the story continues...

You need a lot of patience, don't move at all and don't look at the pigeon you would like to eat from your hand. Try it again and again. One day s/he will take what you have to offer. It took 3 months to convince our Pete and Emma that they can eat from my hand! Others will do it immediately. You never know....

Rattyfield - very lovely pictures!!! Especially the ones in flight!!!!
I have still not taken the opportunity to try flight pics - it's difficult on the balcony because you need a lot of time and have to wait for the right moment....

The more time you spend with them, so that they are quite used to your being around is necessary, then try offering chopped peanuts or safflower to them in a shallow jar cover or something that you can hold. Shyer birds that won't eat from your hand right away will sometimes eat from a container that you hold. Eventually, you offer the treats from your hand, and they will take it when they are comfortable enough with you. They have to trust you first.

Appreciate the update and photos, rattyfied.
Two beautiful birds you have there.

Siam Sam wrote:

Henry and Co simply won't eat out of our hands. Is there a trick to it or just luck? One of his children, The Kid, would at first, but as she got older she seemed to decide it was not a good idea after all.

pigeonwriter wrote:

You need a lot of patience, don't move at all and don't look at the pigeon you would like to eat from your hand. Try it again and again. One day s/he will take what you have to offer. It took 3 months to convince our Pete and Emma that they can eat from my hand! Others will do it immediately. You never know....

it took a week to train Apollo to eat from my hand but he has been here since last August, New-Missus has only started feeding from my hand these last few days, i started the training in April
they respond to the sound of tub of food and to my voice, i always say the same things in the same tone and i don't call N-M "New-Missus" to her face, she prefers to be called "Sweetie"

i started leaving food on the balcony wall at the same time everyday but only enough for a snack, then standing still in the corner whilst they ate, then putting it on the balcony floor - moving it closer to the corner, & me everytime

i didn't look at them at first, but it's ok now

if Apollo hasn't seen me for a few hours he will coo in greeting when i look at him & say hello

Does he bow to you...Apollo? Some of my bird bow to me and I bow back and then they bow and I bow back and...on it goes until I stop the bowing.

Thanks! We'll just have to persevere. Odd that The Kid went in reverse and decided as she got older that it probably was not a good idea after all. Henry's known us for 10 months now; hopefully it won't take too long.

i've been really busy this last few months - friends' weddings, music events, photoshoots...
we went away for 10 days at the end of july; on our return Apollo & New-Missus were still about but Apollo had the raging hump with me, before our holiday Apollo was very confident & N-M had just begun to be comfortable around me, so she was very confused...she was hungry but took her lead from him and he wasn't eating
if i left food out for them it would eventually be eaten, but they wouldn't eat from my hand

the council have been installing double-glazing on our estate which hasn't helped

now things are almost back to how they were - Apollo and N-M wait for their breakfast
quite often i'll open the door and he'll be almost on the doormat
he still isn't speaking to me though

they've been moulting - decorating our balcony, and i have to close my eyes when they take off
i took these pics a few days ago just as the last of the new feathers were coming through

They look just alike! Mrs is on the left...right?

Matilda wrote:

They look just alike! Mrs is on the left...right?

They do look like mirror images of each other!

Matilda wrote:

They look just alike! Mrs is on the left...right?

EgypSwiftLady wrote:

They do look like mirror images of each other!

yes they are so similar, indeed it is N-M on the left
i find it easy to remember for photos as she is pinky-grey and he is bluey-grey
but in real life their behaviour is so different they might as well be baby-pink & sky-blue

Mrs has a smaller head, too!

Great pictures, rattyfied. Thanks for sharing them with us.
What a couple of beauties.
I love how each pigeon develops their own personality?
Just like us humans.

Thanks for the update, Rattyfied! It's good to know things are okay with you.

It's disappointing to have a stepback in getting an animal to trust us, but I bet Apollo and NM will get over their feelings of abandonment sooner than you think! I had a cat who would turn her nose up at me and treat me with absolute contempt whenever I dared to spend one night out of the house -- then suddenly, a few days later, she'd change her mind and be friendly. Pigeons appear to take longer than that, but you'll see you're not back to square one!

indeed things are pretty much back to how they were - probably hastened by the onset of autumn
Apollo & New-Missus are eagerly eating from my hand, he will even put a foot on my fingertips so he can reach for more food, they sometimes ask for second helpings too
he still won't say hello but both will came if i call

today we were getting ready to go out...on leaving the bedroom was surprised to see the front door propped open, my husband leaning in the doorway to the lounge
he was waiting for the pijies to walk in the flat!
nothing was happening so he picked up the foodtub and shook it, i called and sure enough Apollo strolled right in
(this is the husband who makes out like he isn't bothered by the pigeons )

rattyfied wrote:

indeed things are pretty much back to how they were - probably hastened by the onset of autumn
* Apollo & New-Missus are eagerly eating from my hand, he will even put a foot on my fingertips so he can reach for more food, they sometimes ask for second helpings too
he still won't say hello but both will came if i call

** today we were getting ready to go out...on leaving the bedroom was surprised to see the front door propped open, my husband leaning in the doorway to the lounge
he was waiting for the pijies to walk in the flat!
nothing was happening so he picked up the foodtub and shook it, i called and sure enough Apollo strolled right in
(this is the husband who makes out like he isn't bothered by the pigeons )

* I'm so glad the pijjies are eating out of your hand once again.

** I love that!!

Apollo and N-M are now coming in for breakfast
and if i prop the door open they will wander around the hall for a few minutes afterwards

Apollo is as nosey as ever...

...That is so cute.

Cute shot. Thanks for sharing it.

Great picture, rattyfied.

What a darling! I can see why he sulked at being without you for a bit... I mean, how can anyone leave such a gorgeous fellow, even for a minute?!

can't believe it is nearly it's nearly i year since my last post
well things haven't changed all that much
Apollo and New-Missus are still with us...that's over 2 years for Apollo now

after his strop last year at our being away for 10 days i decided to stop feeding them on such a regular basis,
now they only have a snack if he asks nicely, we had been planning a 3wk holiday for a while so i wanted them to be less dependant
...it worked...we have returned after our trip, they are still here and he wasn't grumpy with me

i think maybe N-M is infertile? they have been trying for a family for 18+ months now...i guess Apollo is not as he had 2 babies already

they are both moulting just now so a bit camera-shy
but here are some pics of Apollo taken a few weeks ago when he was in the mood for posing

Hi Rattyfied,

Nice to hear from you again!

Apollo looks gorgeous, as ever! So cute, the way he poses for the camera!

The egg problem definitely rests with New Missus. If Apollo was infertile, she would be laying infertile eggs. If she's not laying at all, either she is too old to lay, or there's a major problem, i.e. the egg yolks may be storing up inside her without coming out. In this case, you will need to monitor her closely, because egg retention can be fatal, and the cure for it is either surgery or an expensive course of hormone injections, or both.

My hen Halo didn't lay eggs for the six months or so she was with her mate. But she seemed OK, so I didn't think much of it. Suddenly she lost a lot of weight, started vomiting and developed canker, and became so weak she could hardly stand. Some of those symptoms seemed to me like egg binding, so I took her to the vet. A physical examination and an X-ray didn't reveal any eggs (egg yolks don't show up in X-rays) but soon after, as she took medication and was put on a heating pad, she started laying what looked like hard-boiled egg yolks and half-formed embryos -- see the seventh post on this page:
http://www.pigeonangels.com/t2556p105-halo-has-a-broken-leg
She has been between life and death for several weeks, being tube fed and on several drugs, waiting to become strong enough again to have a hysterectomy. I hope and pray this won't happen to New Missus.

thanks for that info - interesting and worrying
apart from looking scruffy with moulting New-Missus looks fine and always has appeared to be healthy
the poops on our balcony seem normal
i hope she doesn't fall ill - i don't know if my vet will treat feral pijies

If she's free flying and comes to your balcony when she wants, there's a chance she may have made a nest somewhere else, and may have laid eggs. But if she is an indoor pigeon, and you can be sure she hasn't laid eggs, there could be a problem.

This hen...
http://www.pigeonangels.com/t2969-our-rescue-pet-pigeon-paloma-may-be-egg-bound-againhelp
... was also acting as normal as anything, but she's just been rushed in for an emergency operation to remove an egg that wouldn't come out.

One of our members said yesterday that many vets do not treat feral pigeons FOR FREE. As soon as someone turns up with a pigeon, feral or not, and are prepared to pay the bill, they treat the bird as a pet and give it the same care.