# Breaking bonds and pairs



## LisaNewTumbler (Jun 24, 2013)

Hi

How difficult is it to break a pair???

I have a slight problem. 

I have one mixed loft.

The PLAN was to have a breeding pair of lahores, a breeding pair of Triganinos and my pair of rescues.

The problem is that when I bought the birds, because of the circumstances of one of the breeders I only managed to bring back a female lahore. I need to make a second trip to Italy to get her mate, but I don't know when I will manage.

It also turns out that most likely my 'pair' of rescues are 2 males -_- 

One has bonded with the lone female lahore! And she's pretty into him. Its not an issue now, but what happens when I get her actual mate down???????

Should I separate them now?? but I don't really have anywhere to house her comfortably. it might be after xmas that I go up for the male 

Should I let them bond and then deal with it???

Help!!!

The male she bonded to also turns out to be the bully of the loft and has decided that the floor is HIS, the first shelf is HIS, the second shelf is also HIS most of the time, the food is HIS and the bath is HIS -_- 

Is this because I haven't given them a nest bowl/proper box yet, or is he just a bully?


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## newtopigeonsNJ (Mar 14, 2013)

he needs a nest box...lock him and the female in it for a few days and then he'll see that as his territory and hopefully defend the nest box and not the whole loft as you describe. If I were you I would have kept males and females separate if you hadn't receive your completed pairs yet. Without the availability of other cages/spaces it will be nearly impossible to repair her now. The only way I could see it working is if you take her out of the loft and keep her by herself until you get her mate ( as long as were positive you were getting him soon ) AND in addition I would take that bully male that she accidentally paired up with and I would pair him up with a hen of your choice by putting them in a separate cage together for a week or so and then putting them back in the loft. ( This whole time keeping the original hen separated). When you do finally get the new male for her , try putting him in with the her in their own separate cage/hutch after you quarantine him. If they seem to fight then put a divider in the cage so they can see eachother for a few days then re-introduce them.... this is honestly the only way I could see your situation working..I know you said you don't have another loft or any cages or anything but you might not have a choice. A lot of times rabbit hutches can easily be converted into adequate breeding pens for a single pair of pigeons. Many times you can find people trying to get rid of them cheaply through local classifieds...you could keep them in your garage or if suitable for outdoor use then obviously you could put it anywhere... I hope this helped..


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## LisaNewTumbler (Jun 24, 2013)

thanks for the advice. Really, nothing has gone as planned -_-

I have no idea when I'm going to get the male. I was hoping between xmas and ny but it is just too tight....

I have to rethink everything, esp since I am running out of space before I even started breeding! Thanks to the 2 rescues both being male and needing mates of their own. I don't have a suitable indoor place to keep an unprotected cage. I have one 2ft dove cot I use as a quarantine but I can't juggle the female and the new male in quarantine.

Someone else replied to another thread, saying if she bonded she's going to accept him anyway even if she has another mate, so I might end up with mixed breeds.

I just finished making the nest fronts. This weekend I hope I'll find time to install them and give him a real place to claim.

for now I think I'll just have to live with them being together and get a new loft before I even think of breeding them, depressing as that is.


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## Abdulbaki (Jul 31, 2013)

Oh, this kind of problems are due to the fancier not having a plan or in your case being unable to apply it, when two pigeons pair up the longer they stay together the stronger the bond between them, I say as long as there's enough space for the two to be far from each other it's likely you will succed repairing her to another male, I wouldn't let them together & I wouldn't overcrowd a loft with single pigeons.

some males are dominant than the others some of them just don't accept other males being there whatever happens, it's more associated with their personality ...
I'd give this male a nest box and lock him up and let the other pigeons free etc etc ...

but please firstable put a plan in your head regarding the current situation and do not let the birds control!


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## LisaNewTumbler (Jun 24, 2013)

Abdulbaki said:


> Oh, this kind of problems are due to the fancier not having a plan or in your case being unable to apply it, when two pigeons pair up the longer they stay together the stronger the bond between them, I say as long as there's enough space for the two to be far from each other it's likely you will succed repairing her to another male, I wouldn't let them together & I wouldn't overcrowd a loft with single pigeons.
> 
> some males are dominant than the others some of them just don't accept other males being there whatever happens, it's more associated with their personality ...
> I'd give this male a nest box and lock him up and let the other pigeons free etc etc ...
> ...


Well I planned to be in control but things got kind of out of hand :/

If the bond just gets stronger should I separate them from now? I feel bad putting one on his own but I don't have another female to pair him with atm. 

What do you think if I lock him in a nest box and alternate between letting him out and letting the female out?

Won't that drive them kinda crazy being right next to each other but not able to interact?


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## Abdulbaki (Jul 31, 2013)

to be honest & clear with you, *based on my own experience*, to pair up two pigeons that are already mated, you should firstable separate them from their companions (*i.e no visual / physical / vocal contact for a week or so*) then you will put only the two aroused birds in a big place, the male will coo and inflate his crop and turn around .. the female will kind of strut and inflate the neck area (_etc the rituals of courting_), If everything happens as expected they should stay together for at least 4 days still no visual/physical or vocal contact with the ex's they should mate at this time and choose a certain spot as a nest ...
regarding you having no enough space for this whole operation, It will be a game of burning nerves, as you have to everytime lock and release each of them, which is a pain sooner or later, so I suggest you to let them as they are now If you don't want them to have babies together you know what to do(replace eggs with dummy ones) until you settle everything down.

hope that I helped


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## LisaNewTumbler (Jun 24, 2013)

yes, thank you

I'll do that, it is not fair to them to separate them but still keep them together. I'll start planning another loft and let them settle.

Once I have the space to separate them I will break them up


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