# A Thread where I will ask pigeon questions!! Please read!!



## Collard Dove (Jun 5, 2011)

Hi all!! I will ask a few questions on this post!! I hvae on for the moment! 

1) How do I tame a pigeon?

I have been saying in many of my posts that I am hopefully going to get around three week old (thanks to the info of Libis!!) garden doves! I will be asking tonnes on this forum probably, though this question I think is one of the first steps. So, how do I tame three week old garden doves??????????
I am waiting for your replies! And I would also like to know
2) How do I feed 3 week old garden doves??????

Thanks a million!!
Collard Dove


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

Collard Dove said:


> Hi all!! I will ask a few questions on this post!! I hvae on for the moment!
> 
> 1) How do I tame a pigeon?
> 
> ...


Are you getting "garden doves" aka white pigeons, or are you getting collared doves? I'm sorry for being confused. 
Please see my other post on your other thread. I'm not sure how perfectly the info fits pigeons, but it's how I tame my ringneck doves. 

Also, at 3 weeks they still might not quite be weaned. My ringneck dove babies weaned at 3.5 and I had to watch them very closely and really encourage eating seeds by "pecking" w/ my finger. I'm not sure how late/early pigeons tend to wean. Some ringnecks don't wean till 5 weeks so you might consider visiting them and starting taming at the breeders house if they'll let you come over until they are for sure weaned. 
I wouldn't tackle handfeeding without an emergency forcing me to do so even at this age because there is still the risk of getting food in their lungs. Plus, handfeeding formula is gross and messy and you have to keep making new because it's texture/contents makes it go bad very quickly.


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

I think you need to be aware that pigeons do not always become particularly tame.

It depends on what you mean, what your expectations are.

We had a couple of young pigeons (less than 3 weeks old) who looked to us as 'parents' who would feed them. They did learn to eat seed themselves quite early, having an older 'baby' in with them, but still squeaked and flapped their little wings for some time as soon as they saw us. 

Now they are in our aviary with the other pigeons, and although they are not at all fearful of us, they don't much like to be petted. One of them does often fly onto my shoulder, but would rather try to bite fingers than be stroked by them. 

If you have 'garden doves' in a dovecote or aviary, they may be tame enough to eat from your hand if they learned that early enough, but no guarantees they will behave like 'pets'. Like I say, depends on what you really want from a bird.


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

John_D said:


> I think you need to be aware that pigeons do not always become particularly tame.
> 
> It depends on what you mean, what your expectations are.
> 
> ...


Yeah, you are right. My (ringneck dove) cockbird is tame but acts very like an old cat in that he will eat from my hand, but beyond that would rather watch everything from the bookshelf or come down and nose about my things when he doesn't think I'm going to bother him. He just doesn't have a "touchy-feely" personality and would rather I let him be.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Collard Dove said:


> Hi all!! I will ask a few questions on this post!! I hvae on for the moment!
> 
> 1) How do I tame a pigeon?
> 
> ...


Garden doves which are white pigeons will not be ready at three weeks of age..they should have another week or so with the parent birds. people get pigeons when they are weaned and eating and drinking on their own, which is over four weeks old...as far as taming them, just spend time with them and hand feed., sometimes they will tame up sometimes they will not.


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## Collard Dove (Jun 5, 2011)

Thank You!!!
I really needed the advise, I am so glad I joined the forum!!


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## Collard Dove (Jun 5, 2011)

Is it OK to feed them breadcrumbs as well?
What snacks do doves/pigeons like?


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

Collard Dove said:


> Is it OK to feed them breadcrumbs as well?
> What snacks do doves/pigeons like?


As well as what? They need a proper seed diet or pigeon pellets. (For adults--for babies like you were talking before weaning they would need something like Kaytee Exact.)

Bread isn't very good for birds. Some like it, but I was raised to only let them have very little of it. I've heard that pigeons love raw unsalted Spanish peanuts. I know most of my birds love millet sprays. You have to be careful that they don't eat too many treats rather than their diets though.


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## pantherbst (Feb 25, 2012)

*Baby pigeon help*

my female pigeon flew away somewhere and has not come back
my male pigeon feeds the only baby left
is it ok or i have to buy a new female pigeon???

any suggestions would be highly appreciated


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

pantherbst said:


> my female pigeon flew away somewhere and has not come back
> my male pigeon feeds the only baby left
> is it ok or i have to buy a new female pigeon???
> 
> any suggestions would be highly appreciated


You're going to have to help feed the baby. 

This is why you need to keep birds who have babies inside the loft until the babies are all weaned. 

A new hen would not see them as her babies and would not have had enough time to make the milk in her crop to feed them anyway.


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## pantherbst (Feb 25, 2012)

then how do i feed it 
it is only 2 weeks old??????


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## pantherbst (Feb 25, 2012)

pleaze reply


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## pantherbst (Feb 25, 2012)

*imp*

will u reply or not 
im in a great dilemma 
also do not hav syringe to feed it
and it does not eat on its own 
how will i manage.........???????
confused:


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## pantherbst (Feb 25, 2012)

will the hen never come back???????


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

at that age the cock will feed him, he pretty much takes over at about 3 weeks of age anyway..so just leave the young with him and check his crop a few times a day to see if he has food in it.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

When you have babies you shouldn't let the parents fly. This is why. No one can say if she will be back or not. Maybe a predator got her. What happened to the other baby?


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## jondove (Nov 17, 2011)

At 2 weeks old, you can start feeding them frozen peas and corn, thawed in warm water. That is, especially if you think the male is not feeding enough.


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

I'm sorry that I couldn't reply earlier. I worked a 15 hour shift and got home just before 3am. I've been sleeping and cleaning up my birds since.

Glad some other members got on and helped you. I was worried b/c I didn't know what age the babies were.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I would wait to see if the male is feeding them. He may do a good job on his own. Try not to interfere if you don't have to, which could cause him to stop feeding.


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## pantherbst (Feb 25, 2012)

when will it start eating on its own 
and when it will fly with his/her father
also what is its sex, i need to know.........????????


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

pantherbst said:


> when will it start eating on its own
> and when it will fly with his/her father
> also what is its sex, i need to know.........????????


About when the feathers around it's beak fill in all the way. 

It will start flying a while before it is weaned. 

You won't know the sex until it grows up and starts acting like one sex or the other. Sometimes you can't tell until you pair them with another bird and see what happens.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

pantherbst said:


> when will it start eating on its own
> and when it will fly with his/her father
> also what is its sex, i need to know.........????????


they can fly when all the feathers are in under the wing..at about 30 days of age. there is no way to tell the sex at this age. (except for DNA testing)


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## pantherbst (Feb 25, 2012)

i read somewhere that to know sex we must look at the anus whether it is facing down or up(smiling).
is it the right way........?????


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## whytwings (Feb 12, 2011)

pantherbst said:


> i read somewhere that to know sex we must look at the anus whether it is facing down or up(smiling).
> is it the right way........?????


* Raises Eyebrow * ........I have never heard of that one before


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## jondove (Nov 17, 2011)

pantherbst said:


> i read somewhere that to know sex we must look at the anus whether it is facing down or up(smiling).
> is it the right way........?????


I read that too, but I don't know how true it is. Another thing I read is in males the two lateral toes are equal and in females there's a small difference in length, but this is only when they are very young, until 4 weeks or so. But all these methods don't claim to be exact.

Another thing I just read is this, on a belgian site: http://www.pipa.be/en/newsandarticles/pigeonandloft/cock-or-hen-how-determine-it 

So, how are things going there? Is the male feeding the baby or did you have to feed by hand? Did the female return by any chance?


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

pantherbst said:


> i read somewhere that to know sex we must look at the anus whether it is facing down or up(smiling).
> is it the right way........?????


I have heard of that when they are still in the nest, not sure if it is accurate, I suppose we all would be doing it if it was, same with the other methods.


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## pantherbst (Feb 25, 2012)

*My pigeon zindabad......*



jondove said:


> I read that too, but I don't know how true it is. Another thing I read is in males the two lateral toes are equal and in females there's a small difference in length, but this is only when they are very young, until 4 weeks or so. But all these methods don't claim to be exact.
> 
> Another thing I just read is this, on a belgian site: http://www.pipa.be/en/newsandarticles/pigeonandloft/cock-or-hen-how-determine-it
> 
> So, how are things going there? Is the male feeding the baby or did you have to feed by hand? Did the female return by any chance?


Things are not better yet. 
I think she had flown to her house where she used to live
Male pigeon is doing fine till now 
Also baby pigeon has started exploring the food and tries to eat grains from my hand but it cannot eat it why?...????


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

pantherbst said:


> Things are not better yet.
> I think she had flown to her house where she used to live
> Male pigeon is doing fine till now
> Also baby pigeon has started exploring the food and tries to eat grains from my hand but it cannot eat it why?...????


He's just gotta get it figured out yet. It takes them a bit before they're coordinated enough to eat on their own. He just needs practice


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Your bird is less than 3 weeks old. It is going to take him time to learn to eat. If you put a small dish of feed where he can watch the Dad eat it, he will learn from watching. If you put seed, you must also teach him to drink water and keep it where he can get at it.


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## pantherbst (Feb 25, 2012)

*thnk u*


now the baby is eating with his father
but i think it will take some time to fly.............
what do i do now ????????????/:confused


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Have you shown him how to drink? Is there water there where he can get to it?


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## pantherbst (Feb 25, 2012)

Ya now he/she eats but .......................
I am thinking when will it eat.............


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## pantherbst (Feb 25, 2012)

Sorry I meant to say when will it fly........


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I believe that has already been answered. At about a month old.


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