yound bird question

[bartuska]

My first baby, named Mango, is now 5 weeks and absoutely beauitful--and pretty tame thanks to my kids with constant hand feeding. Mango still will hang out with mom and dad in their box where they are sitting on 2 more eggs. Will Mango eventually leave the box for good? Will he always "know" his mom and dad? Soon my new loft will be done and I will have an area for the youg birds--is it important to make sure Mango stays away when the new babies hatch? I have noticed him out of the nesting box more and more and more and I've iontroduced him to the avairy which he likes. I'm just wondering what the natural weaning process is. Thanks

[Pigeonpal2002]

Hi Catherine,

Mango is getting near to the weaning stage and his mom and dad will soon start to drive him away. At 5 weeks, it's right in the grey area of tolerance by the parents. Usually the father pigeon will feed the young at this stage and if he's got a second batch of eggs going, he'll want to defend his nest from his previous young.

Keep an eye on Mango and make sure he's not going to get bullied by dad in the coming week. When the eggs hatch, Dad will most likely not tolerate Mango whatsoever.

[Skyeking]

Hi bartuska,

As Brad says the parents will let him know when he is not wanted around anymore.

My youngster, Winston, was tolerated sitting on the "porch" every night, for a long time. The opening to the nest box front, has a door that opens and closes down like a draw bridge, and that is where he sat.

He must have been two months old, when they finally had enough of him roosting there at night.

It is good he has a place to "hang out" with others his age as they learn to eat seed well, and learn social behavior, and play out different roles.

In time, they don't seem to recognize the parents anymore, and the parents don't either, or maybe they don't tolerate them anymore. I have a couple who had several rounds of kids, and to this day, the dad, Ken, still breaks up fights in the dining room whenever they start a scuffle, and the youngsters are 1 and 2 years old, now.LOL

[re lee]

I would watch as sometimes the parents get active to remove the youngbird And the youngbird does not want to leave the nest area. Then the parents scalp the bird repeatedly So keep a eye out for problems. And perhaps the bird will move out of the nest soon. 28 to 35 days is about the common weaning age.

[Jiggs]

Yes one of my birds (number one) - she was hurt by dad from being to nosy. At a stage it was about 8 weeks if I remember correctly dad will really punish her/him for coming to close.