Undecided.. appreciate opinions.

[biophiliac]

Update.

I got lucky finding a female pigeon for the single male. I happened to be buying food for my birds and went into the shop next door to look at the fantail pigeons.

I saw 3 white homer X pigeons in a cage.. one male and the other 2 smaller ones females. The owner said they were my birds and one male had died. I had completely forgotten I had sold him some birds because it was so long ago. He let me have one of my females back for free! So I did not need to go catching feral pigeons or buying a pair of the fantails.

If I remember correctly the bird I got back is a cross between the white utility kings and dutch capuchine pigeons I used to keep.

She is the same size as a female homer should be but has longer wings and less stocky look (she has a long thin neck too) The homer male I am pairing her up to is very stocky and I hope the young will look more like him.

I put them together and the male was so happy to have a new girlfriend. He was really nice to her at first and she settled in straight away. But after a few hours he got a bit too aggressive with here and was pecking her a lot. So I divided the cage in half with some wire. I will let them be together in a few days when he has calmed down.

My other pair has been made a nest.. been mating a lot... but no eggs from the hen as usual. They now seem to have lost interest in breeding, and no longer sit on the nest. But hopefully, in the future I can use that pair to foster chicks from the new pair and get the numbers up quickly.

All the birds now are healthy, and all the poops are normal. Much cleaner and no smell.

Keeping my fingers crossed for the future... looking forward to having a small flock of white birds that can look beautiful flying in circles high in the sky above my house again.

Good news.

 

[Hokum Coco]

Do I allow them to fly out free and risk them flying away?

Thee rounds of squabs usually grounds an adult bird to a new loft.
The one bird that made it back to it's original loft is your best bird.
Some birds never adjust to a new loft.
One thing I have learned the hard way from raising pigeon.

"NEVER FLY A BIRD YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO LOOSE".

 

[Quacking Pigeon]

I’m watching this now, it’s very interesting. @jak2002003 good luck with the birds.

 

[jak2002003]

I’m watching this now, it’s very interesting. @jak2002003 good luck with the birds.

Nice to know people are interested in my story lol. So nice to talk to others who are also into pigeons.

Anyway, I have an interesting update.

4 days ago I accidently let the new female out when I was feeding them. She flew onto the ground and was pecking about. Trying not to panic I decided to let her mate out (as he is now strongly homed to here).

She kept trying to follow the male back into the cage, but kept missing the door and trying to get in the side!!!

Then the male flew onto the wall.. and she followed. He decided this was the perfect time to take his mate on a round trip of the area.. and off them both went high into the sky and flew off into the horizon!

Well it was evening before he came back... alone!

I did not expect the hen to come back, after she was not back the next morning. I was really annoyed with my mistake. We also had a couple of huge storms.. with strong winds and torrential rain over the next couple of days.

This morning I went out to feed the 3 pigeons and saw one was hunched up on the floor outside the cage. I though I must have forgotten to close the lone males cage door last night. But then I saw he was in his cage and the door shut. It was the female come back after all these days away!!

She was very hungry and looked scruffy. I let her mate out and they fed together. They are now both flying about the property and the female is resting on the house roof. I don't want to try to catch her, as she is very timid of me... not like my other 3 pigeons who have no fear. I did not want to frighten her to fly off again.

I have put the food in the cage no and have the door open. The male flies in and out a lot calling to the female. Now she is back I am hoping she will figure out how to get into the cage by this evening!

 

[jak2002003]

I am very pleases to say that my new female pigeon is now sitting on 2 eggs!

She has settled into her home really well (after at fist vanishing for a couple of days), and homed to her cage. They are free all morning and like to explore the garden... and she and her mate made a nest out of sticks and leaves and now have 2 eggs. They are brooding them very well and I am keeping my fingers crossed that I will have some lovely squabs soon.

I am also super surprised and delighted to say the old hen, which I presumed to be infertile (as she has not laid any eggs for well over a year after getting egg bound) has finally laid an egg too. I think she got the idea from the new female about its time to settle down and be a mother.

This pair is pure white racing pigeons.. and both parents are perfect shape and healthy. She laid the egg 2 days ago and today I am waiting to see if the second one comes no problem. Hoping she will not get egg bound again... but she is not too fat, has had lots of calcium and vitamin D, and is in optimal health... so hoping all will go well.#

This pair is usually allowed out in the afternoon (when I lock the other pair up). Both pairs can not be out free together as the males HATE each other and constantly fight... latching onto each other beaks and wrestling about none stop. They need the peace and quiet now for concentrating on brooding the eggs!!!

 

[cavemanrich]

Maybe still visit the park and see if there are any that would fit your needs. Good to have a diverse gene pool. You would need one of each in that case, or just keep until your squabs grow mature and need mates.

 

[jak2002003]

Bit worried about my old hen bird. She still only has one egg. Both are brooding it now... not just standing over it.

She seems fine though. Sometimes can they just lay a single egg, or do I need worry?

 

[biophiliac]

Bit worried about my old hen bird. She still only has one egg. Both are brooding it now... not just standing over it.

She seems fine though. Sometimes can they just lay a single egg, or do I need worry?

In my 2 hen nest there were 3 eggs- Awendola(Wendy) laid only one and seems to be fine.

 

[Hokum Coco]

She still only has one egg.

A second may or may not be laid in 48 hours. Rule of thumb is they usually lay two eggs. However some pigeons did not read the memo or take note.

 

[jak2002003]

She laid the second egg this evening... more than 48 hours after the first one!

She laid it outside the nesting bowl. At first I thought it was the first egg... and it had got chilled. Thankfully the other egg is still in the nest and being brooded.

The second egg had a hole in the top. The shell was all chalky and very rough. So this leads me to think this hen does have something wrong with her egg making equipment.

So now have the single egg and the 2 eggs in the other pairs nest. Very exciting. Hope no more worries!!