# Pet pigeon nesting question



## PamperedPigeon (Sep 23, 2014)

Hi all. I have two pet piggies who are outdoors during the day and indoors in the evenings, overnight and on the weekends. 

They're young - only three months or so - and haven't paired up yet, but I've begun thinking of how I want to prepare for that eventuallity. I don't want babies and will replace the eggs with dummies if I do indees have a male and a female. My question is, I've read that females sit on the nest at night and males during the day...how will I need to handle this given the above living arrangements? Do I need to provide a mobile nest box and move it morning and nights? Do I make two that are identical and have one indoors and one outdoors? Do I just leave them alone and in a single location?  I LOVE my birdies and I so enjoy the time I get to spend with them after work each day, but I certainly don't want to stress them any more during what is probably already a stressful time.

Thank you in advance for any advice.

Jess


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

If they were to pair up and have eggs, then you really can't move them back and forth. That would only cause them to abandon the eggs, and then she would be laying again. 
Moving them in and out like that isn't good if you are in a cold area either. It's good to have a loft they can live in, with an aviary they can go out in during the day and come in to the nest when they want to.


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## LUCKYT (Jan 17, 2009)

They are not near Breeding age, they will stay in Or out when it comes time, you will know. If they have excess to both they will let you know what is right.


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## CBL (May 13, 2014)

Nope do not let them out during breeding. If a predator hawk comes around and kills one then the babies wont be reared by one parent one will ALWAYS come off the babies after their shift which would mean YOU will have to take over. Nope, do NOT let them nest outside for the same reason. When I had my ferals before my racers, I left them to free fly and they nested successfully in a container screwed to the side of my house under the eaves trough. Did that for 3 broods or so, until the screech owl found them and killed adult daughter on nest, I had no clue what killed her as I just found her dead and decapitated. Then two mornings later same fate for the extremely tame momma pigeon, this time my husband saw what it was and woke me up and I was able to identify it as a grey phase screech owl. They are too small to carry the pigeon away but not small enough to kill it in its own nest and cut its head off. I never kept pigeons again until I had a safe loft that was critter proof to keep them in. Threats to your free flying pigeons are:

Cats
Dogs
Mink or any weasel type critter
Raccoons
Hawks
Owls
Rats
You decide how you want to keep them, Im just sayin....


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## LUCKYT (Jan 17, 2009)

GOD, get a life, they are wild pigeons, they have a will of their own.
the parent birds are acclimated to outside that will deal with it.
If you choose to lock them in you will be responsible for the care of generations of pigeons, are you prepared for that?j
essmith07 ship[ the birds to "cbl" she will cherish them forever. 
I love pigeons! but reality is always there.


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## PamperedPigeon (Sep 23, 2014)

Thank you for your advise...as I stated, these birds aren't wild or feral...they're pets, and when I said they're outside during the day, I assumed it was understood (as I'm posting in the "pet" area) that they're in a protected flight enclosure. Also, as I stated, I will NOT be allowing them to hatch babies...these are pets, not breeders...they're PAMPERED birds that I adore and love spending time with, which is why I'm trying to plan for their future needs.


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## PamperedPigeon (Sep 23, 2014)

Jay 3...we are in South Carolina and the weather here is very mild. We had a couple of days of extreme cold(to us, below freezing) last week, so the birdies just stayed indoors those days. The cold in this part if the world never gets below 25 at night and even that only lasts a few days at a time.


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

LUCKYT said:


> GOD, get a life, they are wild pigeons, they have a will of their own.
> the parent birds are acclimated to outside that will deal with it.
> If you choose to lock them in you will be responsible for the care of generations of pigeons, are you prepared for that?j
> essmith07 ship[ the birds to "cbl" she will cherish them forever.
> I love pigeons! but reality is always there.


LUCKYT - please show a little more respect when posting. " GOD, get a life" is uncalled for.


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## PamperedPigeon (Sep 23, 2014)

*Luckyt*

Luckyt...the more I've thought of your unnecessarily rude comment to get a life, the more angry I've become. I am a doting wife, a proud mother to seven kids plus two more that we took in because they were homeless - one is still with us and one is serving our country in the Army. I garden, I cook, I can my homemade foods, and I take great care of everyone and everything...my two dogs have better health insurance than most people. I work outside the home full-time, I live with five teenage girls, I vacation at least 5-6 times a year. I'm 41 years old and we will be retiring in 5 years because we plan well, manage our finances and stock away every penny we can. I have a life...and two little PET birds that I ADORE, that make me happy, reduce my stress level and help me relax. I merely want to make sure that I do my due diligence to obtain the best information possible so that I can provide the best care to these two lives that I have taken responsibility for. If you have nothing to offer insofar as information related to the issue at hand, then kindly refrain from commenting.

That said, happy Thanksgiving.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

If they were to pair up and lay eggs, you won't be able to shuffle them in and out that way. The thought of a day outdoors is nice, but it just won't work then. Do you have a room where they can fly inside? Do you have pictures you can share?


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## PamperedPigeon (Sep 23, 2014)

Jay3 - this is their indoor cage:

http://www.amazon.com/Best-Choice-P...id=1417006674&sr=8-2&keywords=large+bird+cage

I removed the perch and installed two flat platforms with a removable divider in between, because they like to argue with one another when they're at eye level with each other...it's quite funny, but I didn't think it was good to have them intimadated when they're trying to rest, as they only sleep in this cage. Their outdoor enclosure is a portion of our screened in patio and is 9'h X 9'l X 4'W. When the weather is bad, they stay in a large bathroom. I'm thinking of converting a large dog kennel (holds a large German Shepherd with plenty of room) into a hide/nest box for them...I was going to to insulate the outside and wrap it in construction grade plastic to keep out moisture. I'm thinking that we can cut out a portion in the door to allow them access in and out, but will not allow predators in in the event that one gains access to their enclosure. Inside, I would install a nest box and a few platforms for them to sit on. This would allow them to safely remain outside when sitting on the nest - the main reason I bring them in at night is because I once found a racoon on our patio and have no idea how he got in! Does this sound like a good solution? I'm open to other ideas.


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## CBL (May 13, 2014)

Im SO glad u mentioned raccoon, I forgot to tell u guys about the raccoon that got into the breeders flyers I visited yesterday, I saw blood on floor, asked sup and he showed me that he had a glass window open for ventilation and it had like what looked to be a bottom of a bird cage covering the entire window BUT on the right hand side the entire height of the cage was a bit larger gap like I mean about an inch and a quarter wide ONLY but for the 2 foot tallness of the window it had enough FLEX that this bugger squeezed thru and killed all 30 birds. I could NOT believe that a **** could fit thru that so, I mean ANY space larger than 1 inch square a weasel or mink can get thru and any long space about that size a **** can SQUEEZE thru. UNBELIEVABLE, I tell ya I learn EVERY day.

Cage looks great, I would simply add a removeable clip on latch or bungee so that nothing like a cat or **** can mess with them in the daylight. I have a dog type clip on one and a locking u shaped lock slid in the other.


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## lg5555 (Aug 2, 2013)

*nest*

Heres an idea have the nest in their cage which serves as their sleeping cage. Then durning the day have the cage in the avairy with the door open. pigeons have adapted to movable lofts. i read pigeons live on the staten island ferry.


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## lg5555 (Aug 2, 2013)

http://books.google.com/books?id=9q...a=X&ei=l3d2VOOlJuPfsATckIKQDg&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAw


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Anything they can get in and out of, so can a predator. Rats are everywhere, and they kill birds.
Cages that are more wide than high are better for pigeons. Actually gives them more room.


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## PamperedPigeon (Sep 23, 2014)

Lg555...that's a great idea! Thank you!


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