Pigeons and doves together?

[RedRay]

Can you keep pigeons and doves in with chickens? Small number of each.

 

[shelleyd2008]

I've kept pigeons with chickens with no problems but I don't know about doves. Supposedly you can keep doves and pigeons together if there is plenty of space, but you have to watch them. I would think it's the same way for chickens.

I kept my pigeons' food and water up high where the chickens couldn't get it though, to make sure the chickens weren't bullying the pigeons away from the feed.

 

[RedRay]

Thanks SD2008 for the info. I've raised pigeons, doves, chickens, quail and pheasants ect but it been a few years. Never raised them together. I'm sorta starting over. (on a smaller scale-ha)

 

[puredelite]

My chickens and pigeons share a large wire enclosed fly-pen with no problems at all. Guess that the chickens are used to them as they don't even seem to notice. They both have separate houses and the pigeons enter their space by means of a small door located up high.

 

[PortugalBreeder]

They can hybridize, maybe that's the only prob, but I guess that if you raise the first ones separately (in terms of species) then they will not get close to the other species. If you use a broody pigeon to hatch and feed dove or vice versa, then you may have problems.

 

[tiffanyh]

My pigeons beat up my doves??

So shelley, if you kept them together, did you shut yoru chickens away at night, if so, how did you shut the pigeons away at night? Do they "go to bed" the same way a chicken will or do you leave them "free" in the run?

Sorry to hijack the thread...

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
Mine were in a 2-in-1 pen. It was originally for my turkeys when they were younger. It is wire all around with a 'roof' and the top 1/2 of the walls were covered. But pigeons will go to roost, if you kept them with your chickens in an enclosed coop and run, the pigeons would go back into the coop just like the chickens do.

 

[tiffanyh]

Im so trying this.

Thanks Shelley.

 

[Mary Of Exeter]

I have kept pigeons and chickens together. It isn't really advised, but it can work. Just make sure you keep all your birds healthy, as chickens can pass a lot of stuff to the pigeons (especially worms, eating off the ground as much as they do). Right now I have 3 pairs of pigeons with my ringneck doves, and none of them bother each other. You just have to make sure you have plenty of room, perches, nest boxes, etc. And with chickens, make sure they can't get to the nest boxes of the pigeons. If they fly up there, they could kill the babies or knock the eggs out of the nest. Also, to prevent fighting over food, having more than one feeder is good. I have had doves with chickens, but the doves stayed on their perches above the chickens. They also didn't bother each other. But it depends on the chickens. Some are agressive and some are not.

 

[tiffanyh]

Thanks for the heads up Mary. I just have two pigeons, they are girls, so no babies!

My chickens are pretty easy going. I have tried to mix a dove in with them but they attack it no matter how much room I seem to get them...but maybe the run area would give me enough space to try again.

Sorry OP!