Chicken vs Dove vs Pigeon

[fatimastic]

This thought has always occured to me when I compare these 3 types.

“Which bird is the most agile and likely to survive the longest without many health issues?”

As a pet chicken owner from April 2020, I've lost 2 chicks which were eaten by a weasel. 2 chicks which had died one day after getting here. 1 hen from a heredity disease. 1 hen from ascites and the most recent, and my favorite one from EYP .
So, I've lost 3 hens and 4 chicks. I have 6 chickens and 1 roo left, all Australorps.

As a pet pigeon owner from July 2021, I've not lost a single pigeon. Both fantails have survived this long, without much complications, other than them getting lost or stolen by some naughty neighbor kids . Although I had to give them antibiotics and make them take baths for their lice...
After so many months of wondering why they haven't mated yet, we just found out that they were both males!!
We rescued 2 female pigeons yesterday, currently keeping them quarantined and on antibiotics because they were sick and bullied before they got here.

And as a dove owner as of today, I have no clues how to deal with them. Still figuring where to keep them. But they sure are really friendly!!

Personally, I enjoy the most with chickens because of their versitile and fun personalities
But they get sick so often and have to be under my care in the ICCU (Intensive Chicken Care Unit) so often that I'm really stressed and overwhelmed sometimes.

What are your thoughts on this?

 

[cavemanrich]

I already communicated with you on your other thread, so as always wishing you best.....
Here is some advice to consider. Make your housing as predator proof as possible. A weasel will take any of your pets if possible.They can fit thru small openings
I never had doves, But pigeons, and chickens. All my chickens are pets like yours. Most are healthy and live long lives. My longest living chicken pulled 13 years. A Silver Sebright. My current oldest living chicken will be 10 years old this coming April. A RIR. (Rhode Island Red)
My pigeons,,, (most) lived pretty long lives. They were cut short by predators eating them (raccoons breaking onto loft, and also cats), and a number of them ether ran away, or did not return from loft flights. Some of the loft flight missing,, could have been taken by hawks,
BTW doves need to be caged. If allowed to free-fly,,(outdoors) they tend to not return. There are wing clip options for them,,, but I do not know much more about that for doves.

 

[ilikepigeons]

I have pigeons and diamond doves, never had chickens
I have never had to treat a pigeon for anything, ever, knock on wood. I have had them for 4 years now, they are free range and mainly look after themselves. Very healthy, beautiful birds. I also haven't lost any so far, I guess I can thank that to the very low B.O.P population in my country and the birds choosing to roost away from predators.
Diamond doves have not been so fun. I had my hens excessively laying and they got soft shelled eggs and other problems, even almost egg bound once. The one male I used to have got his feet so caked in poop (the aviary is kept clean, but just walking through fresh droppings constantly) that I felt the need to remove it myself, he died from stress while I was holding him. I also notice that they do tend to just 'sit there', not as active as my pigeons or other birds.

 

[fatimastic]

I already communicated with you on your other thread, so as always wishing you best.....
Here is some advice to consider. Make your housing as predator proof as possible. A weasel will take any of your pets if possible.They can fit thru small openings
I never had doves, But pigeons, and chickens. All my chickens are pets like yours. Most are healthy and live long lives. My longest living chicken pulled 13 years. A Silver Sebright. My current oldest living chicken will be 10 years old this coming April. A RIR. (Rhode Island Red)
My pigeons,,, (most) lived pretty long lives. They were cut short by predators eating them (raccoons breaking onto loft, and also cats), and a number of them ether ran away, or did not return from loft flights. Some of the loft flight missing,, could have been taken by hawks,
BTW doves need to be caged. If allowed to free-fly,,(outdoors) they tend to not return. There are wing clip options for them,,, but I do not know much more about that for doves.

A weasel kept stealing our eggs for months!!
But then we found him in action and changed the structure of our coop, making it more predator proof. Now he just hangs around trying to find an opportunity to come and take the eggs

13 years is such a long time!!
Kudos to you and your hen.

My pigeons live on the 1st floor so no chances of predators.

My doves are caged, but I let them around the room for an hour so that they can fly.

 

[fatimastic]

I have pigeons and diamond doves, never had chickens
I have never had to treat a pigeon for anything, ever, knock on wood. I have had them for 4 years now, they are free range and mainly look after themselves. Very healthy, beautiful birds. I also haven't lost any so far, I guess I can thank that to the very low B.O.P population in my country and the birds choosing to roost away from predators.
Diamond doves have not been so fun. I had my hens excessively laying and they got soft shelled eggs and other problems, even almost egg bound once. The one male I used to have got his feet so caked in poop (the aviary is kept clean, but just walking through fresh droppings constantly) that I felt the need to remove it myself, he died from stress while I was holding him. I also notice that they do tend to just 'sit there', not as active as my pigeons or other birds.

Your pigeons free range? Like outside with no cage? Where do they live and spend the night, have shelter from rain and storms?
Do you provide them with food and water?
It's so amazing you haven't lost a single pigeon so far in 4 years
I got my doves yesterday and they haven't been much active. They are white ring-necked. I've wondering if they were sick. I follow a dove account on a social media website and he seems really fun and active!!
My male is more active but the female just sits around, all lazy.
It is really stressful to have sick pets.

Have you vaccinated your pigeons against anything? Should I vaccinate them?

 

[ilikepigeons]

Your pigeons free range? Like outside with no cage? Where do they live and spend the night, have shelter from rain and storms?
Do you provide them with food and water?
It's so amazing you haven't lost a single pigeon so far in 4 years
I got my doves yesterday and they haven't been much active. They are white ring-necked. I've wondering if they were sick. I follow a dove account on a social media website and he seems really fun and active!!
My male is more active but the female just sits around, all lazy.
It is really stressful to have sick pets.

Have you vaccinated your pigeons against anything? Should I vaccinate them?

Yes, outside with no cage. Some come back to the sheds I provide, the others roost in large pinetrees, the ones in the pinetrees don't have quite as good shelter so I'm encouraging them to roost in the shed, the ones in the trees are mostly ferals that I have semi-adopted.
I do provide them with food and water, they're free fed grain. I notice the ferals still prefer to fly to the river to drink though.
I'd say it's pretty normal for them to be not so active, especially the first few days of bringing them home, just watch for other illness symptoms. The diamond doves I have are inactive, if it was for example a budgie being inactive I would consider it an illness symptom but it appears to just be the normal for my doves. The only time I see them being active is when they're either flying laps or I have just given them their favourite food. It is also the individual birds personality to a point, some will be active and others wont. I also noticed my male dove was more active than the females.
It really is, . Rabbits and guinea pigs have been the worst for me. I'm not getting any more guinea pigs, although they are nice it is just too sad the state of their health, I have had a 3 year old die of kidney failure and my 1 year old has benign tumors everywhere, two of my previous had genetic ovarian cancer and recurring infections. According to my grandmother who had many of them of them hers never had health problems and lived to ripe old ages, I think the pet trade has not been breeding them without health in mind and it's completely ruined the joy of having them, I notice purebred rabbits to be the same too. At least my mixed breeds have been healthy rabbits, though.
I haven't and don't plan to vaccinate my pigeons.