How doves mate, multiply

The expression "cooing like doves" was invented for a reason. Pigeon is so devoted to his partner that in the event of their separation they will remain faithful for many years. Post pigeons saved the lives of many people during the war. Man has learned not only to breed these birds at home, but also to train them.

Reproduction of wild pigeons

Begins nesting period, usually in early spring. The female is engaged in building a nest, and the male brings her the necessary materials. When the nest is ready, the female can safely lay eggs. Almost the whole period the female lays eggs, but sometimes it is replaced by a male.

Young and inexperienced couples can throw their nests, the same applies to old pigeons. Since pigeons mate for a year repeatedly, they need good nutrition and fat stores. But in the wild, finding food is a problem, so every masonry is at risk.

Peculiarities of breeding domestic pigeons

Home pigeons have become popular for quite some time. Pigeons can be found in every city and district. Some breed these birds for themselves, some train them and earn money. Everyone knows the tradition of releasing a pair of pigeons at a wedding or on a last call at school. Quite relevant is the breeding of meat pigeons, which are used for food. To keep a pigeon-house is quite a painstaking affair. We need to monitor cleanliness, feed pigeons on time, and also properly pair.

Pairing Domestic Pigeons

Experienced breeders, who breed purebred pigeons, carefully approach this process. Before choosing a pair, make sure that there is no relationship between the pigeons. To do this, before buying pigeons you need to know their pedigree.

Since pigeons mate under the supervision of a breeder, his task is to choose the right pair. The optimal age for the first pairing is over the year, by this time the pigeons must be fairly well-fed. It is not necessary to admit to breeding obese and old pigeons. The best period for mating is spring. Wild pigeons have the right to choose their own pair, they quite responsibly approach this issue. But the choice of a pair for domestic birds is the care of a dove.

Preparation

Before mating, you need to prepare an enclosure. It must be disinfected, fresh straw laid, shelves for nests. The seats under the nests should be more than the number of pairs, to avoid fights and conflicts. This question should be approached quite seriously, because each species of pigeons has its own kind of nesting. We need to prepare the landscape, bushes, hollows - all that is needed to recreate the way in which the pigeons of this breed reproduce in nature. In the beginning of winter, females and males are better placed, this will help the birds to gain weight and not worry in the presence of the opposite sex.

To feed you need a balanced diet, adding vitamins and minerals. It is also necessary to introduce into the diet vegetable products. This is all done to ensure that the birds are prepared and able to produce strong offspring. The addition of calcium to the food of females is especially important, it will strengthen the future eggs and protect them from cracking. All these nuances need to be considered when breeding domestic pigeons. Preparing pigeons for mating is the most crucial moment in this matter. After all, a strong and strong offspring is the key to the success of the dove.

Selecting a pair

First you need to determine the sex of the pigeon. This is not as easy as it seems at first glance. As a rule, females are smaller than males, graceful and graceful. Their beak and paws are not as powerful as in males. It seems that everything is clear, but there are cases when the females grow larger or, conversely, the males are smaller than usual.

If two males are in the same mating cage, this will result in a fight. And if there are two females in the cage, they behave quite calmly, but in rare cases they can mate. An active female takes on the role of a male. Since pigeons mate on the same sex, they will not have offspring. Both females lay eggs, but they will not be fertilized. The breeder will recognize his mistake only when the time comes to hatch the chicks. But such cases are extremely rare. The main criterion for choosing a pair is a similar temperament. This, again, will protect a couple of conflicts. If the pair was matched correctly, and the pairing was successful, the pigeons would begin to build a nest together. Golouvods try to keep couples throughout their lives.

Masonry

The newly formed couple carefully chooses a place for the future nest. The male carefully demolishes the materials, and the female sticks the materials in a convenient way for her. If the final stage was mating and masonry, the pigeons' patch was successful. Females lay two eggs with an interval of forty hours. After all the eggs were laid, incubation begins. It is an interesting fact that the male takes part in this directly.

This process takes up to twenty days, after which hatching hatchlings. At this time, it is important to observe the temperature and light conditions. Since pigeons mate in a warm period, there may be problems with pecking the chicks. Allowed a couple of days before this moment, sprinkle the clutch with warm water. Inexperienced pigeons, carrying the first egg, are accepted to sit it out, without waiting for the second. This can lead to the fact that one chick hatch earlier and will develop faster, and the second will be weaker and younger. In such cases, the pigeons do the substitution of eggs.

Meat

Pigeon meat from the distant times of the Romans and Egyptians was considered a delicacy. Even then, entire farms were created where pigeons were not grown for beauty. In our time there are about 70 breeds of meat pigeons. These specially bred birds can reach a weight of 1.5 kg per month. As a rule, mating, breeding pigeons of meat breeds - not a labor-consuming process. A breeder with good care can get up to 10 egg clutches a year. A special diet, which includes all the necessary nutrients, is a guarantee for the growth of the meat dove.

Pairing of meat pigeons

Pigeons breed in almost the same way as ordinary domestic pigeons. To facilitate the work, pigeons lead to an equal number of females and males. This will allow the birds to choose their own partner. It is worth considering the great weight that meat pigeons possess. Mating should take place in prepared enclosures, only nesting places are located lower than usual.

A female pigeon lays up to three eggs, with an interval of more than a day. Hatch these birds of their chicks from two weeks to a month, depending on the breed, also changing each other. The first two weeks the pigeon feeds the chicks with goat's milk, and afterwards the breeder introduces special food for them.

Excretion of new breeds

A large number of breeders are engaged in breeding new breeds of pigeons. This is quite an interesting thing, because the way pigeons multiply at home is a fascinating sight. Sometimes the crossing of existing rocks leads to unusual results. Carefully selected individuals, who are leading among the rest, to get even better offspring. The breeding and breeding of ideal pigeons is the dream of every dove.