# Parents and Offspring in the same cage?



## chelseabirdlover (Jun 20, 2011)

I've been a proud owner of two fantail pigeons for the past year and decided it was time to let them breed for a fourth member of our little family. Should I get this baby a separate cage of his/her own or would be it be all right to get a larger cage and let them stay together? I've heard of some birds using peck order to the point of death with their offspring if left together in close quarters, but I wasn't sure if that's the case with these gentile creatures. Help, please!


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Firstly, pigeons normally (though not always) produce two offspring in a brood.

Once the young are fledged (around 35 days) then they should be given their own quarters. Fanciers who breed their pigeons probably separate the young from the parents before that. Presume they are not kept caged full time? Do you have an aviary?


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

chelseabirdlover said:


> I've been a proud owner of two fantail pigeons for the past year and decided it was time to let them breed for a fourth member of our little family. Should I get this baby a separate cage of his/her own or would be it be all right to get a larger cage and let them stay together? I've heard of some birds using peck order to the point of death with their offspring if left together in close quarters, but I wasn't sure if that's the case with these gentile creatures. Help, please!


I don't know any fantails, so maybe they're gentler than ringneck doves, but I know with my ringnecks the cock started getting territorial as the babies were fledging. He was pecking at them aggressively enough that I had to pull them.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

chelseabirdlover said:


> I've been a proud owner of two fantail pigeons for the past year and decided it was time to let them breed for a fourth member of our little family. Should I get this baby a separate cage of his/her own or would be it be all right to get a larger cage and let them stay together? I've heard of some birds using peck order to the point of death with their offspring if left together in close quarters, but I wasn't sure if that's the case with these gentile creatures. Help, please!


are these American fantails?... if so mine seem to live in harmony with their weaned kids.. so it may be possible..all you can do is try and keep a close eye on them.. if he is getting bullied..then remove him and find him/her a mate of his own.. allot of times people want baby pigeons, but forget they are going to need a mate of their own when they mature, that means having to buy other pigeons if you do not have others.. then they can have babies..and so on and so on..lol.. fake eggs are a must at some point..


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## DoubleDoves (May 16, 2011)

chelseabirdlover said:


> I've been a proud owner of two fantail pigeons for the past year and decided it was time to let them breed for a fourth member of our little family. Should I get this baby a separate cage of his/her own or would be it be all right to get a larger cage and let them stay together? I've heard of some birds using peck order to the point of death with their offspring if left together in close quarters, but I wasn't sure if that's the case with these gentile creatures. Help, please!


Also, as a suggestion if you really only want one baby, when the hen lays the first egg leave it be, and replace the second egg with a false one. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the parents will still take care of the hatched egg just fine and abandon the other egg after awhile, right?


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