|
The Original All Roller Talk Discussion Board Archive >
Paired birds up today for the first time
Paired birds up today for the first time
Page:
1
Double D
112 posts
Jan 28, 2006
9:58 AM
|
One pair hooked right up and began kissing within about an hour. Most other pairs, the cocks danced around and seemed to drive the hens quite aggressively. However, with a couple pairs, the cocks just went after the hens in an unrelenting attacking on them. Is that normal behavior? Granted, these birds are young, 6 & 7 months old and I'm sure they're just learning but how are they going to get a hen to mate with them if all the cocks do is attack them? Thanks for your responses!
Darin
Last Edited by Double D on Jan 28, 2006 9:59 AM
|
J_Star
209 posts
Jan 28, 2006
11:45 AM
|
That is part of the mating ritual. Sometimes the cock will scalp the hen and cause her a head injury. Don't ask me why, it is just a pigeon thing.
Jay
|
Double D
113 posts
Jan 28, 2006
12:33 PM
|
You're kidding me?! I don't remember that happening with the homing pigeons I had 20 years ago. Well, while I don't like it at least it makes me feel better that it's normal. Four of the seven pairs have cocks attacking hens. I hope they get over it soon and start laying some eggs.
Darin
|
Bundee
5 posts
Jan 28, 2006
1:20 PM
|
yes sir thats a normal mating ritual
|
Shaun
263 posts
Jan 28, 2006
1:44 PM
|
Darin, I've been observing the ritual with my Masons for months, now, and I've never seen anything approaching scalping. They're all a similar age to yours - a month or two older perhaps - but they're not aggressive at all. The snogging you've seen usually occurs after the treading has taken place, whilst the chasing is to actually get the hen to squat. Indeed, the squat can be the very first thing that happens - the order of service being a rampant cock, a willing hen, a squat, a tread, then canoodling and finally them both getting together under the sheets in the nest bowl.
However, going back to the start, with the cock making his advances, if the hen won't bend over (as it were), he can then get a bit frustrated chasing her around. When this happens, my hens usually just avoid the cock by flying up to a perch. They then come down - or fly up to the cock's chosen nestbox - when they're good and ready. I did try not having perches, but I just got cocks and hens flying all over the place, which drove me mad.
Another reason for cocks aggressively chasing hens is when they 'drive' them to the nest as egg laying nears. The hen might go for some food or drink and the cock has a go at her to get her back to the nest. Again, my cocks just politely ask if their hens wouldn't mind awfully returning to their nestboxes!
Interestingly, when I put the pairs together, I'd already allowed the cocks to choose their own boxes. I then put the hens inside with the cocks locked out, but strutting their stuff on the outside, as they eyed up the hens through the dowelling. I thought a couple of hours of this, then they'd be at it as soon as I opened the boxes. No chance - the cocks just kicked the hens out. However, I came back a little later and in most cases, they'd paired up according to plan, with the hens sitting in the very same boxes they'd been kicked out of. It seemed there was a certain protocol to follow - something like the cock saying: "You're not allowed in my box yet, but let me shag you on the floor, then you get the keys to my apartment".
Shaun
|
Opinionated Blowhard
7 posts
Jan 28, 2006
4:07 PM
|
Your problem is that your pigeons are still too young to mate easily. Some of them are mature enough, some are not. An immature cock will try to beat up on the hen you give him because he thinks she is invading his space and he has to drive her out of his territory. A mature cock will try to mate with the hen. If she doesn't respond by strutting appropriately, he will get mad and start beating up on her. Immature hens sometimes don't know how to respond.
|
Double D
114 posts
Jan 28, 2006
10:08 PM
|
Well, by the end of the day I'm happy to report that they all seem to have warmed up to each other. I went out to check on them this evening and they were each huddled together with their new mate in the nesting bowls. There was still a little squabbling going on but a whole lot of kissing, cuddling, and some actual mating going on as well as I observed them for about an hour. I thought it may take a few days but they've seemed to get together quite quickly. Hopefully I'll have 14 fertile eggs in less than 2 weeks. I agree that there is plenty of immaturity but I also think instincts have taken over and they're doing the best they can. They're just going about it like a bunch of 17 and 18 year olds. You know, fighting one minute and making up the next with the occasional quicky to keep things interesting LOL! Thanks for the input guys. I was ready to kill a couple of cocks before you helped me understand that their behavior was normal. I did learn one thing today - don't bother wasting good tobacco stem nesting material on day one. All they did was play with it and scatter it all over the place, basically wasting it. Any tips of when and how to start providing nesting material so I'm not wasting as much?
Darin
|
Shaun
264 posts
Jan 29, 2006
1:34 PM
|
Darin, some of the birds don't use nesting material at all, whilst others take great delight in building a nest of some sophistication. Personally, I put a felt nesting pad in the bottom of each bowl, so it doesn't really matter whether that's added to, or not. All the youngsters have warmth and support and I've seen no difference between the ones born to the 'minimalistic look' and those whose parents used every spare feather in the loft to build a high nest.
For a change, today, I threw a few handfuls of good old straw on the loft floor. I then spent a happy hour watching a good many cocks and hens flying down to the floor then back up to their nest box to line the bowl. Some were preparing for eggs, others had already laid, and some eggs had just hatched.
The main thing I've noticed is that if I put straw or whatever in their nestbowl from the off, they usually toss it out. It seems they need to make the nest (those that do) of their own violition.
Shaun
|
Vibey
19 posts
Mar 02, 2006
6:51 PM
|
Let me add that there's nothing more relaxing than watching the birds cart nesting materials up to the nest box to make the nest. I could watch this for hrs on end. I also agree it's better to allow the birds to make their own nests as opposed to putting the straw in the nest box and arranging it in the shape of a nest for them. I feel that allowing them to build their own nest gives them a stronger parenting desire, and is obviously more natural which in my opinion is always better as well. And last but not least , when breeding seaon starts , and the nest boxes have been cleaned and scraped etc , if you just put the nesting materials on the loft floor , it'd easier to tell who's gonna lay and when , as you will see the straw hanging from the nest boxes of the working pairs. Who would want to discourage natural nest building ...certainly not this crazy canuck. Cheers everyone , and happy breeding.
Vibey
|
Post a Message
|
|
|