# New Pigeons



## Rouen (Sep 25, 2009)

Hi all, I recently acquired 2 rock doves. one is a black checker pied that doesn't seem to be human friendly. The other is a blue checker pied that seems to be young - he flaps his wings a bit when feeding and has very little irredescence on his neck.
since they are rock doves, will I ever be able to let them fly? or will they take off never to be seen again? and has anyone trained their pigeon to recall or to go to a specific perch? they seem like their brains are wired similar to a chicken and I know chickens can be trained(chickens are used as practice for dog trainers).
Thanks


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## Columba livia! (May 4, 2009)

Well are you keeping them outside in a loft or inside? we need more info to answer your questions. pigeons can be trained, but if you want to free fly them, you will have to expect them to pick their own perch, and allow them to fly or perch when they please.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Hi Rouen and welcome .. does your user name indicate that you like ducks? Please do be careful about ANY references to using ANY kind of bird or animal for dog training. It's a violation of the board rules here.

As to flying your birds .. depends on how old your birds are and whether they are homed already to another place .. are these feral or domestic pigeons? How old are they and where did they come from? 

Terry


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## Rouen (Sep 25, 2009)

*Hi Rouen and welcome .. does your user name indicate that you like ducks?* 
I kept rouens for 7 years, my drake died and I rehomed my duck.

*Please do be careful about ANY references to using ANY kind of bird or animal for dog training. It's a violation of the board rules here.*
I was refering to chicken camp, where people go to clicker(marker) train chickens, they respond faster to the click so it helps people with the timing of the click. Anyway...

*are these feral or domestic pigeons? *
They are feral rock doves.

*How old are they and where did they come from? *
Someone found them and gave them to me, so I have no idea on their age. But like I said the blue checker pied seems to be younger.

And they are in a loft.


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## Rouen (Sep 25, 2009)

some photos of them;
blue(slate?) checker pied







black checker pied


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

oh my how pretty, why do you want to contain wild birds? or are they from another loft?


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## Rouen (Sep 25, 2009)

most businesses exterminate pigeons around here, so they'd likely die.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Rouen said:


> most businesses exterminate pigeons around here, so they'd likely die.


I don't know where "around here" is, but better cooped up than dead. they will not beable to be let out as they may go back to where they were and get killed by the businesses you are talking of.


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## Rouen (Sep 25, 2009)

spirit wings said:


> I don't know where "around here" is, but better cooped up than dead. they will not beable to be let out as they may go back to where they were and get killed by the businesses you are talking of.


okay, how about the training? I know BF Skinner used pigeons in his behavoirism studies but is training limited to simple tasks(such as turning around as Skinner demonstrated)?


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## Rouen (Sep 25, 2009)

wow came here for advice and got nothing but criticism and no help. thanks for nothing.
dont recall saying that I was experimenting with anything.


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

Sorry some of the things said here came off as being sharp remarks. Sometimes we just say it like it is, haha.]

Anyways, I'm sure you could tame these birds with some work. I agree that the blue check does look a bit younger, but based on the eye color, he/she isn't quite young enough to tame easily. If you stay out in the loft a lot and try not to make many sudden movements, they should get used to you. Peanuts help! Before you can ever get to train them, they'll need to be tamed first of course. But you just gotta take one thing at a time!  Their brains are wired a bit like chickens (or well, like any other animals really), in that they can be controlled with food. Getting them to eat from your hands is a big step in getting them comfortable with your hands in general. Birds naturally associate our hands with danger, so our goal is to replace the danger with food and harmlessness 

Because most ferals have retained some (or most) of their homing ability, chances are you won't be able to release these guys again. Or at least, not anytime soon. Because they are ferals, I wouldn't release them until they are totally comfortable with the loft and you, since in order for pigeons to come back in the loft, they have to *want* to come back in. Within a few months, you may have them completely broken into the loft, to where they can be let out for exercise and come back in for food/water and to sleep. One good way to do that, is to train them to a feed call. Feed them twice a day, each time making a noise (I whistle. You can shake the feed can or whatever really). They'll soon learn that noise means food, so when/if you do let them out (let them out hungry), they'll come in on command for food.


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## Guest (Sep 30, 2009)

Rouen said:


> wow came here for advice and got nothing but criticism and no help. thanks for nothing.
> dont recall saying that I was experimenting with anything.


i say as long as you give your birds great care you and your birds will do well  they will love you with time and patience just be good to them and they will be good to you .


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## Rouen (Sep 25, 2009)

Thanks MaryOfExeter and LokotaLoft for the input.

I've gotten the blue checker pied to eat out of, and willingly step onto my hand. They both get excited when I go out for visits and feeding. The black checker pied is still wary of hands, but coming around.


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