# A Small Flurry of Questions



## Verp (Apr 17, 2009)

Hi,

I'm a person who is thinking of getting a pigeon or a ringneck dove as a house pet. For that purpose, I've been lurking this and numerous other bird sites for a while now. Finding info on pigeons and doves has been something of a hobby to me for almost six months because stories and videos are all I get until I'm in a situation where I can give a home to any new pets (might take a year or two). There are some questions that have gone unanswered for a long time and I hope at least some of them will be answered here.

First of all: I'm particularly interested in rock pigeons and I consider ringnecks to be the next best thing. Do they have any notable differences in how they behave and become attached to their owners? To my delight, pigeons look like they might have more spunk than ringnecks. Is this true at all?

Second: the amount and sex of the birds. Having just one seems ideal to me, but it seems a whole less ideal to the birds since most people agree that it's healthier for pigeons and doves to have at least one of their kind with them. I want the birds to be happy, but at the same time, I'm worried that l'll be a third wheel if there's a male and a female and that the male might be aggressive towards me. Would two females be suitable company to each other?

Third: the habitat. If I am to live in a two-room flat, I probably wouldn't mind giving one room to the birds, but is this enough to a pigeon or a pair of pigeons? I doubt I'll ever be able to let them fly outside freely. I acknowledge that they need a lot of exercise, which is why I would of course let them fly around the rest of the house whenever I'd be home, but is it enough for pigeons? Will it be too much for me? I mean, I've read that pigeons make an overwhelming amount of poo and feather dust and some say it's more than you can handle inside a house. I assume ringnecks produce less waste and demand less space since they're smaller than pigeons?

Lastly, if it'd be wisest for me to give up dreaming about house pigeons because I'm lacking something, I'd like to know as early in the planning process as possible. It'd save me from a lot of grief, since I'm becoming more and more fond of pigeons in particular. Ringnecks are awesome as well, but they just don't look or sound as charming to me, really. If their personality and behaviour is the same as that of pigeons however, they're more than I could hope for. In any case, one of the big pros the ringnecks have is that pigeon breeders in my country seem to be almost exclusively racer and show pigeon breeders who don't like the idea of their birds being kept in a house...

Thank you in advance, this place continuously provides me with more information as I dig deeper into the older topics.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Hello Verp...Welcome to Pigeon Talk. It's so wonderful to have you ask question, rather than just jump in and get yourself a Pigeon, only to ask questions after the fact. You are very wise.
I would say that Pigeons are spunkier than Ring neck Doves although I'm sure some would disagree.
Many members do have just 1 Pigeon or Dove as a companion and they do just fine. Those birds tend to adopt their human companion as their mate. You can have 2 females but you could end up being the third wheel.
A Pigeon or 2 would be OK kept in a cage and let out to fly around when you are home. You might think about adopting a rescue that has lost it's ability to fly.
We do have a member here that makes diapers for Pigeons. They are made to fit perfectly each individual bird. While out of the cage, your bird or birds could be diapered.
Could be the dust will bother you the most. It's hard to say as it affects everyone differently.
I don't think you are lacking at all. Asking questions and gathering information, generally educating yourself is very wise. Sounds like you'd make a great Pigeon companion.


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## Snowy_pied_chic (Feb 19, 2009)

*[Coo]L*

Hi Verp!
Pijies and ringnecks are great pets. i have several of both (some readers may know of Pooper and Miss Dalmation). I agree that pigeons tend to be 'spunkier' than ringnecks, though ringnecks are more placid and easier to tame. they both make quite a racket, however  
Pigeons are more sociable and they can sometimes "talk" to you if you are a very good friend to them (Opal, a rehab, used to scream at me every time i were to feed Pooper a treat and ignore her. Then she would peck my REALLY hard until i gave her one too). 
One bird can be fine, they become closer to you that way...and sometimes become a little bit jealous when you introduce a newbie (opal again). 
One room is definetely enough. I keep all "quarantined birds (though not more than twoto each one) in old abandoned rabbit hutches so that if they have diseases they don't affect my other birds. 
P.S if you ever met Pooper i think that you'd agree with me that ringnecks produce just as much waste as pigeons.

Happy pigeon-keeping!


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## jameswaller (Nov 4, 2008)

*undecided*




Verp said:


> Hi,
> 
> I'm a person who is thinking of getting a pigeon or a ringneck dove as a house pet. For that purpose, I've been lurking this and numerous other bird sites for a while now. Finding info on pigeons and doves has been something of a hobby to me for almost six months because stories and videos are all I get until I'm in a situation where I can give a home to any new pets (might take a year or two). There are some questions that have gone unanswered for a long time and I hope at least some of them will be answered here.
> 
> ...


i own operate my own rehab for exotics,from my experience you cannot get enough info,.my mind was made up for me as i encountered animals that were either deserted,ill,injured,mis treated,or just hungry and in need of a warm dry bed that was in 7-04-2003, i have no regret and there is quit a need for help for these critters,i have spent thousands of my own dollars to keep this going to much to dismay of others,..there is no excuse for the mis treatment of animals, you learn as you go,.sincerely james waller


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## Verp (Apr 17, 2009)

Charis said:


> Many members do have just 1 Pigeon or Dove as a companion and they do just fine. Those birds tend to adopt their human companion as their mate. You can have 2 females but you could end up being the third wheel.


But this mate would have to go to work every day, except maybe for weekends... Is that too much for a single bird? What do you suppose would happen if I took in two females, would the other one take the role of a male to form a pair or something? I heard that ringnecks sometimes do that.



Charis said:


> You might think about adopting a rescue that has lost it's ability to fly.


Well, I've been searching for rescue birds on the internet sites that the organisations in my country have, but very few have any kind of doves or pigeons for adoption. While ringnecks might be available sometimes, pigeons are extremely uncommon because very few keep them as pets and ferals that have an incurable injury are most likely euthanised rather than given to someone since the rules about the keeping of wild animals are very strict.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Verp said:


> But this mate would have to go to work every day, except maybe for weekends... *Is that too much for a single bird? **What do you suppose would happen if I took in two females, would the other one take the role of a male to form a pair or something? I heard that ringnecks sometimes do that.


*I don't think it is a problem as long as you give the bird some free flight when you get home. Having a second pigeon will help with the lonliness issue. 

**Two hens would make good companionship for each other, as hens are usually the more docile and get along alot easier then two males. They can adapt well and yes, some even become mates.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

JMO....I have ring neck doves and pigeons, the doves are better for an apartment, I think in the long run you will be happier with the doves as they are not quite as messy as pigeons, I had both in the house, needless to say, now I have a loft for the pigeons and the RN doves are still in the house and they are gentle and lovely......go with the doves....jmo now, I love pigeons too just not in my house...


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## Verp (Apr 17, 2009)

spirit wings said:


> JMO....I have ring neck doves and pigeons, the doves are better for an apartment, I think in the long run you will be happier with the doves as they are not quite as messy as pigeons, I had both in the house, needless to say, now I have a loft for the pigeons and the RN doves are still in the house and they are gentle and lovely......go with the doves....jmo now, I love pigeons too just not in my house...


Well, looking at how things are now, it doesn't seem like I have much choice unless either the two pigeon associations in my country miraculously adopt a more positive attitude towards pet pigeons. I thought I could maybe coerce someone to give me a pigeon someday, but the more I look at how small the pigeon hobbyist circles are here, it doesn't seem like it'll ever work. At best I'd probably get white fantail pigeons, which doesn't really agree with my fondness of natural colours and shapes.

And maaaaan, consider yourself lucky if you live in America, we only have like two different ringneck colour variations, wild and white. Not that they'd mean more to me than the birds themselves, but still.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Fantails are wonderful...my favorite.


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## Verp (Apr 17, 2009)

Charis said:


> Fantails are wonderful...my favorite.


Well, to each to their own -- I personally am a fan (dohoho!) of the more ordinary pigeon shapes and various greys and muted browns and reds.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Fans come in those colors too....various greys, muted browns and reds. Hole on and I'll post a picture of Beautiful.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

*Beautiful*

Gray and red.


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## Verp (Apr 17, 2009)

Well, that's nice, but from what I gather, the only kind we commonly have here looks like this one here.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

I'll bet you have all kinds in Finland. You just need to figure out where to find them.


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## Verp (Apr 17, 2009)

Charis said:


> I'll bet you have all kinds in Finland. You just need to figure out where to find them.


And after finding out who keep them, I'd have to find one that'd one that'd let me buy one! As I explained in an earlier post, it might prove to be a difficult process.

But anyway, I thought of something that's still bothering me -- can you tell by a bird's behavior and looks when it's suffering from being alone? I'm guessing that's pretty important to know before deciding the number of animals I'm getting.


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## amoonswirl (Nov 14, 2006)

Hi Verp,
Here's a link to a site for a Racing Pigeon Association in Finland:
http://www.viestikyyhky.fi/

A racing pigeon would not make the best house pet, however the site might be a good place to look for more information about pigeon breeders in your area. "Pigeon people" generally tend to know where to find each other. There are lots and lots of pigeon breeds to choose from! Many sizes, colors, and shapes.

I have both pigeons and doves, and have kept both as indoor pets. If you're sensitive to dust and do not like to vacuum, the doves are less messy. Doves also have smaller, firmer droppings that are easier to remove from drapes, furniture, and carpeting.

If you are not home a lot - it would be more fair to get 2 birds. They do require lots of companionship and attention. But don't get 1 pigeon and 1 dove. Not advisable to keep the species together - the dove would be at risk if the pigeon became aggravated (which they do sometimes.)


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## Verp (Apr 17, 2009)

amoonswirl said:


> Hi Verp,
> Here's a link to a site for a Racing Pigeon Association in Finland:
> http://www.viestikyyhky.fi/
> 
> A racing pigeon would not make the best house pet, however the site might be a good place to look for more information about pigeon breeders in your area. "Pigeon people" generally tend to know where to find each other. There are lots and lots of pigeon breeds to choose from! Many sizes, colors, and shapes.


Viestikyyhky is one of the two pigeon associations I already knew of, but I truly appreciate the effort. One of the biggest reasons I came to this site is because the information I've managed to get from both associations is meager at best and because I don't entirely trust either one. From the point of view of a person who studies non-governmental organisations, both associations seem to be a bit... fishy. Also, both associations seem to be somewhat stuck up and not very open to new ideas. I don't think they're any less trustworthy in pigeon matters than enthusiasts in other countries they're just that much harder to approach. I wouldn't want to get on either one's bad side.

Actually, I already asked about this from the other association and I was surprised at some of the feedback I got -- the answers to my inquiry about indoor pigeons ranged from negative to "What kind of an idiot would keep a pigeon indoors?" They had hardly even heard of anyone keeping one as an indoor pet. The founder of said association condemned the idea. The pigeon hobbyist circles here seem very small too, so if the word gets around that even the founder of a pigeon association thinks it's bad to keep pigeons as indoor pets, it might just be the mortal blow to my plans of getting one. After all, Finnish people are very expert-oriented and will, more often than not, trust the words of a person they consider an expert.

But man, the more I read this forum, the more I like this place. You people are something else, most bird sites I've been to are less hospitable.


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