# Male Pigeon Plucking Feathers



## Vasp (Jul 25, 2006)

Well, my male pigeon is plucking the feathers from my female pigeon's neck and head. She looks scruffy now, and she's almost constantly chased around by him, pecked in the face and harrassed. It's sad to watch. She's so much smaller than him and really gentle. I tried to separate them for a while, but they went crazy and even refused to eat.

Will this subside over time, or is it something to be concerned about?


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Vasp, 

What is the situation at your house like now? I'm sorry if I've forgotten, but do you have any other pigeons or birds around the two hand raised ones?

My two hand raised pigeons started this exact behaviour at around 6 months of age. This is around the time they become willing and eager to start seeking out mates.

For some reason, being siblings, they seem to understand that they were not supposed to mate with each other. They might have, had they been alone, but they had 2 other pigeons to watch and get interested in.

With my birds, the behaviour has lasted the long term, but they don't fight as aggressively as they did when they first started this behaviour. There is a WHOLE dynamic thing going on with my birds and I'm guessing that this could be what's happening at your house too.


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Vasp said:


> Well, my male pigeon is plucking the feathers from my female pigeon's neck and head. She looks scruffy now, and she's almost constantly chased around by him, pecked in the face and harrassed. It's sad to watch. She's so much smaller than him and really gentle. I tried to separate them for a while, but they went crazy and even refused to eat.
> 
> Will this subside over time, or is it something to be concerned about?


Yes, I would be concerned and I would keep an eye on it with the possibility
of intervention in mind. What method did you use for separating them? 

Here's a thread on what one member did w/a bully bird:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=18850&highlight=Bully

I'm not suggesting this specifically, but I sure wouldn't let him beat up on her either. You're the one there in the moment and will have to evaluate the 
success of any strategy. Many lofts do separate pairs to give the female a 
break from it all.

fp


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Vasp said:


> Well, my male pigeon is plucking the feathers from my female pigeon's neck and head. She looks scruffy now, and she's almost constantly chased around by him, pecked in the face and harrassed. It's sad to watch. She's so much smaller than him and really gentle. I tried to separate them for a while, but they went crazy and even refused to eat.
> 
> Will this subside over time, or is it something to be concerned about?


Hi Vasp,

Is this the brother-sister pair you raised?

I don't think this is quite your typical "bully" pigeon that tries to rule the roost. 

I think there are issues going on here since these two babies have been hand raised, there is an emotional issue as well as the difference in the sexes. I think Brad's thoughts on this are significant.

While they are bonded to each other because they are raised together and dependent on each other for company, they are trying to become independent at the same time and live their normal lives and seek out partners. Since they are trying to make the best out of the situation given them, they want to stay together as mother nature dictates, but also want to be independent as they are grown up now.

It is a struggle for them and intervention is necessary. Time may take care of the problem, but I wouldn't leave them together unsupervised if her health is effected.

Have you thought about getting another male pigeon and hen? This may help,as it may actually allow them to move on if both have a mate of their choosing. I would try that if things don't change, as a normal lifestyle for both may just resolve the issue. If your male pigeon has had full access to the room, he may end up bullying the newcomers, as male pigeons will be bossy and defensive to as much territory as they are given.

My pet pigeons, both handraised are also male and female. They bonded out of neccesity and have stayed together without incidence. They are in a coop environment and seem to be genuinly happy with each other.

I think there is more then one issue here, including the emotional ties between the two, thinking they are human, and wanting to grow up and find mates, which is harder since one is hen the other is male, and there are no other birds.


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## Guest (Jan 19, 2007)

This behavior is very typical of a bonded pair of birds that have no nesting material with which to make a nest. It isn't just pigeons that act this way but parrots too and probably most other pairs of birds in a captive situation. If you want this behavior to stop before the hen's follicles are destroyed, put in nesting materials. The male is trying to make a nest with what's available.


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## Vasp (Jul 25, 2006)

I have a lot of nesting material in there, hay and everything. I put it in there not necessarily for nesting material, but just because it's absorbant and they don't eat it like they eat newspaper (the ink isn't too great for them). The boy instead chases her aggressively and plucks her feathers in a harmful way. When I separate them, they both go pretty crazy, but he suffers the most. He trusts me enough to fly to my arm when I whistle, but she's afraid of everything, partially from him chasing her around all the time, I'd bet.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Vasp said:


> I have a lot of nesting material in there, hay and everything. I put it in there not necessarily for nesting material, but just because it's absorbant and they don't eat it like they eat newspaper (the ink isn't too great for them). The boy instead chases her aggressively and plucks her feathers in a harmful way. When I separate them, they both go pretty crazy, but he suffers the most. He trusts me enough to fly to my arm when I whistle, but she's afraid of everything, partially from him chasing her around all the time, I'd bet.



Does this pair of birds have a spot that they have picked to nest in? It sounds like to me the cock is "driving" the hen to the nest. Try putting a bowl of feed right next to the nest so that the hen can eat without her mate pestering her. If she's hungry and has to leave the nest to eat, the cock will try to get her to go back to the nest. He don't care if she's hungry. A cock can drive his hen so hard that he can do damage. He just wants her in the nest where other cocks can't get to her. It doesn't really even matter if there aren't any other cocks. It's his instinct to keep her to himself.


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