# After two years my dove suddenly despises me?



## CoosAndCalluses (Sep 6, 2015)

I've had my dove (and only my one dove) for a little over two years, and after eight months in she viewed me as her mate. So for a year and four months she's been laying me eggs and loving it when I pet her and allowing me to touch the eggs and petting her in her nest, the whole shebang.

Well, I just left for two days to go send my cousin off to the military, and I come back and she _hates _me. I opened up her cage and she greeted me like normal, but then I went to hold the eggs to test if they were cold (to see if she had abandoned in the two days because I was gone like she usually did when I was gone) and when I put them back, she attacked me. 

She kept jabbing at me as if she was protecting her nest, but the eggs had long ago gone cold so she abandoned them a while ago. I got her out and all the entire time she was out, she would puff up and leap at my feet before jabbing them in a way that was hard and definitely not the frequent 'kisses' I get. 

Now whenever I get near the cage she'll hop towards me, and when I open it she'll try to leap and peck me. She's a completely different bird! 

I've gone on many vacations where I left for a day to three whole weeks, and she's never acted like this before when I get home! And she always let me touch the eggs (she wanted me to) and even when I first got her, she _was never aggressive_. She was scared of me when I first got her, but never EVER tried to peck me or anyone else. 

The only thing I can think about that I did was that I got my fingernails painted a bright red, but I've painted my fingernails before and she didn't even blink. Plus, she stabbed at my toes whenever she got near them when I got her out, and my toes have absolutely no toe nail polish on them.

I just don't know what happened, and I really want to understand.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Phoebe used to do that occasionally. Would love me and bite my significant other, then if I was gone for a few days, would bite me and love him. It was like her pigeon brain could only bond with one at a time. Our scrub jay rescue goes berserk if I wear my watch...it could be the nail polish. Would just be patient and see what the bird does next.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Probably mad because you were gone. I have had male pigeons that act that way with their mates, if they have to be separated for a while for some reason. I think she's mad at you.


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## CoosAndCalluses (Sep 6, 2015)

Thank you so much for replying!

In case it was the nail polish, I took it completely off with one hand, and that didn't do anything, she's still trying to peck me.

I can see where y'all are coming from if she's mad at me, but it's so weird because she's never done this before even when I was gone for two weeks this summer. She's never tried to attack anyone if they get close to her cage either, but now she's doing that to whoever comes close.

I'm definitely going to wait and see, but do y'all think it may have to do with her protecting the eggs as well as being upset? She's sitting on them again and she's getting up to lunge at whoever gets close, another thing she never has done before. 

How long have your birds stayed mad at you/their bird mates?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Depends on what they are mad about. Not usually long. I did have a hen that I raised from about 2 weeks old, and at about 5 years old she broke a wing. I had to bring her in and separate her from her mate, and keep wrapping her wing. Her wing healed fine and she could fly, thank God. But she has always hated me since then, and that was about 2 years ago. It had to be painful for her at the time. That's okay, as at least she did heal well and could fly, which to me was more important, but I did miss the interacting and her eating from my hand. Her mate remains friendly. Most don't stay mad long.
Odd that she is protecting the eggs when she never did before.


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## kiddy (Feb 5, 2015)

I think this madness can take long time, when they are mad on something, they don't understand easily. I used to keep my all 4 birds in my room and they were all very happy. While they were molting I had to keep them in cages, tho I opened them for some hours. But my cock got mad on me and never wanted to be caged, always ready for fights, pecking and even wing slapping when I tried to catch him to cage, he knew the timing very well, they are very smart. He kept doing it for long after molting even when I started opening them for most of the day but his madness didn't go easily. He is still doing it but cools down when I hold and pet him and talk to him but he isn't that easy to handle yet but improving for sure. 
I think you should spend more time with her, holding and petting her, talk to her so her madness gets over easily. 
Even my ring neck parakeet got this madness whenever we ate before her and she would see that we are eating and didn't feed her but that was temporary madness, though their bites are quite more strong, sometimes she would bite so hard, blood oozed out, then after having meal she was again a sweetheart. 
Don't know what those tiny brains think but she should understand. Really hope so. Keep us updated.


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## kiddy (Feb 5, 2015)

Also, off the topic but thought to share, if you hen lays frequently, don't forget to supplement her with calcium +D3 to avoid any complications related to calcium deficiency. If you are already giving, ignore this post  
And yes if you have a lone hen, she will easily return to track...


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## RamseyRingnecks (Jun 18, 2013)

Bright reds, oranges, and yellows are instinctively frightening to doves. (no idea why)

The problem is that you reached for her (and her eggs!) with a color that screams DANGEROUS! and now she associates you with danger and feels it necessary to defend against you and try to drive you off.

Be patient with her and don't change the way you treat her. Be consistent, and it will eventually dawn on her that you are still you.


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