# Please Help! Floyd is a terrorist!



## ZeldaCA (Dec 30, 2007)

Hi everyone,

In the last month or so Floyd has become extremely aggressive towards the family, nipping when anyone tries to touch him and doing his "I'm very important" puffing up, bowing and spinning dance to anyone around (before nipping them). He won't even let us pet him anymore, except for me, once in a while.

Will he outgrow this aggressive behavior? I'm worried. He used to love sitting with us, getting pets and having his neck scritched; now he attacks any finger that comes near him.  

Do you think he's just going through his adolescence (he's 7 months old now). He is healthy, active and otherwise doing great.

Oh, I should mention that he has acquired a small stuffed hippo (which used to be the dog's chew toy) which he climbs on and ..... mates with. Sigh. I'm ashamed to admit my bird has his own sex toy.

Any advice would be appreciated. I miss the kinder, gentler, Floyd of days past. Will he mellow out in time?


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## george simon (Feb 28, 2006)

hi ZELDA, FLOYD is looking for a mate. .GEORGE


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## KIPPY (Dec 18, 2003)

Sounds like your pigeon needs some chamomile and a cold shower.



> small stuffed hippo


get him a bigger hippo and see if it snaps him out of it.

All kidding aside your pij sounds fine and normal to me. He is growing up. Maybe you should get him a nesting basket and some wooden eggs.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

That's why I always say...enjoy those baby days while you can. Time flies and before you know it they're 6 months old and wrecking havoc! 
George is right, your grown up pigeon is looking to mate.


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## ZeldaCA (Dec 30, 2007)

Oh, dear. We are in the process of building him an aviary, so maybe once it's finished I WILL get him a nest box and a couple of wooden eggs and see what he does....maybe I'll put the stuffed hippo out there, too!

I reeeeeeally don't want to bring another pigeon into the household just because of the increased clean up, he'll be sharing the aviary with two quail and one chicken, all of whom are female. Perhaps I'll wait and see how all they all get along, and try to avoid the nips in the meantime. 

Do you think this will mellow out with age?


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## Feather (Dec 8, 2005)

Floyd you little ol rascal!


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## Feather (Dec 8, 2005)

[Do you think this will mellow out with age?[/QUOTE]

NO!!!!!!!!! He needs to show you how tuff he is, because he either wants you in his nest....or to stay away from his nest. He is the protector now.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

He sounds like a delightful fellow and happy and healthy.  

If you are allowing him run of your place, then yes indeed he thinks it is his territory and YOU are tresspassing. The more space you allow him in the more he will claim as his own. He will continue to protect his territory. Give him a hen to occupy his time and he will settle down a bit.

He is not a terrorist, he is a normal male pigeon, adapting to a human world in which he lives.


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Pigeons are pretty intelligent in some ways, but not so much when confronted with something outside of theri experience. Our Snowflake (white pigeon) had a beanie toy Serenity Dove he first attacked, then (as it didn't fight back) decided was his mate. He built a nest for it in his cage when he was inside the house, and mated with it. Thing is, a toy is not something a pigeon will easily comprehend, so it 'must be' real. Another one, who came from a friend of ours, had a Donald Duck toy he doted on until he was introduced to the aviary and found a proper pigeon mate.

John


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

ZeldaCA said:


> Oh, dear. We are in the process of building him an aviary, so maybe once it's finished I WILL get him a nest box and a couple of wooden eggs and see what he does....maybe I'll put the stuffed hippo out there, too!
> 
> *I reeeeeeally don't want to bring another pigeon into the household just because of the increased clean up*, he'll be sharing the aviary with two quail and one chicken, all of whom are female. Perhaps I'll wait and see how all they all get along, and try to avoid the nips in the meantime.
> 
> Do you think this will mellow out with age?


Floyd sounds like a couple of mine, Zelda.  

Acquiring a pigeon mate for Floyd is certainly an option. However, here are a couple things you might want to think about, if you're *really* hesitant about getting another pigeon.
1) Floyd will probably continue to be somewhat 'defensive'. 
2) You *will* have added poops. With a female laying eggs (even if they're replaced with wooden ones), the poops from both pigeons will be larger than normal at times & less than fragrant.

If Floyd seems 'satisified' with his 'hippo' mate, then you might want to move them *both* to the aviary & do as you mentioned, set up a nest box complete with a couple eggs & see how it goes. 

I honestly don't think getting a pigeon mate will completely resolve Floyd's 'defensiveness'. JMO

We would love to see some pictures of Floyd & his hippo mate.  

Good luck with whatever you decide.  
Please keep us posted. 

Cindy


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## ZeldaCA (Dec 30, 2007)

Thank you all for your advice. This all makes so much more sense now. I have been wondering why Floyd was behaving this way, but it sounds like the entire house is currently his territory, especially our large bathroom where he spends most of his time. And he definitely has a concept of "personal space," I can tell you that! 

It's funny, because he's still quite willing to let me pick him up and kiss him a few times a day. He just doesn't want to be petted by hand anymore.

It sounds like Floyd may still have his cuddly moments, but he's definitely on the road to being his own bird now. That being said, the outside aviary is probably a good place for him. I guess, like most young people, he just needs "a place of his own," lol! 

I will try and snap a pic of him and his beloved hippo though. He actually has been courting our feet for quite sometime and I just never put two and two together as he never went further than bowing and puffing up. But he's got a real love thing going on with this toy, so if it makes him happy, then I guess it's OK. The only other alternative would be to let him fly around the neighborhood and find himself a lady friend, and I'm not quite comfortable with that -- although we do have a neighbor who keeps some rolling pigeons who fly free around the area, so he could "hook up" with some really beautiful "girls," lol!  

Hopefully he will get on well with the quail and hen in the aviary. The hen is definitely the boss of that relationship, but Floyd has 7 feet of upward space to fly up to when he feels the need to escape.

We've got the panels built on the aviary, so now we just have to speed it up and get it finished!

Thanks, everyone, you are all such a wonderful resource!

Zelda and Floyd


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

I can certainly relate to Floyd's actions, Zelda!

Squeaks is quite the terror when in "daddy" mode! When in "mate" mode, he lets me pet and scritch him A LOT! 

He doesn't have a stuffed "mate"...he still considers me his mate. Right now, he's in mate mode but should be going back to "daddy" mode soon. My loveable pij will become a holy terror...again...for awhile...

All the best with Floyd! Sounds like he has "grown up!"

Hugs and Scritches

_Shi & Squeaks_


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## ZeldaCA (Dec 30, 2007)

Thanks, Shi. Glad to know it's a cyclical thing. Any idea how many times a year it happens? I know pigeons breed year-round, so I assume it's going to happen several times a year, at least? Hope that stuffed hippo has the same stamina Floyd does, lol!


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

All I can say is that Squeaks' daddy modes last about twice as long as mate mode...

I just go with the flow... 

Hugs and Scritches

Shi


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