# a few pigeon questions....



## jacobsshygrl (May 3, 2006)

Sorry for two posts in the same day...I'm just so excited to have found this forum and can't wait to have all of my questions answered. I've been going through the archives, and I must say, a lot of my questions have already been asnwered from past posts. However, there are a few things I still dont quite understand. 

1) Pigeon home. I only have one, and I dont think I will get any more unless necessary for his happiness. Right now, since he is a baby, I have him in the brooder I kept my quail in when they were little. The brooder isn't too big, and I'm sure he will be outgrowing it soon. I was wondering how you all go about housing your pigeons? I was hoping to keep this baby inside. I have an outdoor aviary/hutch for my eleven quail, but I want would like to keep him seperate from them (as they are not tame, and I hope he will be, as well as he is sooo much bigger than them, and the aviary isn't quite big enough for him). Anyway, I was hoping to give him some free roam time around the house with a flight suit as well as keep him in his cage as well. What kind of cage to u suggest as well as how big?

2) Flight. I read somewhere that not all pigeons fly? Is that correct? Which ones do and which ones dont, and how can you tell if they are flyers? How can you prevent flight? I've read about the leashes but I really wouldn't like to use one of those unless I was walking the pigeon around like a dog for leg exercise. Is it ok to clip a pigeons wings? I clip my quails' wings to prevent long flight in case they get out of the aviary while I am feeding and watering them. Of course all of this can wait, because my baby is only two weeks old, nowhere near any of that. However, I was still wondering. 

3) Company. Is it ok for one to live alone? I raised a bobwhite quail a long time ago and she was perfectly fine by herself, as well as perfectly tame. However, I know with a lot of birds, they need a mate, or company. I'd like to avoid getting a second one, but if it is necessary I'd like to start as soon as possible finding an egg to hand raise so they are about the same age. 

I think those are all the questions I have for now. I'll probably be back with more eventually. thanks in advance.


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## Jiggs (Apr 1, 2005)

I dont have a pet pigeon in the house but I would do the folowing

1. Use a bigggish cage - maybe a parrot cage - plenty people have a pet pigeon that flys around the house. So you could open the door for it - it will know where its "house" is and return there

2. I think I would not clip the wings as a pigeon is a good flyer - but - unlike quails and many other birds it should return to its cage - you teach him this with food

3. It could live alone as long as it has regular company from you and flight time etc.

I hope this helps a bit - there are many people here that have pets inside and can help you a lot more


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

1) Pigeon home. I only have one, and I dont think I will get any more unless necessary for his happiness. Right now, since he is a baby, I have him in the brooder I kept my quail in when they were little. The brooder isn't too big, and I'm sure he will be outgrowing it soon. I was wondering how you all go about housing your pigeons? I was hoping to keep this baby inside. I have an outdoor aviary/hutch for my eleven quail, but I want would like to keep him seperate from them (as they are not tame, and I hope he will be, as well as he is sooo much bigger than them, and the aviary isn't quite big enough for him). Anyway, I was hoping to give him some free roam time around the house with a flight suit as well as keep him in his cage as well. What kind of cage to u suggest as well as how big?
*
If he has access to free flight inside the house, you do not have to build get the bird a huge cage. He will need a cage that is big enough to move around comfortably and flap and stretch his wings. He would be using it only for sleeping then. It would be nice if he had a bit of sun shine everyday, but he should NOT be released on his own. I put my two week old youngster on my porch everyday, and he seems to enjoy that and get a bit of sunlight, but only for an hour.*


2) Flight. I read somewhere that not all pigeons fly? Is that correct? Which ones do and which ones dont, and how can you tell if they are flyers? How can you prevent flight? I've read about the leashes but I really wouldn't like to use one of those unless I was walking the pigeon around like a dog for leg exercise. Is it ok to clip a pigeons wings? I clip my quails' wings to prevent long flight in case they get out of the aviary while I am feeding and watering them. Of course all of this can wait, because my baby is only two weeks old, nowhere near any of that. However, I was still wondering. 

*As already mentioned it is not a good idea to clip the wings, the bird needs to excercise which can be done inside a room of enclosed porch. Homing pigeons need to fly as that is part of their make-up. It is the show pigeons, the fancy breeds, like Satinettes and Fantails and such that really don't need to fly. I have tried the bird leashes and my pigeons didn't like it on him or being restrained. He tried to pick it off of him after an hour.*


3) Company. Is it ok for one to live alone? I raised a bobwhite quail a long time ago and she was perfectly fine by herself, as well as perfectly tame. However, I know with a lot of birds, they need a mate, or company. I'd like to avoid getting a second one, but if it is necessary I'd like to start as soon as possible finding an egg to hand raise so they are about the same age. 

*While pigeons are social creatures, they do seem to get along with humans when there is alot of interaction with human beings. The bird may or may not get lonely depending on how much time you spent with him. We have alot of members who's pet pigeons DO have mates, and /or other pigeon friends so they won't be lonely when their human work outside the home.it really depends on how much the baby bonds to you and if you can give him alot of attention.*

*I think it is wonderful that you are asking these questions now, it is not too soon.  

Here is a link to the thread Pet pigeon Care:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=10848*


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