Raising Pigeons

[Feathered Wings]

Quote:
Deerman I've never tried 2 nest for a pair i have a few questions about that.

If they are have young in a nest and eggs in the other nest is it only the male feeding the young?

If they share the brooding of the young and eggs how do they work that out with 2 nest?

How can the male feed all 4 when the others hatch?

I would be afraid the parents would neglect the first hatchlings in favor of the new one's?

I have fantails and they only lay the 2 and have never breed after the 2 eggs are laid.

Just curious as to how you work this?

 

[FrChuckW]

Okay, with the two nests the pair will usually start the 2nd clutch when the chicks are about 2 weeks old. Once both eggs are laid the hen will do most of the setting on the new nest of eggs. But they will take turns as normal, female at night and male during the day. Both parents will take turns feeding the squabs in the original nest and setting on the new eggs. By the time the new eggs hatch the first babies will be about ready to fledge and should be eating grains by themselves.

If you take a standard nesting box and divid it in two sections with a divider that only blocks it halfway from floor to ceiling, then the older squabs will be less inclined to bother the parents on the new nest.

 

[Feathered Wings]

To me that seems a bit stressful for the parents to take care of 2 and hatch 2 more.
I would prefer to just let them hatch the 2 and take care of those as i believe they need the undivided attention of both parents.

I feel no need to rush as it's not very long after the first hatch the babies leave the nest and they are setting again.

I know it probably doesn't stress them in others opinions and i do respect your opinion.

 

[FrChuckW]

Quote:
They will lay the eggs with or without a second nest site. The reason for the two nests is so that the new eggs don't get dirtied by the squabs in the old nest as well as the possiblity of them getting broken. If you don't want them to raise a second brood be prepared to pull the eggs and dispose of them.

 

[deerman]

Yes , they will share the eggs, the male will feed the squeakers more. Both will feel them.

Raising two nest , is not that hard on them. When you keep feed in front of them 24/7. Not like wild Pigeon that have to fly mile to fill their crop with food.

 

[deerman]

Quote:
Not to be mean.

Most pigeon young are call SQUEAKERS, pigeon for the table are called SQUABS.


You will get some dirty looks call a young homer or show birds Squab.

Just a little info.

 

[Feathered Wings]

My Fantails and Shield Owls are given one nest during my breeding season.

They have never lay in the nest again until the first have left the nest.

I've never had a problem with them laying eggs in the nest with the young one's

I also keep the nest very clean for the young changeing the straw when it's very soiled.
I remove all the nesting material after the young leave the nest and replace the straw.
The pair will then mate and lay eggs while the male tends to the young on the bottom of the cage.

Thanks for the info i breed from spring to fall and i really enjoy raiseing pigeons

 

[chilling in muscadine]

Quote:
Sara, I use the gray grit, it has pieces of charcoal and oyster shell already in it. Sometimes I will use the red grit if my store is out of the the gray grit and I am totally out.

You could move them now, before the chick is hatched, they may or may not abandon the egg, but I rather doubt it. If you move them now, move the male first so he can inspect the nest site. As to moving them once the chick is hatched, I would wait a few days afterwards. As these are the only two that you have then it probably would be safe to move them to the new location, just make sure you move the hen and chick together and place them in the nest first and then bring the male over. Move the material in the current nest with them so that the new nest is familiar to them. Pigeons like to pick the highest nest area they can, and they are not the greatest nest builders either.

As to the male doing what he is doing when you coo to him, he is either looking at you as a potential mate, even though he already has one at "home" with a baby, or he is trying to drive you away from the nesting area. I tend to lean towards the first explanation more than the second. While they tend to be somewhat monogamous, a male is not above chasing after another female that is apparently available.

The feed store didn't have any red grit, it would have to be ordered, take a week to get here and its $13.00 per 50lbs. A littles steep but I always get what my animals need. That is ALWAYS. why I don't get what I need. lol I told the clerk I would let her know tomorrow because I wanted to see what you guys suggested. I will check on gray grit tomorrow. The lady knew it was for pigeons so whay didn't she know about the gray? HUMMMMM Anyway we have decided to move them in there new condo tomorrow. She is sitting inside a basin like you get from the hospital. I think we can make this work for the pigeons. I will let the male investigate first. I don't think he will be disapointed. We can have the females nest right nest to the nest we built per yous guys instructions so hopefully it will work out for the little unborn pigeon. If she leaves the egg, oh well, we are trying to get it right. I just have absolutey no idea what I'm doing with the pigeons. I adore them and want more.

As far as the cooing he would coo back and turn himself in circles and do a beautiful dance for me. My old man is the one who showed me how the male pigeon would coo and dance for us. My old man does this to him all the time, does it mean he is trying to court him.

Now that is funny. When he jumps on the wire to be close to my face he doesn't do this in a threatning way. Maybe he is courting us.

I started my anorexia threapy back today, first time since June. Its 4 hours long everyday but during group session the people that were there when I left six months ago asked me all kinds of questions about what i had been doing with my time. I layed it on them too and thick but hey its all true. I mentioned the pigeons and the fact the female is setting and a older man in the group session said that if two males happend to hatch that the parents would kill one of the males. Is there any truth to this or an old wifes tale. I hoping its a tale. I would like to get two ladies though. BTW when I adopted these pigeons from the ladies family that had died I knew the oldman wanted some so I told him they were his. He did mention I was trying to steal his pigeons, what he doesn't know is he has already lost them. lol

Thanks for the info, I'm sure you will here from Miss wet behind the ears again with more question if you don't mind.

Edited to say: the male pigeon was performing and cooing at us way before there were any eggs!!
Sara

 

[deerman]

YES they are courting for a mate.

If you can best to keep equal number of pairs. Any odd number
of males of females. Can break up pairs, other male will try and knock off the breeding male and take his place.

Pigeon males and female can be CHEATERS . so for pure show birds some breeders breed in single pens.

 

[deerman]

No the male does not kill the male squeaker. they make kill strange squeaker that come into their nest.

Just another old wise tail. Some first time pairs make hatch only one . maybe how the wisetail came from.

Best to move pairs with squeaker after they are 10 days or older.

Rare for them to set on their eggs if moved.