UK pigeon owners

[LamarshFish]

VERY NICE! Impressive work in such short time.

 

[CCUK]

Well this has been an eventful day! Mr&Mrs pigeon, the first two that I knew were paired, have been very territorial over the complete side of the loft with all the nest boxes and the trap, which I leave open for them to see outside. They eventually laid an egg this morning! Wahay! She been sat on it all day. I finally managed to get some tobacco stems too late for them, but they have a nice nest made from straw though. Then my other Mrs pigeon has been under the kosh from the other two Mr pigeons! (I'm gonna have to think of names for them like turbo or timemachine or bullet or something!) Well I put some cut stems in and she promptly laid an egg! Great! Problem is that the other pair kept chasing her and the others away from that side. So she laid on the wire mesh on the bottom of the loft! So I got a nest bowl and put some straw and stems in it and put the egg in but she wouldn't go in the nest box she just stayed in the corner on the bottom covered in stems from Mr pigeon! I put the bowl on the bottom and she went on to it and is still there! Phew! I also found out three of them go through the bobwires! And I have two broody brahmas and a broody white leghorn!

 

[LamarshFish]

A few things.

First, one tip, I would remove those sections such that each nest box consists of two nest bowls. Each pair needs a nest box with two nest bowls because after they have raised squabs to about the 3 week age, and the squab(s) are still in the nest bowl being fed by the parents (maybe just the cock bird at that point), but have not fledged the nest bowl yet, the pair will begin building a second nest in the adjacent bowl and lay another clutch of eggs before their other youngsters fledge the other bowl. If you do not have a second bowl for the pair, you run the risk of them kicking squabs/squeakers out when they are not quite ready to fledge. While we usually see pairs use adjacent nest bowls in the same nest box, one strange thing that sometimes happens when there are many nest boxes (with 2 bowls in each) available, and not enough birds to occupy them all, is one pair may occupy and lay eggs in one next box and when they are ready to lay their next clutch instead of laying in the adjacent bowl in their own nest box, they'll go to a bowl in the nest box above or below. This likely will not occur if all the other nest boxes are occupied/held by other birds, since it's not worth one pair's trouble to try to defend two boxes and four bowls.

While it can sometimes be done with success, pigeons usually do not take too kindly to moving their nest or eggs. The reason is likely because of the next thing I'm going to explain. The cock bird is usually the one that selects the nest, so the nest location is predetermined, if you will. You may not have noticed it, maybe he wasn't doing much of his part, but usually the cock bird picks a nest box even when not paired. He defends this nest box as his territory from other birds, keeping them out of his zone. He'll usually take a perch somewhat adjacent or across from his nest box. If he hasn't found a mate yet, he'll court hens (mostly single hens, but sometimes they will court paired hens) by strutting with his neck flared and his tail fan dropped and sweeping the ground. The hen selects him, they are paired. Their copulation ritual involves them billing each other (pecking at each other's mouths gently) then they feed each other, and after that is done they do their thing. Eggs are laid in about 10 days after copulation. Eggs hatch 17-19 days after being laid (technically, after incubation begins). So, it is her cock bird's job to defend the nest. They will figure it out.

Btw, nice clay nest bowls!

 

[CCUK]

Thanks for the info! There's been quite alot of fluttering about this past couple of days. I knew about the first two but not this pair. It seemed to happen within 20 mins of me putting the stems in. I haven't seen them copulation and he was pecking her head. The nest he made was on her! It was strange though when I put the egg in a bowl for her none of them started flying about like they normally do, they just stood where they were and watched me?! It's so interesting learning there ways. From being used to chickens this is so different! At least I don't have to worry about dodgy incubators and assisted hatching!

 

[LamarshFish]

Thanks for the info! There's been quite alot of fluttering about this past couple of days. I knew about the first two but not this pair. It seemed to happen within 20 mins of me putting the stems in. I haven't seen them copulation and he was pecking her head. The nest he made was on her! It was strange though when I put the egg in a bowl for her none of them started flying about like they normally do, they just stood where they were and watched me?! It's so interesting learning there ways. From being used to chickens this is so different! At least I don't have to worry about dodgy incubators and assisted hatching!

Pigeons have many ways, definitely different than chickens. They have routines and bizzare instincts. I have never seen a cock bird build a nest on top of a hen, but it is not surprising. They have instincts programmed into their heads, and they just do it. So something is telling her "sit in that nest bowl" at the same time something is telling him "build a nest." They will figure it out. That is funny though.

Sometimes you will see them laying on top of each other in the nest bowl, or sharing it. This must be some kind of nesting instinct and/or ritual. I notice it usually happens a few days before they lay eggs. Within this time, they should be constructing their nest from the stems and whatever other materials they can find. They are industrious little critters, they build impressive nests from the stems, straw or whatever you give them, even old feathers that have fallen off birds. They will build a nice nest and lay eggs, but every so often, after building a beautiful nest, they will just destroy it and make a huge mess and build another one in a different bowl. What I would pay to get inside their tiny little brains lol.

One time one of my pre-fledged about 3 week old squeakers left his nest bowl (adjacent to the nest bowl his mom was sitting on her next clutch, like how I described above) and jus sat right in the nest bowl with his mom on her new eggs. She tolerated it for a surprisingly long time, then gave him the boot.

 

[CCUK]

I've heard they can be quite vengeful too. If another pigeon damages there nest or breaks an egg they will do the same back!

 

[CCUK]

Tonight has been a nerve wracking experience. I loft flew boomer! @biophiliac gave me itchy feet to see what would happen. So I cornered her in the trap let the bobs down and opened the door. And........she stood there looking out. Then flew to the ground walked about a bit flew on the garage roof and stood there looking around. So I went about starting my chores. Then she was gone! Is saw her about 150' up going like a rocket....gone. Now the worry set in. Would she come back? She didn't fly in a big circle round the house like my neighbours, she was gone, like a bullett! Would this be my last picture of her?

So I left it for about an hour could see her but I rattled the feed tin like normal still nothing. Then about half an hour later a little pigeon appeared on my neighbours roof and I could see the red band! Boomer had returned! So I started shaking my feed tin and put some sunflower seeds in the trap and down she came! She sat on the trap looking through the mesh pacing but couldn't figure out how to get in! I ended up putting a piece of the plastic boarding that I used for the poop tray on it with a few seeds and she went down and straight in!!! Near heart attack over! She returns! I have no idea where she went but she didn't stay local. I'll try this a couple more times then I will start going further away! I'm a nervous wreck but I had to know if she would come back. Now I know!

 

[cavemanrich]

Just keep loft flying her for a while. You can have her as the Lead Dog. when you start loft flying your other pigeons. They like to fly in a flock, and return as a flock.
You want to keep your heartbeat under 200 when you let her out again.

 

[CCUK]

Just keep loft flying her for a while. You can have her as the Lead Dog. when you start loft flying your other pigeons. They like to fly in a flock, and return as a flock.
You want to keep your heartbeat under 200 when you let her out again.

I'll keep her loft flying for a while then. The next one I was thinking of flying with her would be the male from the pair that had the first eggs. He's very protective of his nest area and I assume would be more likely to return because of forthcoming babies. I'll try and keep my heartbeat under 250 for a start! I was pacing!!

 

[cavemanrich]

I think it is called the Widow Effect in pigeon jargon.
You let out or race one member of a mated pair. This way it has a tendency/desire to return.