# How can I get my pigeon to trust my hands



## Erica333 (Jan 20, 2021)

I’ve had my little guy for about three weeks now. When I first got him he would peck any hands that go near him. After about a week he warmed up to being petted and he would put his head down and I would pet him. Now he’s terrified of my hands in specific for some reason, I’m thinking it’s cause I have to hold him and bring him to his cage at night cause I don’t keep him inside cause I have cats. He fights pretty hard with claws and tries to get out my hands and I try to calm him down by just waiting and holding him and petting him( only time I can pet him now) and he eventually calms down but still every time I have to pick him up that happens.But yeah I just don’t know what to do because I have to grab him quick so I can bring him in and out of his cage and it’s become hard cause he gets super freaked out once he sees my hands he flies away. I’m sad cause I have been trying to train him and stuff but I feel like I might have really messed up and I don’t know how to fix it. I have been hand feeding him and also trying to get him to perch on my hand while being fed so he can learn to perch on my fingers/hand but he hasn’t been doing the greatest with that either. He’s done it a couple times so far. But I really need help I’m not sure what to do how I can fix this


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

It's normal for pigeons to not trust your hands as they get older. Unfortunately every time you grab him, you are just making things worse. Is the cage inside one of your rooms? No need to take him out of the cage, let him come out by himself. Pigeons also love chopped up raw unsalted peanuts. When he starts eating them, you can use them as a little reward for luring him to his cage in the evening. Just a pinch every night as peanuts have a high fat content. You can put some in your palm and walk to the cage. When he follows you (they will do anything for peanuts) you can put it in his food bowl and he will probably learn to go inside by himself. Is the food and waterbowls also inside the cage? If so, he will go there by himself when hungry.


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## Erica333 (Jan 20, 2021)

Marina B said:


> It's normal for pigeons to not trust your hands as they get older. Unfortunately every time you grab him, you are just making things worse. Is the cage inside one of your rooms? No need to take him out of the cage, let him come out by himself. Pigeons also love chopped up raw unsalted peanuts. When he starts eating them, you can use them as a little reward for luring him to his cage in the evening. Just a pinch every night as peanuts have a high fat content. You can put some in your palm and walk to the cage. When he follows you (they will do anything for peanuts) you can put it in his food bowl and he will probably learn to go inside by himself. Is the food and waterbowls also inside the cage? If so, he will go there by himself when hungry.


His cage is outside, I usually take him out and bring him onto my screened in porch during the day to play and just hangout. Also for some reason he doesn’t like peanuts I chopped them super small and still doesn’t like them. there anything else I can give him as a treat? He’s also picky and only likes very small seeds. But yeah idk what I should do I guess bring the cage closer and maybe see if he would go in by himself but I’m afraid of him flying away. But then again he knows I feed him


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

Have you tried hemp seeds? Pigeons also love them.


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