Breeding pigeons at home for beginners

Pigeon breeding has become a popular hobby, but keeping these birds is not only for beauty. There are many breeds of different directions: pigeons are bred to sell gourmet meat, participate in exhibitions, and also train representatives of flying and sports species for competitions. Separately, a postal breed is distinguished, although it does not enjoy the same popularity.

Features of care largely depend on the breed. Birds with different species qualities have different requirements for diet and aviary arrangement.

Requirements for keeping pigeons

Before you start breeding domestic pigeons, you need to familiarize yourself with the requirements for keeping these birds. In order for the birds to feel comfortable, the habitat should be like this:

1. Spacious cages – for 1 individual, on average, 1 m3 of the enclosure.
2. Open aviary – pigeons do not like darkness. When breeding pigeons on a balcony or in a room, windows should not be covered with something – the birds need light.
3. After the purchase, the young animals are kept separately from the old-timers for some time, but so that the pigeons see each other. So they will perceive the sharing easier.
4. Birds of different breeds are kept separate from each other to avoid unwanted interbreeding.
5. To avoid outbreaks of disease, you need to regularly clean the cells. 1-2 times every six months do a general cleaning and disinfection of surfaces with special solutions.
6. The room temperature should not fall below +10°C. For the winter, the aviary or balcony is insulated, otherwise the birds will begin to lose weight and get sick.
7. Pigeons are sociable birds, so they are not bred in small quantities. Usually they keep flocks of at least 6-8 pigeons.
8. It is recommended to keep an equal number of females and males, since reproduction in pigeons is based on the principles of monogamy – they choose a mate once and remain faithful until the end of their lives.
9. In one cage or aviary it will be crowded if there are more than 20 birds. If the number of individuals exceeds this number, the cage is divided into special sections.
10. The place where birds are kept must be protected from drafts.

Preparation for breeding pigeons

The first step towards breeding pigeons at home is the improvement of the aviary. If it is located in the courtyard of private estates, then an arrival window is included in the design of the cage. When creating a dovecote on a balcony, it is important to remember that you cannot accommodate many birds there – the space is relatively small, and pigeons love space. In apartment conditions, it is better to place the birds in an empty room.

Regardless of where the cage is located, it is divided into separate cells, especially if the flock is large. The dimensions of the cells are made according to the size of the birds of the selected breed – the pigeon must be freely placed in it completely. On average, a section of 20 x 40 cm is obtained. At the entrance to the recess, a special perch is attached, for which it will be convenient for the birds to grab. Pigeons can distinguish bright colors, so you can additionally paint these perches so that each individual remembers its place.

The room temperature should not drop too low during the winter months, so if it is decided to place the pigeons on the balcony before breeding, it will have to be insulated over time. For these purposes, use foam or drywall.

Immediately before the birds are settled in a new home, it is necessary to thoroughly disinfect the room where they will live. For this, a solution of potassium permanganate or slaked lime is suitable.

The choice of breed for breeding

There are many varieties of breeds. Conventionally, they can be combined into several groups:

• flight;
• sports;
• decorative;
• meat.

Pigeons of these varieties have different grooming requirements when bred at home. Therefore, the choice of a particular breed must be approached with all responsibility.

The purchase of new individuals can be carried out at any time of the year, but it is better not to start breeding pigeons in winter. Before making a final decision, it is important not only to examine the bird for diseases, but also, in general, to evaluate the behavior. An adequate assessment is not possible during the winter months because the flock is rather lethargic at this time.

Healthy pigeons are determined by the following features:

• even breathing, moderately frequent;
• the pigeon actively moves around the cage;
• the plumage is dense, shiny;
• eyes have a pleasant luster;
• The chest is well developed, but does not protrude.

Flight breeds

Flight breeds are valued for their unusual flight pattern. For these birds, they even arrange special competitions, although they are tested not for speed, but for play and combat.

The most popular flying breeds include the following:

• Thurman Berlin;
• Nicholas pigeon;
• Cross (German) monk.

You will have to pay for the beauty of flight with your own time and effort – in order for a pigeon to show an interesting flight pattern, a lot of training and a strict diet are required. It is impossible to miss classes – even a small indulgence is enough to disrupt the course of the bird’s development in terms of flights.

Sports breeds

Sports breeds are bred exclusively for competitions – appearance is of secondary importance here. Separately, a subspecies of carrier pigeons is distinguished in this category, but they are no longer as common as before.

Flying pigeons are distinguished from other breeds by extraordinary endurance – they are able to stay in the air for many hours and overcome huge distances at a time. The physique of representatives of the flying breed, as a rule, is light, even graceful, the head is slightly elongated.

The most popular sports breeds include:

• English quarry;
• Belgian postman;
• postal.

In sports pigeon competitions, the winner is the one who flies the greatest distance in the least amount of time. Shortly before the start of the competition, the individual participating in them is transferred to a special diet, supplying them with vitamins and minerals in sufficient quantities.

Decorative breeds

Decorative pigeons are kept for pleasure. The specific structure of feathers distinguishes them from other species, which sometimes gives them an outlandish look.

Decorative breeds are usually small, have lush tails, tufts, forelocks and eyebrows, are famous for a wide variety of colors, as well as special “boots” made of feathers on their legs.

When buying decorative pigeons, they are guided by their health, behavior and personal preferences. The most popular varieties:

• Barb Golubi;
• Bohemian swallow;
• Brno puffin;
• Curly dove;
• Peacock pigeon;
• Saxon priest.

The flock does not fly away for considerable distances from the house.

Meat

Few people know about it, but pigeons are still bred for their meat. For some time, it was widely believed that the beggars and the homeless eat their meat, but this is not so – now a high-quality bird carcass on the market costs a lot. This is due to its usefulness (it is more lean than chicken), relative rarity and care costs.

The meat breed is distinguished from other varieties by its weight. Birds of this species weigh about 800 g, which makes them difficult to fly. The color can be very different, but the hallmark is the heaviness of the physique. In the photo of domestic meat pigeons: short tail and neck, small head, protruding chest, etc.

The most popular meat breeds:

• Carnot Chunky;
• Modena English;
• King;
• Roman dove (giant);
• mundane;
• Strassen.

The main rule for keeping meat pigeons is proper feeding.

How to breed pigeons

Reproduction of pigeons at home is carried out in two directions: artificial and natural. The second way, which is also called “random”, of course, is dominant in nature. It is not suitable for home breeding of birds. Healthy and strong offspring in pigeons are obtained by one of the following breeding methods:

• linear;
• inbreeding (related mating);
• according to external signs;
• unrelated.

Immediately after selection, the couple is transferred to a special box or cell for the night. You can determine how the mating went by the behavior of the selected pigeons. If the male has covered the female, they inseparably follow each other around the enclosure.

But this is only half the success. It is important to create ideal breeding conditions for the pair, to help with the construction of the nest. To do this, dry twigs, straw, woolen threads, dry leaves, etc. are scattered around the aviary. Additionally, 1-2 small baskets or boxes are placed inside where the couple will nest.

5-8 days after mating, the female lays a pair of eggs. Both parents incubate the offspring, sometimes at once, sometimes alternating, so that the partner has time to rest and eat.

Inbreeding

Inbreeding is the crossing of a related pair of pigeons. Conventionally, this breeding method is divided into 2 more types: mating of parents with offspring and mating of brothers with sisters. This also includes cousins.

The main advantage of this form of pigeon breeding is the increase in the quality of breeding. In addition, inbreeding allows you to save all the positive qualities of the parents. In this way, several generations of pigeons can be bred.

Breeding pigeons along the lines

Breeding pigeons along lines is referred to as purebred forms of reproduction, where the line is the offspring from an outstanding parent who has absorbed the best qualities of the breed. Through the selection, selection and methodical development of the right traits, the qualities of the ancestor accumulate and over time the breeders get something like a micro-breed within the main breed.

This method of breeding pigeons differs from inbreeding in the more distant relationship of parental individuals.

By external features

The method of breeding pigeons based on external signs is the most common. It is based on the assertion that parents pass on all their positive qualities to their offspring. With good heredity, such reproduction gives excellent results.

unrelated

The mating of unrelated pigeons is the opposite of inbreeding. It is generally accepted that the influx of new blood, new genetic material, enriches the gene pool of the breed and thereby improves the quality of each next generation. Over time, the variety may develop new characteristics.

Natural

This type of mating is typical when breeding pigeons of the same breed in one cage. In this case, human intervention is minimal – the male independently chooses a female from the pack and begins to care for her.

How to care for pigeons at home

Care for pigeons should be the most thorough, as they are kept exclusively in flocks, which means that there is always a threat of mass infection. If an infection is picked up by one bird, the disease can cover the entire flock in a matter of hours. Therefore, it is important to comply with all preventive measures: clean the enclosures in time, change the drinkers and disinfect the place where the pigeons are kept. Prevention is much easier and cheaper than cure.

Bird feeding

Of great importance in the care of pigeons is the diet. The flock is fed strictly according to the schedule, since poultry is prone to obesity, however, the dosage largely depends on the species: sports breeds are additionally fed with vitamins during competition periods, meat breeds by default consume a large amount of feed to gain weight, etc.

In the summer months, birds are fed 3 times a day, in winter food intake is reduced and switched to two meals a day. Recommended schedule for three meals a day: 4 am, noon, 8 pm.

The basis of the diet of domestic pigeons should be the following cereals:

• wheat;
• corn;
• sprouted grain;
• barley;
• pearl barley;
• peas;
• buckwheat grain;
• millet.

Additionally, poultry nutrition is diluted with fresh herbs (dill, parsley, etc.) and vegetables. You can also give pumpkin and sunflower seeds. Sports and flight breeds are fed with mineral mixtures and vitamin supplements. As a mineral supplement for decorative and meat species, you can use crushed eggshells, broken shells or clay.

Diseases

The first thing to do if you suspect a disease is to isolate the unhealthy bird from the rest of the pigeons. In this way, in most cases, it is possible to minimize possible damage.

Self-medication is not recommended; all medications should be prescribed by a specialist after examining a sick bird. He also determines the dosage. If it is not possible to quickly call a doctor, first aid can be provided with the help of folk remedies:

• chamomile infusion – helps with diarrhea, bloating and inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract;
• decoction of garlic – used as an anthelmintic;
• perga – serves as a kind of immunomodulator that improves the health of malnourished birds;

Serious diseases such as psittacosis and salmonellosis are treated with antibiotics prescribed by a veterinarian.

The complex of preventive measures for the care of pigeons when breeding at home includes the following procedures:

• regular ventilation of the room;
• renewal of water in drinking bowls in the morning or evening of every day;
• bedding change every 2-3 days;
• cleaning the floor from feces, feathers and food debris;
• treatment of all surfaces with bleach or its analogues;
• irradiation of the enclosure with ultraviolet light.

Pigeon breeding as a business

To make a profit, as a rule, meat breeds are used, the content of which is based on the methodical feeding of birds. They do not need to be additionally trained, like representatives of flying or sports breeds, and carefully looked after, like decorative ones. The only significant difference in the breeding of this breed, in addition to supplementary feeding, is the decoration of the enclosure – nests or separate cells for pigeons should be located lower to the ground. Due to the large weight, it is difficult for meat breed birds to fly high.

King pigeons are among the most popular meat breeds: birds are prolific, quickly gain weight and have a rather calm disposition.

Conclusion

Pigeon breeding is not only a hobby, but also a profitable business, if you approach it correctly. Of course, as a hobby, it has always been in the first place – from time immemorial, pigeons have been bred primarily for pleasure and communication, although postal breeds are no longer popular. Breeders are especially fond of decorative pigeons, represented by a wide range of breeds, but caring for them implies increased requirements for sanitary conditions and reproduction.

Pigeons rarely get sick, therefore, with proper nutrition and arrangement of the cage, there are usually no problems with breeding birds.

You can learn more about the features of breeding pigeons at home from the video: