# Young male pigeon behavioral issues



## Erica333 (Jan 20, 2021)

So my new rescue Broly has gotten really aggressive really fast. I’m almost 100% sure he is male cause he is a lot different than my female bird( more aggressive, HUGE in size, deeper coo, different behaviors and sounds). I’m not sure how old he is but I do think he is younger. I know for a fact he was born in 2021 and only was flown in one race in which he got lost and ended up with me. I saw on his anklet (he was a racing pigeon). He has started making these angry groaning/ growling noises and does them pretty constant. I’m not sure if this is like the equivalent of a baby crying cause he doesn’t get his way? I don’t know. But it’s been really frustrating as he lives with me in my room right now. My other pigeon lives in an outdoor cage but I can’t put him with her cause they are not paired. I am planning on getting her a cage for indoors and putting them side by side for a while and see if they get friendly. I guess I will have to let them out at separate times? First when they met they were shy and just looking at eachother. Then Clancy started chasing and trying to fight him. And now he is starting fights with her! But they get bad I have to break them apart, as she is a very aggressive female as well. I know she is for sure female cause she is DNA tested and has laid eggs. He is making the noise every time I have to put him in his cage for whatever reason, if it’s bed time, if I’m leaving the house, sometimes in the middle of the night randomly if he wakes up, and in the morning when he wants to come out. But I wait until he stops doing it for a while then I let him out so he might learn. But also he just does it at random times for no particular reason I know of. It’s really getting to me I’m not sure what to do. Is he just in a grumpy teenager phase? Other times he is super chill and he sits on his perch and acts all cute. And he also seems to be calm when I hold him(that’s the only time he likes me to pet him)


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## mercedes15 (Nov 24, 2021)

Male pigeons will get very aggressive when driving there mate, or even towards other birds. 
They all have different personalities.
It sounds like normal behavior to me, I don't see any problem.

Good Luck


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

He is calling for a female. You need to take things slowly. When you get the cages, let him out while she stays in her cage. She is used to having the whole area to herself and he is now the intruder. She needs to get used to having him around.


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## Erica333 (Jan 20, 2021)

Marina B said:


> He is calling for a female. You need to take things slowly. When you get the cages, let him out while she stays in her cage. She is used to having the whole area to herself and he is now the intruder. She needs to get used to having him around.


my female is starting to act strange, I moved her inside and she is in non stop mating mode yet she chases off Broly. She keeps shaking her bottom and sliding her legs around the ground of her cage?Does this mean she is gonna lay eggs soon? She’s been scraping the bottom of the cage I was worried about her. I ordered some nesting bowls and I have nesting material and I also ordered the fake eggs just in case. They wouldn’t be fertilized if she laid cause they definitely have not mated. She is sliding her feet I never seen her do this but when she laid eggs before I just went one day they appeared I never saw the process.


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

It's possible. Females will spend time in the nest before laying eggs. I guess while she is incubating her eggs, she won't let him near her.


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## Erica333 (Jan 20, 2021)

Marina B said:


> It's possible. Females will spend time in the nest before laying eggs. I guess while she is incubating her eggs, she won't let him near her.


hey so update on the birds, she now laid an egg for the first time in a year and has been sitting mostly. I’m pretty sure they haven’t mated seeing everytime I’ve let them out they fight. They still try to fight through the cages lol. I put them next to eachother about 4 days ago after their cages were on top of eachother. They don’t constantly fight while in cage. If I let my female out and leave him in the cage he gets mad and starts going crazy cooing and yelling. He used to just sit on his branch on the stand I built and I would let her out she would just be chilling and he wouldn’t bother her but now every time he flies down and tries to attack her! They have been getting more and more violent towards eachother  I’m hoping this is a phase he just grows out of or idk what I will do. He always is crying like a toddler when he doesn’t get his way and he’s very stubborn. He wakes me up at 6 am yelling with his grumpy self 😭 drivin me nuts. I also gave him a nest and he sits in it sometimes and relaxes. I think my female is just a very dominant girl and he does not like that he feels inferior. I feel bad idk how to make him happier. I put their food and water bowls together so they have to eat near eachother. Any other suggestions are welcome I’m just hoping with time things get better. His poops are still pretty green and watery by the way


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## mercedes15 (Nov 24, 2021)

Hello,
I see they are in small cage, do you give them water to bathe? Birds love to bathe in the sun.
As for the watery poop, that can be cause for environment or stress, obviously, 
the fighting alone can stress them out. How long have they had the watery poop?

Good Luck


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## Erica333 (Jan 20, 2021)

mercedes15 said:


> Hello,
> I see they are in small cage, do you give them water to bathe? Birds love to bathe in the sun.
> As for the watery poop, that can be cause for environment or stress, obviously,
> the fighting alone can stress them out. How long have they had the watery poop?
> ...


Yeah I give them baths twice a week and they love to bathe but sometimes don’t want to when I offer them the bath. I have a screened in porch I bring my female bird on and she loves it but when I brought Broly on the porch he tried to fly through the screen and he hit himself. I’m afraid he will break the screen so I tried twice and he did it two times so I was gonna get him a flight suit and leash and see if he will realize he can’t fly there. Cause he used to do the same on the window now he doesn’t fly into the window anymore. But I’m more concerned that his poop are still green. He had a lot of issues he was medicated for maybe he is still recovering


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## mercedes15 (Nov 24, 2021)

What Medication was he on, and when did he come off it?


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## mercedes15 (Nov 24, 2021)

If you can post a pic of his poop It would help.


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## Erica333 (Jan 20, 2021)

mercedes15 said:


> What Medication was he on, and when did he come off it?



he had e.coli, staph infection, and they also said he may have been poisoned. Vet gave him doxycycline, ketoconzole, flagyl, and calcium disodium. That was an injection to detox the suspected poison. And some nutritional herbal powder supplements for liver support as his liver enzymes were high and they also said his kidneys were not working as good due to the infections. He came off it about a month ago I think. ACV water seems to help but then it goes back to green when a day or two later.








I gave him probiotics but they don’t say how often to give it on the bottle.


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## Erica333 (Jan 20, 2021)

mercedes15 said:


> If you can post a pic of his poop It would help.


Also, he got chemistry panel done at vets and they said everything is within the normal range now which is good. His levels were really messed up before


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## mercedes15 (Nov 24, 2021)

OK, that sounds good, but I would continue with the Probiotics, 
it should help his poop, but it takes time. 
I don't think he needs any medication right now, just watch him closely.
He's been through a lot.

Keep me posted
Good Luck


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## Erica333 (Jan 20, 2021)

mercedes15 said:


> OK, that sounds good, but I would continue with the Probiotics,
> it should help his poop, but it takes time.
> I don't think he needs any medication right now, just watch him closely.
> He's been through a lot.
> ...


 Hey just wanted to update everyone Broly’s dropping seem to be getting a lot better and he has calmed down a lot. Only problem now is he and Clancy absolutely despise eachother. Idk what to do they seem to get more and more violent towards eachother. They seemed like they were kinda getting along in the beginning until she attacked him and then now he does not like her at all and she also hates him cause she is jealous. I’m hoping she is just extra mean cause she laid eggs and is in a broody mood and trying to protect nest. But when he is out of the cage on his branch if I let her out so she can get off the nest for a second and fly around and stretch, he starts freaking out yelling and going crazy like he’s mad. And it kinda makes her try to go and attack him or she flies by his head and then goes away just to mess with him. They still also try to fight through the cage. But after a while they end up just chilling out. It’s been a little over a week since I got them set up next to eachother so maybe it will take a while.


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

She is possibly bonded to you and considers him as the intruder. It will be difficult, but can you try and not spend a lot of time with them. Try for a week. Only clean and change the food and then leave the room. Keep them in seperate cages during this period.

You need to show her you are not interested in her. That way she will need to consider the second best option as a partner, and that will be him. 

She might be acting this way bacause she has a nest with eggs and is only protective. Hopefully things change when she stops incubating.

I hope this helps. Keep us updated. They can be so complicated sometimes.


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## Erica333 (Jan 20, 2021)

Marina B said:


> She is possibly bonded to you and considers him as the intruder. It will be difficult, but can you try and not spend a lot of time with them. Try for a week. Only clean and change the food and then leave the room. Keep them in seperate cages during this period.
> 
> You need to show her you are not interested in her. That way she will need to consider the second best option as a partner, and that will be him.
> 
> ...


Update: I tried putting them cages next to eachother they just tried fighting through the cages for weeks and it didn’t get better. Eventually I just realized it won’t work and stacked their cages again cause it was too stressful for them to be fighting so much through the cage. He seems to try to Court her but she attacks him and he also attacks her sometimes. She is super bonded to me so that’s probably why. I’m just hoping even if they aren’t mates they can eventually be civil. They get super violent I’m afraid they will gauge each others eyes out! Like I have to break them up and they will be biting and grabbing eachothers beak and face and pulling feathers. I’m like what the hell! He starts cooing in a circle and puffing out and then she just attacks him. I really don’t know what to do.


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

Maybe you should start thinking of getting him adopted. Have you tried putting them together in a new environment? Try a room that she has never been in, so she can't claim the space as "hers".


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## Erica333 (Jan 20, 2021)

Marina B said:


> Maybe you should start thinking of getting him adopted. Have you tried putting them together in a new environment? Try a room that she has never been in, so she can't claim the space as "hers".


Idk who would want to adopt him, plus I’m kinda bonded with him too so idk. I will have to try that but currently I live with my parents and there’s cats in the house so I just have them in my room. Sometimes I take them on my screened in porch and they don’t seem to fight on there. I’ll have to do that more often. They also don’t fight after they have a bath. I might honestly just move Clancy back outside. I originally had her in an outside cage and everyday I would bring her on my porch for hours to get her exercise and social. So I’m thinking maybe I will just keep Broly inside my room with me and move her back outside. Also would be good too cause she keeps laying eggs since I moved her in my room with me. She’s nesting mode non stop and I read them laying eggs all the time is bad.


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