#shoutout to my boy Hoot who got fucking Got by his daddy day 1

[pigeon-behavior]

There's a very enjoyable change you can observe over time in your breeding birds.

In my experience, parents are EXTREMELY protective of their first clutch. I know not all pairs are like this, but mine have been. Newt was so protective of his first babies that in his quest to bite me he bit his newborn kid instead - drew blood and everything. I had to run inside for the kwik stop and terramycin.

He came at me with everything he had those first few checks. He was VERY excited about having babies and he was NOT going to let me take them!

Fast forward a few clutches... Newt has done himself some simple observing. And he's noticed that I have not been eating his kids for afternoon snacks.

In fact, he's noticed I come in and offer family meal time in his next box with some of his very favorite food on earth. He doesn't even mind that it's in my hand - it's not like he hasn't eaten from my hand before!

And very quickly he has gone from suspicious and defensive to casual and accepting. I check under him to see his new babies, holding my hand in a position that would prevent him from accidentally biting his own kid, but I don't have to anymore. He's not thrilled, but he's willing to let me look. He knows I give them back.

He also has seen me performing what should be parental duties with his children. I don't know if that's a thought that fully connects in his head, but with the two pairs I bred longer it almost seemed like they had some acceptance of me taking care of their kids.

And, anecdotally, my other breeder friends tell me about how their most established birds sometimes seem like they are relieved when the kids are collected for socialization time. Getting off the nest as the people enter the loft with an air of 'thank god, the babysitter is here.'

It's really hard to say if that's how they view us after a while. But, at the very least, you can see the trust they have with you really grow. I think it is partially desensitization, but I also think it is just simple learning. Instinct says something taking Baby is Dangerous, so panic. But then Baby keeps coming back unharmed! So why stay upset?

Domestic animals are so cool, man. What do you mean that animal is set up to just chillax? Thas crazy....

If you enjoy my posts, consider tipping me on ko-fi!