# getting another bird



## badbird (Aug 15, 2005)

after attempting to rescue a needy pigeon (that died) i was thinking of getting a 2nd pigeon to give my (very healthy former racer) scooter a buddy or someone to coo at. I would very much love to scoop up one of these very amazing birds on the street that have such beautiful colors (like desert sand mica if that sounds like an interesting color) __However, i know that is too risky because there could be diseases, bugs, mites, and other nasty things that could affect the health of my healthy blue bar male.

so. . . .any good ideas on how to get another bird to make friends with scooter? FYI when scooter saw the sick bird I was helping he went ballistic and scooter also tries to attack and peck at this stuffed duck doll that i had once. so i am afraid scooter might think, hey bird this is MY territory and peck the heck out of a new resident pigeon of my house. i dont want him beating up any birds but i do want a second bird. I would either have them share a cage or have separate cages depending on how they get along. i'm just trying to figure out where to get another bird from. i live in the midest in the chicago metro area. i got scooter from the petfinder thing and found a shelter not far away from here but there's nothing good on there right now.

thanks.


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

Hi Badbird,

I read your post about your pigeon rescue. That is too bad about its passing. It seemed like he had some issues. Thank you for providing comfort, love and a last meal before he crossed the rainbow bridge. You made his transition a pleasant one.

As far as a second pigeon for Scooter as a companion, please weigh the pros and cons carefully before you move that step. From following your past postings from the day you waited patiently for your pet pigeon to recently, I know that he is for the most part an indoor pet as is my Tooter. 

If you get a male friend for him, there is the strong chance there could be tension in the cage, so are you going to provide a second living area for your new one? I am sure you are aware that they are indeed VERY TERRITORIAL!

If you choose a female, if you do not practice birth control are you prepared to have baby squabs?  

Assuming that you have already looked at the big picture, and are committed to persuing this, there are pigeons available for sale or for adoption in Pigeon Talk, in the adoption section.


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## badbird (Aug 15, 2005)

giving how insanely agressive my bird is (i mean when i put my hand in/near the cage he tears at the skin on my fingers like its a trex eating its prey)... i would definitely say he is territorial so since he and the tentative 2nd bird would be indoors all of the time, I would think a female would be better. one would think he wouldn't beat up a lady! another male would be like having two siamese fighter fish in the same bowl. even if i got a male i would NOT house them in the same quarters. even a female i might separate from scooter while in their houses. 

i just wanna give my bird some company, perhaps put their cages next to each other. but yes i know about how males are territorial and if i got a female there would be possible babies.

my 10,000 dollar question is if scooter was mating with a female is there a humane way to prevent babies if I didn't want to deal with baby pigeons?


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

badbird said:


> ...one would think he wouldn't beat up a lady...


Actually, some males can be pretty rough while driving the hen to the nest. If you're looking for a tranquil situation, be forewarned.



> =badbird]...is there a humane way to prevent baby pigeons?...


Absolutely - substitute fake eggs within 36 hours of when the egg is laid. I use wooden ones and the birds consistently set them for the normal time before giving up and starting over.


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## badbird (Aug 15, 2005)

my bird is very very agressive and super strong as most racers would be. i suppose maybe i'd need a girl pigeon racer that is strong enough to put up with scooter


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Hi badbird,

Thank you for your desire to give Scooter some company and trying to look out for his best interest.

I would consider the next step carefully, take your time. You have been given some excellent advice already.


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## badbird (Aug 15, 2005)

thanks guys. im in no hurry... just had some thoughts.


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## alaska (Mar 17, 2005)

Pigeons are very social creatures, so getting another pigeon as Scooters companion is a good idea, but as the others have mentioned, please consider all possible scenarios to ensure that they suit you situation.
You are right, two male pigeons in your apartment would be like two siamese fighters. It is quite likely that they would squabble with each other over territory, and considering your Scooters fiesty personality it could take quite a while before they settled, if ever.
Another pigeon being female, means courting, eggs and potentially baby pigeons.
Ig you thought a pair of squabbling males are noisy, you haven't heard my male pigeons courting the girls. Right now I can here Cecil Cooing and carrying on to Ruby, and that is through three rooms and a brick wall 
As for the egg side of it, you have two options, replace the eggs like mentioned (and you would have to mean it, It can be hard to remove new eggs from a brooding hen that just looks so content on looking after her babies, as in hard to remove because...what if...you just left them...another day perhaps... while you think about it...maybe another...whalaaa baby pigeons  )
The other option is to have the pair and have babies, now this is a whole other ball game, caring for your birds to have them in their best of health while breeding, watching the babies, and possibly having to pull abandoned ones and hand feed them through all hours of the night for a few weeks.
I'm not trying to put you off getting another pigeon, just letting you know in advance some things you can expect if you choose to get another one.

Heres a quick story:
I myself saved my first pigeon Cecil from a bird catcher and certain death, kept him for a while by himself(1 bird), them wanted to get him a friend to keep him company. At the time I believed Cecil was a hen, so I went out and bought a male pigeon Ash to keep 'her' company'(2birds). Ofcourse as it happened Cecil was a HE, so I then had two male pigeons that bickered constantly. I then divided my loft into two parts and placed each pigeon one per side, and went about getting a partner for each being Ruby and Penny(4birds). Both pairs of pigeon mated up, and now it is spring here in Australia, and they are breeding. I currently have three baby pigeons (7birds), and Penny has just laid another two eggs (although I did swap these for fakes), and Cecil and Ruby are courting and she will lay again in about 2days. (Without removing the eggs and replacing with fakes that would be 11birds).
See where I'm going...It doesn't take long to end up with alot of pigeons, and pigeons can produce two babies every 15days approx when breeding.

Anyways...I am rambling, but there some thoughts to think about in your decision making process.

Regards
Alaska


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

*Yes...*

and now Alaska has ELLE, a pigeon extrardinaire, who has her own thread in her own soap opera: "As the Pigeon Grows"...which, in turn, keeps Alaska running from loft to computer to keep Elle's legion of fans informed of her progress! ROFL  

Sooo, BadBird, see what happens with just ONE male and ONE female? Be afraid....be verrrrrrry afraid!


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## KIPPY (Dec 18, 2003)

If Scooter seems content I wouldn't rush it. Sooner or later you may find a pigeon in desperate need of a home. If it's a feral you would just need to quarantine the pij for awhile. I started out with one and now I have 7. It's not alot but I wasn't into pigeons and it just started with a baby pigeon falling out of a palm tree. Now I have pigeons, spartrix, ACV, cages and etc. 
People show up here with a pigeon they can't keep.


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## badbird (Aug 15, 2005)

yeah im in no rush. . . .

there are some amazing looking ferals by my work. very pretty.... colors and patterns like i've never seen online or on other birds i've seen in the wild. i dont want to disturb them but maybe one day another bird will fall into my lap, so to speak, like the bird i found last week.... and this time it wont be so old and sickly so maybe i can keep it as a pet if it becomes healthy.

but most likely one day when the time comes i feel like getting a second pet, i would maybe look to the net for adoption.


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

badbird said:


> yeah im in no rush. . . .
> 
> but maybe one day another bird will fall into my lap, so to speak, like the bird i found last week....


Yes Badbird, they seem to have an ability to know who to go for when they are in trouble. We are both waiting for one to rescue and love.


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## Snow White (Jul 27, 2005)

*It's a special feeling.*

I feel the same as Badbird. I wanted to give Edie-bird a companion, but after much deliberation and thinking of her first, I came to the conclusion she is happy with just me and the family. For now I will leave things open in case of another rescue because I do believe they find you.


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## badbird (Aug 15, 2005)

a long time ago before i got interested in having a bird i was walking down the street and a very young (but no down) pigeon fell off a sign and fell, literally, on a girl passerby walking underneath the sign. she shreaked and the pigeon fell to the ground. the pigeon slowly crawled away into a gap between buildings and was practically dragging one of its wings. it was bleeding. i felt really bad but back then i didn't dare touch wild animals, although now i would have done something in hindsight. i didnt really have anything to catch it with and i was also already late for work but i felt really bad for that little guy. probably was trying to fly and failed. so now i always will try to help out creatures in need. i hope i find another one soon. i would love to follow all the instructions i've found on pigeon talk to rehab a bird and if the bird is checked out by a vet, maybe keep it or give it to someone who wants it.


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