Peacock pigeons: breed description and characteristics, diet and breeding

The breed of peacock pigeons is named because of its main feature - the tail feathers of birds are not folded together, as usual, but diverge to the sides, which makes the tail look like a peacock. Because of the peculiar appearance of pigeons, poultry breeders are chosen for breeding as an ornamental breed. Consider the description and key characteristics of peacock pigeons, their advantages and disadvantages, features of keeping, nutrition and breeding.

Origin story

The time of breeding is attributed to the 16th century, then the phenotype of birds was already formed, which is inherited by them today. It is believed that the breed comes from India. During the colonial possession of the country, the British took the birds to England, where they continued to work with the breed.

Here the modern form of peacock pigeons was obtained and 2 branches with some differences in phenotype - English and Scottish. The breed came to Russia in the 19th century, by which time the birds had acquired an elegant body shape.

Description and characteristics of the breed

Purebred peacock pigeons have many colors, they can be motley, plain white (according to the breed standard - the main color), black and have a different color. The head of the breed representatives is small, thrown back, the neck is arched. The body is rounded, swinging when the bird walks. Peacock pigeons have a curved thin beak, its color matches the color of the eyelids.

The pupil can be light or dark, its color depends on the color of the plumage. The chest of peacocks is spherical, convex, short concave back. Legs without plumage, red, the ends of the feathers on the wings are directed towards the tail. The tail is composed of densely spaced 30-50 feathers, stands upright, the ends of the lower feathers touch the ground.The birds have a developed uppertail.

The peacock pigeon's breed sign is dissected tail feathers in the upper part. Unacceptable conformation features in the breed are a long thick neck, a large head, a weak physique. A dull shade of plumage is also a disadvantage.

Main positives and negatives

Dignity of peacock pigeons:

• original appearance;
• color variety;
• unpretentiousness to the content;
• developed instinct for hatching and rearing.

There are no special shortcomings in the peacock breed.

Subtleties of maintenance and care

It is necessary to keep peacock pigeons in a separate poultry house, in which favorable conditions are created for the development and reproduction of birds. Important conditions for keeping pigeons inside the dovecote should not be crowded and there should always be access to food and water.

The inside of the house should be kept clean, remove droppings, clean the feeders from leftover feed, change the water daily. Place a container of sand on the floor. Disinfect the premises as often as possible, but at least 2 times a season: before mating and after the birds molt. While disinfection is in progress, pigeons are removed from the dovecote. After the disinfectant has expired, the house is ventilated.

The temperature in the dovecote should be within 10-25 ˚С, humidity - 70%. It is impossible for the room to be damp; with high humidity, fungal diseases and helminthiases develop in birds. The length of daylight hours should be within 12 hours, in winter you need to maintain it artificially, with the help of lamps.In addition to lighting, they dry the air and warm it up. Near the dovecote, a small paddock is set up where birds can go for a walk. It is covered with a net, and perches are placed inside. Pen area - 1 sq. m. for 2 pigeons.

Diet

The diet of peacock pigeons, which is made up for them in summer and winter, has differences. When it's cold, the birds should be given a more nutritious diet, with a higher energy content. In summer, food consists of foods that are easily digested; 30-40 g of feed is spent on 1 pigeon. It is recommended to add finely chopped green grass and products containing protein to the main grain mixture.

Cereal mixtures are prepared from any grain of cereals and legumes, it must be sifted from impurities, not damaged by pests.

In early spring, when the mating season of peacocks begins, fat- and protein-containing foods, vitamin supplements, and yeast are introduced into the diet. During the molting period, pigeons are also fed with grain containing the protein necessary for the formation of feathers. For 1 kg of grain mixture, add 10 ml of fish oil.

How to properly breed birds

To breed peacock pigeons, you need to select birds with a good gene pool for your farm. All breeding stock should have a characteristic phenotype, without any defects. Uncontrolled breeding of pigeons is not allowed. To account for breeding work, you need to have a book where you write down all rebounds and their results.

Pair choice

Choose a pair of peacocks in the spring, just at this time the doves have a decorative appearance. Individuals that will become parents must be he althy, of moderate fatness.Parent pairs are formed according to different principles: homogeneous, when birds are selected according to the characteristics that both have, and heterozygous, for which selection is carried out according to different characteristics.

When choosing, you need to pay attention to the genotype of birds and the severity of the phenotype, the strength of the constitution, the pedigree.

Mating

Preparation for mating peacocks begins with the installation of plastic mating boxes in the dovecote. Their dimensions are 70 cm by 50 cm by 40 cm. A partition is placed inside, which forms 2 compartments. The boxes are brightly colored in a variety of colors so you know which birds are in which.

The mating process looks like this: a pair of pigeons is left in a box designed for them overnight.In the morning they are released to the rest, but they look at how the couple behaves. If the male follows the female, takes care of her, this means that the pair has formed. After 2 days, they put a nest, which will soon contain 1-2 eggs.

Incubation

Duration of breeding pigeon chicks is 16-19 days. Incubation is carried out by the female, incubating the eggs in the nest. On the 12th day of incubation, the eggs are checked for the presence of embryos in them. Eggs shine through on an ovoscope or examine the contents against the light. By this time, the pigeons inside are already quite formed and well visible.

Derivation

In female peacock pigeons, the maternal instinct is developed, after successful breeding, they move on to raising offspring. Doves do a good job of this task, all that is required for the owner to do is to provide them with complete food and care. First, the females feed the chicks with goiter, then they teach adult birds to eat.

While the pigeons are feeding from their mothers, you need to watch them, whether everyone is fed. If there are hungry, you should try to feed them with a nutrient mixture made from warm milk and boiled yolk. Feed the chicks with this mixture from a pipette.

Only from the age of one month, the chicks begin to be fed with finely chopped grain.

Diseases and their treatments

Infectious diseases of salmonellosis and psittacosis, adenovirus occur in peacock pigeons. Diseases affect both adult birds and young ones. Sick pigeons should be treated as soon as the infection is detected. Without treatment, some birds may die. Treatment begins with the removal of diseased pigeons from the house so that they cannot infect the rest. Each infection has its own therapy, which you can ask your veterinarian about.

Prevention of viral and bacterial diseases consists in cleaning and disinfecting the dovecote, feeders and drinkers.Walking birds in the fresh air helps to strengthen the immune system. Proper feeding maintains he alth and enables birds to develop properly. 1-2 times a year, the livestock is treated for helminths and vaccinated.

Peacock pigeons are a beautiful old breed. Their appearance is so remarkable that it is unlikely to be confused with another species. Seriously passionate about this breed, people grow it in order to obtain decorative purebred offspring that can be presented at exhibitions. And ordinary lovers - to decorate the yard and enjoy communicating with birds.

Recommended