# Aggressive Pigeon taking over every nest.



## Insomniac (Aug 21, 2007)

I recently moved all of my pigeons outside into a 10'x5'x6' aviary in the yard. The inhabitants are Nick and Ichabod, two fantail pigeons, one of which is definitley a girl.... I'm pretty sure they're a male/female pair. Then there is Oddball the Crested Helmet and his mate Luna the white homer...and then Rooster, an unsexed feral who cannot be released. He can fly from perch to perch but can't make it across the entire aviary. You may remember him, he had been "scalped", he is now nicely healed with feathers on his head!  He's the odd man out in the group but I'm sure another single pidge will be along shortly to even it out.

Anyways, There are ten nest boxes available and plenty of perches throughout the enclosure. Oddball has decided that he owns all of the nest boxes. If any of the other pigeons try to go into the nest boxes during the day, he will fly over and peck them away, puffing his chest and cooing. When it starts to get dark everyone is able to get into a nest box, I guess the lack of light takes him down a notch or two...

He is quite aggressive with newbies, with Rooster he attacks him until he is off of the perch, and although Rooster fights back, Oddball always wins. There's never any injuries...probably because Oddball has such a tiny beak!

He was like that with the fantails when they were first introduced but now he just body checks them so that they shuffle a few inches away, which usually suffices for him.

Anybody have any suggestions as to calm Oddball down a bit?


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

I think it's time for Renee's rubberband method,also get him a mate, if he doesn't have one.

Bully bands: http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showpost.php?p=219788&postcount=4


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## TheSnipes (Apr 9, 2007)

I have a bully cock too. He is attempting to do the same thing, and it's very annoying to me to say nothing of the other pairs who'd like a box to nest in.

Bully Bird has a box, a mate, and plastic eggs to sit on. Still he attempts to chase everyone else out. I don't think the rubber band idea is a good one since I am gone most of the day. Any other ideas?


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

TheSnipes said:


> I have a bully cock too. He is attempting to do the same thing, and it's very annoying to me to say nothing of the other pairs who'd like a box to nest in.
> 
> Bully Bird has a box, a mate, and plastic eggs to sit on. Still he attempts to chase everyone else out. I don't think the rubber band idea is a good one since I am gone most of the day. * Any other ideas?*



Time out, temporarily seperate him and his mate to another area/coop or cage.


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## philodice (Sep 30, 2007)

The cage within a cage method. Locking the bully and mate in a seperate cage inside the aviary for a few days took the starch out of his shorts. He got to see everybody enjoying the boxes and couldn't do anything about it. I have to do something about Sanjaya. Thinks he owns the food shelf, grit bowl, and part of the floor. I just gave up and put the food on another shelf, added more grit and food bowls.


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## Insomniac (Aug 21, 2007)

I'm going to try the cage within a cage method while I try to find the snap on leg bands somewhere...is there a site Canadians can order them off of, in small amounts? Or could I use a small strip of velcro, or something?


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## TheSnipes (Apr 9, 2007)

"Starch out of his shorts"...lol.

I'm going to 'box' Mr. Starchy Pants and his mate up in their nest box and let him stew in his own juices a while....


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## Insomniac (Aug 21, 2007)

He made a very uncharacteristic move today and let Rooster and Nick bathe with him in one pan.  Usually he can barely tolerate Luna, but I guess he just got caught up in the moment...apparently baths in the sun are much more fun then baths in my basement!!  They're loving the new aviary.

I am wondering though, if I have to hobble him, can I try to find a way to tie a string between his two current bands? 

And, probably a stupid question, if that doesn't work, can I make two bands out of two vinyl zip ties? They're the kind that have a release tab so you can take them off...I'll be home all day and can check to ensure they're not tightening.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Insomniac said:


> He made a very uncharacteristic move today and let Rooster and Nick bathe with him in one pan.  Usually he can barely tolerate Luna, but I guess he just got caught up in the moment...apparently baths in the sun are much more fun then baths in my basement!!  They're loving the new aviary.
> 
> I am wondering though, if I have to hobble him, can I try to find a way to tie a string between his two current bands?
> 
> And, probably a stupid question, if that doesn't work, can I make two bands out of two vinyl zip ties? They're the kind that have a release tab so you can take them off...I'll be home all day and can check to ensure they're not tightening.



He's got two bands on already?


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## Insomniac (Aug 21, 2007)

Yeah, one on each leg, a yellow one and a green one... the pound was able to find his owner through them but they had released him, they didn't want him anymore.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Insomniac said:


> Yeah, one on each leg, a yellow one and a green one... the pound was able to find his owner through them but they had released him, they didn't want him anymore.


That's par for the course.  Jerks. 
Anyway, you could use the two bands that are already on his legs OR you could use one of the zip ties on one leg and use the band on the other leg.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

How long has Oddball been with you? I would suggest trying other methods of calming him down before you go with the band. Another thing you should do, is have ONE nest box for each pair of birds. All extra nest boxes should be closed up so that no one can get in them. If you allow a few birds to "visit" and sleep or roost in any box they want to, you'll have this problem every time you bring in a new bird. They don't need but one nest box. If you've got 2 pairs and Oddball, there should only be 3 boxes open. That may be part of the problem. Everybody things that everything belongs to them, including Oddball. I expect that a mate would go a long ways in calming him down. He would have something to focus his attention on. Right now, he doesn't have anything to keep him occupied except picking on everybody else.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

I just read your post again, and I see that Oddball does have a mate. Depending on how your nest boxes are set up, I would assign each bird a box, as far away from each other as possible. If you have to, lock them up in the boxes you want them in for a day. You can also, start feeding them in their own box. Don't have a feeder for everyone. They eat in their box or they don't eat. They'll learn pretty darn quick, believe me. Once they've all settled down, you can go back to doing things the way you were doing them. Right now, it seems they just have the run of the place and there's no order. Every bird wants and needs his own little piece of heaven. Give them that and I think things will calm down some. If they don't, you've still got the band to go with.


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