# Begginner to keeping pigeons



## amaterasu

I am considering keeping some pigeons and although I've ready a few care sheets I need a bit of aditional info. 

Firstly could I see some pictures of your cages?

When your giving your pigeons out of cage time, can they be taught to fly to your hand etc?

Do pet pigeons have the same homing instincs as racing pigeons? Can the be taken outside for some extra exercise and not fly away or are they best kept indoors?

Thanks.


----------



## atvracinjason

welcome!
I have a few pics in my album of my loft...if you look under loft building forum there are a ton of pictures of different lofts, of course check out rosewoodstarterlofts, they have a great starting platform
I do have one bird that will fly down to me and even circle my head as I go towards the loft(he loves his peanuts)...I have other birds that will walk into my open palm and allow me to pick them up, while others don't apppreciate me
are the birds you plan on getting homers or rescued ferals? Either have a homing instinct, of course a homer is more likely to return from further distances than the feral, be sure to get your birds young so they will know your loft/cage as "home"


----------



## John_D

Hi

How many pigeons are you thinking of, and do you have a specific breed in mind? Some are more likely to be 'human friendly' than others, and it can also depend on what age they are when you get them. We have rescued pigeons (mainly ferals who were sick or disabled, and unwanted homers) and they are very accustomed to us in their aviary, but very few are what I'd call really friendly, unless we are offering peanuts  Pigeons will pair up given the opportunity, as their natural way, so are usually more interested in their mate and their interactions with other pigeons.

We have one who seems to like people as much as pigeons, a sweet-natured Tumbler who was dumped by the breeder because, we assume, he didn't meet some standard. He came to us at maybe a couple of months old and I looked after him in my apartment for a while to quarantine him and had never known such a friendly bird, aside from the human raised Collared Dove who thinks I'm her mate.

This is our Tumbler










Not sure if you are thinking of keeping pigeons in the home, or in an outdoor setup. Really, an aviary with a weatherproof shelter built in is better for a number of healthy, grown pigeons who are not to be raced. Some of our members do have rescued pigeons, or a rescued pigeon, inside (maybe adopted disabled birds, or a pigeon found when very young and grown up with their finder) but in my view, an indoor pigeon needs plenty of 'out time' in the home, or in a room which is secure against other pets.

I have a couple of pigeons in my apartment. One is a permanent resident who does not do well in our aviary and prefers my company to that of other pigeons, the other is temporary and is here because she is unwell and needs time out to recuperate. My resident has the run of the aprtment pretty much and spends minimal time in a cage, the other one is very nervous and hardly ventures out though the cage door is open for much of the day.

These are examples of the big 'hospital cages' we use, which come from Pets-at-Home (or Petsmart) and cost around £80 / $120










All pigeons have homing instinct, but racing birds are bred and trained to hone that instinct to a fine degree. There's no guarantee that pet pigeons allowed outdoor time would not be spooked by a hawk, or just take off, and get lost. Some breeds are not great flyers anyway, like Fantails. Personally, I'd never risk it.

John


----------



## amaterasu

Im just in the planning stages of getting one, and not really sure how many Im wanting. I got told that pigeons can be great friendly pets by quite a few people, so I though I would find out more about them. It was this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PInCwz7RK18&feature=player_embedded that made me think about the flying to hand. I think I would like a King pigeon (I think thats what they are) well the beutiful white ones pictured inside the cage pictures.

I was thinking about keeping them inside and giving them plenty of out of cage time, but an outside aviary could be used instead.


----------



## Jaye

Kings are a great choice if you want cuddly birds. I always say they are like dogs with wings ! OK, yeah..they poop. But they are very personable.

They can be indoor pets or aviary birds. They are NOT flyers, however, so do not try to free-fly them outside. They have no clue.. and their body proportions make them very ungainly flyers. They do not NEED outdoor flying time at all.

They are real sweethearts !!!


----------



## Victor

amaterasu said:


> I am considering keeping some pigeons and although I've ready a few care sheets I need a bit of aditional info.
> 
> Firstly could I see some pictures of your cages?
> 
> When your giving your pigeons out of cage time, can they be taught to fly to your hand etc?
> 
> Do pet pigeons have the same homing instincs as racing pigeons? Can the be taken outside for some extra exercise and not fly away or are they best kept indoors?
> 
> Thanks.


Welcome to our wonderful pigeon forum amaterasu ! You are most welcome to visit our place we call Tooterville by clicking on our link at the bottom. I only have 10 pigeons but they do keep me busy but worth every minute of it.I house my pigeons in individual small animal cages in a coop that protects them from intruders and the elements. I fly them in attached large dog run that I converted into an aviary.

Some pigeons depending on their personalites will fly to you but it takes time nd patience which is very important. You must earn their trust before they will perform this feat for you. As I said, I have 10 but 3 of them will not fly to me and do not like to be handled and I respect this of them and leave them alone.

I have had some that have accidentally escaped and have returned to their home with the exception of Emily who took off almost two years ago and must have found a husband (I do hope). About a week ago Barbie took flight but came right back landing on the aviary. I opened the coop door and she returned to her cage. You are taking a risk if you allow your pet pigeon to free fly. You never know when a predator such as a hawk will be lurking around. They are very good hunters and have great hiding capabilites. We have many members that are OK with doing this, but I personally don't because they are part of my family and I am not comfortable with that. My pigeons are all healthy and seem to be very happy living the life they live.


----------



## John_D

BTW, amaterasu, whereabouts are you? You may be able to discuss adopting a bird or two according to where you're located.

John


----------



## amaterasu

Thats great to hear everybody, it songs like a king pigeon could be the perfect addition to the family. From hearing what everyone has said about taking them outdoors, Im not willing to take the risk. I've it is better for them I would definitly keep them in an outside avairy, however I would really like them to be in my house. I dare say I would love an outdoor aviary with some pigeons, but best to keep it one step at a time . 

I alway love to adopt if possiable, and Im up in Scotland.


----------



## John_D

Hmm ... not so sure you'd find adoptable Kings here in the UK, being quite unusual, and maybe not many breeders. But, here is one: 

http://www.angelfire.com/ky/longwate/ShowKings.html

John


----------

