The head is wide and flat, the body is huge and wide, the length from beak to tail is 53-56 cm, the bust is 38-40 cm, and the beak is long and slightly curved. The eye rings of adult pigeons are red or fleshy red, and those of young pigeons are pink. Pigeontail has a long and thick neck, a long and open back, a long and round tail, full thighs, short tarsal toes and toes, hairy feet and hairy feet. Hairless feet are the best, and their feet are deep red. Its feathers are mixed in color, such as white, black, crimson, gray, etc., and the white dove is the best.
Physiological characteristics of pigeons
They have long wings and strong flying muscles, so they fly fast and powerfully. Pigeons pair for life. If one of them dies, it will take a long time for the other to accept a new spouse. Pigeons inhabit tall buildings or cliffs, and ten pigeons move in groups, flying fast and flying low. Foraging seeds and fruits on the ground or trees. Build a nest in the crevices of the cliff with hay and twigs. The nest is flat, disc-shaped and slightly concave in the center. Generally, two eggs are laid in each nest, and the eggs are white. Domestic pigeons are domesticated from the original pigeons. Its similar wild pigeons are distributed in Europe, North Africa and Central Asia, and China is distributed in the northern, western and central parts of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The body length is 295 ~ 360 mm, the head, neck, chest and upper back are slate gray, the upper back and chest have metallic green and purple flashes, the rest of the back is light gray, each wing has a black transverse spot, the tail feather is slate gray, and its end is wide black transverse spot, which is similar to that of men and women. Pigeons are plump, with small beaks and gentle natures. Walking posture is like strutting, with a characteristic nod.
People use pigeons' powerful flying ability and homing ability to cultivate different kinds of homing pigeons. The homing ability of pigeons means that when a young pigeon grows up in one place, it can still find its original nest when it is taken far away. Humans have raised pigeons for more than 5,000 years, forming many varieties with different personalities. At present, there is no conclusion on how pigeons can tell the direction of homing. The magnetic field theory, the sun theory and the smell theory all have their own basis. Maybe pigeons are using these skills together.
Living habits of pigeons
Male pigeons and female pigeons nest, hatch and brood together. Male pigeons with good production performance also have the behavior of "chasing wives" If the female pigeon leaves the nest, the male pigeon will chase the female pigeon back to the nest to lay eggs. After the female pigeon lays eggs, the male pigeon and the female pigeon take turns to hatch eggs. Male pigeons hatch in the nest at 9 am every day, while female pigeons go out for food and activities. At 5 pm, the mother pigeon enters the nest and hatches until 9 am the next day. In this way, the male and female pigeons alternate day after day until the young pigeons hatch. After the young pigeons hatch, both male and female pigeons secrete pigeon milk to feed the young pigeons. The incubation period in pigeon eggs is generally around 17 days. After this time, before the young pigeons hatch, the male and female pigeons will give up their old nests and look for new nests to lay eggs before hatching. Therefore, in production, if it is found that chicks have not hatched after the incubation period, it is necessary to take out the unhatched eggs in time so that pigeons can lay eggs in time. Pigeons are late-maturing birds. Different from other birds, young pigeons can't open their eyes when they are hatched, have few feathers, can't walk and feed, and need to be fed by their parents. ; It takes about 40 days to live independently.
Pigeons have quick thinking. Pigeons are highly alert in their daily lives and are very sensitive to the surrounding stimuli. Flash, strange sound, moving object, unusual color, etc. Will cause pigeons to stir and dive. Therefore, attention should be paid to keeping the environment around pigeons quiet in feeding management, especially at night to prevent the intrusion of rats, snakes, cats and dogs, so as not to cause confusion and affect the normal life of pigeons. Pigeons have strong homing ability. Both domestic pigeons and wild pigeons have strong homing. Generally speaking, their birthplace is the place where they have lived all their lives. Any unfamiliar place is not suitable for pigeons They are uneasy and want to go back to their "hometown" all the time, especially when they encounter danger and terror. If the pigeon is taken to a place hundreds or thousands of miles away from its "home" and released, it will try its best to return as quickly as possible and will not stay or live in any unfamiliar place on the way.
Compared with other poultry or birds, pigeons have their own unique living habits. First, pigeons are monogamous birds. Pigeons are selective to their spouses when they are mature. Once paired, they are single-minded and inseparable. Not promiscuous like other poultry. In the same flock, if the number of male and female pigeons is not equal, there may be two male or two female same-sex spouses. After pigeons are paired, both male and female pigeons participate in nesting, hatching and feeding young pigeons. It will take a long time for pigeons to reunite after their widowhood. In production, in order to cultivate excellent varieties, improve the quality of pigeon varieties and avoid the variety degradation caused by inbreeding, artificial selection can be carried out in a planned way. If the male and female pigeons are paired freely, they can be disassembled and paired again, but it is very time-consuming and laborious. Therefore, in breeding, it is necessary to master this characteristic of pigeons and make an artificial selection plan as soon as possible to prevent free pairing. In addition, after the adult pigeons lose their spouses, in the estrus season, due to strong sexual desire, there may also be disorderly mating, which may disturb the birds. In order to keep the birds quiet, the pigeons in heat can be paired in time or temporarily isolated.
Under the right conditions, wild pigeons can breed up to eight times a year, and two young pigeons will be born each time. The frequency of pigeon breeding depends on the adequacy of food. It takes about 18 ~ 19 days for pigeons to hatch and break their shells. Parents will feed these little guys with a special pigeon milk. The newly hatched pigeon will double its weight in one day, but it will take four days to open its eyes. After about two months, pigeons can leave the nest.
Pigeon food is mainly plant food, whether it is wild pigeon or domestic pigeon, it is mainly plant food, mainly corn, wheat, beans, grains and so on. And generally don't eat meat like insects. Pigeons are used to eating raw materials, and artificial feeding can also adapt to cooked food. Granular mixed feed can also be used in artificial farms.
Pigeons are characterized by daytime activities and homing at night. Pigeons are very active during the day. They eat and drink water frequently. Rest quietly in the shed at night. However, trained homing pigeons can fly at night or even at night if they don't return to their habitat before evening.
Pigeons have a strong memory and even a strong conditioned reflex. For those who often take care of it, get close to it and remember it. If they are treated roughly at ordinary times, it will often be detrimental to feeding management. Pigeons are also habitual animals. It takes some time to get used to it if you want to change your original living habits. Therefore, routine feeding management procedures and environmental conditions should be fixed in pigeon feeding management. Thereby ensuring higher production efficiency.
Pigeon breed
wild pigeon
There are two main kinds of wild pigeons: those that inhabit rocks and those that inhabit trees. Domestic pigeons have been cultivated and screened for a long time, including edible pigeons, ornamental pigeons, racing pigeons, military pigeons and experimental pigeons. In 3000 BC, pigeons were recorded in the fifth generation of the Egyptian dynasty. China also has a long history of raising pigeons. According to the dovecote unearthed from the Han Tomb in Lushan County, Sichuan Province, pigeons were raised in 206 AD at the latest. Today, all continents in the world have their own wild pigeons and domestic pigeons. People have different statistics on the types of pigeons. According to the Japanese Encyclopedia of Animal World, there are 5 populations and 250 species of pigeons on the earth. However, Japan's "Everything Event" records that there are as many as 550 species of birds in the pigeon family. From a large number of wild pigeons with different characteristics to a variety of domestic pigeons, it shows that domestic pigeons are a multi-source product. Pigeons, whether wild or domestic, have webbed feet. The slang of some illegal game restaurants calls seagulls caught in the wild "pigeons", which is legally unacceptable.
Wild pigeons that have not been domesticated. Mainly divided into two categories: rock habitats and arboreal habitats. There are many kinds of pigeons distributed all over the world, including forest pigeons, rock pigeons, North American passenger pigeons, snow pigeons and turtledoves. China is also one of the birthplaces of pigeons in the world. Zhang's Pigeon Classic in the Ming Dynasty said: "Wild pigeons are in droves, and the sea and the sky are the same." In China's northern and northwestern plateaus and other vast areas, there are not only rock pigeons perched on rocks, but also forest pigeons perched on branches. There is a wild forest pigeon commonly known as "water goo goo" in the Yangtze River basin. There is a place called "Wild Pigeon Valley" in Nantou County, Taiwan Province Province, where wild pigeons gather in groups, including spotted pigeons, wild stone pigeons, Nikuban pigeons and forest pigeons. Wild pigeons, such as spotted pigeons, spotted-tailed forest pigeons and European pigeons, can cross with domestic pigeons to cultivate new varieties. Wild pigeons have strong adaptability in many aspects, which fully demonstrates their ability to fly and settle down. They use their sight, hearing and smell to identify their directions with the help of the sun, the moon and the stars.
Rock pigeon/pigeon
Also known as "rock pigeon". A kind of wild pigeon. Living on rocky cliffs along the coast, holding branches in crevices to build nests and reproduce. Living by the sea, thirsty to drink seawater to supplement salt in the body. This habit has continued among domestic pigeons. The body is slightly larger than the original pigeon, and the male pigeon can reach 35 cm in length. Easy to domesticate. Feather color belongs to raindrops, and the background color of compound feathers is dark with white spots. Produced in southern Europe to the Mediterranean coast, the Middle East, India, Korea and other places. In China, it is mainly distributed in the whole northeast, eastern and central Inner Mongolia. Darwin, a British scientist, thinks he is the ancestor of domestic pigeons. In the Origin of Species, he said: "Many domestic pigeon breeds originated from a common ancestor: rock pigeons." Ornithologists can't tell the biological difference between primitive pigeons and rock pigeons. The English name of the original pigeon is Rock Dove, which was translated into rock pigeon before, so the wild rock pigeon that Darwin refers to is probably the original pigeon.
wild pigeon
A kind of wild pigeon. It is the original species of domestic pigeons, and its body shape is roughly similar to that of domestic pigeons. Most of them live between rocks and cliffs by the sea and are not good at nesting. They only use some dead leaves as bedding. Feather color is generally tile gray, wings have two black horizontal stare blankly, neck and chest feathers are dark, and have red and green metallic luster. Eat cereal and vegetable seeds. There are many subspecies. Distributed in Europe, Asia, Iran, India and other places, and also produced in China. See "Rock Pigeon".
Spotted-tailed forest pigeon
National second-class protected animal, a kind of wild pigeon. Bigger and heavier than domestic pigeons. Build a nest in a tree. Feather color is black, wings are white and neck feathers are white. Beak yellow, eyes pale yellow. Widely distributed in Europe, it is difficult to domesticate and can be crossed with domestic pigeons.
Snow pigeon
A kind of wild pigeon. Produced in China and Tibet. It is named because it grows under the snow-capped mountains. Most of them are white, and some are tile gray.
European pigeon
A kind of wild pigeon. Live in the forest and build a nest in a tree hole. Slightly smaller than ordinary pigeons. Feathers are dark gray in color, and there are two inconspicuous black horizontal lines on the wings. Eyes are black. You can cross with domestic pigeons, but most young pigeons die at two weeks old. Among the surviving hybrid offspring, the male pigeon can backcross with the domestic pigeon, and the female pigeon is infertile.
Spotted pigeon
A kind of wild pigeon. Of western and northeastern Africa. Feather color is iron oxide, and wings are mixed with light triangular spots. Neck feather bifurcation. It can be crossed with ordinary domestic pigeons, and the offspring produced are wild, not cold-resistant and infertile.
sweetheart
Also known as "Bo Dove" and "Goose Owl", the national "three haves" protect animals. Body shape and feather color vary from species to species. It lives in the bushes in the plains and mountains and feeds on fruits and seeds. Brown-backed turtledove is widely distributed in China, also known as "golden-backed turtledove" or "mountain turtledove". In addition, there are: Xinjiang subspecies, distributed in northern, western and central Xinjiang; Yunnan subspecies, distributed in western Yunnan and even Xishuangbanna; Taiwan Province province subspecies, only distributed in Taiwan Province province. Another kind of pearl-necked turtledove, also known as "pearl turtle" or "Flower Turtledove", lives in the plain and feeds on weeds, grains and other seeds. Mainly distributed in eastern and southern China, and from western to eastern Tibet.
Quege
A kind of wild pigeon. It is named because it looks like a sparrow. Of Mexico and Peru. Small and compact, the back feathers are grayish brown, the face to the chest is grayish brown, and there are dark brown spots on the back and wings.
pigeon
Birds, pigeons. Domesticated from the original pigeons. The descendants of wild pigeons all over the world have formed various domestic pigeon varieties through constant domestication, seed selection and breeding. According to the purpose, it can be divided into three categories: racing, eating and enjoying. Flying pigeons are "athletes" who organize sports competitions because of their strong desire to return home and fast flying ability. Edible pigeons are large in size, delicious in meat, high in nutritional value, convenient to raise and fast in reproduction, and are nourishing food for people to accompany meals. Ornamental pigeons are famous for their peculiar feathers, colors and various performance skills, and are pets for entertainment. Pigeons vary greatly in size, with the smallest ornamental pigeon weighing about 300 grams and the largest edible pigeon weighing about 1500 grams. Feathers are of various colors, mainly red, yellow, blue, white and black, as well as raindrops and flowers. There are fast pigeons that can fly and ground pigeons that can't fly.
homer
Broadly speaking, it refers to all military pigeons and racing pigeons serving human beings except ornamental pigeons and meat pigeons. People use the homing performance of pigeons to communicate and compete, and always use the name carrier pigeon, which is not limited to the single meaning of "communication", but mainly refers to pigeons used in flight competitions.
Why do people send letters by carrier pigeons instead of other birds? That's because homing pigeons have a unique special skill, which enables them to find their way home accurately. There is a bulge between the eyes of homing pigeons. This bulge has a special function, which can measure the change of the earth's magnetic field and judge the direction of going home.
A homing pigeon can fly a long distance. It flies very fast and has good memory and eyesight. Carrier pigeons also have a habit of being homesick, called nesting. No matter how far you fly, you want to go back to your nest. It is precisely because of the fast speed, strong sense of direction and love of nests that homing pigeons have become the first choice for people to transmit information.
However, not all pigeons can deliver letters. Only trained homing pigeons can do it. Even if you take a homing pigeon to a strange place thousands of miles away, it can find its way home. But not because of talent, any pigeon can do it. This is a skill that has been trained manually. The ancestors of all domestic pigeons are wild pigeons. When people find that they have the ability to be messengers, they train them. Pigeons can know the way home because they can use their talents such as flying fast, good memory and strong sense of direction to observe the height at different times and the height of the sun where their nests are located, and then judge the direction they should fly. It can be said that every qualified homing pigeon is a geographical prospector.
Since homing pigeons need training to deliver letters, how to train homing pigeons to deliver letters? Letting homing pigeons deliver letters can't really be like what is played in TV series. It can go wherever it wants. It will send the letter to whoever it wants. That's a fairy tale, not a fact. In fact, for example, if you want a carrier pigeon to deliver letters from Shanghai to Beijing, you must first raise it in Beijing as a child, and then bring it to Shanghai temporarily when you need it to deliver letters. When it is released in Shanghai, it will exert its talents and try to fly home to Beijing.
Training a homing pigeon needs to start from an early age, and there are two common methods. The first is to feed homing pigeons in the same place since childhood, and one day take them to other places to fly back to their nests. The flight location of training is from near to far, and the distance increases slowly, so the ability of homing pigeons will become stronger and stronger. The second is to feed the homing pigeon in place A, but when it wants to have a rest at night, it is placed in place B, so that after long-term training, the homing pigeon will easily send letters back and forth.
Moreover, pigeons have always been regarded as messengers of peace, and people have placed good hopes on them, hoping that they can bring good news to people. So even if there were other options, in ancient times when communication was underdeveloped, people were still willing to rely on homing pigeons to transmit information.
Pigeons serving in the army and in the battlefield. Humans have long realized the military significance of pigeons. As a military assistant of mankind, it was recorded in ancient Rome as early as 2000 years ago. Julius Caesar used pigeons to send military messages many times in the war of conquering Gaul. In 43 BC, when Hetius and Brutu besieged Mutina (Modena), they also communicated with pigeons. Since then, military pigeons have played an important role in all previous wars, and many "pigeon heroes" with outstanding military achievements have emerged. The application of military pigeons has been more extensive. In addition to transmitting information and communication, military pigeons are also used for reconnaissance, helping radar to be on duty and collecting data, and even some missile bases use them to participate in duty. In addition, the army is also used to search the sea, looking for victims and lost items.
racing pigeon
Also known as "racing pigeons". Pigeons dedicated to racing. In the process from captivity to stocking, people found that pigeons have the ability to identify their nests, and then consciously take them to the second place and fly back to the first place, resulting in communication pigeons. When people first saw homing pigeons, they sprouted the desire to compete with pigeons for fun, thus developing into a noble sports activity. In order to win the competition, people devote themselves to research and exploration in breeding, breeding and training, and constantly try to improve them, and finally form a new breed of racing pigeons. As early as the beginning of the18th century, Wu Lian, a breeder in Antwerp, Belgium, combined Yanbo pigeon with Persian homing pigeon, flying pigeon and Schmidt pigeon, and cultivated them into excellent varieties in the world, which is known as the originator of racing pigeons. In the mid-Ming Dynasty, people had used pigeon competitions for fun, and organized the corresponding "pigeon club" groups. "Guangdong New Language": "In May and June, there will be a meeting to stand up pigeons ... Those who choose to return first will be entangled in bonuses." Racing pigeons are generally small, with about 500 grams of adult male pigeons and 450 grams of female pigeons. The bones are hard, the muscles are plump, the eyes are bright, the feathers are thin and tight, and the colors of the feathers are mainly raindrops, black, crimson, gray, white and flowers. Traditional racing pigeons include Dai Li pigeon, China blue pigeon, China pink pigeon, red-blooded blue-eyed pigeon, China owl, Jingxiang rudder pigeon, Antwerp pigeon, sun pigeon and American flying pigeon. According to the schedule, it can be divided into short-distance pigeons, long-distance pigeons and ultra-long-distance pigeons. In order to improve homing performance and flight performance of racing pigeons, breeding pigeons must be selected, and scientific feeding management and training should be carried out. The criteria for selecting racing pigeons are developed and powerful bones, tight and shiny feathers and firm and elastic skin. Wide wings, bright eyes and, more importantly, excellent pedigree. Short-and medium-range speed pigeons and ultra-long-range endurance pigeons have their own characteristics.
Short-range pigeon
Pigeons who are good at short and medium distance races. The short distance of a racing car is generally around 300 kilometers; 500 ~ 700 kilometers is the medium range. The first condition of short-and medium-range pigeons is strong explosive force and fast flight speed, but their endurance is insufficient, which is dwarfed by long-range and ultra-long-range competitions.
Long-distance pigeon
Pigeons good at long-distance running. The distance of a racing car is generally around 1000 km. The first condition of long-distance pigeons is strong endurance in flight, but poor explosive power, which is dwarfed by short-distance races.
Super-long pigeon
Pigeons who are good at long-distance running. The distance of a racing car is generally more than 1500 km. The first condition of super-long distance pigeons is strong flight endurance, strong survival ability of foraging in the wild and staying at night, but poor explosive force, which is not suitable for short-distance races.
Chicken pigeon
That is, "edible pigeon", also known as "ornamental pigeon". Pigeons for people to enjoy. There are more than 600 kinds in the world. There are many kinds of ornamental pigeons in China, which are self-contained and universally recognized. According to incomplete statistics, there are about 200 species, which are valuable cultural wealth of the motherland.