pigeon will not stop harassing his mother

[knowvagale]

Last year I bought a bigass bird cage and modified it into a nice loft, and obtained two pretty pigeons from Strombergs which got along well and decided to start a little pigeon family. Fantastic. So they had two little pigeon children and raised them up all nice and dedicated, as you do. I left home for a while while the babies were growing up, and when I came home they were all about three months old. Upon my return, I noticed the dad, Gen, beating up on one of his kids, Hector. I wrongly diagnosed this as Gen being a bad father. I gave him an appropriately stern scolding that went right over his head, because he is a bird. However it turns out he is still smarter than me, and he was right about Hector, who now, a couple of weeks later, will not leave his mother alone. Gen is doing his level best to defend his poor wife from her delinquent son, who is apparently dead set on commiting incest. Outside of Hector constantly harassing Irene, there is what I assume is a normal amount of avian drama in the loft. Gen seems to be a good husband most of the time aside from the fact that he keeps mating with anyone and everyone in the loft, but he's not an asshole about it and Irene doesn't really seem to care so that's ok I guess? I just wish Hector would stop harassing his mother. She can't even leave the loft without being chased around the entire garden. He's also an asshole to her and everyone else except his little sister Eugenia, who he apparently adores and who follows him everywhere. He's unbearably cocky. He goes around puffing out his little adolescent chest and making dumb little cooing noises like he owns the place. Gen doesn't chase him around anymore, but that's probably just because he's gotten too big to be kept in his place. Granted this was mostly just a rant but does anyone know how I can make him Stop? He needs to go to pigeon jail. He needs to be put under a restraining order. He needs Serious Disciplinary Action. His mother just wants to eat garden dirt and sit on her third set of fake plastic eggs. She didn't ask for this.

 

[black_cat]

I can't help you but this is one of the funniest things I've ever read.

 

[LaFleche]

does anyone know how I can make him Stop? He needs to go to pigeon jail. He needs to be put under a restraining order. He needs Serious Disciplinary Action.

He might just need to be rehomed to start his own family?

 

[knowvagale]

He might just need to be rehomed to start his own family?

I'm sad to say that I am a sucker and Quite attached to him. He is an asshole but he is mine. I thought about separating him out from the rest of the crew but I really have nowhere to put him, and I'm reluctant to separate him from his sister, I've heard keeping lone pigeons is a big no. I could go get another bird to be his mate, but I'm not sure he would get along with someone new because of his charming jackass demeanor. And that would also create a space problem, my loft is really only big enough to house 4 or so birds comfortably. Additionally, separating him from the flock might not do much at all, because everyone spends most of the day flapping around the yard anyway, which is where most of the drama unfolds. So unless he was under house arrest he would still be around them, and I don't want to lock him up all day. Rehoming really might be the best option, but it's a bit sad and like I said, I don't want to separate the siblings

 

[LaFleche]

I'm sad to say that I am a sucker and Quite attached to him. He is an asshole but he is mine. I thought about separating him out from the rest of the crew but I really have nowhere to put him, and I'm reluctant to separate him from his sister, I've heard keeping lone pigeons is a big no. I could go get another bird to be his mate, but I'm not sure he would get along with someone new because of his charming jackass demeanor. And that would also create a space problem, my loft is really only big enough to house 4 or so birds comfortably. Additionally, separating him from the flock might not do much at all, because everyone spends most of the day flapping around the yard anyway, which is where most of the drama unfolds. So unless he was under house arrest he would still be around them, and I don't want to lock him up all day. Rehoming really might be the best option, but it's a bit sad and like I said, I don't want to separate the siblings

How about getting him his own partner, a young female, not related pigeon?

 

[knowvagale]

How about getting him his own partner, a young female, not related pigeon?

Ah, I may have been a bit unclear about this in my first reply. My loft is pretty small, and currently at capacity with just the four of them, (Irene, Gen, Hector, and Eugenia) so if I was introducing another bird I would have to a. expand the loft, which I really have neither the space nor time to do, or b. build a new loft, which I also have neither the space nor time to do... I think I'd get him a mate if I was sure it would work, but of course there's a real possibility it wouldn't change anything or would just make the whole situation worse. And then I'd be stuck with an extra bird, too.

 

[avjudge]

I know this is thread is a bit old, but less than a month so I'll bring it back to life . . . Really, the only options are (1) live with it, (2) rehome him, or (3) find him a mate of his own (and deal with the space however you can). I'd really doubt that he'd have any problems getting along with a new female; as you see, he's desperate to have a mate. It's their instinct, though I'm seeing some are more driven than others.

My first pigeon Milou, rescued from the roadside, and almost certainly a utility (king) pigeon used for a wedding etc. release, was not truly happy until I got him a mate (a cute little homer who's the most personable in my loft and my favorite) - and getting a pair before the mate didn't help at all. (I was going to get just the female for Milou but then realized they were mated so took both, giving me 3 for a while.) Milou was just ecstatic when that female appeared, and set out nonstop to woo her.

And then I had some "oops" babies, and have been dealing with a son going after his mother just like you're seeing for over a year now (lost the other son the first time they flew). Early on I let my 2nd pair hatch an egg (hoping for a girl) and turned out to be a 2nd male, but a less aggressive one so I'm not having that problem from him.

I'm at the limit of my loft - I have room for 4 pairs and currently have 6 birds so I can get mates for the existing single boys but no more males, so I'm not risking hatching more eggs. I just bought 2 homers that I hope are both girls - we'll see in 2 weeks, when quarantine is done - and I have no doubt that the boys will be overjoyed.

 

[MageofMist]

I have this unit of a borb who I found as a roughly 2 month old squab, no idea what his breed('s) is besides a mutt, though may have fancy genes by the stray feathers on his legs.

When I first took him home, he was sweet, loving, affectionate and snuggly... But then the hormones kicked in. He'd puff up and aggressivly slap the bejeebus out of my hands, bite with vigor and avoid me like the plague, harassing my quails, chickens and diamond dove (who he previously used to preen and snuggle with) and I had no idea what to do with him besides wait the phase out and, well, hope it was a phase. Lo and behold, the moment he finished growing in his shiny neck feathers... He started nesting.

And I mean, NESTING, he made two nests and sat in each one multiple times for two days, and nights, cooing and twitching his wings like a demented pancake. This was when he started letting me touch him again. Since he was determined to have eggs, I slipped in two Serama chicken eggs and he has been sitting like a champ for his first time as a single dad.
Chickens and quails are still afraid of him, but the diamond dove has started paying him visits again and is safe as long as he doesn't get too close to Squabble's brood, and Squabble has become friendly towards me again, letting me fuss and feed him during his breaks from the nest and even scoop him up for cuddles and smooches, something he wouldn't let me do after he went all hormonal and grumpy.

​

So maybe you could find where his nest-scrape is if he has already made one, and put a dummy egg in it, and then a second the next day to quell his frustrations with existance.