Today there are more than 800 species of pigeons accustomed to serve man. And whatever the breed, all the birds are extremely beautiful and graceful. Pigeon Pavlina can rightly be called an infant and a dandy among relatives.
Species of pigeons
All 800 existing breeds of domesticated pigeons are divided into two large species - decorative and meat. The peacock dove belongs to the first type. This is facilitated by the chic and unique appearance of the bird. In addition, this breed is often used in the organization of various celebrations, such as weddings. After all, there is nothing more romantic than a pair of beautiful birds soaring into the sky. Peacock pigeons, due to their sophistication and elegance, are very suitable for enhancing the solemn moment.
A bit of history
The first peacock pigeons appeared in North India. Indian Rajas proudly and lovingly showed the guests charming birds walking around the palace. Until the sixteenth century, the feathered remained the property of the Indian nobles, until they came to England on the ships of brave sailors. Since then, the proud procession of the breed across Europe began. As a decorative breed, pigeons have taken root in many European countries. The birds enjoyed special love among the inhabitants of Holland and Germany. In the last country a special breed - the black dove of Peacock was bred. The birds came to Russia relatively recently - only in the 40s of the last century. However, here they immediately found their fans.
Dove Peacock: breed description
There are several species of peacock pigeon breed in the world: American standard, Russian and Hungarian. As for the coloring of the bird, there are many possible options - from light caramel to motley. But the brightest representative of the breed is the white dove Peacock.
The most prominent feature in the appearance of this breed is the tail. Lush, high-set, with long feathers, it resembles peacock pride. That is why the bird got the name "Peacock dove." The feathered one seems to understand the irresistibility of its tail. Otherwise, how to explain the opening of a kind of train in front of the audience? Each movement of the pigeon is filled with grace and grace, and proudly protruding chest completes the image of a feathered bouncer.
According to the breed standard, peacock pigeons should have a short back with a notch in the middle, a round breast and a graceful beak. The skin around the eye should match the color of the beak. The bird itself is small with a neat little head. The tail is equipped with a feather pillow, which gives it great splendor. Vertical landing of the train is one of the main criteria for evaluating the breed standard. The wings of the bird are small, so it is very difficult for her to fly long distances. The dove Peacock moves gracefully, stepping from foot to foot, like a ballerina on pointe shoes.
Content Features
For the correct maintenance of pigeons, the Peacocks need to acquire a spacious aviary. Mesh buildings with perches inside are optimally suited. Aviaries are built at the rate of 1 sq. M. area for each pair of birds. To begin with, a beginner-lover of pigeons can buy only one pair of birds to test their own abilities for maintenance and care.
Indoor dovecot is located next to the aviary for housing birds in cold weather. Despite their beauty and grace, the peacocks of the Peacocks do not require special care. However, you should track the birds during the breeding season and carefully trim a few feathers of the tail so that they do not interfere with the birds mating.
The rest of the care for peacock pigeons is the same as for other breeds. It is necessary to regularly clean and disinfect feathered housing. There should be fresh food in the feeders, and clean water in the drinkers. The temperature regime in the aviary or dovecote should not be lower than 10 ° C. Otherwise, you need to take care of the room heating system. Additional lighting will be appropriate, especially in winter, when the day is shorter than night.
Diet of pigeons Pavlinov: what is possible, what is impossible?
When feeding pigeons, it is important to remember that the diet of the summer period is significantly different from the winter. Proper feeding is the basis of the life of a bird, its health and activity.
In winter, birds should receive a high carbohydrate feed. Such food is longer processed by the feathered organism, accumulating energy. In winter, the ideal meal for pigeons is a mixture of barley and wheat. The use of corn will also be appropriate. To give feathers greater splendor, flax and rapeseed are added to the food.
Food rich in proteins and vitamins is the best suited for summer feeding. Legumes, millet, vetch, buckwheat, millet - everything is included in the summer diet.
As additional elements, chopped vegetables, vitamins and mineral bait are mixed into the food, which is the basis of the strength of the shell of pigeon eggs. Not the last place in the bait of birds is fodder yeast. They contribute to the growth and fertility of pigeons.
A specific diet should be during the molting period of birds. High-protein food helps to accelerate the growth of new plumage of peacock pigeon birds.
When feeding birds, you should remember about prohibited foods. Pigeons are not recommended to give black bread, meat of various varieties, dairy products and many seeds. All of the above foods can damage the health of a feathered pet, making it difficult to digest and absorb food.
Breeding pigeons at home
Peacock pigeons are considered very prolific and wonderful parents.
There are two methods of breeding birds of this breed.
- Homogeneous selection of a pair consists in mating individuals with the same characteristics (for example, white peacocks pigeons).
- Heterogeneous selection provides for the difference in the breed variety. Such mating gives offspring interesting in terms of breeding. However, it is necessary to monitor the cleanliness of the male and female, so that the new qualities of the chicks that are formed are not flawed, and the chicks themselves with obvious defects (for example, the horizontal position of the tail, the bent breast, and the absence of a characteristic notch on the back)
In mating, birds at home need to go through several stages.
- Before the acquaintance of the male and the female, the room should be thoroughly disinfected, and steam boxes should be prepared where a pair of pigeons are placed. After use, the steam boxes turn into nesting boxes.
- The matched pair is placed in the parking box and locked at night. The mating criterion is the morning behavior of the male. If he does not move away from the female, takes care of her, then after some time one should expect chicks.
- Depending on the age, after 1-3 days the female lays 1-2 eggs. Thin doves reluctantly sit on the masonry, or even completely leave the nest. Therefore, for mating, it is recommended to select well-fed females.
- If fertilization is successful, and an embryo appears, after 16-19 days the chicks hatch. During the period of hatching of the chicks, the pigeon should be disturbed as rarely as possible.
- Typically, peacock pigeons are good and caring parents. Naked and helpless chicks cannot survive without feeding for more than three hours. And if for some reason the dove refuses to feed their children with goiter milk, the breeder will have to feed the babies artificially.
- Feeding chicks of a peacock pigeon is recommended with a mash of warm milk with mashed boiled yolk. A mixture for baby food is also suitable. Feeding babies is most convenient with a pipette every 2.5-3 hours. Solid cereal feeds can be given to young animals starting from 1 month of age.
Pigeon diseases
When starting breeding of peacocks, it should be remembered that the bird is subject to the same diseases as its wild relatives. When treating birds, it is very important to choose the right medicine and adhere to the regimen of healing. And if the veterinarian prescribes medicines, then the care of the sick pet falls entirely on the owner's shoulders.
The classic ailments of peacock pigeons are:
- Salmonellosis. The cause of the disease is a stick that enters the poultry through a feeder, a drinking bowl, an infected droppings from another sick bird. Three forms of salmonellosis are known - intestinal, nervous and articular. Symptoms of the first type of disease - a sharp increase in temperature, lethargy, lack of appetite. Signs of a nervous form of salmonellosis are convulsions, and articular - the formation of cones on the wings of a dove. When the first signals of the disease appear, it is urgent to consult a veterinarian.
- Ornithosis. It is dangerous not only for birds, but also for humans. Symptoms of the disease can be noticed immediately after infection. The eyes change color, the bird seems to cry with mucus, obvious wheezing is heard, shortness of breath, diarrhea and paralysis appear. They treat the disease with vitamins and special medications.
- Trichomoniasis is caused by a virus that spreads to the mucous membranes. Signs of the disease are spots in the mouth. The pigeon begins to choke, becomes weak, the skin around the eyes and beak changes its natural color. Often, the bird suffers from diarrhea. A method of treating trichomoniasis is a complex vitamin-antiviral therapy.
- Pigeon adenovirus has been a major veterinary problem in the last decade. Young birds aged 6–9 months are susceptible to disease. The disease can lead to torticollis pigeon and ailment of the nervous system. Signs of adenovirus are decreased appetite, frequent watery droppings, vomiting, rapid weight loss. Without proper treatment, the pigeon dies within a few days.
What do novice breeders need to remember?
In order to avoid mistakes when buying the first feathered pet, a beginner in the field of pigeon breeding should adhere to several rules:
- Acquiring pigeons is recommended in the presence of an experienced breeder or veterinarian. Otherwise, there is a risk of buying a sick bird.
- The aviary for birds should be well strengthened to protect pets from attack by predators (cats, martens).
- Bird housing should be regularly cleaned and disinfected.
- If you plan to breed pigeons of Peacocks, you need to organize nests where females with chicks could be located.
- In order to tame pigeons, it is recommended to spend as much time with them as possible, train birds and wean them from being afraid of the owner.
- A regular examination of birds by a veterinarian will strengthen their health and protect against possible diseases.
These birds are incredibly beautiful, but also require appropriate care.