# do pigeons cheat /break up?



## Bianca_Beauty (Mar 17, 2011)

Hello

Two of my pigeons (Bella and Giove) have been a nice couple for the last year. They have been devoted to each other, well until yesterday when I noticed Bella cuddling my other pigeon, while her "husband" was sitting on their eggs. Is this something normal? Would it be possible that the reason for Bella looking for another mate is because their eggs do not hatch (since I replace them by fake ones?) . Giove, the devoted husband is heartbroken, but still committed to taking care of the eggs...I feel so bad. Any advise/ information is welcome.

thank you


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

They do change mates sometimes. In our aviary we have several pigeons who have at some point left their mates and paired up with another pigeon. Seems to be mostly the hens who decide it's time for a change.

We have also had some who form trios - usually a male with two hens.


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## newday (Dec 12, 2004)

*Repairing*

Not sure cheating is appropriate word when referring to pigeons. Short answer - yes, such is life in the pigeon loft.


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## Josepe (Jan 10, 2011)

Looks like another case for Pigeon Divorce Court.


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## Bianca_Beauty (Mar 17, 2011)

Thank you all for your responses. The pigeon divorce court made me laugh! 
I am only concerned because there are no other females around, so now Giove will not find another mate..But I am looking a good sanctuary for them so hopefully he can "rebuild" his life with another female...

I feel so bad to see him still laying on the eggs while his mate decided it is time to move on...Oh, well

Best

Bianca


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

Male pigeons cheat a lot. It is seldom for hens to cheat, but I had several that changed mates. Monogamous my ass!


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## OldStrain (Jan 25, 2011)

I make sure I have equal amounts of Hens & Cock in my breeding loft. A extra Hen may cause some Trouble, a extra Cock (unless he too old) Will Cause Trouble.


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## sreeshs (Aug 16, 2009)

Bianca_Beauty said:


> Hello
> 
> Two of my pigeons (Bella and Giove) have been a nice couple for the last year. They have been devoted to each other, well until yesterday when I noticed Bella cuddling my other pigeon, while her "husband" was sitting on their eggs. Is this something normal? Would it be possible that the reason for Bella looking for another mate is because their eggs do not hatch (since I replace them by fake ones?) . Giove, the devoted husband is heartbroken, but still committed to taking care of the eggs...I feel so bad. Any advise/ information is welcome.
> 
> thank you


If you continue to use fake eggs, yes, they will.
Researchers' answer to why most of the bird species stick as a pair is that for sharing the work load of incubation and bringing up the hatchlings.

So its again natural instinct to break up if you are not able to create future generations.

Male birds will never miss a chance to mate with other female birds, its a chance for them to spread the genes. Female birds on the other hand choose the bird which she thinks has the best genes for her hatchings and stick with him (her genes anyway will spread when she lays eggs so she do not need to run around)

The irregular characteristics of cock bird having paired to two hens (mating, incubating, feeding), faster break up of a pairs (especially if the owner decided which ones should be paired up), **** sexual pairings, etc are exhibited in birds under captivity and attributed to the captive environment.

You can try removing the male involved in the new romance with Giove or move Bella and Giove for sometime to a cage or place of their own and the problem should be solved.

I had one of my hens which was on fakes for some five rounds pair up to her son neglecting the original mate. Cannot blame her because it was a force pairing and the son grew up to be the Alpha type in about 7 months in a loft of 40 birds and was still unpaired. Anyway that new male was to be sold and after that I allowed the original pair to foster a squab, all was fine


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Bianca_Beauty said:


> Hello
> 
> Two of my pigeons (Bella and Giove) have been a nice couple for the last year. They have been devoted to each other, well until yesterday when I noticed Bella cuddling my other pigeon, while her "husband" was sitting on their eggs. Is this something normal? Would it be possible that the reason for Bella looking for another mate is because their eggs do not hatch (since I replace them by fake ones?) . Giove, the devoted husband is heartbroken, but still committed to taking care of the eggs...I feel so bad. Any advise/ information is welcome.
> 
> thank you




This is possible, yes.

If the Hen feels her Husband is not fertalizing her Eggs, she may do one of two things -

Leave him and find a new Husband or Mate who is viable for Baby making...

Or...

Have brief clandestine affairs on the side, cultivated and on-going, or in passing, which will provide viable Eggs, while she stays with her Husband, and hopes he does not find out.


Sometimes a Hen who is herself infertile, or, who has run out of Eggs, but who has a devoted Husband, sometimes she may elect to have sectret affairs, thinking it is her Husband who is not able to make her Eggs viable, and she may do this in secret, hoping he does not find out or see her at it.


Occasionally, a Hen will seek out a passing mate who is not her oerfectly viable and devoted Husband, because she feels the passing Gent had more desireable to her of attributes to pass on to the Babys, and, her and her Husband then raise the Babys, with him no the wiser.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

she may get her eggs fertilized by another cock bird..but her 0wn mate will still help with the sitting.. they may make good foster parents and that way they can raise some babies...or see if hers are fertile and let them hatch.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

I usually hate it when that happens....unless it is a "Delta" male that I happen to be particularly fond of that wins the fair hen from an "Alpha"!


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## NayNay (Mar 16, 2011)

This is all starting to remind me of that song...ya know, the one about the lady having a one night stand in order to get pregnant? "All I Want to Do is Make Love to You" by Heart. It's like a pigeon soap opera!


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## Heedictator (May 19, 2011)

John_D said:


> They do change mates sometimes. In our aviary we have several pigeons who have at some point left their mates and paired up with another pigeon. Seems to be mostly the hens who decide it's time for a change.
> 
> We have also had some who form trios - usually a male with two hens.


i also had a 'love triangle' couple in my loft about 6 years ago~ there were 2 hens with 1 cock where i thought the other hen was a cock because she acts like a cock~ the hen laid 2 eggs and she added one and they incubate the 3 eggs~~ in the case of 2 hens , whoever is the first will do the job for the moment like 'first come first served' lol^^ sometimes the other hen would sit on the eggs on daytime turn of the cock


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

One of my favorite quotes of all time comes from Mark Bittner, the guy who wrote The Parrots of Telegraph Hill and was in the movie. 

I had the good fortune of meeting him on several occasions and even taking my young daughter and wife at the time to his shack to meet the Flock....this was about 2 years before the book came out and 4 years before the movie found a distributor. Nice fella.

One of our friends was with us, she was an ass't cameraperson on the film, and she asked "Parrots are monogamous, right Mark ? That's what I've heard..."

He though for a moment, then replied:

"Mmmm....as monogamous as humans, yes...."


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## BrownBirds (Jun 12, 2011)

We've had cocks mate other hens. I don't think they break up.. It's just nature.. it doesnt work like that. The cock bird will still look after the eggs.. even if they don't hatch.. he might give up sitting on them in the end.


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