First, pigeons are monogamous birds. Pigeons are selective to their spouses when they are sexually mature, and once they are paired, they are single-minded and inseparable. Not promiscuous like other poultry. In the same flock, if the number of male and female pigeons is not equal, there may be two male or two female same-sex spouses. After pigeons are paired, both male and female pigeons participate in nesting, hatching and feeding young pigeons. It will take a long time for pigeons to reunite after their widowhood. In production, in order to cultivate excellent varieties, improve the quality of pigeon varieties and avoid the variety degradation caused by inbreeding, artificial selection can be carried out in a planned way. If the male and female pigeons are paired freely, they can be disassembled and paired again, but it is very time-consuming and laborious. Therefore, in breeding, it is necessary to master this characteristic of pigeons and make an artificial selection plan as soon as possible to prevent free pairing. In addition, after the adult pigeons lose their spouses, promiscuity may also occur during the estrus season due to their strong sexual desire, thus disturbing the birds. In order to keep the birds quiet, the pigeons in heat can be paired in time or temporarily isolated.
Parents and pigeons nest together, hatch eggs, and raise young pigeons. After mating, they will look for nesting materials and build nests. Male pigeons with good production performance also have the behavior of "breaking their wives" If the female pigeon leaves the nest, the male pigeon will chase the female pigeon back to the nest to lay eggs. After the female pigeon lays eggs, the male pigeon and the female pigeon take turns to hatch eggs. Male pigeons hatch in the nest at 9 am every day, while female pigeons go out for food and activities. At 5 pm, the mother pigeon enters the nest and hatches until 9 am the next day. In this way, the male and female pigeons alternate day after day until the young pigeons hatch. After the young pigeons hatch, the male and female pigeons jointly secrete pigeon milk to feed the young pigeons. The incubation period in pigeon eggs is generally around 17 days. After this time, before the young pigeons hatch, parents will give up the old nest and find a new nest to lay eggs before hatching. Therefore, in production, if it is found that chicks have not hatched after the incubation period, it is necessary to take out the unhatched eggs in time so that pigeons can lay eggs in time.
Pigeons are late birds. Different from other birds, young pigeons can't open their eyes when they are hatched, and their feathers are scarce, so they can't walk or feed. It takes parents about 3040 days to live independently.
Pigeon food is mainly plant food, whether it is wild pigeon or domestic pigeon, it is mainly plant food, mainly corn, wheat, beans, grains and so on. And generally don't eat meat like insects. Pigeons are used to eating raw materials, and artificial feeding can also adapt to cooked food. Granular mixed feed can also be used in artificial farms.
Pigeons are characterized by daytime activities and homing at night. Pigeons are very active during the day. They eat and drink water frequently. Rest quietly in the shed at night. However, trained homing pigeons can fly at night or even at night if they don't return to their habitat before evening.
Pigeons are alert and easily disturbed. Pigeons are highly alert in their daily lives and are very sensitive to the surrounding stimuli. Flash, strange sound, moving object, unusual color, etc. Will cause pigeons to stir and dive. Therefore, attention should be paid to keeping the environment around pigeons quiet in feeding management, especially at night to prevent the intrusion of rats, snakes, cats and dogs, so as not to cause confusion and affect the normal life of pigeons.
Pigeons have a strong memory. Pigeons have a strong memory, they can form certain habits, and even have a strong conditioned response to fixed feed, feeding management procedures, environmental conditions and call signals. For those who often take care of it, get close to it and remember it. If they are treated roughly at ordinary times, it will often be detrimental to feeding management. Pigeons are also habitual animals. It takes some time to get used to it if you want to change your original living habits. Therefore, routine feeding management procedures and environmental conditions should be fixed in pigeon feeding management. Thereby ensuring high production efficiency.
Pigeons have strong homing, and domestic pigeons and wild pigeons have strong homing. Generally speaking, their birthplace is where they have lived all their lives. Any unfamiliar place is not suitable for pigeons They are not at ease and always want to go back to their "hometown", especially when they encounter danger and terror. If the pigeon is taken to a place hundreds or thousands of miles away from its "home" and released, it will try its best to return as quickly as possible and will not stay or live in any unfamiliar place on the way.
Identification of pigeons
Maybe every pigeon lover will encounter the problem of distinguishing the good from the bad before raising pigeons. On this issue, many predecessors and colleagues have said. Here, I just want to discuss with you a little bit of experience I have summed up over the years, hoping to point out the shortcomings and give more valuable suggestions to my friends.
When a pigeon is held in the hand, the standard to judge its quality should first start from the strength of its bones. I like pigeons with compact structure, strong bones and good hardness. If it is a fast pigeon, of course, its sternum should have a certain height, so that on the one hand, it can attach more muscles and increase explosive power, on the other hand, it can also have enough space for the respiratory and visceral systems to better carry out air conversion. Also, the pigeon's bones are good, which can also be shown from its mouth, that is, its mouth should have a certain strength, preferably an unbreakable one. The pigeon's throat is very important and must be deep. Pigeons that can see their throats with one mouth will not perform well.
When I choose breeding pigeons, I demand that my back must be flat and broad, have certain compression resistance, have very obvious textures on my hands, perfectly combine with my waist, and the transition is pear-shaped. The waist should be strong and held in your hand. Whether the whole waist is pressed down or the bottom of the boat needs good muscles and bones to support it, and twisting left and right is a sign that the bones are not solid. For the length of the keel, there may be different types due to different strains of pigeons, but whether it is a long keel or a short keel, it should be strong and extend to the end of the pubic bone, and there should be a very obvious uplift. In layman's terms, it is like the symbol of "Nike".
For the humerus of pigeons, I think the thicker and shorter the explosive force and endurance, the better. If speed is needed, the shoulder blades must be wide and smooth. The whole wing should be tapered from the inside out, and the arm is slightly thinner, which should be the thinnest. At the same time, when we spread the wings of the pigeon, it must be recycled flexibly and neatly.
The muscles of a good pigeon should be plump and elastic. I like the kind of meat with good elasticity and firmness. This kind of muscle, combined with soft feathers, is easy to feel floating. I think the muscle quality of pigeons has a great relationship with the proportion of feed and the way of exercise since childhood. However, when racing pigeons are overtired, their muscles will become stiff and difficult to recover. However, as long as the owner knows well and knows the situation, excellent racing pigeons whose muscles are difficult to recover due to fatigue can also be used as seeds, and future generations will not be affected.
When choosing pigeons, the quality of feathers can not be ignored. Pigeons suitable for breeding pigeons cannot be selected according to the thickness of hair. In fact, the thickness of pigeon feathers depends on pigeon strains. But whether it is thin or thick, the texture of feathers is good, soft and "compact", which is one of the necessary conditions for a good pigeon. Frequent water bath or sand bath for pigeons can stimulate the hair glands of pigeons, increase oil secretion, improve the speed of feather return and enhance flexibility. I like pigeons' feathers with 8, 9, 10 tips and big gaps. Some pigeons are round, not sharp, four or at least three of the same length, not bad, and will appear at a farther distance. And those pigeons that are outstanding in 300 km and 500 km, if you look closely, you will find that their 10 is relatively long. Pigeons' tail feathers should be in the shape of "I" in principle, but many pigeons that fly well are not all in this shape. So pigeons can be accommodated as long as they are coordinated as a whole and their tail feathers are not too wide.
I also have a preference for choosing pigeons, that is, I like pigeons with claws stretched forward, which shows that this pigeon not only has a good skeleton structure, but also has a strong skeleton. Speaking of pigeon's claws, I think pigeon's feet should be strong. I like white-clawed pigeons without white feathers.
I don't know much about pigeon eyes. Of course, pigeons with good pedigree, good competition results and good eyes will definitely be more loved by people. Personally, I prefer pigeons with oily eyes and calm pigments. In fact, regarding eyes, I feel that every region has a certain view and understanding, which means that every region will have a different view from other places to some extent. But in any case, those pigeons with perfect eyes and good buttons are still welcomed by most people. When my breeding pigeons are paired, as far as eye shape is concerned, the combination of "pot type" and "pot bottom type" is generally adopted.
In fact, in addition to the above, I think an excellent pigeon should have a perfect overall shape and a coordinated streamlined appearance. At the same time, it must be outstanding in temperament and unforgettable.
in addition
wild pigeon
The original pigeon is also called wild pigeon, wild pigeon and neck pigeon.
characteristic
ecological environment
The original pigeon was originally a cliff-dwelling bird, which quickly adapted to the living environment of the city after being domesticated by human beings. It is easy to see the domesticated population of this species or the re-wild species in the city. According to the study of 1928, the cliff height of primitive pigeon nests distributed in the Himalayas is generally below 7 0 meters.
Distribution area
It is distributed in parts of Indian subcontinent, south of Palaearctic Boundary, and spread to all parts of the world. Now there are wild pigeons in many cities. It is a common endemic bird in northwest China and Himalayas, southern Qinghai to eastern Inner Mongolia and Hebei.
The famous pigeon square
In many big cities, some squares are famous for gathering pigeons in large numbers. Pigeons in these squares are usually close to tourists. They will stop on the shoulders of tourists and peck at the feed or bread in their hands. The largest square is as follows:
-Trafalgar Square in London (:En: Trafalgar Square)
-Dam Square in Amsterdam (:En: Dam Square)
-Piazza San Kyle in Venice (Piazza San Kyle)
-Martin Square in Sydney
-Tamadan Park in Belgrade (:en:Tasmajdan park) However, pigeons in these squares have also caused a lot of fecal pollution. Statues in many squares have become difficult to clean, and sometimes pigeons attack tourists. In many squares in Europe, warning signs "No Pigeons" have been set up.
trait
The original pigeon is medium-sized and slate-colored among birds. The neck and chest feathers have a pleasing metallic luster, which often changes from green to purple with the change of observation angle. There are black stripes on the wings and tail, and the black stripes on the tail are wider and covered with white feathers. Generally speaking, social activities and whirling flight are its behavioral characteristics, but according to the research of 1928, pigeons living in the Himalayas fly very fast, often fly in a straight line, and are generally not high off the ground. The basic method to distinguish the female pigeon from the male pigeon is to distinguish the size. The male pigeon has wide shoulders, big head, long feet and long spine. On the contrary, the mother pigeon is short. In addition, the male pigeon's neck is thick and short @ The feathers on his neck are full of golden luster, and his calls are strong and his steps are big. When courting, they will rotate or jump simultaneously; The mother pigeon has a thin neck and a soft cry.
food
Pigeons' food is mainly plant food, including fruits and seeds of three plants, such as peanuts, kidney beans, peas, sorghum, melons and dandelions.
Replication and protection
The nest is a flat nest made of hay and twigs, with a slightly concave center. Each nest lays two eggs, which are egg whites.
traditional Chinese medicine
This species is not included in the endangered list, but it is hunted as a medicinal ingredient and threatened to some extent. According to the traditional theory, pigeons have the functions of tonifying kidney and benefiting qi, expelling wind and detoxicating, promoting blood circulation and relieving pain.
Protopigeon and domestic pigeon
It is generally believed that the original pigeon is the ancestor of the domestic pigeon, and there are many reports about the return of the domestic pigeon, so the relationship between the family and the original pigeon is very close. Domestication of pigeons began in Europe. As early as the Greek era and the Gulo era, there have been reports on domestication and breeding of pigeons. After years of domestication, pigeons with different shapes have been differentiated, such as spherical-breasted pigeons and head-turned pigeons. It is this kind of character differentiation caused by artificial selection that prompted Darwin to put forward the theory of biological evolution based on natural selection mechanism.