# Poor contraception! aka new pet



## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

Our two rescue pigeons spend several hours/day outside in their flight pen while their eggs remain inside. I didn't imagine they would be fertile b/c our male is so clumsy and the female is a fantail. Even so, I often put the eggs in the fridge while the birds are out just to make sure they don't hatch. (Adrian had figured out the fake eggs and kept laying new eggs like crazy until I started the now-failed "refrigerator method".)

Our plan was to finish our outside aviary for them and then adopt a couple more from Mickacoo. That is now on hold. 

Now what? One chick has hatched and Rocky was tending it during the day today. Adrian is sitting on it now (after 7pm). I'm guessing the other egg will hatch in the next day or so. 

My questions: 
1. Is it possible to humanely "do something" to eliminate the possibility of the other egg hatching? (Not sure I can stomach it at this point, though.)

2. Do I need to do anything to keep the chick safe? Rocky kept looking like he was going to smash it going back and forth to the "nest". Adrian is on it now and I can't see the chick. Adrian keeps moving around on top of it.

3. The "nest" isn't much of a nest. It's newspaper srtrips sort of bunched together and it's on a ledge open to one side. The baby could feasibly fall about 8" if it moves around a lot. (It would have to move about 8-12" from where it is now.) I put in a bunch more paper strips hoping Adrian will place them to fortify the nest. Is that adequate? Should I put the chick in a large dog bowl instead. I prefer to just leave them alone, but don't want an accident.

4. Should the parents be getting any special foods now that they are "nursing"?

5. Any other advice for us?

Off to search the archives more,
Claire


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

ClaireinTX said:


> Our two rescue pigeons spend several hours/day outside in their flight pen while their eggs remain inside. I didn't imagine they would be fertile b/c our male is so clumsy and the female is a fantail. Even so, I often put the eggs in the fridge while the birds are out just to make sure they don't hatch. (Adrian had figured out the fake eggs and kept laying new eggs like crazy until I started the now-failed "refrigerator method".)
> 
> Our plan was to finish our outside aviary for them and then adopt a couple more from Mickacoo. That is now on hold.
> 
> ...


Good luck!


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## minimonkey (Apr 7, 2005)

Congratulations on your unexpected arrival! Most of us have had this happen, lol.


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## Miss-Sassypants (Sep 25, 2010)

Do post some pics!! Congrats!! I'm sure the itsy-bitsy one is a cutie!!


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

Will post a pic soon. 
I put the hay in this morning and Adrian immediately went to work jamming in as much as she could reach. She looked like she was desperate to get it all under her. 
Thank you so much for the info! 

Day 2--Adrian has been on the nest since dusk yesterday. I don't think she's let Rocky near the chick since it was a few hours old yesterday. I have not made any confirmation that there is still even a live chick. Adrian won't budge off that nest. I plan to stalk her tomorrow until I know for sure. 

More soon,
Claire


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

Here is a pic of the chick on hatch day, November 1st.
This morning, Day 3, I managed to get Adrian to move over long enough to see the little guy move its wings. I was hearing peeps the first day, but no sounds yesterday or so far today. Hope everything's okay. 

As for egg 2 there in the pic, it is still unhatched. Here's hoping the chick survives, but the remaining egg is infertile.

Now that the baby is here, what do we do about taking everybody outside for daily sun? Should I take Dad out alone in the morning while Mom is still on the nest and then take Mom out in the afternoon when Dad's on it? I hate to upset them, they love their little routines and can't stand being apart. What about sun for the baby? Can they all go out together after it gets to be a certain age? 

We have friends coming over to help make more progress on our outside aviary--which will be their new permanent home when we finish it. Part of what's taking so long is that we have so many predators here and I've been really worried about making it safe. The flight pen we have is okay for day time, but not after dusk.

Thanks for all your help!


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## Woodnative (Jul 4, 2010)

I would skip the sun sessions.......at least for the next 10-12 days or so. At that point they will not be sitting tight anymore. Right now they want to tend their chick and the chick needs tending. Are you the folks that adopted the Indian fantail as a girlfriend for your pigeon but in the beginning they were not really getting along and had separate cages etc? Congrats on the little one. You will enjoy him/her and he/she will probably be really tame.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

They don't need to be outside right now. Even when they are sitting on the eggs, they must hate to be taken from them to be put outside, as all they want to do is to sit them. They don't like being separated from their eggs. I'm amazed that they hatched. Just leave them to raise their babies.


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

Will do about leaving them inside for a couple of weeks.
Rocky is always happy to leave the nest and come outside (he knows a bunch of words and responds immediately to "outside" with excitement. I open the cage and he comes out and flies right to me to be carried out.
If it was Rocky's turn on the nest when I came to get him, then Adrian is happy to go out. If Adrian was on the nest when I come to get them, she won't budge until after Rocky has been out for about 10 minutes, then she gets up and paces. She then hops right onto my hand to go out with him. They bathe outside, so I think that may be what lures them out. Well, that and their favorite seeds in my hand.


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## Woodnative (Jul 4, 2010)

As you mentioned make sure their future outside home is predator-proof and secure. 1/2" square hardware cloth well secured for their flypen and windows. Screw everything down. Locks on the doors (keeps kids as well as animals out). Also convenient for you to access to clean and interact and enjoy them. I have to look at your old threads. The fantail is an indian fantail, correct? Mostly (or all) white? It will be fun to see what this little guy/gal looks like when he/she feathers out!


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

Adrian is a fantail, but I'm not sure the difference bet. American and Indian. She's white with taupe colored wings, feathered feet, and a little crest on top of her head. She seemed pretty young (maybe just shy?) when we acquired her. We got her in January of this year. We've had Rocky, the feral, since 2009 (think he was born in spring of that year).

Another couple of questions:
Is it normal for a chick to be so still and quiet? I have to watch for a few seconds to be sure it's alive. It did open it's little eye for a second this morning, so I'm considering that a good sign. It seemed to be moving around more on the day it was born than I've seen it move since. I can see the advantage of not calling attention to yourself when you're so helpless. It also seems to be growing a ton in its body while the head appears the same size as the day it was born. I will upload another pic as soon as I can. 

The chick hatched on Thursday and the other egg is still unhatched. At what point do I get to conclude that it's a dud? I was thinking a week would be sufficient, but want to be sure.


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## tjc1 (Aug 22, 2012)

Feathered feet would be Indian fantail


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

So nice to know for sure about Adrian's breed. 
I don't know how genetics work in pigeons. It would be fun to see a chart of which traits are dominant/recessive and then try to make a guess about what the chick is likely to look like. If it's healthy, I guess we'll know soon enough.


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## Woodnative (Jul 4, 2010)

Chicks that age sleep a lot, like most small babies. If its crop looks full and it is growing it is fine........and most likely it is fine. The crest is a recessive trait....you probably won't see it on the baby. It may have a couple of small feet feathers but probably not like mom. Most likely it will have a couple extra tail feathers......more like dad but with a few extras. Pied genes (the inheritance of the white) is variable and difficult to guess. Teh baby probably will have some white on it but how much we shall see. A lot of factors there and a lot of possibilities, so it will be a surprise. Most likely if they hatched a second it would look different from the first. It is amazing that this egg hatched, and at this point it does not look like the other will.


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

Very relieved to hear about the sleeping and that the chick is probably okay. 
I didn't even think to check that the crop was full. Haven't wanted to upset the parents, so I haven't touched it. 

Rocky has a tiny, dark area sticking up on his foot and I realized last week that it could be a bit of a feather. It only appeared since we got Adrian. (I know that sounds crazy, but we had Rocky for 2 and a half years before we got Adrian and I could swear he never had it before.) Perhaps he has some fantail in his not-too-distant ancestry.


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

Here are Mom and babe.
c


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Beautiful Picture.


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## Miss-Sassypants (Sep 25, 2010)

Thank you for sharing! They are gorgeous!


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## tjc1 (Aug 22, 2012)

What a nice picture of mommy and baby


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

*Eyes open today!*

Little one seems much stronger today--4 days old.


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

*Snack Break*

Mom and Dad both got off the nest long enough for a snack.


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## Miss-Sassypants (Sep 25, 2010)

Aww! Thanks for sharing! That is one huge food container! How long does it last? I would assume a week? 

The mom looks so elegant! Dad looks slightly skinnier than mom... hehe.. can't wait to see how the baby feathers out!


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## Woodnative (Jul 4, 2010)

Everybody looks happy and healthy! Keep updating us! Hard to tell for sure in the above photo, but I think little guy looks like he/she will have a mix of white and colored areas. BTW, color genetics may be confusing at first but I think your fantail mom is ash-red based. Given the dad is blue, you should be able to tell the sex of your little guy/girl as soon as he/she feathers out. Boys will be ash red like mom and girls will be blue like dad (the amount of white does not matter in this).


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

Baby looks to have a dark area across her back. So that would mean a little hen, yes? Maybe we'll know in a week or so. 

Do you know if they'll all be able to live together long-term? We will start boiling the eggs and replacing them to avoid more babies, but I'm wondering what family dynamics are like with a pair living with their adult chick.

Rocky was quite the Cassanova before we got Adrian and still approaches certain favorite dog toys, shoes, etc. when he gets the chance. If the chick is a hen, will this cause any issues?


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## Woodnative (Jul 4, 2010)

Dark area will probably just be pigmented......hard to say at this age if it will be red or blue based. Sometimes two hens work out ok with one male, sometimes it does not (usually because the hens are too jealous of each other). Once the little guy is completely weaned etc. you may need to provide a separate cage (or move them into your larger outdoor accomodations). when the baby reaches maturity (5-7 months?) it would probably be better to get it a mate of its own.


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

*One Week Old*

Here's the chick today. I can't believe how quickly it has converted seeds (via crop milk) into bird!

It still doesn't move around much. How/when will I know if its nest was adequate and its legs are okay? Will it start moving about in the next week or does that happen later?


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## CarloSantoro (Jun 22, 2011)

cute pictures


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## scmona (Sep 6, 2012)

oh he is soooooo cute. You have beautiful pigeons too. Thanks for sharing.


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

Thank you. It was just the luck of the draw. Rocky was shipped to us from a very nice man who rescued him, but couldn't keep him. And Adrian came to us through Craigslist: another rescuer who couldn't keep the bird. He's a feral and she's an Indian Fantail. Can't wait to see how the little one turns out.

The black along his beak makes him look like he is smiling for the camera.


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## Woodnative (Jul 4, 2010)

Looking good! I am looking forward to updates. If his/her legs were splaying you would see them. The leg will be sticking out rather than nicely tucked under him her. Usually it is one of the two legs. They look like they are under him/her nicely....at least the one closer. Eyes are open too!


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

*More pix*

The last pic I posted was at 7 days old. Here we are 5 days later. What a difference!
The yellow down on its head makes every shot look like an action shot. lol


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

*Day 12*

It is moving around more, so I when I cleaned out the cage this morning I made a new nest for it on the bottom level of the cage. I also put the food/water next to it again so it could watch its parents eat. 

The chick actually scooted over and put its beak in the crock when Dad had finished eating. It's the furthest I had seen it move. Of course, it just squeaked at Dad to feed it and Dad ignored it. 

I'm having trouble telling when its crop is empty. It is definitely much less full than before, but it has a puffy breast and I can't tell where the crop ends and the breast begins. I just want to make sure it keeps getting fed b/c the parents seem totally over it now.


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

The chick will definitely have feathered feet. (I think they are ridiculous. Adrian can hardly walk because of them and we live in Texas where there is no need to have warm feet.)

My hands are not petite. This animal is HUGE, aka Baby Huey. I really do think it weighs as much as its dad.

Do you think it's a hen or could those dark areas turn ash-red?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Very cute. He will probably have a bit of feathering, but not a lot.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

I'd put him/her back in the original spot so as to not confuse mom and dad.
The crop is right below the throat and above the keel bone which is in the center of the pigeon. When it's full, the food can be felt as lumpy.
I guess all the rest will be a surprise.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

After seeing Charis comment, I went back and read the post you did before the one I read. I agree that the young one shouldn't be moved. Just place a small crock of seed and one with water up on the same level where he can watch them eat, so that he will learn. I wouldn't move the nest, as the parents won't like that, and it can only confuse them.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Here are full crops. You can see it just under their necks. If you can't see it because of the feathers, you can feel it.


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

Thank you for the full crop pix, Jay3 and the lumpy description, Charis. Both together helped me feel a lot more confident that the chick is indeed being cared for. In fact, when I checked this evening, it was unquestionably stuffed. 

I didn't get your notes about moving it back to the original position until it was already well past dark here. This morning, I did lock the parents in the lower half of the cage with the chick so that they would only have two levels instead of four. Since the chick was moving so much more this morning, I was really worried about it falling. 

Since Rocky had fed it when I checked this evening, I'm hoping that means I didn't mess things up too much. I'll check again early in the morning. Maybe I can make some sort of barrier so it doesn't fall off the ledge of the level it was originally on and I'll put it back. 

The parents have stopped incorporating the hay and paper I give and--with the chick moving so much, after cleaning out the dirty, poopy nest--the new one is sort of a mess. Not really doing its job of chick containment. I was thinking about putting some of that rubbery shelf liner in the bottom of a large dog bowl and then putting the paper strips and hay on that. What do you think?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

The rubber shelf liner would probably work well. As far as putting up a barrier for the baby not to fall out, you can even duct tape card board into place. Or use just duck tape, and run it from one end to the other, and then back again, so that the two sticky sides are stuck together. This would make a little wall to stop him from falling out. You can do anything with duct tape. LOL.


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## Woodnative (Jul 4, 2010)

He/she is growing!! The color coming in looks "blue". I am not 100% sure mom is ash red based......she MIGHT be something else (brown?) . She has so much white on her it is hard to tell. Maybe a better photo of her colored area in good light would help to better be sure. The little guy/gal looks well tended by mom and dad (and you too!).


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## bonnie in indiana (Nov 10, 2012)

Your birds are very muched loved. I only have one small comment. Your picture that includes there feeders. I would not have so much feed in the feeders. You never know what parts they are eating and if ANY moisture gets in you can have mold and other stuff growing. I have doves, I put feed in and the next day I put in a little more--the 3rd day I take ALL the feed in the feeder and feed it to my chickens and start the cycle over again. I can tell you that a chicken needs only about a tablespoon of grain to be in top shape and doves and pigeons are smaller. Just my 2 cents worth and your birds are beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

I have a couple of responses and then a crazy story for today's update:

They are indoors in my dry home and the food gets changed every two or three days so I'm not worried about mold. I copied the feed dish design from someone on this forum. It's a foodsaver with the bottom cut off and it does a great job of keeping out debris. 
I realize it's silly to put so much food in, but the feral is so picky and I keep hoping he will copy the fantail and decide to quit only picking out his three favorite types of seeds. Thank you for telling me how much they actually eat. I've never been quite sure. 

Of course with the chick, their intake easily doubled these days. And they've been going through oyster shell, red grit, and the pick pot like crazy.

I keep trying to get a better pic of Adrian to show her wing color, but I guess we'll have to do it outside in the sun. There is definitely a difference between her grey colored tail feathers and her wing color which is more of a taupe. The chick seems really dark now. Only time will tell for sure if it's a hen, I guess.

So here's my crazy experience:
When I went to check on the chick it had been squeaking for a really long time, and its crop was empty. From what I've read and the fact that I've only seen Rocky near the chick one time in the last week, I assumed he had taken over feeding duties. Maybe he was having a lazy morning and hadn't gotten around to feeding yet.

I got a few thawed peas and put the chick in my lap on a towel. Rocky just kept ignoring the chick and trying to get me to give him more hemp seeds. 
When I started feeding the chick, Rocky kept ignoring it but mom Adrian came over and got on my lap and watched intently. Finally, after I fed the chick about 6 or 7 peas, Adrian came and started doing a pumping action. Then she started feeding her two-week-old chick ON MY LAP. It was crazy. Mom was not about to be outdone by some interloper! 

The hardest part of all this has been to stay out of their business.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Gee that's cute! 
As far as the feed dish, it's fine. Lots of people leave enough feed for them to pick at when they want, and have you ever seen a parakeet of finch with just a teaspoon of seed in their feed cup? Wouldn't worry about mold either. And any chicken who eats only a Tablespoon of grain daily would be anorexic. Besides when you have babies, they should have feed and water in front of them all the time.


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## jeff houghton (Jul 17, 2010)

beautiful looking yukkas, nice to see a very clean nesting area they are so messy at that age , particularly like the first pic , nice.


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## bonnie in indiana (Nov 10, 2012)

It appears that the chick is gonna be Blue like its DAD. That color of blue is dominate.


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## Woodnative (Jul 4, 2010)

With your description it does sound like mom is ash-red. Still get a pic in bright light if you can of her color. Baby is blue and if we are correct on that it is a little hen. What is the female version of the name Huey, LOL. Hard to tell but it does seem from the photo that she has a few extra tail feathers too. Looking forward to more updates!


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## tjc1 (Aug 22, 2012)

Hueyletta maybe


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## Podgy's Mum (Nov 21, 2010)

So nice Claire, thanks for sharing. Didn't see an answer to Woodnatives question:


> Are you the folks that adopted the Indian fantail as a girlfriend for your pigeon but in the beginning they were not really getting along and had separate cages etc? Congrats on the little one.


Very interested in this because we are in the same position - we have had a male pigeon for 2 years & have just now been 'adopted' by a hen  We are hoping Podgy & Penny will become mates, but as yet, Podgy is not in the slightest bit interested tho Penny is doing all she can to teach him the right tricks LOL  They are in separate cages at the moment but he tolerates her (mostly) when they have flight time together.

Would be interested to hear your birds story??
Cheers,
Dana


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

Yes, this is the same couple that Woodnative was remembering. 

It took a good three months for Adrian (the female) to accept Rocky. Rocky worked hard for her attentions, but she mostly ignored him. It's sort of how she and I got to be friends. She would come to me to get Rocky to lay off. This was all during flight time in our living room. They lived in separate cages for all that time.

The next step was to put them in the same cage for a couple of hours/day and work up from there. It was great: one day I walked in and they were sitting cuddled up together.

I often wonder if there were other birds around, Adrian would not have accepted Rocky.


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

Well I finally managed to load some videos of Huey and her family. I hope you enjoy them. 

Here are links to them:
Our Oops Baby...Pigeon 12 days Old
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz37woLiqao&feature=plcp

Our chick: 15 days (what a difference!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFCctTLiyy4&feature=plcp

Huey's First Outing 25 Days Old
http://youtu.be/0KDkOaPPczE

In this last video, Huey hung out on my knee almost the entire time we were all outside. Even though I resisted touching her or interacting with her until recently, she seems very comfortable with me. I've noticed that she is always watching Rocky interact with me. Maybe that's why she is so trusting.


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

That third link is actually here now:
Huey's First Outing--25 Days Old
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CREekGjPd4

(Apologies, the other link got uploaded on the wrong account.)


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

I shared the most recent video with Frank Mosca, (the PigeonTalk member and pigeon expert who originally rescued Rocky). I found his observations interesting and thought you might, too.

Here is an excerpt from what he had to say:
"Her tail will only have a slight arch in it. She looks to have only about 15-17 tail feathers (like my Oriental Rollers used to), so she'll have no problems at all flying. 

That crest that mom has is a simple recessive, so Baby Huey carries the gene for it, but won't show it. As you see the feathered feet are mostly recessive as well so she'll only have the few that are showing now."

He also noted that he was surprised that she did not have more white on her. There is actually quite a bit of white across her lower back, but it is usually hidden by her wings.

-c


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## Woodnative (Jul 4, 2010)

Enjoying the story. I agree with the comments above.......100% thought the same thing on the white and hinted at the other genetics in my earlier posts. Years (ok a couple decades now)ago I had a fantail cross with a Russian tumbler.....same thing.....came out more "wildtype" than either parent breed with just a little bit of small foot feathers and a couple extra tail feathers. They hatched a few babies and every one was different in color but similar in form.


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

Woodnative,

I think it is cool to see the consensus opinion coming true. 

I know so little about fantails. That neck business just cracks me up. Adrian will come over to me and cock her head in the funniest way. It's as if she's silently calling me crazy. It's also really funny to see Huey turn her head soooooo far around past the center of her back to look at something. It's as if there are extra vertebrae in there or something. 

Huey turned a month old yesterday and, so far, they all three are still getting along great. Huey and her mom snuggled up together while Dad sits on the eggs in the afternoon. When Adrian is on the eggs, Huey usually just follows Dad around. Occasionally, I'll find Huey in her nest downstairs while Mom and Dad are upstairs with the eggs.


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

*first flight--29 days old*

I think Huey's only-child status is serving her well. She just flew at a 45 degree angle up for about two feet. Wow. 

From what I've read, she's a bit early. Even though I was only calling her Huey as a joke because of her size, my son insisted on keeping it because it's a kind of helicopter and he's convinced she'll be a great flyer like her dad. It appears he's right!


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

Not sure if anyone is reading these anymore, but here goes another update:

Huey is four and a half weeks now and we had her in the outside flightcage with her parents again today. She kept following her dad Rocky around the entire time and really flying across the 10 foot span of the cage. 

When I came into the pen, she immediately flew to my shoulder even before Rocky could get to the other one. I just can't believe how sweet and affectionate she is. 

We are really enjoying them. 
One other funny thing. Even though she can eat and even fly pretty well now, whenever she's eating from my hand, Huey still squeaks like a baby. 

She still has quite a bit of that yellow fluff left. Wondering when it will be completely gone. I think she has all her feathers now. The tail feathers look like they may not be completely grown in though.


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## Woodnative (Jul 4, 2010)

Keep updating......we are enjoying this thread! They will continue to squeak for a little bit longer. The "little" one sound sweet.


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

*Baby Huey: interesting behavior change*

Baby Huey is now two months old (born Nov1st). Through advice of Woodnative and others who know much more than I do, we decided she is a "she" because of the genetics of her mom's ash-red wings combined with her dad's blue coloring. They are all three still living indoors until the weather is stable and their outdoor home is complete. 

In the last few weeks Huey has started bullying her mom. She chases her away from the food bowl and just generally pushes her around. The bullying is so bad, that I lock Huey in the upstairs section of the cage for part of each day just to ensure Adrian gets some peace. 

Huey also copies her dad. She makes a very similar coo and chortle, puffs up her feathers, drags her tail, struts back and forth. I would swear she is a male teenager.

Occasionally in the day when Dad is sitting on the eggs, I'll find Huey hanging out with Mom, but often I find her sitting in the nest next to Dad. I have also found Huey on the eggs alone a couple of times, but I'm 90% sure they are Adrian's eggs.

When Mom (Adrian) is on the nest, Huey is constantly interacting with Dad. She still eats from Dad's beak often (very occasionally from Mom, too) to the point where it looks like they are billing. Rocky also appars to court her. Of course, Rocky also still courts my socks, visitors, and a certain dog toy when he can get near them. 

I am wondering two things: 1.) Could the male behavior mean that Huey is a male after all? Perhaps that ash-red is actually a brown instead. 
It would be great to know for sure b/c our plan is to move the birds outside in a couple of months and get another rescue to be a mate for Huey. Perhaps a female rescue is the safest choice whether Huey is male or female. 

2.) Should I just let the three of them work things out and not continue Huey's daily alone-time? I sure wish Rocky weren't such a Cassanova. It would be much easier. He and Adrian used to be so happy together and now she just seems left out all the time. 

I'd love any advice you have to offer.


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## Siobhan (Dec 21, 2010)

It would not be a good idea to let Huey and Rocky mate even if they want to, being father and daughter. Since Huey is fond of you, you can be her buddy until you find another one for her, or maybe she can do without a bird friend. My pigeon doesn't have another pigeon and the one chance she had, she ignored him and refused to even recognize his existence.


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

First off, don't worry, we hard boil any eggs that appear. We want to rescue, not breed.
I don't like the idea of Rocky and Huey becoming a couple. Even if it is not a big deal to the pigeons, it still squicks me out as a human. 

It took Adrian three months to accept Rocky (although he was willing immediately). Once she did, though, she was devoted to him and they seemed much happier for having each other. Rocky was a single bird for two and a half years and, though we play with him each day, he simply wasn't getting enough interaction. After seeing the two together, I am more convinced than ever that these flock animals really do better with others of their kind around. 

I feel bad keeping Huey separate, but mostly I hate the idea of her (him?) interfering with Adrian and Rocky's relationship. Also, Huey is no longer bonded with me at all. At first, she was so trusting, etc. Now that she's hit adolescence though, she she'll still fly to me, but only to use me for a perch. I'll keep working with her. 

They are all three together right now. It is early afternoon, the time when Rocky usually takes his turn on the eggs. Just went to check and Rocky is on his brick, Adrian is on the upper shelf, and Baby Huey is on the eggs. Yeesch.


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## Woodnative (Jul 4, 2010)

Wow! That is unusual for a youngster that young to be flirtateous and setting on eggs! I don't have much to say here........because I am perplexed..............but hopefully someone else will come along. I certainly don't think they are Huey's eggs this early.....sure they are Adrian's. Everything else is a mystery, LOL! Sometimes two hens can pair with one male, but that doesn't always work. I am sure someone else will have some input, hopefully based on experience. Keep us updated!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

ClaireinTX said:


> Baby Huey is now two months old (born Nov1st). Through advice of Woodnative and others who know much more than I do, we decided she is a "she" because of the genetics of her mom's ash-red wings combined with her dad's blue coloring. They are all three still living indoors until the weather is stable and their outdoor home is complete.
> 
> In the last few weeks Huey has started bullying her mom. She chases her away from the food bowl and just generally pushes her around. The bullying is so bad, that I lock Huey in the upstairs section of the cage for part of each day just to ensure Adrian gets some peace.
> 
> ...




I would find out for sure what gender it is, and get it a mate. If you get another female, and it is a female, that would give you one male and three females. That isn't really a great combination. Pairs are much easier. If it is a female, and you get another female, they won't necessarily pair up.


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

It turns out that I cannot add. November+December+January= three months old, not two.

When I went in this morning, Huey (often initially aggressive in the last two weeks) came to drag her tail, puff up and gently (?!) peck and nuzzle my fingers though the bars of the cage. I couldn't let her out b/c our dogs were eating breakfast, but we'll hang out more later this afternoon just the two of us and I'll report. 

I put up a mirror to her yesterday and she courted that as well. The few times I've seen her on the eggs was in the day when her dad should be on them. She really does copy everything he does. Is it common for a 3 month old female to be so very male in her behavior? 

Jay3, how would I find out her gender for certain w/out eggs? Is that a genetic test a vet would do? And thank you for the info abt female pairs. I had assumed wrong.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

ClaireinTX said:


> It turns out that I cannot add. November+December+January= three months old, not two.
> 
> When I went in this morning, Huey (often initially aggressive in the last two weeks) came to drag her tail, puff up and gently (?!) peck and nuzzle my fingers though the bars of the cage. I couldn't let her out b/c our dogs were eating breakfast, but we'll hang out more later this afternoon just the two of us and I'll report.
> 
> ...



The age is too young to know what sex it is. when the bird is 5 or 6 months of age it starts to know what sex it is and acting out more with purpose, esp if it is a cock bird. If you just have to know without guessing and waiting ,google AVIAN DNA LAB sex testing and there should be a few to pick from. but usually that is done with expensive parrot type birds and exotics..but if you want to spend the money on you're pigeon to know for sure a bit early the sex..go for it., some are only 25 dollars I do believe.


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