Butt pigeons: video, breeds

Butter pigeons are a group of high-flying subspecies that differ from other varieties in their unusual flight technique. Birds are rather sticking than flying, which formed the basis of the name. By 2019, there are very few butt pigeons left and the number of purebred representatives of the breed is steadily declining.

Distinctive features of end pigeons

Butt pigeons are distinguished from other breeds by the following characteristics:

  • the body of the bird has a characteristic slope of 45 ° C;
  • the length of adults is on average 35-40 cm;
  • head oblong, rounded;
  • the beak is medium or small in size, the tip is slightly bent down;
  • the neck is strong, magnificently feathered;
  • the chest is well developed;
  • the tail is strong, large;
  • the plumage is rigid, the feathers fit snugly to the body;
  • the skin of the legs has a reddish tint.

The color of the butt pigeons is represented by a large color palette: there are both monophonic black and white representatives, and motley individuals. This variety does not differ in beauty, but end pigeons were not bred as a decorative subspecies. These are birds that are judged by their flying qualities.

Important! There is an erroneous opinion on the net that sickle pigeons, like some others, belong to end breeds, but this is not so. First, the flight pattern of these two subspecies differs from each other. Secondly, there are two end rocks.

Years of end pigeons

The homeland of end pigeons is Ukraine, the first representatives were bred in the Nikolaev region. It is believed that the steppe climate of this region was the reason that the pigeons developed a rather unusual style of flight, using the power of gusts of wind.

The years of end pigeons can be characterized as follows:

  1. The bird takes off quickly and almost vertically, after which it abruptly folds its wings and seems to fall down, which formed the basis of the English name for the butt pigeons – “clouds”. Thanks to this takeoff feature, they rise from small areas of about 4 m.2.
  2. Butter pigeons fly easily, without noise. They are supported in the air by strong winds and updrafts of air, allowing them to effortlessly soar above the ground.
  3. During the flight, the bird keeps its wings parallel to the ground and spreads its plumage in the same plane. The wings are thrown forward to the maximum length, while the tail is slightly lowered and also widely spread.
  4. Due to the fact that the pigeon keeps its tail slightly lowered, it looks like it is flying at an angle and as if it is sitting on its tail.
  5. The end dove lands at an angle of 90 ° C.
  6. Despite the fact that the end pigeons in a flock soar into the air together, they prefer to separate in the sky and stay one at a time.
end pigeons Kupriyanova A.I

A slightly different flight pattern is observed in the Zaporozhye population of the Nikolaev breed, which even served as the basis for separating these pigeons into a separate breed. The bird flies circlelessly, alternately using either the right or the left wing. Such a flight pattern was called “oar”.

Butt pigeons: video, breeds

In strong winds, the butt pigeon stays in the sky for 1-1,5 hours, but regular training increases the endurance of birds. A well-trained pigeon can withstand flights of 8-9 hours.

Breeds of end pigeons

The ancestors of high-flying butt pigeons were individuals brought by Ukrainian sailors from Greece. The first purebred representatives of the butt species were bred in the Nikolaev region, hence the name of the species – Nikolaev butt pigeons. For a long time, the distribution area was limited to Ukraine, but in the end the new species found recognition in Our Country, where they began to be actively bred. Officially, the butt subspecies of pigeons was registered in 1910.

It is customary to distinguish between two breeds of pigeons with an end flight pattern: Nikolaev and Kirovograd Lilac. They differ from each other not only in appearance, but also in the characteristics of summer.

Butt pigeons: video, breeds

A typical Nikolaev pigeon looks like this:

  • these are medium-sized birds, the body length of an adult does not exceed 40 cm;
  • low landing, moderately developed physique, slightly elongated;
  • the chest is strong, muscular and slightly raised;
  • the neck is somewhat short;
  • the back is straight and wide;
  • the wings do not adhere to the body, but close when folded, their length corresponds to the length of the tail;
  • when the dove folds its wings, their lower part lies on the tail;
  • the head of birds is narrow, slightly elongated and small, in proportion to the size of the body;
  • the plumage of the head is smooth;
  • the beak is thin and long, small in size;
  • the cere is light, almost white;
  • eyelids beige;
  • the eyes are small, the color of the iris is determined by the color of the plumage: in white individuals, the eyes are dark brown, in motley pigeons the iris is golden, etc .;
  • the tail is wide and long, smoothly flowing into the back;
  • feathers of Nikolaev pigeons are elastic, wide;
  • on the legs of the birds there is no plumage and fluff, they are naked;
  • the color of the legs is brown with a reddish tint, the color of the claws is lighter, and it largely depends on the plumage: the claws of white pigeons are flesh-colored, those of motley ones are gray;
  • it is difficult to name a typical color, Nikolaev pigeons come in almost all shades – there are red, ashy, black, blue, white and variegated colors of plumage;
  • on the chest and neck of the pigeon, regardless of color, there should be a metallic sheen.

Butt pigeons: video, breeds

Kirovograd Lilacs are much smaller than their counterparts, but outwardly attractive – the birds are distinguished by their graceful posture and grace. In addition, Kirovograd box pigeons are quite playful.

Important! The difficulty in breeding the Kirovograd breed lies in the fact that these birds are restless and restless. The female is reluctant to incubate offspring.

The description of the Kirovograd breed is as follows:

  • the body length of a pigeon is on average 30 cm, in extreme cases 32, larger individuals are rejected;
  • the head is small, but in proportion to the size of the body;
  • eyes light, almost white;
  • the beak is short;
  • the chest is developed and muscular, but there is a slight indentation in the center;
  • when the dove folds its wings, their ends are almost flush with the end of the tail;
  • the plumage of the breed is dense;
  • the color of the plumage can be very different, like that of the Nikolaevsky butt pigeons: blue, black, red, white, yellow or variegated.

Like the Nikolaev breed, the Kirovograd Lilacs are rarely seen today.

The maintenance of end pigeons

The maintenance of butt pigeons is not particularly difficult, and the Kirovograd and Nikolaev breeds can be bred even by amateur beginners. The ease of caring for birds is due to their unpretentiousness and the ability to easily adapt to almost any conditions of detention – even low temperatures in the winter months do not have any serious effect on end pigeons. In addition, birds develop rapidly and reach sexual maturity in the shortest possible time. The type and quality of food also does not really matter, butt pigeons are picky in their choice of food.

Important! A possible difficulty in breeding the butt subspecies is the temperament of pigeons. The Kirovograd breed is fussy and restless.

The advantages of the species include good fertility, and this is what becomes the determining factor for the purchase in most cases. Nikolaev pigeons are more popular, as they are calmer than Kirovograd ones. The females of these pigeons incubate their eggs on their own, they do not need to be monitored, like the Kirovograd Lilacs. The only condition for keeping end pigeons is that birds need a spacious aviary for full development. It is strictly forbidden to keep them in the apartment.

The flock area must be clean, dry and draft-free. From time to time the aviary is disinfected. For the winter, it is recommended to organize separate keeping of females and males, they are combined in February. In such conditions, offspring are obtained in April.

They feed end pigeons 2 times a day. Despite the fact that the species is unpretentious and undemanding to nutrition, it is never superfluous to feed the birds with mineral supplements. It is better to include light feeds that are easily digestible in the diet of the butt breed. In its most general form, pigeon nutrition consists of the following products:

  • oats;
  • corn grits;
  • peas;
  • juicy food;
  • greens.
Advice! 2 weeks before mating, birds are fed with hemp seeds. They contain a large amount of nutrients that females need during this period of time.

Chicks are fed more often than adults – 3 times a day. In the first weeks of life, it is better to give corn grits, greens are introduced later. All new feeds and nutritional supplements are introduced into the diet gradually so as not to cause stress on the digestive system of birds.

A feature of the maintenance of the end subspecies is early training. If you do not start training the birds in time, they subsequently have defects in summer, they will also be less hardy and will not be able to stay in the air for a long time.

Chicks are trained starting from 6-7 weeks, without gaps. Scheduled training sessions in the morning. Night flights are tried with each bird individually, and not with a flock. At the same time, you can not worry if suddenly someone does not return on time. In strong wind or rain, birds often fly long distances, but then invariably return home, this takes an average of no more than 3-4 days.

Kirovograd pigeons. Visiting Miguel Vasily V.

Conclusion

Butter pigeons are birds with an unusual flight pattern, which are not as common as before. The number of the breed is gradually declining, there are very few purebred individuals. If action is not taken, the breed will go into the status of extinct varieties.

Leave a Reply