# Should we let him fly outside a bit?



## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

Hi,
I'm wondering about the pros and cons of letting our pet pigeon Rocky have a bit of free time outside occasionally.

For background, here's the link to a (far-too-lengthy) update I posted recently about our adventures with him. Rocky the Wonderpigeon

The short version is that he's a rescued feral who has lived with us in an indoor cage for two years. He was found being mistreated by some kids in a park and, after some TLC, shipped from his rescuer in California to us in Texas. He's an only bird and seems very bonded to my son and to me. However, he will fly to pretty much anyone who comes to visit. My theory is that he was a hand-raised baby who was released w/out being socialized. He was about four months old when we got him.

He loves to fly and gets free time in the house every evening. He also has an outdoor flight pen that he hangs out in a few times/week, but he never flies around much there. I'd love to be able to let him take a spin around the back yard, but I don't want to risk his safety. 

I've read here about people whose feral pigeons get to spend time out like that, but I think those may have been born at the home where they now live. Would anyone like to weigh in?

Thanks,
Claire in Texas


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

I think it's safer in the pen or in the house. A lone pigeon is a dinner invite for a hawk.


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

When we build an outside home for him, we'd like to get more birds. Well, I'd like to just get him a mate, but my son has a more elaborate plan. 

My son want to get him another rescue for a mate and then let them have one set of babies. His plan is to next find rescue mates for the two offspring for a total of six birds. He thinks this would be a nice-sized group and they'd possibly be able to fly free occasionally. 

I think we don't have enough information or experience to know if this could work, so am taking it one step at a time. As it stands, we probably won't even transition Rocky to an outside loft until next spring. 

What would be a safe number of birds to allow to fly? Is six still too small a group? In my son's scenario, only two of them would be born here.


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

ClaireinTX said:


> When we build an outside home for him, we'd like to get more birds. Well, I'd like to just get him a mate, but my son has a more elaborate plan.
> 
> My son want to get him another rescue for a mate and then let them have one set of babies. His plan is to next find rescue mates for the two offspring for a total of six birds. He thinks this would be a nice-sized group and they'd possibly be able to fly free occasionally.
> 
> ...


The other trick here will be making sure that all the birds are re-homed to your house. This can be done (though it is very difficult if you get homers/racers), and there should be information on it on the site. The easiest way is to keep your breeder birds as "prisoners" on one side of the loft where they have access to an enclosed aviary and to only free fly birds who are born in your loft. 

I'm not sure about the number required for just flying around the house. Are there as many hawks in Texas as there are in NE? (We see about 2 hawks 1 owl and 1 falcon regularly within about a 3 block radius.) I think part of it would really have to do with the number of predators. There are lots of members here from Texas, so they would be the best to ask.


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