3 Pigeons in a Loft - One Being Assaulted

[piccione]

Hi All, I am new here and fairly new to pigeon keeping so please excuse what may be a stupid question.

I have three pigeons in a coop. 1 Male and 2 female. The male and one of the females are coupled off. There are multiple cubby areas for them to choose from and be away from the other bird. However, they both peck violently at the other female, often going for her eyes.

If I get another male will that make any difference? Do they definitely need to be separated?

Thank you.

 

[loftkeeper]

what size pen do you have how do you know you have two females and a male males can pair up and act like male female pair only sure way to know if the hen lays and you know it never good to keep odd birds with pairs this is one reason

 

[piccione]

Well the one he paired with layed a couple eggs. Neither hatched but the first one was clearly fertilized. The second one was not. That's a whole nother issue for another thread, I think. The male also courts and tries to mate the third bird.

The pen is about 5' tall x 3' deep by 2.5' wide.

If this bird had a partner would things be different?

 

[jak2002003]

Well the one he paired with layed a couple eggs. Neither hatched but the first one was clearly fertilized. The second one was not. That's a whole nother issue for another thread, I think. The male also courts and tries to mate the third bird.

The pen is about 5' tall x 3' deep by 2.5' wide.

If this bird had a partner would things be different?

That is too small a coop to house multiply breeding pairs! Getting the lone bird a mate will just make the fighting worse I'm afraid.

You need to take out the single bird and keep it on its own until you either get a mate or re home it.

Can you post a pic of you pigeon coop so we can see it might also help?

Are they allowed free range all the time and only roost in the coop at night, or are they kept in there?

 

[piccione]

That is too small a coop to house multiply breeding pairs! Getting the lone bird a mate will just make the fighting worse I'm afraid.

You need to take out the single bird and keep it on its own until you either get a mate or re home it.

Can you post a pic of you pigeon coop so we can see it might also help?

Are they allowed free range all the time and only roost in the coop at night, or are they kept in there?

That sort of surprises me. I feel like I see many picture of lofts that look smaller and have more birds. Maybe I'm drawing the wrong conclusion about those though.




They are currently kept in the loft, because this is a new location and loft for them in the past three weeks. They were previously in another location in two separate but much smaller enclosures. I will begin free ranging them soon. Do you think if they are getting out during the day they will fight less?

 

[jak2002003]

That sort of surprises me. I feel like I see many picture of lofts that look smaller and have more birds. Maybe I'm drawing the wrong conclusion about those though.




They are currently kept in the loft, because this is a new location and loft for them in the past three weeks. They were previously in another location in two separate but much smaller enclosures. I will begin free ranging them soon. Do you think if they are getting out during the day they will fight less?

That's a great loft... Did you make it yourself?

You can fit more pairs into it if its on its 'side'.. and you run the nesting boxes along the back. You could stand it on legs to make it head height.

When your birds are allowed to free fly then you can also fit more birds in there. This is because they will only sleep in the coop and nest in there. The rest of the time they are walking about or flying outside.

Length of the coop is more important than height. The birds will fight for the highest nesting and roosting spots.

Another thing you can do if you don't want to turn it on its side is divide it into 3 or 4 sections stacked up. Then you can have a pair on each 'floor' like an apartment building.

 

[Boerbok]

Here is a pick and it look easy to make.

 

[sourland]

That sort of surprises me. I feel like I see many picture of lofts that look smaller and have more birds. Maybe I'm drawing the wrong conclusion about those though.

Most smaller lofts (think roller kit boxes) are used as flying lofts not breeding lofts. Fitted with V perches birds can establish their own limited territory. In breeding lofts, breeding pairs become far more territorial and much more space is needed.

 

[paramount]

Yes, the loft is a little small. I would agree that if this loft was on its side, it would be ample, but in being tall but relatively narrow, you have limited your floor space too much.

I would get that extra hen out of there, even if you must put her in a dog crate or maybe wire a floor into that very top level of your loft.

Then build another loft, which you are going to need for any youngsters anyway.

But be glad it's a hen that's the odd bird in that loft. If it was a cock, he'd be causing your mated pair serious problems once they nest by breaking eggs, etc.

Unmated birds should never be kept with your breeding pairs.