Dove's nest: do birds build them, how and from what to make perches with your own hands

Doves, like all birds, breed their chicks in their nests. Wild ones themselves build them from twigs that they find on the street, domestic ones do not always show so much zeal, and often the owner takes care of the building material. Consider what types of pigeon nests are, what you can make them at home from and how to care for them so that the birds are comfortable and convenient.

Do pigeons nest?

The nest of these birds is simple in design and made of dry thin twigs, blades of grass, straw, roots. All this doves lay out and bind together, but loose and fragile.The average nest size is 20-30 cm. Both future parents take part in its construction. Not only the dove hatches the chicks, but also the dove, which sits on the eggs while the female eats and rests.

In total, the dove sits on the eggs for 18 hours, the rest of the time the dove does it. The duration of withdrawal is about 19 days. The chicks emerge from the egg during the day.

Quality nests, what are they?

In order for the incubation to be successful and smooth, the female should be comfortable in the nest, she should not be distracted by anything. It is necessary to build cages or cells that are installed near one of the walls of the dovecote, in the quietest corner of the room. There should be a place in the cage not only for a nest, but also free, so that the pigeons can move freely.

As for size, for pigeons with a body size of less than 30 cm, the dimensions of the cells should be 60 cm by 40 cm by 30 cm. For birds with a length of 40 cm, their dimensions will be 60 cm by 60 cm by 50 cm.The nests themselves are made in the form of boxes with dimensions of 20 by 20 cm or 30 by 30 cm - for meat pigeons or for breeds with plumage on their legs. The interval between them should be 30 cm.

Next to the prepared nests, you need to put building material - straw, hay, thin twigs, so that the birds can see where to take it. It is advisable that the pigeons build their own nest, as they may not like what the owner offers them, and they will not rush there.

Chicks spend a month in nests, then leave them. Pairs can bring out 3 broods per season. After the end of the breeding season, the structure must be removed from the dovecote.

Types of pigeon nests

Pigeon nests can be different in shape: square, rectangular, round. The material for manufacturing can also be different, but it must be durable so that the design is stable and safe for the bird.

In the cages, boards made of wooden blocks are installed, they protect nests from displacement and serve as perches for pigeons.

Cages or cells can be stationary, they are attached to the wall if the area of the dovecote allows them to be left in a permanent place. If the room is small, the racks are made removable and portable. In the latter case, the structure can be taken out of the dovecote for cleaning and disinfection.

How to make a nest for a bird with your own hands?

Let's consider how to make a construction from improvised materials with your own hands. For manufacturing, you can take wooden blocks, planks, plastic, polystyrene, clay and even gypsum. The advantage of pigeon nests made of gypsum, clay and plastic is that they are durable and are not afraid of being treated with disinfectants. This means that, having made them once, you can use them for many years.

From plaster

For casting from plaster you will need a mold, for this a round or oval bowl or plastic bowl of different sizes - larger and smaller - is well suited. The surfaces are covered with cling film, gypsum is diluted with water to the density of sour cream, 1 tsp is added to the mixture. glue, mix. Pour into a large diameter form, put a smaller one on top. Load is placed on it. The thickness of the gypsum layer is 3 cm. Leave until the mixture dries. Then the molds are removed and the product is left to dry and ventilate. Then sand the edges with sandpaper and paint.

From Styrofoam

Styrofoam was chosen as the material for the pigeon nests because it retains heat well. Sequence of actions: cut out a round blank from thick foam, cover with parchment paper. Take an unenamelled pan of a suitable diameter, heat it over a fire, put it on top and press down with force. You should get a recess, which will serve as a nest.After that, you need to smear the surface with glue and wrap it with a bandage. This is necessary in order to strengthen the fragile material.

From wood

For the manufacture of the structure, you will need blocks measuring 25 by 2 cm, plywood, a tape measure, a hacksaw, a screwdriver and self-tapping screws. The bars are attached to a piece of plywood with self-tapping screws. It is preferable to make such boxes removable so that after incubation, they can be removed from the cage and cleaned.

From clay

This is a hygienic and warm material, but fragile, pigeons can break clay nests if careless movement. You can mold them from clay with your own hands in the shape of a bowl or adapt old ceramic dishes of a suitable diameter for this, with low sides.

Plastic

You can buy such nests for pigeons in pet stores. You can use plastic dog bowls, you just need to choose the size. They are quite stable, durable, easy to clean and wash, but they also have a significant drawback - they are light, and therefore unstable.

Some make nests out of plastic bottles by cutting off the bottom. But they are very light, and in order to use them, they must be securely fixed to the surface of the cage.

Nest care

Pigeons are not resistant to infections and parasites, so nests, racks where they are placed, and perches must be cleaned, washed and disinfected. While the doves are incubating their eggs, you need to remove the litter, debris and bedding scattered around. It is impossible to change the litter in the nest itself while the bird is sitting, as well as touch the eggs. This can frighten the doves, and they will quit incubating, the embryos will die.

When the chicks hatch, grow up and fly out of the nests, you need to collect devices, wash, treat with a disinfectant solution and dry. Only after processing can they be used again. At the same time, during disinfection, feeders and drinkers can be treated.

General disinfection is carried out in an empty dovecote, from which the birds are previously removed. Pigeons are launched only after airing. If an infection is detected during the incubation period, disinfection must be carried out quickly, but there is no way to remove the pigeons, you can treat the room and equipment with special safe sprays, which can be purchased at pet stores.

Pigeon nests are a must for any pigeon farm. In them, birds breed their offspring. They are used more than once a season, so they should always be prepared for use. It is not difficult to make them yourself, especially since you can choose from a number of materials for this.Quality products will last for several years if you treat them with care, take care of them, keep them clean and tidy.

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