# help my pigeon is afraid at me



## mharkpain27

when i get my new pigeon i bought it about 4 days even now they still afraid of me what should i do?


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## November-X-Scourge

hand feeding... that helps them bond with you... I used to have the same problem.


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## Quazar

It may take some time for the bird to get to know you & its new surroundings & be comfortable with whats going on around it.
offer it some seeds from your hand, (or evensome raw unsalted peanuts as a treat, - most pigeons love them) if it wont take them, put them down & pretend peck with your finger then move your hand away and just watch it, & talk to it gently.
Dont make any sudden movements that will spook it, and DONT offer it food just so you can pick it up. Many pigeons dont like to be handled, and if you offer food Then pick it up as its eating, it will associate these two gestures as one and you will certainly lose its trust.
Also, when you approach it, do so from its own level or below, NEVER from above.
A pigeon has to trust you before it will feel safe to come close enough to you.
Dont try and make the pigeon do anything it doesnt want to do or you will lose any trust it has and have to start from the beginning.


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## November-X-Scourge

Never mind about my "I used to have the same problem" in my last post! I still do! November kinda fears me, and pecks the life out of my hand if I near him. He hates me. I've had him for almost a year and he won't like me. Should I just rehabilitate him and let him go? Then he wouldn't have to deal with me...then he wouldn't have to wear my home~made "band", or go to the vet.


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## horseart4u

mharkpain27 said:


> when i get my new pigeon i bought it about 4 days even now they still afraid of me what should i do?


is this a NEW bird you just got and added to the 8 you already have? in that small cage / loft?


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## Jay3

How old are these pigeons? The younger they are, the easier it is to bond with them. As Quazar has said, patience, and gaining trust from the bird. If they don't like handling, then you don't handle him. Try to win him over with chopped unsalted peanuts. At first he won't even know they are food, and so will refuse them. Mix some up in his feed. Eventually he will try them. Once he does, he will love them. Keep offering them to him, and if he refuses to take them, then just put them where he can get them himself. Talk quietly to him, and be around a lot so that he can get used to you. You must go slow, and it can take a long time to win their trust. Four days is nothing at all.


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## Jay3

November-X-Scourge said:


> Never mind about my "I used to have the same problem" in my last post! I still do! November kinda fears me, and pecks the life out of my hand if I near him. He hates me. I've had him for almost a year and he won't like me. Should I just rehabilitate him and let him go? Then he wouldn't have to deal with me...then he wouldn't have to wear my home~made "band", or go to the vet.


If I remember your posts from way back, he was also pecking your friends hands. By everyone poking at him, wouldn't have helped any. They don't like that. I'm thinking you didn't spend enough quality time with him to get him to accept you. When trying to establish a relationship with a bird, it is always on their terms, not ours. No matter how long it takes, and no matter how much time daily that you have to spend, just being near him, offering treats and talking quietly to him. If it was an older feral bird when you got him, he may never trust you. Just depends. How much time out of his cage does he spend daily with you?


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## November-X-Scourge

maybe one or two hours...too little in my opinion....


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## Jay3

November-X-Scourge said:


> maybe one or two hours...too little in my opinion....


You aren't really working with him all that time though. If we stop trying because we feel as though we aren't getting anywhere, then we won't. Also, some are just a bit easier and friendlier than others.


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## November-X-Scourge

Im playing with him right now  hes intentionally trying to get closer as I move away....I guess I wasn't noticing that he really does kinda like me...


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## Jay3

Lots of them are territorial when you put your hand in their cage. They view that as their territory. Some do like you, but just don't like your hands.


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## November-X-Scourge

and your'e right, for most of the hour I spend with him, I usually don't pay much attention to him. I'll work on being a better "parent", then maybe he'll be a better pigeon!

Ahwwww!!1 He just yawned. I guess I better let him sleep...


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## Jay3

Good luck with him.


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## mharkpain27

hmmm when im moving they also move... i do hand feeding but they refuse it even they hungry when they see my hands moving they always panic


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## Jay3

How many pigeons do you have? 
How old are they?
What kind of pigeon are they?
Where did you get them from?


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## mharkpain27

6 pigeon but 5 days ago i buy 2 in the pet shop now their 8 the store onwer said its 4 months old


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## Jay3

Are your other pigeons afraid of you, or do they come to you?


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## horseart4u

Jay3 said:


> Are your other pigeons afraid of you, or do they come to you?


look at his pic's, they look like older birds, but i think he needs a bigger cage for them...for sure...


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## Jay3

The space you have them in looks a bit small. With other birds in that space, it could be a bit overwhelming to them. How do you spend time with them with a set up like that?


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