# My pet pigeon Lukas



## 8790 (Oct 21, 2019)

I have a pigeon named Lukas. I love him so much, but he absolutely hates me. Whenever I put my hand in his cage, he bites me and starts puffing up his feathers to look bigger. So I always take him out of his cage against his own will. I tried hand feeding him, but he refuses to eat from my hand. I am trying to make a bond with him so that I can teach him to fly to me. I have seen people on YouTube hand feed pigeons, and the pigeons always took the food. But Lukas never did that. 
I think it has something to do with the fact that my neighbor gave him to me. Mom says that he was taught by his mom and dad to avoid people. I get that, because Lukas was wild when I got him. But even now when I am nice to him, he still hates me. I want to give him rewards, but how can I give them to him when he doesn't want them? I am teaching his to fly to shoulder by my command, but he isn't cooperating and yesterday he flew to the roof of my house. I clipped his wings, but just so that he could fly, just not to the roof of my house. He likes sitting on my shoulder, but after I put him in his cage, he starts trying to bite and look bigger again. I don't think he really likes me, like a pet should.
Plz send help!!!


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Our first pigeon Phoebe was an injured feral. We tamed her by putting toys into her cage...she would bite them and it became a game. To get her to eat out of our hands, we gave her chopped peanuts. Would not take your bird outside where she can fly up to the roof. Would let his wings grow out because clipped wings make any bird feel insecure. Would just be patient and make friends with your bird. Phoebe also loved orange flavored parakeet seed treats. Hope your bird is friendlier soon. It just takes time and patience.


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

Was Lukas handraised as a baby? If not, he might never bond to you. It's cruel to keep only 1 pigeon and expect him to bond with you like a dog or a cat.

Never put your hand in his cage. That is his territory and he is just defending it. Rather let him come out by himself and then clean the cage. As cwebster has said, they like chopped up raw peanuts. First put some in his food and once he starts eating them, offer it from your hand.

If you really want to keep him, rather adopt him a mate. Do a slow introduction and you will have a very happy pigeon.


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## 8790 (Oct 21, 2019)

I never thought of getting him a mate. I don't know what my parents would say, but I really hope that I can get him at least something.


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

I think it is very cruel for a pigeon to be alone for the rest of his life. No human can ever replace the company of another pigeon. Do you know they mate for life? If you can't get him a mate, then rather consider getting him adopted.


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## sam_aroo (Apr 9, 2019)

There is only one way to remove the absolute hate that Lukas has for you. Do not feed Lukas for 24 hours (let him starve for a day, but give him water). The next day, when you offer him your hand full of seed, he will fly to your hand and eat. You may have to throw a pea his way to entice him to come to you. He will absolutely love you, and you'll will become best mates.


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## 8790 (Oct 21, 2019)

What treats should I give Lukas? All I have are sunflower seeds. Do you think that he would like those?


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## sam_aroo (Apr 9, 2019)

Pigeons love Peanuts pieces. (No salt)


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## 8790 (Oct 21, 2019)

I didn't adopt Lukas from a pigeon center. My neighbor gave him to me. He said that I could have him. I got Lukas when He still had that fuzz all over him. When I was snuggling with him for the first time, he clung on my arm and wouldn't get off. Lukas was raised by pigeon parents. My neighbor breeds pigeons.


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## 8790 (Oct 21, 2019)

I think we still have some peanuts. Mom got some peanuts for peanut butter a while ago. I hope he likes peanuts. 

Just curious, but would a pigeon eat peanut butter?


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## 8790 (Oct 21, 2019)

By the way, Marina B, once he flies again, it will probably be winter for us. That is when the Mourning Doves come to our state, Pennsylvania. I used to have a pigeon named Henry. That was my first pigeon. He would fly on top of my house roof and all the female Mourning Doves would come and sit with him. Everyone in our family would laugh about it, because he always was puffed up and his cheat looked big. He wasn't attacking the doves, and his head was always high. Do you think that he was trying to attract a mate?


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

Sounds to me as if he was a bit scared of the doves. Puffed up to make himself look bigger for protection. Don't feed him peanut butter. Raw, chopped up unsalted peanuts, they just love it. But only as a treat, because of the high fat content.


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## 8790 (Oct 21, 2019)

Well...he flew away because he found a mate, and that is how I lost him.


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## 8790 (Oct 21, 2019)

I will post a pic of Lukas.


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

Please do and also the cage where you keep him.


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## iwori (Mar 3, 2013)

I agree with all that was said. No need to "take him out" of his cage. Just let him walk/fly and be free. If he likes his house he will go right back to it. Also, he needs a mate... but be patient putting them in the same cage. I have learned from experience that not all birds fall in love. let them sleep apart for a good amount of time, but play together.... you will know if they are a good birdie fit.


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## navamanas (Mar 17, 2016)

*There's nothing wrong with Lukas*

I've had Chancey for three years. She was an adult when I found her badly injured. Even after she recovered, she wasn't releasable, and there was no way that I would ever have taken her to an animal shelter. They just would have euthanized her, which would have made rescuing her pointless.

We never tried to make her like us. We fed her, gave her bath water, and allowed her to explore home as much as she wanted. We don't cage our birds - (it seems cruel), but they do have a box (actually it's a milk crate turned onto it's side -see the photo below). She has a hot pad (on low) under a towel and paper towel, she has her water and food bowl and her mirror (she loves looking at herself). It took Chancey about 18 months to stop grunting at us, and start roo-ing and cooing when she saw my wife and I.

She is very protective of her space, but she is great when we take her outside (wearing a harness! - see video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xW5R0aNLQDc )

Take your time with Lukas. He has his own personality. He will teach you patience.

Oh, and try giving him plain popped popcorn broken up into small bits. He may never eat from your hands, but who cares? Do you eat from someone's hands? If you give him love, he will love you in his own way. Get a harness, and use it everytime that you take him outside. He will learn to associate the harness with outside time. and he will associate you with things that he enjoys.

Make sure that your room (or wherever you keep him) is using bright lights (the light rating is 5000 Kelvin or better) during the day, and no or no lights at night. Otherwise he could get depressed. Make sure that he goes outside at least 3 to five times per day. He needs the UV (just like we do).

You'll do great. Just give him time.


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## bebes pearls (Dec 15, 2018)

*Singing?*

I don't know much about pigeons, but have you tried singing softly to Lukas? One special song just for him the same time every day? One of my cockatiels loves this. He won't let me touch him, though.
There was a white pigeon with a cat after it and I took it home. It seemed to like the singing a bit, and a food game where I would line up different things on the edge of it's cage. At first it ate every one. (I was trying to find out what it would eat in a pinch because we don't have special pigeon feed here.) 
I couldn't get it to the vet in time so it died. 
You will find out a lot here - all I can say is have patience. Pigeons are great!


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## The PigeonLady (Oct 21, 2019)

You have to be patient with pigeons you find as young adults / full adults don't force them to love you they imprint on other pigeons at a crucial time as a squab don't lock them in a cage leave the door open just let them roam and get used to being in 1 room feed them don't starve them what i did with my Petra I kept her on her own in a separate room for a few mnths each day I'd sit in there and talk to her and i did stroke her in the cage she wing slapped me alot 😂but I never pulled away but now she's all good now but itvtakes time here she is playing https://youtu.be/KX9SLD7Er_E


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