# confused..............



## FloridaLuv (Dec 19, 2008)

Hello....

I was reading on the AZ Pigeon Club's website today and came across an article about sexing pigeons. Link is posted here, it is the second article down from the top.
http://www.azpigeonclub.org/pigeon_ponderings.php

I am wondering now if others have found that the female will coo and drag their tail as well as males? Because now I'm not quite sure if our pet pigeon is a cock or a hen We would love to adopt a mate so he/she isn't so lonely but would hate to end up with 2 males together.... is there any way to tell?

Another question I have is; from what we can tell our pigeon(pic. below) is a white homer..... but from looking at the pictures of the kings I am wondering how to tell the difference? I know I'm ALLLLLL CONFUSED....


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

My Romeo does. I finally figured it out when she laid a egg, in a lovely tp nest, on the bathroom floor. Now I call her Noodle.


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## wolfwood (Jan 26, 2009)

There will be others along soon who know a whole lot more than I do (even my pijs know more than I do!!) but ....

1. I have read & been told that the older hens can pick up the habit from the cocks.

2. We found a method of sexing the birds that - to us - seemed like hocus pocus but - by god! - it's been 100% right .... on humans, dogs, cats, & pigeons.

It's called 'dousing' (yep - like the "finding water" dousing) and works like this: take a string & tie a small metal object to the end (we used a large paper clip). The string should about 8" long so it swings freely. Hold the pij in one hand (better yet, have someone else hold the bird), then hold the string above the bird's shoulders - metal object down. Touch the metal clip to the bird's back so it hangs still then raise it just a bit and wait (be sure YOU do everything you can to keep your hand still). If the bird is a cock, the metal clip will swing back & forth in a line. If the bird is a hen, the metal clip will swing in a circle (it swung almost horizontally when checking a human female!!!). Our String had it's definite swing within a minute or 2. When it has "chosen", touch the clip to the bird's back again to make it be still ... make the clip swing in the "wrong" direction and wait. It will eventually return to swinging the "right" way like before.

Hocus Pocus??? Sure sounds like it, huh? But we tried it on all 2- & 4-legged beasts in this house before we tried it on the birds. I held the string & closed my eyes ... someone else held the animal and didn't tell me which animal it was. We then did the same with the birds. The String/Clip were right EVERY time.


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

We have had Rae Charles (our adorable blind pij) since she was a youngster. She coos, dances in cirlcles, fans her tail AND lays eggs on occasion. 

Cindy


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## ezemaxima (Jan 12, 2008)

FloridaLuv said:


> Hello....
> 
> I was reading on the AZ Pigeon Club's website today and came across an article about sexing pigeons. Link is posted here, it is the second article down from the top.
> http://www.azpigeonclub.org/pigeon_ponderings.php
> ...


Try placing a mirror in the cage. The cocks tend to be territorial and starts cooing and possibly start courting it's reflection. The hen would probably peck alittle depending how aggressive your bird or just enjoy the company....


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Well, I have Waldo who is definitely a hen (Roller) .. she grunts, roo coos, wing slaps, tail fans/drags is generally just the picture of a male .. BUT Waldo lays eggs. She is also a very, very difficult wife in some ways as I am sure Helmut (her mate) would attest to.

Terry


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## FloridaLuv (Dec 19, 2008)

*maybe he IS a she?*

........ so he REALLY could be a SHE.... I do have a mirror next to his cage he/she runs up to it and stops. he/she pecks at it, as if "groming" the reflection. Of course she/he will tail/fan drag and roo coo at us all the time when we come into the bird room too as well as do this to the mirror. She/he will be at the opposite end of the cage and charge at us from the other end and then stop right in front of us..

Will a hen lay an egg without a male? Like doves will lay the egg for "you"? We have seen no eggs as of yet? We have had Willow about 2 months and up until now thought that it was a male.  But she/he is a lone pigeon for now until we can adopt another one. I guess we need to figure out the sex of him/her first. 

So I am off to try the paperclip! I did see that on that article too but was skecptical. But we'd really love another pigeon so I will be trying it on everyone...lol...just to be sure its workin'. Has anyone else had success with that? Lots of silly questions, sorry.


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## FloridaLuv (Dec 19, 2008)

also, does Willow resemble a King? Just was wondering that too?


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Willow looks just like my white homers, I thinks Kings have a rounder body and a bit of a shorter tail. here is a pic of a homer with a little figurita for comparison.


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Lovely little bird. I think it is a homer too - head looks like ours. Kings are also usually heavy in weight - much more than a homer. They can weigh 600 or more grams.

And, I ain't touching the sexing question with a 10 foot pole  because I ALWAYS figure ours wrong. Can't tell you the number of guys I have with sissy girl's names.


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## Guest (Jan 29, 2009)

I agree looks to be a homer to me too , I think that kings are rounder but umm never had the two side by side to compare


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## FloridaLuv (Dec 19, 2008)

*LoL.....*

Alrighty roo----- Did the whole "dousing" thing.... Can't tell if the thing swung becuase I was trying not to laugh or what,  BUT, it went around in a circle.... LOL... 
I told our son to sit still so I could do it on him...... It was so FUNNY cuz , like I havent known this for 9 years, I blurted out "Yep, it says a boy!" LOL...he says.... "MOM, of course I'm a boy I wasn't hatched from an egg ya know" Uh HUH... YEP, we moved right on along from the ole' birds -n- bees "talk". (( as dear ole' hubby is trying not to laugh!!!!)) 

So WHO KNOWS. All I know is sexing PIGEONS is for the birds! And that we'd really love one more Pidge. So we are on the look out.  Thanks for looking at this and helping us out! Have a fantastic weekend everyone!!!


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

FloridaLuv said:


> Alrighty roo----- Did the whole "dousing" thing.... Can't tell if the thing swung becuase I was trying not to laugh or what,  BUT, it went around in a circle.... LOL...
> I told our son to sit still so I could do it on him...... It was so FUNNY cuz , like I havent known this for 9 years, I blurted out "Yep, it says a boy!" LOL...he says.... "MOM, of course I'm a boy I wasn't hatched from an egg ya know" Uh HUH... YEP, we moved right on along from the ole' birds -n- bees "talk". (( as dear ole' hubby is trying not to laugh!!!!))
> 
> So WHO KNOWS. All I know is sexing PIGEONS is for the birds! And that we'd really love one more Pidge. So we are on the look out.  Thanks for looking at this and helping us out! Have a fantastic weekend everyone!!!


..LOL.....thats funny.....I would venture to take a guess on the sex and say from the pic he looks like a he, because of the rounded head and nice neck, the hens seem to have a flatter head and thinner neck, but it is not 100% this way. but if i had to put a wad of cash down that would be my guess. as in my pic of my homer I woud guess a she, flat top of head and neck not so full...but it is just a guess.


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## eyespyer (Jul 14, 2008)

wolfwood said:


> There will be others along soon who know a whole lot more than I do (even my pijs know more than I do!!) but ....
> 
> 1. I have read & been told that the older hens can pick up the habit from the cocks.
> 
> ...




LOL
This was very funny
Where did you learn this, I got to try it.
LOL


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