# How to tell if she likes him?



## amehhs (Jun 6, 2005)

Hi all. It's been awhile since I've posted, but I'm in need of some input and where else to go for great advice but here!

Here's the deal. I hand raised Ruby from a fuzzy headed baby and now she is all grown up. I keep her in the house in a large bird cage (plenty of room to flap her wings) and I take her out side everyday so she can fly around. I have a very large walk in cage built around the base of a tree (used to have a raccoon out there) that I would like to put her in, but when I leave her out there by herself it scares her. I put her stuffed pig and her cage in there with her, but I can tell she still doesn't care for it. A friend of mine brought me down another full grown Pigeon and said it was a male. He has all kind of exotic birds, goats, sheep and such. I put him in a cage right next to Ruby's for about 2 weeks so they could get to no each other. It worked because when I moved Ruby to clean her cage he starts cooing for her. Well, I put them together today and they just ignored each other for the first few minutes then I noticed Ruby pecking at his eye, not hard, or like she was trying to be mean or anything, just kinda pecking at him. All he does is lay there and let her do it. I don't know haw a male is supposed to act, and he might not even be a male. If Max happens to be a female (Maxine) will they be alright together? I figured if Ruby had a friend she might not be afraid to be outside in the big pen. Don't male puff up and act studdy around a female? A wild one came up to Ruby when I had her out one time and got so close to her all puffed up, then looked up and saw me, he almost had a heart attack! Needless to say he kept his distance then, and showed off from afar. LOL! Sorry this was so long, but I don't want Ruby to peck his eye out if she is just trying to figure out what he is! Thanks for any info
Marilyn


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Hi amehhs - good to hear from you again. It sounds like Ruby is just preening Max. If Max does turn out to be female you shouldn't have a problem because most of the problems with females fighting happens when you put a male in with them and they will compete for his attention. When they preen each other they do preen the eyes, ears, head, etc. As long as it is a gentle pecking, don't worry about it.

Maggie


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## amehhs (Jun 6, 2005)

Thanks Maggie, that makes me feel better. I told my husband what she was doing and he said " Aw, she's gonna blind him so he can't get away". I told him that wasn't funny! Cowboys, can't live with 'em, can't kill 'em!


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

Just a thought...You mentioned earlier that your pigeon seems scared when inside its cage that was built around the base of a tree. I only have one pet pigeon, and he stays away from trees, as if they scare him The feral pigeons I feed are a couple of blocks away and roost on a house that has no trees on front of a supermart . In my ventures through out the city on my jobs, I never see pigeons in trees...hummm...something to think about. When I take mine out for his daily flight exercise, he steers away from the trees. Before winter set in, I removed about 20 trees in my adjacent wooded area, and hopefully it will attract the corner pigeons over as well. Maybe relocating or rebiulding away from the tree would help? Any input from other members?


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

amehhs said:


> I have a very large walk in cage built around the base of a tree (used to have a raccoon out there) that I would like to put her in, but when I leave her out there by herself it scares her. I put her stuffed pig and her cage in there with her, but I can tell she still doesn't care for it.
> Marilyn



You may want to pigeon proof this outdoor cage, pigeons have different requirements than racoons and they are susceptable to predators easily if the cage is enclosed with chicken wire, or anything bigger then 1/4" openings.

Also, pigeons don't like to be *under or near the base of a tree or down below anything.* They are much more comfortable up high in a rabbit type cage (off the ground) or a coop that has perches up high so they can look down at everything including human beings. 

Victor,

You may be right about that too, because none of my pigeons will go near trees, except one bird, Arnold. He had never been outdoors in his life, he was kept in a parrot cage and when I adopted him, and he was with us 4 weeks, I released him with my guys. He was so NOT USED to anything outdoors, and he was afraid of landing anywhere, but he did land in this big tree next door on his very first landing! After that he got used to flying and came down like my other birds.

You should have seen him, he looked really strange on the branch of a tall tree, big old white pigeon, didn't belong there, but it was his first taste of outdoors and freedom! He was scared of his new found world, but happy.


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