Pigeons

[laughingdog]

I think breeds and especially even strans of pigeons, effects tameness, as well as curcomstances. Most strains of white dove release and racing homers are not touched handled except. tossing and packing, and are not bred for tameness, just from my experience (which is varied in breeds but probly no were near some in breeds and time spent with certain strains of, as ol time pigeon pros).

 

[laughingdog]

Flying pigeons that are too tame can be not watchful enough out and about and go up to others and be then lost to you not kept in mainstream keeping. show type pigeons however that are just all kept in cages or lofts, youll see much more tameness supposedly. ferals are very friendly easliy tamed as they are bred that way naturally as well as still have tamed old blood of mostly homers and meat breeds etc that went stray and had to go around people still in survival for food protection and nesting were we live.

these are just my observations and opinions of. I'm happy to learn from other's.
we don't want some thinking we pigeon keepers can be as standoffish as said of chicken keepers. I've heard of many getting out of hobby socially or not part of at all because say all locals they tried to learn from were "all just crotchety old men". we don't want pigeon hobby and all our beloved breeds and strains of rock doves dying out now after we are done and gone, as sadly i think I'm hooked as a lifer in the hobby as long as i can see enough to watch them fly, and still after keep one pair to half dozen to hear after that.

 

[jak2002003]

You are right about breeds and strains.

I keep and handle all my pigeons the same way and I have noticed that some breeds are naturally tamer than others... and some breeds have different personalities no matter what I do to tame them.

For example

My fantail pigeons are all very placid... very tame... they will all fly at me and land on my head, arms, and shoulders and mob me for treats. The don't mind too much their nests being inspected. They are very inquisitive and will gather around getting under my feet when I am doing work in the yard.. poking their little beaks into everything. They think I am just another fantail pigeon to them.

My Old Dutch Capuchines are in the middle.... they are a bit flighty and wary of me, but they will still land on my hands to eat treats and all take treats from my hand. But they are not interested in me other than for food. They won't sit around me if I have nothing to offer them!

At the end of the scale are my utility king pigeons. They are bossy. None will feed from my hand or take treats off me. They are not scared of me at all.. and if I get too close they will give me a hard slap in the face with one of their wings. They are VERY protective of their nests and I have to pick them up and take them off to look under them.. otherwise they will peck hard and whack me with their wings. The want nothing to do with me... they think I am very low down on the pecking order and they don't want to associate with me!!! They are rather grumpy with the other pigeons too.

I used to keep white racing homers and they were also very tame.. tamer than the Capuchines, but not as placid at the fantails..

 

[Stephen4417]

i didnt eat my pigeon ewww