get a friendly bird eventually.


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## cotdt (Apr 26, 2010)

Are these tame pigeons feral or domestics?

I think you can get a tamer pigeon by taking the babies away from their parents after about a week and raising them yourself.


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## sreeshs (Aug 16, 2009)

Feeding the parents from the hand will help, usually if the parents are attached, the babies get that feeling automatically.


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