# How to Train a Pet Homing Pigeon to come fly to your shoulder on a whistle command



## Mackbirds21 (Sep 23, 2008)

Can anybody help me out with telling me if I should incubate a Pigeon egg than hand feed the baby pigeon or if i should just let a pair of my other pigeons feed and take care of the baby? Im trying to raise a pet pigeon so it will fly to my shoulder on a whistle command outside in puplic. If any body under stands my question please help me find out THANKS Mack !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Hi Mack,

Please do let the real pigeon parents incubate, hatch, and raise the babies .. you can start getting involved when the babies are a week or more old. It's not easy to raise healthy babies from hatching, so I suggest that you do not do this.

More members will be along shortly with their advice.

Terry


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## justin4pcd (Sep 7, 2008)

Just train it to feed from your hand.
With my Serbians when they come back from their fly they see the can (its green)
and fly on my arms and shoulders until i get into the loft and feed them.
Its fun.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Hi Mack. Terry is right. The babies get pigeon milk from their parents, and bird formula doesn't have all the things in it that pigeon milk will give the babies. They can be raised by hand, but they will be stronger and healthier if raised by the parents. You can start to handle them when they are young, so that they will get used to you. And start the hand feeding then. Trust me, the birds will be much better off for it, and that is what you want. Nice strong and healthy birds.


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

Hi Mack, Terry is right! It is not the easiest chapter in ones life to raise and feed those hungry babies just to get a pet pigeon to fly to you on command. Most any pigeon that you ahve can learn to come to you or fly on your shoulder. I have 7 pet pigeons and two of them will not fly to me just quite yet but I have gotten the two to trust me to accept treats from my finger, so it is a good start. I have 5 others that I can't keep off me! The secret is bonding with them and talking to them. It is just like you would a child...the more time you spend with them doing fun things and rewarding for accomplishments,they will give love, trust and devotion back. It takes time and it takes patience and it can be done.The end result is just awesome. I do not know if you have a aviary or loft set up. I, as well as others I am sure, would like to know how many pigeons you have and what kind of a housing set up you have with your pigeons. It would help in further advisng. How long have you had them ?

I see Jay posted at the same time!


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Allow the parents to raise the babies, as you don't do the birds any favors. I have one such pet and he cannot got outside and fly because he is not predator savy, as are my homers that were raised by pigeons. He also thinks he is half human.

It was something that happened by accident, not my choice to hand raise them. You can still be their best friend by feeding them strictly from your hand, and using peanuts for snacks. Skye who is my pet, will fly to my shoulder for a peanut, but so will my other birds(that weren't hand raised, and not tame) as long as they learn the taste of the peanuts. (spanish, raw and no salt)they can be trained.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

treats are the key here I think, you do not need to hand raise to get the bird to come to you. its all about food and if they are hungry and you feed them by hand, when they see you they will be eager to land on you. I have mixed feelings because the natural instict is for them to be leary, but if they are starving they risk it for food, but I think this would be easier on one that you handle from nestling.


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## Hillybean (Oct 30, 2005)

I have both hand raised pet pigeons and parent raised pet pigeons.

I say go a head and allow the parents to raise it. Interact with it while it is in the nest and when it is a squeaker. The interaction will allow it to get use to you.

Then, treats and more taming will help having it fly to you. You can condition it to do it.
exapmle: "Hear sound, fly to you, and recieve treat." A stimulance (shaking a food can), reaction (flying to it), and reward (getting the food/treat).

-Hilly


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## Mackbirds21 (Sep 23, 2008)

Thank you every body for the help!!!! But can I take it out of the nest with the real parents when there about a week old and finish hand feeding it so they will for sure be nicly tamed?? And for you people that asked I Raise Racing Pigeon's and I have 3 lofts each of them are about 5x7 one is for the youngbirds, Oldbirds, and the breeders. I also show them at the Minnesota State Fair and I want to start showing them other places such as the North Star Classic and National's!!


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Mackbirds21 said:


> Thank you every body for the help!!!! But can I take it out of the nest with the real parents when there about a week old and finish hand feeding it so they will for sure be nicly tamed?? And for you people that asked I Raise Racing Pigeon's and I have 3 lofts each of them are about 5x7 one is for the youngbirds, Oldbirds, and the breeders. I also show them at the Minnesota State Fair and I want to start showing them other places such as the North Star Classic and National's!!


Mack.........yes you COULD, but you SHOULDN'T..........please let the parents raise their babies. If you make a point of spending time EVERY DAY with the babies after the parents stop sitting on them, they will still remain tame AND get the start in life that they need. A start that YOU can't give them.


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## re lee (Jan 4, 2003)

Breed makes a difference on training as easly also. Some breedsa are less afraid of humans then others. Also you must handle the bird well and often during the time of ten days old and older. Set the bird on your should at say 3 weeks And walk with it try to get it to eat from your hand Try to feed it from this position so it learns if it sits your shoulder it gets food or a treat. Say a mookie pigeon they are easy to tame and train. where a race bird would be a little harder.. heck when i was a kid i would put 3 mookies on my bike handle bars and ride around with them They never flew off stayed on the bike. They would sit my shoulder and I could walk a mile. Very easy to tame. But you can try most any breed just remember to train as you would a dog give a treat. Then the reward is seen in your work.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

yes my seraphim baby was raised by it's parents, but I did handle him when he was about a week old when I banded him. he is 46 days old now and today I was hanging out cleaning with him on my shoulder, he/she will let me pick him up. he flew off my shoulder after a bit, but a bit later flew and sat on my head for a while...so Im sure it is because i handeld him as a nestling. so you do not have to hand raise them to be tame...also some birds in any breed seem to tame up better than others must be a personality thing. you might want to breed a couple of your calmer birds and when it comes time to band their baby, handle him alot and talk to him, he may get his parents calm traits and be easier to tame and train.


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

From the ten or so babies I've hand raised, only ONE grew up to be tame. The other ones don't come to me or anything. And out of other pigeons who were raised by their pigeon parents, several are tame. Let the parents raise it until it's three weeks or so (eating seeds on its own). You can begin spending time with him around a week, as was mentioned. But best to leave him with his parents until he's weaned, as they feed him the correct food. He has just a good a chance to be tamed this way as he would if you hand raised him.


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