As a pet - dove or pigeon?

[birdiemommy]

I want to have a pet different than parrots and canaries, which I’ve keep for years. My first choince was a ringneck dove, but it’s really hard to find my favourite mutation in my country. So I’m thinking about getting a „normal” pigeon in this colour. They are many ads about young, white pigeons, which I’m looking for. I want a young bird to accustom it to living indoor, open-caged, like a parrot. What could you advise? Can I get some description about best breeds to keeping as a pet(gentle, smart, easy to tame, non-aggressive to other birds)? I don’t mean show requirements, I just want to know about their temperament. But maybe I should completely resign and look only for a ringneck dove? What to do?

 

[Hokum Coco]

What could you advise?

For myself homing pigeon is the only choice.
Unfortunately they seem to thrive better in a flock situation in a loft.
That being said there are some fanciers enjoy having them as inside pets. There would be little to no difference in care or upkeep to maintain either bird.
I personally would not have one as an inside pet.

 

[Celticdragonfly]

I'm not sure where the line is drawn between dove and pigeon - it's sounded to me like if they are going through your dropped fast food in a city, they're a pigeon, if they're cooing in the grass in the suburbs or country, they're a dove? Yeah, I don't know these well ... I remember the first week I moved here to Texas, seeing this big pretty bird in the grass in the backyard, and taking poor pictures through the screen and posting on Livejournal to ask - it was a morning dove. They used to coo-coo around here all the time, but they're rarer now as the area gets built up.

 

[Hokum Coco]

I'm not sure where the line is drawn between dove and pigeon

A pigeon is actually a descendant of the Rock Dove and was bred for food and later for homing ability. They were domesticated long before chickens actually.
Pigeons are to horses as doves are to donkeys.
They will interbred the result being an off spring that is equivalent to a mule and unable to reproduce.

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC. Either would be a great choice, but understand that pigeons shed a lot more dander which can cause severe allergic reactions in some people after prolonged exposure. Do a search on 'pigeon lung' disease.

 

[cavemanrich]

I voted Dove,,,,, and only because you want to keep indoors. My choice is outdoor homing pigeons. The white doves that you keep inside home in cages, are fine if you let fly around your room. Let them outdoors, and they will not return.
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, and

 

[jak2002003]

OP.. you only want a bird for the colour mutation and what it looks like?

You talk about white homing pigeons…. so I presume you want a white mutation... and the white ring neck doves are probably the most COMMON colour mutation in that species... so I don't know why you would find it had to get one.

You sound like you have no idea how to look after these birds. You say you want to keep them like a parrot..... but they are to TOTALLY different species with different care needs. They can not climb over a cage like a parrot as they don't use their beaks or feet for climbing.

If you keep a homing pigeon inside you house and allow it to fly freely.... do you have any idea what mess they will make? Apart from the massive amount of feather dust and dander, and lots more molted feathers than a parrot, they will also poop a heck of a lot more than parrots. Their digestive system is different... your home will be a health hazard and a mess.

Your parrots have strong beaks and will kill or injure you pigeon / dove if they get near them, or land on top of their cage.

If you want a house pet like this I advise you to have a PAR of ringneck doves. Keeping a single dove is cruel... their make up is to live as a mated pair, with all the interaction and affection that goes with that. Keep them away from you parrots at all times. It only takes a second for tragedy to happen.

I am sorry, but you post sounds like you are thinking more about what you want rather than what is real life or your potential pets needs.

 

[Serin]

If you keep a homing pigeon inside you house and allow it to fly freely.... do you have any idea what mess they will make? Apart from the massive amount of feather dust and dander, and lots more molted feathers than a parrot, they will also poop a heck of a lot more than parrots. Their digestive system is different... your home will be a health hazard and a mess.

This is not true.

It's really not, and you are perpetuating the idea that pigeons are these super dirty animals.

Parrot droppings, which are wet, are a lot worse than pigeon droppings if the pigeon is fed properly, which are semi-dry, intact spots 90% of the time. Even the larger morning poops, in my experience, pick up intact in a napkin without leaving anything behind.

I have a house pigeon, a female of the Old German Owl breed, who flies freely in the house and she is not a health hazard. When out, she is relatively potty-trained and will before anything else fly up to her designated spot to potty, a door above some newspapers, and poop before going anywhere else in the house. She will even hold it until she comes out of her cage and wait to use that spot if she can. She is very smart, extremely affectionate and loving and an all around perfect house pet. She does not bite or scream or chew furnishings like a parrot. She is like a cat that flies, though more affectionate than most cats I know, and still independent enough to entertain herself.

Homing pigeons are higher-energy than German Owls and not as ideally suited, but it can be done. I would nonetheless recommend a fancy breed instead as they are much more content to spend time in a cage and lounge around rather than want to fly all the time.

My bird does produce a lot of dander when molting and drops a lot of feathers at that time, but it has never been disruptive and only requires a few minutes a day to vacuum up and wipe down the cage. My house is pretty spotless.

I have also had an indoor ringneck dove and they are in every respect "pigeon, but a bit less." Not as big, but not as smart, not as messy, but not as affectionate. I find my pigeon more rewarding, but the doves are cute.

Pigeons do make nice house pets to the right owner, and if you can handle parrots, pigeons are much easier in every way.

 

[biophiliac]

This is not true.

It's really not, and you are perpetuating the idea that pigeons are these super dirty animals.

Parrot droppings, which are wet, are a lot worse than pigeon droppings if the pigeon is fed properly, which are semi-dry, intact spots 90% of the time. Even the larger morning poops, in my experience, pick up intact in a napkin without leaving anything behind.

I have a house pigeon, a female of the Old German Owl breed, who flies freely in the house and she is not a health hazard. When out, she is relatively potty-trained and will before anything else fly up to her designated spot to potty, a door above some newspapers, and poop before going anywhere else in the house. She will even hold it until she comes out of her cage and wait to use that spot if she can. She is very smart, extremely affectionate and loving and an all around perfect house pet. She does not bite or scream or chew furnishings like a parrot. She is like a cat that flies, though more affectionate than most cats I know, and still independent enough to entertain herself.

Homing pigeons are higher-energy than German Owls and not as ideally suited, but it can be done. I would nonetheless recommend a fancy breed instead as they are much more content to spend time in a cage and lounge around rather than want to fly all the time.

My bird does produce a lot of dander when molting and drops a lot of feathers at that time, but it has never been disruptive and only requires a few minutes a day to vacuum up and wipe down the cage. My house is pretty spotless.

I have also had an indoor ringneck dove and they are in every respect "pigeon, but a bit less." Not as big, but not as smart, not as messy, but not as affectionate. I find my pigeon more rewarding, but the doves are cute.

Pigeons do make nice house pets to the right owner, and if you can handle parrots, pigeons are much easier in every way.

I had hoped you would chime in on this one.

 

[LamarshFish]

IMO pigeon for sure. As far as breeds go, I think homers are the easiest to care for, but I hear some roller breeds like Birmingham Rollers are much more tame and less aloof than homers. My racing homers, even if I raise them hand feeding them while weaning and having them be not afraid of me at all, they still nonetheless do not want to be handled and will peck and slap at me if I go near their box or perch.