# Adult pigeons picking on babies



## Leadville (Apr 20, 2006)

Could anyone tell me if you have had a pigeon who never bothered any of the rest of the flock and then suddenly beats up new babies, (severely) if it will do that regularly, or is it maybe a one time happening?

Thank you in advance for any help in this matter. I have raised birds for 13 years and have only had this happen one other time last year and I took the offender/bully for a long, long ride. I can not stand cruelty!!!!


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Leadville said:


> Could anyone tell me if you have had a pigeon who never bothered any of the rest of the flock and then suddenly beats up new babies, (severely) if it will do that regularly, or is it maybe a one time happening?
> 
> Thank you in advance for any help in this matter. I have raised birds for 13 years and have only had this happen one other time last year and I took the offender/bully for a long, long ride. I can not stand cruelty!!!!


Unfortunately, it's not cruelty.............I've got a couple of cock birds that will do this.......I feel it's just their way of "insuring their offspring is the only one that survives". To us humans, that sounds horrible and "cruel" but it's the way of the animal world sometimes. First of all, taking the bird for a long long ride is cruel, if you think or know he won't come back home. Now he's out there having to fend for himself. When I have a cock bird that is this agressive, I do one of three things.......1. lock him up in his box for a while every day, sometimes they will get the message, 2. take him out of the section he's in, 3. find him a new home. Most of the time cocks won't bother the babies but you will get that one bully sometimes. Or, just keep the babies in their nest box until you wean them. If he's going into the nest box and picking on the babies, then you have to do something (humane) with him...................


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

"I can not stand cruelty".

 I think it was cruel to take him on a long long ride, unless it was actually a long long ride and brought him home again. 

It is just in their nature to be aggressive, some more then others. 

I have an older male who recently started to be the bully around the feeders and trying to claim their dining hall into his own personal lounge.  

It is not a bother when the whole gang is eating as he can't herd out the crowd. But he will relentlessly pick on my younger birds and the hens.

I put him into a cage for several hours for time out.


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## Leadville (Apr 20, 2006)

*Adults picking on babies*

Hi again,

The long long ride I took the offender was to the place where I buy my feed and the owner loves birds and has won many, many races with his birds. I love them to much to just take them somewhere to never have them come back.

I will put this offender (who is usually the most gentle, kind one of the bunch), into a cage by himself to teach him a lesson. So, he wasn't protecting any babies of his own. They are all grown and having their own babies. His wife died so he hasn't had a mate for two years and has seemed to be happy 

Thank you for your replies.


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

They will do this sometimes when there is not enough room, or not enough of the 'best' kinds of roosting or nesting spots...or if someone gets a 'territorial' bug up their caboose, wanting to claim it all for themselves and their mate.

A larger Aviary, fewer Birds, or better yet, a seperate Aviary or Coop for the offender(s) would do the trick...


Do these Birds get free fly time often?

I have had what I call 'Bully Birds' a few times, Males who with mates decide to terrorize everyone else, no matter how 'low' others may be, trying to claim it all for him and his mate.

This is a living HELL when it gets going, and I put the offender and his mate together in a cage pending their release...and sometimes I have to release them over and over and over and STILL they fly back in here when I am not looking.

Sometimes these offenders are the SWEETEST Birds, too! 'Otherwise'...

I am only dealing with ferals who I convelese, aside form the few non-releaseables, these fellow or mated pairs are not really invited TO stay for ever anyway! But sometimes it is hard to get that across to them...Lol...

One such terrible Bully Bird and his mate, both really beautiful ferals, just showed up a while back in here and are not Birds whom I had convelesed, but might be Babys I had raised in years past who came back. Both are very sweet, calm, easy Birds, I let them make a Nest, next to my bed, they laid Eggs, the Eggs Hatched and they abandoned the Babys on day one, and on day one, he just climbed off the Nest and became a complete terror...attacking everyone else, Courting every hen or possible hen, and constantly...if I put them out, they find ways and wiles to somehow 'be' back in again...

Yet otherwise, they are gentle, calm Birds who are devoted to eachother...

Oye...


...sigh...



Phil
Las Vegas


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Leadville said:


> Could anyone tell me if you have had a pigeon who never bothered any of the rest of the flock and then suddenly beats up new babies, (severely) if it will do that regularly, or is it maybe a one time happening?
> 
> Thank you in advance for any help in this matter. I have raised birds for 13 years and have only had this happen one other time last year and I took the offender/bully for a long, long ride. I can not stand cruelty!!!!



Sorry if I seemed a little harsh in my first post/answer to you. We race our birds and I personally know that flyers send birds to long races just to "get rid of them" and that's something that I do not agree with AT ALL and do not do to my birds...........your post made it sound like you dumped him somewhere. So he basically just went for a car ride?? Anyway, try getting him a mate. That will probably calm him down considerably.......


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## Leadville (Apr 20, 2006)

Hi all,

My Son built me a wonderful loft with plenty extra places for new birds to have a bed/place. The one that beat up the twin babies usually always for the last three years stay in one certain spot. I have 23 birds and most of them have mates and have their own spaces for having their babies.

I raise them purely to enjoy them. I've seen different ones through the years bother the babies sometimes but not to the extent these poor babies were hurt. I brought them in the house and put neosporin with pain relief on their bloody bruises till they started healing and will keep them in the house in a cage till I feel the worst hurt one is healed enough not to get infection, etc.

They usually always respect each others territory so was hoping I could figure what caused this traumatic thing for me.

Thanks everyone, and have a restful Lord's Day tomorrow.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Hi Leadville,

I guess we just aren't "bird brained" enough sometimes to really know or understand what's going on with our birds. I have a couple of males that are just so aggressive towards anyone or anything aside from their mates and their own babies that I wouldn't trust them near any of my more docile birds. Then I have many others who would, could, and do peacefully coexist with really nary a problem .. there might be an occasional little spat but nothing more than posturing and a wing whack or two.

Welcome to Pigeon-Talk! I hope you will keep us posted about this situation and tell us more about your birds.

Terry

PS: Might your screen name be a clue to where you are located? I grew up in Colorado ..


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## Leadville (Apr 20, 2006)

*Adult pigeons picking*

Hi again,

Yes, I was born and raised in Leadville, the famous "Two Mile High" town. 

Where in Colorado did you live?


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Leadville said:


> Where in Colorado did you live?


Tiny little town of La Veta, Colorado.

Terry


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## Leadville (Apr 20, 2006)

TAWhatley said:


> Tiny little town of La Veta, Colorado.
> 
> Terry


So, Where do you live now? I do know where La Veta is, never been there though, had you ever come up to Leadville?


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Leadville said:


> So, Where do you live now? I do know where La Veta is, never been there though, had you ever come up to Leadville?


For the past two decades and a bit more, in Southern California .. currently in Lake Forest and have been since 1985.

Yes .. have been to Leadville, and it's very beautiful there .. almost as good as La Veta  

Terry


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