# Finding a mate for my Pigeon - now or later?



## nikku-chan (Jan 18, 2008)

Hey guys,
I posted a thread in the sick and injured pigeons discussion called "17 day old baby feral dove", and got heaps of helpful info on how to look after my little pigeon. She is now a bit over 5 weeks, and i've decided to keep her.

I am going to try to buy this aviary for her, or if not, make a similar one.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Aviary-Large...ryZ20734QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I'm going to try to find a mate for her. My question is, should i find a similar aged pigeon for her now, so that she doesn't suffer from loneliness, or poor socialising skills, at the risk that they may not be the same sex? I don't really have the facilities to house more than a few pigeons, so if they turn out to be the same sex, will they still be enough company for eachother, and will they be able to have a healthy "gay" relationship to satisfy their mating needs?

Or, should i wait until i'm pretty sure of her sex (which i have heard will take about a year) and buy a bird of the opposite gender, at the expense of some loneliness while she reaches maturity?

Also, if i can't find a feral pigeon for her, i know i can buy a generic white dove (which i think is just basically a white feral pigeon), but what other breeds of pigeons, if any, could i consider getting for her? I want a gentle one.

I don't want her to be lonely, but at the same time, i want her to have a mate that she is happy with.

If they do turn out the be the same sex, i'm considering letting them mate and raise one round of babies, and after that, replacing their subsequent eggs with dummy eggs. If this happens, i'm aware their babies will probably be opposite genders, and so, will the brother and sister be able to have a happy mating relationship? (i don't think i'll actually let them breed, but if i did, would there be interbreeding deformities or problems?)


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

If you want to get a friend for your pigeon then best to get a female. If your's is female then most likely they will get along. Two males might fight, not necessarily, but there is a chance. Rarely two females will fight.
There are a lot of pijies up for adoption on this forum, so when you're ready I am sure you'll find one.

BTW, that is a very nice aviary.

Reti


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## philodice (Sep 30, 2007)

I have two male doves that are totally in love. It happens.


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## chlee09 (Mar 11, 2007)

It doesnt take time to know the sex of the bird but the problem of getting another pigeon w/o knowing the sex is that it may become "gay" and i have heard of lesbians too.


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

nikku-chan said:


> Hey guys,
> 
> I am going to try to buy this aviary for her, or if not, make a similar one.
> 
> ...


It's probably best not to let brother and sister have babies, just like with most animals. It happens from time to time, of course, and not always with ill effects, but it's always good to try to bring in a different blood line for mates. Good luck, hope some of this was helpful.


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## nikku-chan (Jan 18, 2008)

Thanks for the replies 

She is still living in my bathroom at the moment, and we have an indoor cat, so it is difficult to let her out for more than about an hour a day.

Sometimes she flies at the glass part of the door, and slides down it, if she thinks i am on the other side. Other times, she seems happy to sit on the exhaust fan cover, and sleep when i come in.

When i have got an aviary for her, she will be going outside, and again, will only get about an hour a day of inside time. I can't keep her as an indoor kind of bird because of my cat.

I guess i will wait a little longer, and if she seems lonely, i'll get her a female. I would love to get her a bird that she is romantically interested in though. I don't mind if this is a heterosexual or a homosexual relationship. A gay bird would be kinda cute. hehe. But ultimately i would prefer to get the opposite sex so she can experience being a mum.

So, i heard that it takes about a year to tell what sex a bird is. But i read somewhere else that someone's pigeon was only a year old and had laid about 20 eggs already. When, if she is a female, will she start laying eggs, or will she only do this if she considers me her mate?

If she is a male, when will she develop this incandescent neck feathering? Her parents seem to have it, so i assume she will (if she's a boy). She doesn't have any now, as she is just under 6 weeks old.

Sometimes, she pecks my eyes. is there any way to stop eye-pecking? She does it gently, i know she is only curious, but it still could be dangerous.


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