# Would a pigeon be right for me?



## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

I've always loved birds, and I've had some. I had a Wonderful Escapist Canary (he loved to escape from the cage, he was pretty smart for a canary xD. I don't know how he did it though ... last time he escaped I think he got a trauma in his head and that's why he died), and three budgies. I found one in my backyard, then bought her a boyfriend . Then the first one died (of something really weird and sudden) and I bought another female. When it died (an illness never identified by the vet... had to disinfect the cage veeeery deeply just in case ), my mom told me she wasn't going to allow more birds in the house, so I couldn't buy him another mate. I gave him to one of my mother's friends, she had only one so I bet he was really happy to have him . He died a couple of months ago.
Sorry for telling this long story, but as you can easily see, I haven't been been very lucky with my birds. I've been wanting to have another bird for some time now, and now that I have grown up I think I will be more capable of taking care of them. I did just the basics as a kid (feeding, watering cleaning) because I didn't know they needed anything else than that.
I wanted to know if a pigeon would be a right choice for me. I've fallen in love with homing pigeons, and the possibility of allowing them to fly. Do these pigeons require any special conditions? Do they have to be bred from babies (or young birds) for them to acquire this homing instinct? Are they easy to tame? I kinda need some orientation here :3.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

homeing pigeons come into the world with instincts to home, to settle them to your place they need to be there at 30 to 40 days old, if older there is a chance they would fly back to original home. pigeons are not easy to have in the house, they do poop alot and scatter seeds and molt feathers...they are poultry so having them in the house is a bit different than having a budgie. If they are let out to fly, the best is to have a flock of 10 or more, as there are birds of prey out there and they can single out just a few birds pretty easy, a flock stay together and fly high, safety in numbers is better for them. so, if you want a house pigeon then you should not let it outside free flying. they do need sunshine and fresh air though so would need a place to go to be in the fresh air, an apartment or townhome is not an ideal situation IMO, where the only fresh air they get is an open window sometimes...so alot to think about. Ring neck doves make nice house birds, I have three hens and they are lovely. my pigeons are in a loft which suits me well as far as the mess they make plus they have sunshine and fresh air, the doves are not quite as messy, and do better in household temps.


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

I didn't think of prey birds. Considering there are a lot of them, it wouldn't be a good idea.
Haha, the first budgie I had was liked that. Plus she liked ripping off the papers I put on the floor to make poop cleaning easier. Pigeons are much bigger, though, so I guess it's logical that they make more mess.
So you think a dove would be better? I don't know what kind of doves I could get here. Probably eared doves, hehe. I have two young siblings on my yard right now xD. But I guess they are also sold as pets?


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

I can't believe it, I found a pet store that brought some ring neck doves. I had never seen them here, and I'm sure this pet store didn't have them a week ago, lol.
I'll go ask for the price and then I'll try to convince my mother~


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

They really do make lovely pets... just to let you know though the male can be loud with his cooing...so if your mom likes to sleep in... beware!!! i have three hens and one coos every now and then soflty..... but when I had my male, he cooed and cooed and cooed..so loud I could not watch tv or talk on the phone....lol.. so I gave him away with his mate to a nice fella with alot of outdoor birds...he put them in a large cage on his sunporch and he can coo all he wants there.. just to let you know before you decide to get any.


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

Lol! One of the budgies I used to have kept... I don't know what is the word for their noises. Sound like... squeaking. Well, she kept doing that while we were eating (they were in the kitchen) and we couldn't talk or watch TV because she was so noisy! And when she started, the other budgie followed her xD.
Well, I'll take it into account! Thanks for the tip. I'll see if I convince my mom first, hehe.
So they don't have to be kept in pairs? Hens don't fight when they're together?


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Pawbla said:


> Lol! One of the budgies I used to have kept... I don't know what is the word for their noises. Sound like... squeaking. Well, she kept doing that while we were eating (they were in the kitchen) and we couldn't talk or watch TV because she was so noisy! And when she started, the other budgie followed her xD.
> Well, I'll take it into account! Thanks for the tip. I'll see if I convince my mom first, hehe.
> So they don't have to be kept in pairs? Hens don't fight when they're together?


hens are great together, just should get them at the same time..sometimes doves will not like what they think is an intruder to their cage if you get one and then another after. two males can be ok, but if there is a hen in with them, not so ok, as they will fight for her...a trio works too (2 hens and 1 male).


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## doveone52 (Aug 3, 2009)

I think ringnecks are ideal pets. They are so sweet and nonaggressive. They ask for very little and give so much in return! You could build an inexpensive aviary indoors out of an old piece of furniture or even pvc pipe and hardware cloth which is my plan. Right now I've left the metal grate in their cage and the poop just falls through. I change the paper once daily, change food and water and they're good to go. Then you have lots of time for the fun stuff l;ike interacting and bath time. Mine are in a cage at my bedside and I wake up each morning to 6 beady eyes on me! Love 'em!


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## bundyray (Nov 7, 2009)

spirit wings said:


> They really do make lovely pets... just to let you know though the male can be loud with his cooing...so if your mom likes to sleep in... beware!!! i have three hens and one coos every now and then soflty..... but when I had my male, he cooed and cooed and cooed..so loud I could not watch tv or talk on the phone....lol.. so I gave him away with his mate to a nice fella with alot of outdoor birds...he put them in a large cage on his sunporch and he can coo all he wants there.. just to let you know before you decide to get any.


Definately agree keep 2 hens the males coo all through the night and I deffinately don't think your Mum would appreciate it


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

I'll tell her the advantages of having these birds xD.
Definite question for her: Even though I am the one who does the cleaning of the bird cages, she always goes saying that birds make a lot of mess and she is the one who cleans. How much do these birds make? I guess they won't eat the paper like budgies (xD) or that kind of things. For example, one thing that annoys me about pigeons is that they poop outside the cage while being IN the cage. Even though I clean in often (twice a day at least) they like pooping outside xD. So my room is filled with papers, hehe. (That's why I said I wouldn't be having pigeons in this moment, because of her problem with the mess). That kind of things, I mean. How messy are they?
I need to investigate. To the interwebz 8D!


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## doveone52 (Aug 3, 2009)

They are little poop machines but not as large and messy as pigeons. Not as likely to poop outside the cage. Sometimes they flutter their wings and get rid of some feathers and dust. I had finches one time and they were much messier!


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

Dust and feathers don't matter. I can just use a broom there xD.

Ahh, I was reading in a book that it's a behavior from baby birds. Maybe these do it because they're still young?
Although I had a dove once and she wasn't messy like these pigeons. Difference is that it was an eared dove, not a ringneck dove.

On Saturday I'll go buy seeds and I'll ask for the price. The other day it was closed x.x


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

In answer to your question (the thread's title), I'd say you ought to reverse the question: "Would you be right for a pigeon?"

It's only fair.

Pidgey


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

Sure! But apparently I'm not xD.

I may keep these pigeons instead of getting ringnecks. It depends on my mom.


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