Hercules on the rampage

Piper and Hercules have discovered the eggs were duds and stopped sitting on them. So now's the time when I have to keep an eye on him for aggression.

Today I made Piper a place to hide from him: a cardboard (shoe) box with two holes cut in in, big enough for her to get through, but not him! I hope that works if she needs some peace and quiet.

Teresa wrote:

Piper and Hercules have discovered the eggs were duds and stopped sitting on them. So now's the time when I have to keep an eye on him for aggression.

Today I made Piper a place to hide from him: a cardboard (shoe) box with two holes cut in in, big enough for her to get through, but not him!

I hope that works if she needs some peace and quiet.

I hope it works too.

They have started a new nest on the top tier. So far, peace reigns...

Teresa wrote:

They have started a new nest on the top tier. So far, peace reigns...

Teresa wrote:

Piper and Hercules have discovered the eggs were duds and stopped sitting on them. So now's the time when I have to keep an eye on him for aggression.

Today I made Piper a place to hide from him: a cardboard (shoe) box with two holes cut in in, big enough for her to get through, but not him! I hope that works if she needs some peace and quiet.

That didn't work. He may not have been able to get into that shelter, but he managed to get his beak in there and do enough damage...
Hercules went into a bad mood again yesterday evening, just before Piper laid her second egg, and got put in solitary for an hour. When he came out, she'd laid the egg and things were OK.
Then suddenly this afternoon, when she came out to eat, he went crazy attacking her, but it only took me a couple of seconds to open the cage and grab her.
I cuddled her, and she kept trembling. Poor Piper, she's such a gentle, friendly little soul, how can he be such a brute to her? She had a few feathers missing on the back of her head and on her thigh, and she was limping a little. I examined her carefully, but the skin wasn't broken and there is no fracture.

Piper was my first resident pigeon, and though she doesn't stand out much or do any funny tricks, she will always be my blue-eyed gir. I hate seeing her tired, bedraggled, constantly laying and sitting, getting pushed into the nest to sit there all day, and getting precious little affection from Hercules.
So, if I have to, I'm prepared to be a mother-in-law to him, and keep them apart until she's stronger, healthier and happier. She's gone to her mother's (me) until he behaves or for good. I'm not having her abused like that.

He's awfully quiet now, and I feel sorry for him. Under all that bravado there's a lot of insecurity. But what else am I to do?

Hercules really does attack poor little Piper, doesn't he?
I would have done the same thing, remove her to a safer, happier place and let him do some thinking 'alone'.

I see some of the feral males driving their mates all over the yard. They try to get a drink of water or rest for at least a second to no avail. They can't even get a bite to eat without having to be on the run.
Frank is a good one for doing that to Daisy.

Piper is near the window, close to Marty's carrier, and she's been enjoying the peace and quiet. Actually, she was very interested watching me feed Marty, and I think she wanted to feed him herself! Sorry, Piper, wrong diet, otherwise I would have appreciated the help!

Hercules is alone in the cage, and he's been ever so quiet all day. He has made no effort to sit on the eggs. He can see Piper's basket from there, and knows she's inside, but he's spending most of the time facing the wall. I wonder if they will get back together, and whether it would work.

In your experience, does this kind of behaviour from the males towards their mates change? Or does it take a stronger male coming into the scene to stop them being so aggressive?

Teresa wrote:

Piper is near the window, close to Marty's carrier, and she's been enjoying the peace and quiet. Actually, she was very interested watching me feed Marty, and I think she wanted to feed him herself! Sorry, Piper, wrong diet, otherwise I would have appreciated the help!

Hercules is alone in the cage, and he's been ever so quiet all day. He has made no effort to sit on the eggs. He can see Piper's basket from there, and knows she's inside, but he's spending most of the time facing the wall. I wonder if they will get back together, and whether it would work.

In your experience, does this kind of behaviour from the males towards their mates change?
Or does it take a stronger male coming into the scene to stop them being so aggressive?

When I see Frank driving Miss Daisy around the yard it's usually after she has abandoned her eggs and just trying to enjoy a little 'me' time. It almost seems like he doesn't want her to have any time to herself.
It sounds like Hercules might have the same mindset.

Frank has never attack here though. Just being a BIG pain in the backside.

AZWhitefeather wrote:

When I see Frank driving Miss Daisy around the yard it's usually after she has abandoned her eggs and just trying to enjoy a little 'me' time. It almost seems like he doesn't want her to have any time to herself.
It sounds like Hercules might have the same mindset.

Yes, that's it, exactly! Except she has a hard time getting something to eat and drink, and can't get any exercise. My beautiful girl is looking so tatty and downtrodden... Now that she's moulting, she must have the care and diet she needs.

It really angers me when I see the ferals treating their mates in such an unacceptable way.
They sometimes run them ragged.

And your right, the females can't even get a drink of water or anything to eat.
I have tried to chase the male away, by tapping on the window, but that only startles the female as well and she flies off.

Now that molting season is here, they've got that added stress.

I hope Piper is doing OK now. Bless her heart.

It's funny that Piper is falling back into her baby ways now she's on her own. When I opened her door earlier on to change her water, she jumped right onto my arm! What a sweet girl!

She's back with Mama where she knows she is safe and secure and is lovin' it. Bless her heart.