gender preference in pet pigeons

[broody rooster]

Does anyone know which gender is better as a companion? which is more affectionate, which has more personality, which would be a good possible foster in the future for fostering young doves/pigeons and also id like to see others preferences with pros, cons why they like them and such thank you

 

[gamebirdsonly]

I have pigeons and they all seem the same to me. Never been able to tell a difference in the way the genders act different.
I don't handle mine much so maybe someone else can help you with your questions.

 

[broody rooster]

thankyou i appreciate your experience

 

[appps]

Do you mean to keep as a companion to you? As in by itself? If so I'm going to say neither . They are very much a pair bird so you should keep two. They can stress on their own.

Also look at if you want them to breed, if not two females will also work. Younger birds that I've had (I babysit a lot) are much friendlier and eat out of my hand more than the older ones that didn't have much human contact till adults.b I've got two young females at the moment and they are friendly. One will fly up to me to be fed and the other eats out of my hand.

 

[broody rooster]

thank you

my original plan was to raise a baby myself but no one is willing to sell babies or eggs around where i live and to be honest the person i will be getting my pigeon from is the only person that even responded to the request and we converse and told me that my idea of letting my doves raise one was not a good one, he said they couldn't feed a baby pigeon for long and it will be to demanding and he was willing to sell some of his other breeds that he had which is why im stuck getting an adult that i hope will eventually become attached to me like how my dove did over time.

 

[appps]

thank you   my original plan was to raise a baby myself but no one is willing to sell babies or eggs around where i live and to be honest the person i will be getting my pigeon from is the only person that even responded to the request and we converse  and told me that my idea of letting my doves raise one was not a good one, he said they couldn't feed a baby pigeon for long and it will be to demanding and he was willing to sell some of his other breeds that he had which is why im stuck getting an adult that i hope will eventually become attached to me like how my dove did over time.

If he is breeding them come breeding season he may have younger birds that are culls he will sell you. The one eats out of my hand came to me that way and as I'm not showing them it doesn't worry me it's not show perfect. It appears fully grown but was only an immature bird and still quite open to me feeding it.

 

[broody rooster]

oh ok do you think itd be better to get and immature bird like the individual you have or a baby to handfeed? will the immature one bond with me as much as the handreared one would?

 

[appps]

It's hard to say. I would think the hand reared is going to be easier but then not many breeders are going to sell you one of those. The young one isn't going to be impossible though, you are just going to have to put more time into it.

I hope you are looking at getting two though. Won't affect their tame ness but will be better for the bird to have company. My sister had a pair and one died. The one that was left cooed and was upset pacing round for weeks till she managed to get it a new friend. They don't do alone very well.

 

[jak2002003]

Do not try to hatch or hand rear pigeon eggs. They will die. They need 'crop milk' from their parents to thrive. Without this they usually die before they leave the nest.. and if they do survive they are small and weak.. and are prone to diseases because they don't get the immunity from the parents pigeon milk.

I suggest you buy young birds that have left the nest and are eating seeds on their own. Then they no longer need their parents. They are naturally calm and easy to tame at this age.

PLEASE DO NOT GET ONE PIGOEN. They are highly social and pair bond very strongly. A lone bird will develop behavioural problems if it bonds to you as a pigeon mate, rather than its human keeper. I have seen hand raised pigeons getting super aggressive with their owners and other people.. as they have no fear of humans.. they will think nothing of flying at someones face and scratching them with their claws, biting at your hands and face with their beaks, and constantly attempting to mate with you head, arm or hand out of frustration, Also if the pigeon bonds to you as its mate it will be very stressed out whenever you leave it alone.. like when you have to go to work, shopping, or our with friends.

Parent raised birds will see you as a human, not a potential mate. 2 will get super tame and friendly once they see you as a food supplier!

Get 2 the same sex.. then you won't have to worry about overpopulation. 2 males are the best as they will not keep laying eggs.

No pigeon will simply foster a strange squab. Males will attack it and likely try to mate with it, and females will peck it and injure it. They have to be in the right stage of nesting to be ready to foster a squab. They have to be producing pigeon milk and be broody. So getting one to use as a foster bird is not a good idea.

 

[broody rooster]

ok thankyou for your advice would letting my doves raise a baby be a bad idea?