Oddball question

[Snakebiteholloway]

We are thinking of expanding our flocks into more than chickens and turkeys. We arent breeders, just love our birds. I'm a beef and pork girl, so our birds live long spoiled lives. 40 chickens, 22 quail and 6 turkeys at the moment.
We've been looking at pigeons and peacocks. The odd question is; comparing pigeons to 1)affectionate turkeys and 2)regular chickens (not physically affectionate but hand-tame) which are they most like? Do they get affectionate if attended closely? Or are they like my quail who want me to refill the feeders and leave quickly? It doesn't really matter if they're affectionate, as I'll probably try at least two IF i can ever find any! But I'd like to know what to expect. Quail have refused to hand-tame, despite my dedicated efforts, for example. Advice?

 

[Qwerty3159]

If you hand raise pigeons they can be very affectionate. A single pigeon housed indoors will easily bond with humans. Bonding and affection with pigeons can also not be ideal for the keeper, a large part of pigeon courtship is the male pecking the female behind the head and “driving” her into the nest. It can always be a problem when hormonal birds become too bonded to people… it doesn’t mean you did anything wrong raising your pigeons, just a normal part of their behavior. Pigeons have really strong pair bonds, so my unscientific guess is that these strong bonds can make confused pigeon x human relationships worse. I think an affectionate hen pigeon can be excellent and an affectionate cock pigeon can be a nuisance. That’s just my opinion though, many people are more than happy with their bonded pigeons!

However if you’re just looking for tame birds then it’s really easy to tame down pigeons. Quail in general have a skittish disposition but pigeons learn you’re not a threat very quickly. I’ve had pigeons for years and am still amazed at how tame some city pigeons can be. I keep about a dozen homers and the majority of them will fly up to my hand for food, I can scoop them right off their perches in my hands, etc. They show little of what I’d call affection towards me but they’ll follow me around the yard, respond well to their training, and are not afraid of me. I typically will have to walk around them when they’re in the yard rather than them moving out of my way.
A good way to tame down pigeons is with high-value treats like peanuts. If you have a tame adult pair they typically tolerate brief handling of their squabs well once they grow past their fragile stage and you can start getting them used to handling and such at a young age. Otherwise, just basic repetition of daily care gets them pretty used to your presence. I think at this point I’ve raised 2-3 dozen and I’ve only had one that was nervous and flighty forever.

 

[Snakebiteholloway]

If you hand raise pigeons they can be very affectionate. A single pigeon housed indoors will easily bond with humans. Bonding and affection with pigeons can also not be ideal for the keeper, a large part of pigeon courtship is the male pecking the female behind the head and “driving” her into the nest. It can always be a problem when hormonal birds become too bonded to people… it doesn’t mean you did anything wrong raising your pigeons, just a normal part of their behavior. Pigeons have really strong pair bonds, so my unscientific guess is that these strong bonds can make confused pigeon x human relationships worse. I think an affectionate hen pigeon can be excellent and an affectionate cock pigeon can be a nuisance. That’s just my opinion though, many people are more than happy with their bonded pigeons!

However if you’re just looking for tame birds then it’s really easy to tame down pigeons. Quail in general have a skittish disposition but pigeons learn you’re not a threat very quickly. I’ve had pigeons for years and am still amazed at how tame some city pigeons can be. I keep about a dozen homers and the majority of them will fly up to my hand for food, I can scoop them right off their perches in my hands, etc. They show little of what I’d call affection towards me but they’ll follow me around the yard, respond well to their training, and are not afraid of me. I typically will have to walk around them when they’re in the yard rather than them moving out of my way.
A good way to tame down pigeons is with high-value treats like peanuts. If you have a tame adult pair they typically tolerate brief handling of their squabs well once they grow past their fragile stage and you can start getting them used to handling and such at a young age. Otherwise, just basic repetition of daily care gets them pretty used to your presence. I think at this point I’ve raised 2-3 dozen and I’ve only had one that was nervous and flighty forever.

Perfectly answered all my questions! Thank you so much. I have also noticed the male bird "crush" in other species except roosters and so far, quail. They are still very young. Our geese and ducks did the same to my daughter. (I'm older) so i think it has a real basis. Exactly what i needed to know - thank you.

 

[LamarshFish]

Do they get affectionate if attended closely?

For the most part, not really. Even tame pigeons don't love to be handled a lot. There are always exceptions, but on average they are a bird that does not love to cuddle, at least compared to things like chickens, who if raised right can often really enjoy being on your lap and pet. I have one homer I had to hand raise due to its mom not coming back to my loft the day the baby was born. It likes us, and seems to enjoy being held and scratched, but I think it is the exception, not the rule.

 

[Qwerty3159]

Yeah they don’t see to get too affectionate. If anything a close bond can lead to what we would perceive as aggression with your hen or cock biting at you and trying to drive you into the nest. The behavior is definitely more common with male pigeons but I’ve had at least one hen that would drive the males into the nest, I had to pair her with my most aggressive male because she was beating up the other guys.

It’s really easy to train them to fly up to your hand for treats though!

 

[Snakebiteholloway]

For the most part, not really. Even tame pigeons don't love to be handled a lot. There are always exceptions, but on average they are a bird that does not love to cuddle, at least compared to things like chickens, who if raised right can often really enjoy being on your lap and pet. I have one homer I had to hand raise due to its mom not coming back to my loft the day the baby was born. It likes us, and seems to enjoy being held and scratched, but I think it is the exception, not the rule.

These are mostly questions for my daughter. She is considering expanding the flock.
I'm leaning toward peacocks. I enjoy my chickens, not clingy and certainly not cuddly girls, but aren't afraid, come when called or bag shaking, and are hand tamed for handling needs, meds and emergent treatment if ever needed.
I'm not particularly prone to "petting" things, really.
She isn't either, so that would probably be a good fit for her.
Thanks!

 

[LamarshFish]

I'm leaning toward peacocks. I enjoy my chickens, not clingy and certainly not cuddly girls, but aren't afraid, come when called or bag shaking, and are hand tamed for handling needs, meds and emergent treatment if ever needed.

Pigeons will do all of what you explained here, they just on average don't love to be held and pet (there are exceptions though). I know chickens are smarter than they appear.... but pigeons are MUCH more intelligent, and are very trainable. Mine know how to open barrel bolt locks, and can differentiate between all of the members of our family, including our dog.

 

[Qwerty3159]

I'm leaning toward peacocks. I enjoy my chickens, not clingy and certainly not cuddly girls, but aren't afraid, come when called or bag shaking, and are hand tamed for handling needs, meds and emergent treatment if ever needed.
I'm not particularly prone to "petting" things, really.
She isn't either, so that would probably be a good fit for her.
Thanks!

Those are all traits I like about pigeons too! Most pigeons handle well if they aren’t terrified of you. They don’t usually enjoy it but they easily learn to tolerate proper handling.

 

[Snakebiteholloway]

Pigeons will do all of what you explained here, they just on average don't love to be held and pet (there are exceptions though). I know chickens are smarter than they appear.... but pigeons are MUCH more intelligent, and are very trainable. Mine know how to open barrel bolt locks, and can differentiate between all of the members of our family, including our dog.

Oh that's scary cool! I'm definitely getting some!