VMD 513: Pet animal Breeding, Management, Nutrition and Health Care (1+1)

BREEDING OF PIGEONS

• Individual mating cage provide the best means of progeny control. 
• They enable unrestricted mating and permit nest building without interference from other birds.
• Breeding cages or nest boxes for a breed pair should be provided with two nest bowls so the eggs of the second round can remain clean. 
• A hen normally mate at 1 year of age. 
• After the first mating an egg is laid in about 10 days. 
• The second egg is laid two days later. 
• Egg must be fertilized in the oviduct about 24 hours prior to being laid. 

     

• After the second egg is laid the hen and the cock commence serious incubation of the eggs.  incubation takes 19-20 days from the second egg.
• The hen sets during the night and is relieved by the cock by midmorning and until she returns in the afternoon. 
• At about 30 days of age a squab (young one) is called a squeaker, at at about 6-7 week it is termed as youngster.
• All this time both parents feed the nestlings until they are mature enough to eat on their own.
• The hormone prolactin from the pituitary gland triggers broodiness and crop milk secretion.
• The crop wall forms longitudinal folds and is lined with epithelial cells, which begin to thicken by the eighth day of broodiness. 
• Considerable thickening and proliferation may be noticed by the thirteenth day and by the following day the holocrine crop gland begins the production of curdy, creamy coloured crop milk. Which contains about 77% water, 13% protein, 7 % fat and 1.8% minerals.