Many people get chickens because they are friendly and make good companions for most other animals. If you’ve been wondering “can chickens live with pigeons,” you’re in the right place. We’re going to look at why pigeons and chickens make good pets and how to provide a safe environment for both.
Can Chickens Live With Pigeons
Chickens can successfully live with pigeons if they are both provided with their own spaces. However, chickens can be aggressive towards animals smaller than them, causing injury or death, so if they live together, they should be safely separated, so no injuries occur.
Is It Safe To House Chickens With Pigeons
Chickens and pigeons have been known to coexist together safely. However, one minor incident can be fatal for your pigeons. Here’s a look at some other birds that are compatible with chickens.
Chickens have a pecking order that determines who is the flock leader and which chickens will eat first and last. Chickens decide this order by pecking at chickens who they think are weaker than them.
Usually, the order is decided with a peck or two, but sometimes it can get violent if neither chicken or animal are stepping down in submission.
Chickens will view anything smaller than them as being lower in the pecking order. They will bully and/or peck at them, sometimes until death.
If a chicken draws blood from any smaller animal at any time, you must remove them from each other immediately as chickens will peck them to death once they see blood.
This rule also applies to pigeons. Pigeons don’t have a pecking order like chickens do, but that won’t stop them from showing them who is more dominant. Pigeons won’t be able to defend themselves or fight back with a bird that is much larger than them.
When free-roaming, your flock should be able to share their space with pigeons peacefully. Most of the time, they will ignore each other and share water and feed.
The problem arises when they are brought into close proximity, such as being in the coop.
Can Chickens Get My Pigeons Sick?
Chickens are also known for carrying bird diseases, parasites, or illnesses that are deadly to other birds. Chickens eat all sorts of bugs and critters that carry bacteria and diseases.
Because of this, they are bound to pick up something eventually. Although your chickens might not get sick, it is pretty common for other birds housed with chickens to contract fatal diseases from them. So most of the time, housing chickens with other bird species is not advised.
Any time you’re throwing two different species together, there is bound to be some trouble. However, there are ways you can successfully raise chickens and pigeons alongside each other.
How To House Chickens With Pigeons
Although it’s possible for chickens and pigeons to live peacefully in the same coop, pigeons do have their own housing requirements and needs.
Like chickens, pigeons need a roofed shelter to be protected from the wind and elements. They also need to be kept dry as damp housing can put both chickens and pigeons at risk for illnesses.
Pigeons needs cubicles, often referred to as perches. These are little 10-inch-high and 12-inch-wide compartments used for nesting. Pigeons also need access to food and water inside of their shelter. Pigeons mostly eat whole grains, which are also safe for chickens to consume as well.
If you’re housing your chickens and pigeons in the same coop, your pigeons will need their perches to be high up in the coop, so they are able to get away from the chickens if they need to.
If you’re breeding and raising pigeons, your coop will need areas for both the adult pigeons and their offspring. It is also recommended that there should be 27 cubic feet of space for every pair.
If you’re worried about violent incidents occurring while you’re away, the best way to keep your pigeons safe is by giving them their separate section in the coop.
You can do this by separating the pigeons’ loft with chicken wire. This is the only way to ensure the safety of your pigeons when keeping them together with your chicken flock.
If you encounter any chicken attacks on your pigeon population, it might be a good idea to rethink how you’re keeping your animals together.
Chickens will need a perch, and if you don’t have a perch, you should build one, or if your birds are not separated, you should separate them. If attacks still occur, you should find another home for your pigeons, as your chickens are probably too aggressive to be around other species.
Final Word
Chickens and pigeons can successfully live together. When mixing chickens with any other bird species, there are bound to be some issues. However, there are ways to keep them together peacefully.
When living together, your chickens could become violent towards the pigeons. This is because chickens have a pecking order that decides who will be the leader of the flock and decides things like who gets to eat first.
Any animal that is smaller than your chickens will be viewed as lower in the pecking order.
When your chickens want to show the pigeons how low in the order they are, they will peck at or bully them. Sometimes this pecking can result in serious injuries or even death. On the other hand, when your birds free-roam together, they should mostly ignore each other. The problem usually arises when they share housing.
If your chickens and pigeons are sharing housing, you must place your pigeons’ perches high off the ground so they can escape from the chickens if they need to.
You can also give them separate living spaces by using chicken wire to enclose each area.
While it could be dangerous to mix chickens and pigeons, there are ways to ensure they live peacefully together.