Mary Allen
While people groan under the heat of the past, doves seem to love them. As descendants of the rock pigeon, which comes from the Orient, they get along very well with it. Extensive sunbathing is a sign of your well-being.
When temperatures rise above 30 degrees, we humans usually retreat. You look for a shady place, preferably with a very light breeze and a cooling drink. Very few use this time to tan in full sunlight and thus expose themselves to the increased risk of skin cancer despite intensive sunscreen.
With pigeons, it is completely different. They give the impression that they are constantly looking for full sun. Even temperatures well above 30 degrees do not bother them. In fact, they’re completely infatuated, preferring heat to cold far more. The causes of this love lie in the origin of the doves. All domestic pigeons, regardless of whether they are race, carrier, or flying pigeons, are descended from the rock pigeon (Columba livia). These have their original distribution area in the Middle East, where the temperatures are usually much higher than in Central Europe.
Positive UV Radiation
So one could conclude that our hot summers are bringing them back to their origins. It doesn’t matter whether the pigeon breed is still very close to the rock pigeon in terms of appearance, as is the case with most smooth-footed colored pigeon breeds, or whether it is different from breeding
efforts far from it. In this context, one only needs to think of the large pouter breeds or fantails. They are all more or less nothing more than rock pigeons – with different looks. Therefore, it seems understandable if they also share the same likes and dislikes.
For the pigeon fanciers, this means that they offer their pigeons the opportunity to enjoy extensive sunbathing. If the aviary is covered, care must be taken to ensure that sufficient UV radiation can penetrate. It is this radiation that has such a positive effect on the pigeon’s organism. The pigeon probably senses this and therefore lies down in the sun. She especially likes to hold this sunbath on the ground. There she can stretch and loll as she pleases so that her plumage can be fully spread out. For this reason, it is advisable to choose slightly wider perches in the aviary. Ten centimeters is a good measure here. Like us humans, our pigeons love comfort too.
And just like us humans, pigeons like to take a bath to cool off. Especially now in the hot season, we have to offer our feathers a bathing opportunity. The depth should be such that the pigeon can almost completely submerge. Ten centimeters are also sufficient here. In contrast to the cooler season, however, the bathing water should be drained from the
aviary. The water would heat up too quickly and become contaminated with bacteria. However, since the pigeons always drink bathwater, the risk of ingesting contaminated water is too great.
Some Colors May Fade
However, there is another phenomenon that needs to be taken into account. Pigeons especially like to lie in the sun after they have had a bath and their feathers are soaked. However, this can have consequences for pigeons with yellow and brown plumage. The feathers fade and unsightly brightening occurs. At the latest now that the first feathers have already been shed, this can cause problems for the coming exhibition season.
So some attention is definitely needed here. It is usually enough if you only let the pigeons bathe in the late afternoon and thus protect them from direct sunlight. This is the rule for working people anyway. Youngsters that have not yet molted or belong to other colors do not need this precautionary measure.
In any case, you will notice how much pigeons love the sun, how they really seek it. So let’s create the right conditions and offer our pigeons these conditions for total well-being. If you then think about the bathing opportunity, pigeons get through the summer perfectly. Since they depend on us, we should offer them these opportunities.