Mary Allen
Mating season is imminent. Time for the pigeon fanciers to put together the best couples in the loft. With a thorough studbook, success at exhibitions is only a matter of time.
The end of February is approaching us faster and faster and at the same time, the nervousness of many pigeon fanciers is increasing to the same extent. The reason for this: At the latest when you as a pigeon fancier have the prospect of somewhat more constant and milder temperatures, there is no stopping the pigeons. Then it’s time for the breeder to pair their pigeons together so breeding can begin.
But actually, the work for the breeder begins a good deal earlier. Because before he can move on to practice, the breeder has to do his theoretical homework. Even if pigeon breeding is a very natural and practically oriented hobby, a breeder will not get very far without theoretical knowledge. At least not if you want lasting success.
Pigeon breeders who have been in the business for a long time check their breeding pairs every year. Only when they are fully convinced that two pigeons are a good match will the animals be let loose on each other. A pigeon breeder should therefore act no differently than any other animal breeder. Even if the associations do not keep a central studbook in pigeon breeding, every breeder must keep one personally. The form – digital or in paper form – doesn’t really matter. Much more important is what is written in the studbook.
Mating Goes Deep Into the Blood
The parents, ideally also the grandparents and perhaps even the great-grandparents, must be listed first. In the case of planned breeding animals, it is definitely of interest to write down and compare the ring numbers of the ancestors. It may surprise many a breeder if one or the other “known” number often appears. We practice line breeding, so it is completely normal for related animals to mate; From experience, we know that particularly successful offspring can be expected when cousins are mated with each other.
In order to consolidate certain characteristics, you have to “go a little deeper into your blood”. Parents with children and sibling pairings should be made. It goes without saying that the offspring must be selected according to vitality. In general, it is true that the offspring rate not only has to be taken into account for the parents, but also for the grandparents. The animal should only really be used for breeding if this is within the scope of the breed. Nothing is more harmful to a pigeon breed in the long run than when the number of young animals bred decreases. In addition, vitality is the best prevention against diseases.
Genotype Instead of Phenotype
The selection of the breeding animal is therefore ideally based on the genotype. So according to the genetic origin and less according to the phenotype, i.e. the appearance of the pigeon. It goes without saying that in the case of the same origin, the animal with the better breed characteristics is used for breeding. However, there is no guarantee that this will be the better sire. Not only pigeon breeders, but also many other animal breeders can sing a song about it.
However, not only the breeding performance should be noted in the studbook. It makes sense to write down the characteristics of each animal that it inherits particularly well. Bandages, hoods, basic color, figure, rich eye color, etc. can be noted – everything that is important in a breed.
If the breeder knows which pigeon passes on which trait, he has the great advantage that he can put the breeding pairs together in a targeted manner. Every year the breeder has to set the breeding goals for his animals well in advance. He needs to know what racial traits he wants to improve. It shouldn’t be more than two or three a year. However, it is also important that the concentration on individual advantages does not deteriorate the other characteristics. After all, it is about the constant improvement of the breed characteristics based on the valid breed standard.
A breeder who strictly follows the above advice will find that the number of breeding pairs that make sense remains manageable. Many top breeders usually have no more than 8 to 10 breeding pairs per color type. Better one breeding pair less than one more. This leaves more space and fresh air in the loft, which in turn benefits the pigeons.
Health Check in the Dovecote
Once the breeding pairs have been finally determined, patience is required above all. Now it’s time for a health check. Most veterinarians today can take and examine a throat and cloaca swab without major problems. If the breeder then brings a collective stool sample to be examined, he already has a good overview of the state of health in the loft. To do this, he takes fresh feces from various places and takes it to the vet in a sealable container. It is ideal if you have a vet nearby who has experience with pigeons.
The vet quickly evaluated the result of the swabs and the stool sample. Action should only be taken if he discovers an irregularity. And the vet usually has the necessary medication on hand. It is important to use them strictly according to the instructions. Since most medicines affect the intestinal flora and put a strain on the entire organism, the breeder should support his animals after the medicine has been administered.
A multivitamin improves the regeneration of fitness and appropriate cultures help the intestines. It is best to add some natural yogurt or kefir to the feed. If you want, you can also choose the feed components with a little less energy. Rice is the first choice. After a week at the latest, the pigeons are back in normal mode and can be paired.
Selecting and preparing breeding pairs takes time. More than you might think at first glance. At the latest, once you have taken it, you will realize what success it entails. “No pain, no gain” – that applies to every animal husbandry, and especially to pigeon breeding.