Pigeon Talk

[biophiliac]

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Looks like they've been fed, yes?

 

[WVduckchick]

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[ChristineR]

Questions:

1. Best places to buy pigeons online? I'm having a hard time finding local pigeons that aren't ridiculously (IMO) expensive. My friend had a falconer come by her place to take care of her pigeon problem, so that's not an option for me anymore.
2. Do all pigeons return home (not just homers) and at what age are they too old to learn to come back home?
3. I'm assuming that homers would be best for dog training, but there are so many more kinds of pigeons than I was aware of that I'm not even sure how to tell homing pigeons from other types.
4. Are there any good resources for pigeon info?

 

[Qwerty3159]

Looks like they've been fed, yes?

I think so! I moved the hen off to take that picture and check on them but didn't handle either of them yet. I did see her feeding at least one of them.

 

[WVduckchick]

Ok, behavior question.
Brick and Brewer are almost 7 weeks old. Parents Trip and Rocky are now on 2 more eggs. B&B have been away from the rest of the group more than they have been around them.
Today I took them into the main pen. They both did a little flying, not bad for their first real chance to test their wings.
Of course Skye (an un-paired older cock) tried courting them, or maybe he wanted to hurt them, or show them who’s boss. Parents intervened a little and tried protecting them. Rocky and Skye got in a big tussle. Rocky is the dominant cock though, so Skye finally backed off. But then Rocky started grabbing Brewer by the back of the neck, so I intervened.
While B&B were on roost branches, the other females were fine with them, and even young Bugsy checked them out but wasn’t agressive with them. But Skye kept trying to corner them, so I finally pulled them back out. At least until they can fly better, and get a little bigger.

So was Rocky trying to court them, or just show his dominance, or reminding them that he was their dad, or what?

 

[biophiliac]

Ok, behavior question.
Brick and Brewer are almost 7 weeks old. Parents Trip and Rocky are now on 2 more eggs. B&B have been away from the rest of the group more than they have been around them.
Today I took them into the main pen. They both did a little flying, not bad for their first real chance to test their wings.
Of course Skye (an un-paired older cock) tried courting them, or maybe he wanted to hurt them, or show them who’s boss. Parents intervened a little and tried protecting them. Rocky and Skye got in a big tussle. Rocky is the dominant cock though, so Skye finally backed off. But then Rocky started grabbing Brewer by the back of the neck, so I intervened.
While B&B were on roost branches, the other females were fine with them, and even young Bugsy checked them out but wasn’t agressive with them. But Skye kept trying to corner them, so I finally pulled them back out. At least until they can fly better, and get a little bigger.

So was Rocky trying to court them, or just show his dominance, or reminding them that he was their dad, or what?

I don't know what he's thinking but cocks may drive off weaned offspring when the have another clutch going. Can B & B fly from the ground up to a branch easily?

 

[cavemanrich]

@Qwerty3159
Did your other pigeon return?

 

[Pyxis]

Questions:

1. Best places to buy pigeons online? I'm having a hard time finding local pigeons that aren't ridiculously (IMO) expensive. My friend had a falconer come by her place to take care of her pigeon problem, so that's not an option for me anymore.
2. Do all pigeons return home (not just homers) and at what age are they too old to learn to come back home?
3. I'm assuming that homers would be best for dog training, but there are so many more kinds of pigeons than I was aware of that I'm not even sure how to tell homing pigeons from other types.
4. Are there any good resources for pigeon info?

I found most of my pigeons on Facebook, actually. There are a lot of groups for them and lots of breeders looking to sell. Also there was the auction site I just got my tumblers from, fancypigeonauction.com.

 

[Qwerty3159]

@Qwerty3159
Did your other pigeon return?

Unfortunately not I'd like to think that since he escaped unscathed the first time that him not returning was by choice and not because he was killed. Maybe he was sick of being the third wheel and found a female feral?

I haven't given up on him completely yet.

 

[WVduckchick]

I don't know what he's thinking but cocks may drive off weaned offspring when the have another clutch going. Can B & B fly from the ground up to a branch easily?

They didn’t try from the ground. I picked them up a couple times and put them back on branches. They flew between the boxes and perches, but when they ended up on the ground, Skye would chase them. One did fly up to a low ledge, then to a higher perch. I don’t think it will take them much longer to get it. I’ll do short spells each day until I’m comfortable that they can get away a little easier.