Carrier pigeons: breeds, care, training

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

A pronounced breed of carrier pigeons does not exist in nature. All birds have the ability to return to their nests from long distances. It's just that some breeds of pigeons do it worse, some do it better. The latter are considered to be actually postal.

Among other things, these pigeons are also distinguished by their ability to fly fast.

Currently, there are mainly three varieties considered postal: Flanders, Lüttich, English Quarry and Antwerp. The English quarry is distinguished by its large size, powerful physique, very well developed eye ring and beak with a pronounced outgrowth. The Flemish pigeon, on the contrary, is small in size, as well as thick and short in the neck and beak. Its wings are very tightly pressed to the body. The Antwerp pigeon is distinguished by its long beak and neck, while the Luttich pigeon is very small. These are the four main carrier pigeon breeds at the moment.

In Russia, quarries are usually bred. In addition, dragons are popular in our country. These carrier pigeons wereobtained in the 7th century by crossing the same quarries with another breed - Tumblers. Dragons are also distinguished by a developed eye ring and a large horny growth in the beak area, however, these features are not so pronounced in them. Quarries were once brought from the East (for the first time such pigeons were bred in Egypt) to Europe, and then significantly improved in England. Once upon a time they were famous precisely as English messengers.

Carrier pigeons require special conditions of keeping and training. Particular attention should be paid to feeding. Under normal conditions, birds are given about 410 g of food in 8 days. With enhanced feeding - 820 g. During the incubation period, both the female and the male are fed according to the number of chicks. These birds should not be overfed. Otherwise, they will become slow and lazy. Adult birds are fed three times a day - morning, afternoon and evening.

Chicks - usually five times a day.

Mostly carrier pigeons eat yellow peas. At the same time, you need to ensure that green legumes do not come across among the yellow ones. From them, pigeons can begin indigestion. If this happens, it is worth adding grains to the diet for a while. Be sure to give a small amount of s alt, chalk and lime. To stimulate reproduction, pigeons are also fed animal food (meat and bone meal, fish, etc.).

Carrier pigeons must be trained to be used for their intended purpose. Training begins after the chicks have feathered, at about six weeks of age. Initially, pigeons are taught to fly arounddovecote. This is done for about a month and a half, and then they start real training. At the same time, the birds are taken away from the nest for a certain distance, gradually increasing it, and released. The best time for such training is the period from April to October. In the first year, the distance is adjusted to approximately 300 km.

It is best to release a trained bird from an open and elevated place. In the valley, carrier pigeons may not immediately orient themselves, and mountains and forests frighten them. The basket with birds is placed on the ground, opened and moved away from it. Usually after that they fly out, rise to a great height and, having described several circles, fly away at high speed towards the house.

It is believed that the maximum distance from which carrier pigeons (photos of birds can be seen on this page) can find their way to the dovecote is about 1100 km. However, there are cases when birds flew back home from more remote areas. But only a pigeon that has reached the age of three can "take" such a distance.