# First Blood Drawn by Pigeons



## goulian (May 15, 2007)

Hi All,

Something I have recently noticed is just how aggressive these pigeons get when competing for the food I hand feed them. If I hold my hand very close to the ground, they gather around with little difficulty. But when I hold my hand out high enough so they have to fly to it, they cover my arms and in their struggle to get the most food from my hand, end up scratching and puncturing my arms with their claws. I know to prevent this I could just stop offering the food so high that they have to fly to get it. But the thrill I get from having these free fliers come to my hand is too great to just stop. I have decided to make a pair of sleeves to wear while feeding them. Problem solved, I hope. Until I get the sleeves, I carry some alcohol wipes and disenfectant to use after being mauled by my feathered friends. After feeding them today, my arms looked like I had been in a cat fight. First blood drawn by a pigeon...who would have thought?
Oh, well, take care fellow pigeon folks. Best wished to you all.

Mike


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

I get my 'pigeon battle scars' when I go round changing new eggs for plastic ones in the aviary. Depending on who is on a nest at a particular time, I'm likely to end up with a load of little red dots on my hands from pigeon beaks, with the occasional bird managing to draw blood (not too often, though). Some have a way of grabbing a fold of skin and twisting it in an effort to fight off the intruder. Ouch! Some birds are very compliant about the egg check, but others are puffed up, with a wing ready to strike, when I'm feet away from the nest box.

Only wound I got from feeding was one time when I held out some food for a Coot at a wildfowl reservation. He stabbed at my thumb with that long, pointed beak and did I drop the food quick!!

John


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Hi Mike,

I'm glad you have remedied the situation and are wearing sleeves during their "feeding frenzy". They do get very excited and anxious when they are hungry. Even my domestics go nuts when its time for breakfast.

Thanks for feeding our noble ferals.


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Yeah, you would think they haven't eaten in days 

Reti


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## Larry_Cologne (Jul 6, 2004)

Hello Goulian,

I found the enthusiasm pigeons show when feeding is very entertaining, but I rarely try to have them compete for food, ever since the time a couple of years ago when I saw forty or fifty pigeons eating a lot of bread someone had scattered for them. Each pigeon had plenty to occupy him, no one was crowding another, no one was in a hurry.

All were making the nicest, quiet sounds of contentment. 

It was a very impressive moment for me. 

Something told me, this is the way it should be, this is the way it was meant to be. If we humans have occasion to have plenty of food, why shouldn't they? And we enjoy eating in peace and quiet, relaxed, and we then call it dining, or something similar, and we like it to be a social occasion, usually. 

So, when I know that all the pigeons have enough to eat, and there are no weak or intimidated or ill pigeons left behind, little aggression, then the situation is good. 

It is still fun, though, on occasion, to watch some dash about with wings outspread to prevent others from getting "all the goodies." But I like to see healthy pigeons. The less I feel the need to handle a needy pigeon, the better. The fewer needy pigeons I see, the better. 

I get my hands and wrist scratched every day when I invade my tame *Wieteke'*s territory. He will hang on, and he truly demonstrates the flexibility and strength of a pigeon's double lower mandible hinge, with my skin held in his beak, and my blood spotting the battleground, where he is always the victor and unchallenged champion. 

Larry


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## alvin (May 10, 2006)

Bah! Wussies!! Gertrude carried a shotgun.


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

alvin said:


> Bah! Wussies!! Gertrude carried a shotgun.


Yeah, I hear ya, Alvin....but I go ya one better...Gertrude had a SHOTGUN!

Squeaks doesn't need one! His skills at WING FU and SWORD (beak) fighting are the BEST! Oh yeah, and when he gets his CLAWS into the action too....well...'nuf said!

THAT'S why he is such a SPP MASTER!! He learned from the BEST and then added a few twists of his own!

Nice to see you posting!! Missed ya!!

Hugs

Shi (Scorpio Power)
Mr. Squeaks (SPP and sidekick to Wonder Woman-Feather)


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

John_D said:


> ...Some have a way of grabbing a fold of skin and twisting it in an effort to fight off the intruder. Ouch!...
> John


Yep, Mieke will do that - she may be the smallest, but she is fearless in defense of her nest!!! I can even use her attitude as an indication that she has laid an egg. If she does the "dragon preparing to attack", it's probably time to swap eggs.


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## warriec (Feb 2, 2007)

long toe nails seem to be your problem. I use a long single shelf with bricks place every 12" apart to wear there nails out. so far its good.


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