# My pigeons are REALLY annoying me...



## Jopkins (Dec 28, 2007)

I have a pole mounted dovecote, and I have two pet fantail pigeons. I kept them under a net for sx weeks as I was supposed to, but now they ALWAYS sleep on the roof of a house opposite mine rather than in the dovecote, and usually only come back for food. I have tried locking them back in for a few weeks but it didn't seem to help. What can I do about it? Thanks in advance.


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## Becca199212 (May 10, 2007)

We had the same prbalem, they were sleeping on neighbours window sills and she was not happy. 

We've now got an aivary that they sleep in but were told that the dovecote was too close to the fence and trees and also too low, maybe you could try putting it up a bit higher then homing them into it again?


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## horsesgot6 (May 30, 2007)

fantail Pigeons are More A show Bird Then One That Should Be Allowed to Fly Free. Fantails should Be In A Loft all The Time Its Not Safe for Them They Can't Fly fast And They Don't Have The A Good Homing Skill.


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## Jopkins (Dec 28, 2007)

*Fantails...*

They don't need a good instinct really, they just.. Live around. It could well be though that the thing is too low, but I don't really have any alternative to put it anywhere else, and a loft or avary is completely unavailable to me.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Jopkins said:


> They don't need a good instinct really, they just.. Live around. It could well be though that the thing is too low, but I don't really have any alternative to put it anywhere else, and a loft or avary is completely unavailable to me.


By not protecting them with an enclosure, they are very vulnerable to predators. All the fantails I have know don't fly very well.


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## Jopkins (Dec 28, 2007)

Well it's not really an option to lock them in... I don't have a loft or anything, but there are no predators around, I've had them six months and they've been fine. Is there a way to get them to see the dovecote as "home" though?


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

If this is the dovecote like I'm thinking it is, then I can see why a fantail wouldn't want to be kept in one. I think they'd prefer to be on a loft on the ground much better. How big is this dovecote? Do you have any pictures?

Another thing....about how high up is it? Fantails are slow and aren't good fliers. Although all pigeons feel safer higher up, I don't see why Fantails would need to be very high in the air. 


If you kept them in for 6 weeks, then a big reason for them not wanting to go in, is that something might be scaring them. Something like owls or hawks might have been bothering them in the dovecote, so they retreated to the nearby houses, trees, etc.


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## Royaltypigeon (May 22, 2005)

I believe these would be Garden Fantails in the UK.. Not the variety of fantails that we know here in the states.
Garden Fantails are a cross between Indian Fans and homing birds. And quite able to fly..
It seems that this pair just havn't acepted your dovecote as home just yet. Keep feeding and watering them in or near your dovecote and they will eventually figure it out.
Gary H.


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## Guest (Dec 29, 2007)

I agree U.S. fantails and UK fantails are not the same so its hard for us in the USA to give advice about something we are clueless about since we dont use dovecoats here at all that I know of ...my guess is if they were a mated pair you would have more successs with them staying in the dovecoat as they would have a reason to use it but umm pigeons in general look for the safest place possible to roost which would probably be the highest vantage point to see everything around them .. but thats just my two cents on the subject and if you asked my birds what they looked for it would be a place they could feel safe in with a view of everything around them


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Jopkins said:


> Well it's not really an option to lock them in... I don't have a loft or anything, but there are no predators around, I've had them six months and they've been fine. Is there a way to get them to see the dovecote as "home" though?


If they don't feel secure they will not stay in the dovecote unless they are forced to do so. Their instincts are there to protect them, and you should try to make it to suit their needs. 

I had pigeons for 6 months too with no problem , and then all of a sudden the hawks came around, and they still visit knowing the pigeons are there.


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## Spin city (Dec 11, 2007)

BRO ILL GIVE U A IDEA yh

look do this


keep them hungry for a day 

chuck some food the next day in a lil kitbox then see if it helps


and i have a kitbox and my friend lives six doors away from me he got a proper loft and my is low but i only keep rollers and they dont go in id gardens and plua HE has reversing pouters myn fly and they come back make a loft or sumat a kitbox will do


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## Lost in France (Apr 4, 2007)

Hello,

We have 2 pole cotes and find that the young birds leave the cote, despite there being spare bedrooms for them, once they are fledged. Then when the pair up and want to breed they return and bag a bedroom. You might find that when they're ready to nest they'll use the cote. We bought a new pair of doves and they left the cote and lived in the trees but were predated as they were too tame and we have lots of rapters here. When we were in the UK we had no predation except the neighbours cats!!

You could try putting their food on the cote, if no shelf add one and put food here daily. Another idea might be to get another pair of birds and hope they settle as this would encourage your other pair to hang around as well to keep territory!

Enjoy your birds, they'll give you lots of pleasure, just give them time to settle..at the moment at least they're pooing on someone elses roof!!!

Judi


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## Hamza (Dec 28, 2006)

*keeping pigeons in dovecotes...*

Keep them in the dovecote till the build a nest.. then let them go and they'll return everynight... thats what i do and it works...


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