Argh....someone's in the doghouse, but who???

[maryjane]

When I watered and fed day before yesterday I looked for each pij as I do in the mornings, and couldn't find little Snowflake the white dove in the small aviary. Heart in my boots, I found her (alive!) under the table in a basket, where a pigeon had cornered her and pulled out all of her feathers. I brought her in and put Neosporin on her back; her head is fine (thank God, as head-pecking can often lead to death, as I lost my first two male doves that way to GONZO the dove-hater). She is eating and drinking fine, is perky, and doing very well in the bedroom on her heating pad. I felt so awful that she must have just laid there all night in that basket thinking, When is Mom going to come out and look for me and save me???

I don't know who did it! I haven't seen ANY signs of aggression in the little aviary, towards other pigeons or the doves. Ivan and NotIvan both are fine. I think Snowflake must have just got under the table by accident (she doesn't hang out under there usually) and a pigeon got territorial and was trying to run her out but she was stuck.

Now I am nervously going out there every five minutes to see if anyone is exhibiting aggressive behavior. I am uncomfortable leaving the other doves in there, of course, but am torn. I set up this aviary solely for the purpose of the doves being able to fly in there and not be caged. I surrounded them with youngsters and mild-mannered pigeons, at least I thought so. I can't put all the pigeons back into the tent as that would overcrowd at this point, as I have taken in seven new ones (not to mention the construction site babies a few months back, which I took in knowing I had the extra aviary to use). I am very frustrated. I can't build another aviary right now. I can't see putting the other two doves as well as Genevieve (Ivan's pigeon mate) back into cages! They didn't seem to mind it but they like it so much more in the aviary (DUH).

I think at this point I may just take all of the now-grown birds and put into the tent, and switch them with some of the smaller birds (i.e. HawkEmu, little Red Girl, Mrs. Bird who would never harm a fly, etc.). I would feel really bad about caging the doves again and it's just not fair to them. I thought about making an aviary-inside-the-aviary for the doves, sectioning off the upper back half with my remaining chicken wire so they would have 1/4 of the aviary for themselves. This would be less room, of course, but better than being in a cage. Of course it is raining now and hard to do any aviary work.

My other idea is one I've been wanting to do for awhile, and that is to get a new tent that has two rooms that are divided. I need a new tent anyway for the winter (though the thought of transferring all the pijies is at best, daunting). If it had a large room and a small room, then the doves and Genevieve could have the small room to themselves. I think that is probably my best bet and I will be checking it out in the next few days.

Mostly just needed to vent about the frustration, that things never turn out exactly as we want, even when we plan for the best! Snowflake at least is quite enjoying her heating pad and being indoors. She gave me several dirty looks when I put her Neosporin on this morning, and then when I set her back in the cage, she actually "played 'possum" for a moment. I thought, OMG, I've hurt her somehow!!! But I nudged her and she jumped to her feet and went for some breakfast seeds. I've never seen a pigeon or dove "play dead" like that before and in the midst of all going on, I thought it was pretty interesting.

Thanks for listening (reading!) and I will have new pics up soon, hopefully today. Any suggestions welcome!!!

[Roxy]

Arrgh! Just one of those situations that there are no easy answers. I am glad your little one is ok, that must have been very scarey. I know pigeons are good at pecking but I didn't realize they could kill each other!!! You learn something new everyday!

[maryjane]

I don't think it's really normal behavior, but I think when two same-sized pigeons have a territory issue, they slap and peck at each other until one concedes. With a dove and a pigeon, the dove doesn't have a chance, especially backed into a corner. I know a lot of people keep their doves and pigeons together with no problems. I just don't think it's going to work here, unfortunately.

[mr squeaks]

YIKES, MJ, I'm so glad to hear that Snowflake is OK!!

With all the ones you have, I'm surprised you don't have more "issues." Of course, your set up is just lovely and happy birds can have a lot to do with all getting along!!

I hope all goes well with NO MORE CRISES!

Please keep us informed!

Love, hugs and scritches to ALL

Shi
& Squeaks

[pdpbison]

Hi Maryjane,



Oye, that is scary! I am so glad to hear she is okay, however sore and uncomfortable for now.


Unusual for a Dove to get into trouble when there is a roomy surround to get away from an agressive Pigeon, so I wonder ( as you did ) how she managed to get 'cornered' like that...unless she is still quite young and inexperienced and just got intimidated and 'cringed' instead of fleeing...which young Doves will sometimes do, even when they could easily fly away form the aggressor.


She is very lucky it was not worse!



Anyway, partitioning the Tent sounds best to me, or similar designs, or two connected yet partitioned Tents or something...where each has as much room as possible, can see eachother and so on, yet, are seperate...


Good luck..!


My little Cockateil was threatening he Dove associates earlier over some Safflower Seeds, and I was so proud of her! And they backed off and pecked from the periphery then, instead of crowding her out! She weighs maybe 1/3rd of what they do, and of course the Doves are a fraction of the Pigeon's weight...

I keep encouraging the Doves to 'threaten' the Pigeons when THEY crowd the Doves out, but so far, no luck...


Oddly, the smallest Dove of all, who is handicapped with a bad Foot, came closest...several times now he has faced a Pigeon, stood his ground with only a few inches between them, stared at Pigeon with total hard focus, poised to deliver his best peck...and the Pigeon paused and really thought about it, but, continued, and little Dove flew off and gave in...but nice to see he gave it a shot!



Phil
l v

[george simon]

HI MARYJANE, I commend you for trying to save these birds but you must understand that you can only take in just so many birds as you have room for.Over crowning leads to many problems.Sickness and Aggression are the two worst problems.I would also point out that it is best to keep Doves and Pigeons apart as pigeons can be very aggressive about their territory which in most cases is their nesting area. Young pigeons and doves can get into trouble as they are very curious. I hope that the little guy gets better quickly. .GEORGE

[amoonswirl]

Hi Maryjane
So sorry to hear about the little dove getting picked on. Glad he's ok. How scary.

I keep my doves separate from my pigeons & would recommend that approach if there's any way you could do it. Even some kind of a mesh curtained area inside the tent would create enough separation to keep the little ones safe from the big ones.

[maryjane]

Thanks everyone, yes George I totally agree about overcrowding and have always been careful not to do so. Everyone is fine the way they are now, I only meant that I couldn't take the pigeons out of the newer aviary and put them back into the tent, as their "spaces" have been filled. I let the spaces be filled as I have the room due to the new aviary. I just can't go back to the way it was; with pigeons in the tent, and just the doves in the new aviary. Then it would be too crowded. So a new solution is afoot. The two doves left in the aviary are going to have to go back into a big cage for a few days until I can get something bigger and better set up for them.

It is odd that the dove got under the table, as she doesn't hang out there. I moved it so it can't happen with a smaller pigeon getting trapped there by a big pij. It's so strange, I still haven't seen any swiping, wing slapping, pecking, or otherwise aggressive or territorial behavior and I've been checking a lot! They must know when I'm looking and behave. Little stinkers.

Phil, that is so funny about your little dove who is the smallest and disabled, but stood his ground with the pigeon. I think pigeons sometimes just get used to being the biggest and baddest and when someone stands up and says, NO, you can't push me around! they get more surprised than anything else. Good for him for not being bullied.

I appreciate your support everyone. Today I got up and then found Santa Cruz Bird had died, then one of the Monsters flew out and I was able to catch him, and it is also Clean Top To Bottom day in the aviaries, and I'm trying to figure out what to do about the doves, so I am a little discouraged in general today (not to mention tired lol). And it's not even noon! Well back to the grind.