The pigeon bird is distributed absolutely all over the world; they did not take root only in deserts and the far north. There are two varieties of pigeons - domestic and wild, the latter live less than domestic ones. As for domestic pigeons, they are kept for many purposes, such as decorating a private house, for selling pigeon meat, for reselling in circuses, participating in exhibitions and so on. What do pigeons look like?
Pigeon chicks
It is worth saying that pigeon chicks are most in demand, it is at this age that it is worth starting training for the purpose of further training. Today we will learn in more detail how pigeon chicks look, look at photos of pigeons, and also find out where the female pigeon chicks hide and how to care for them.
What doves look like
We will find out the answer to the question, how do the newborn pigeons look like and where are the little pigeon chicks? It is worth saying that the appearance of a pigeon chick is not much different from other species of birds, they also come into the world from an egg. The only thing that distinguishes the pigeon sharply is that there is not a single feather on its skin, that is, it is born completely bald. In addition, it must be said about newborn blindness, which passes over time. Thus, the pigeon chick is completely helpless for a long time, because it can’t find food, can’t fly and can not protect itself from a hostile environment, parents take care of it.
However, this period does not last long, after 5 days, a maximum of a week, the first fluff begins to hatch, then feathers appear, which eventually turn into the usual pigeon plumage. Having carefully examined the pigeon chick in the photo or video, one cannot but note the disproportionately large beak and at the same time very tiny dimensions, the weight of one chick is only 12 grams.
Surely, the first thing that occurred to you after getting acquainted with the appearance of a pigeon chick is that its appearance repels. Some ornithologists make the assumption that it is so conceived by nature to maximize the preservation of the number of chicks. In addition to the fact that pigeons do not have feathers, it is unattractive that the body is folded disproportionately, but the baby is growing. Compared to the body, the head seems too small, the eyes look huge, the wings in the first weeks of life can be underdeveloped, so their size only adds awkwardness to the doves.
What does a dove's nest look like?
The nest of pigeons consists of habitual materials for birds, this is dried straw and small branches. Responsibilities in the family are traditionally distributed, materials for the construction of the nest are brought in the beak by the male, while the female is engaged in “arranging home comfort and hearth”, that is, direct construction. Compared to other birds, the pigeon cannot be called particularly beautiful and comfortable; it looks more like randomly scattered branches.
Nests are usually built in the period covering the end of spring and early September when pigeons appear in pigeons. As mentioned earlier, pigeons are born without feathers, respectively, any change in the weather down can be fatal for them, winter is the most critical time of the year for pigeons. The hatching period lasts not about 20-25 days, male and female hatch eggs alternately. After that, tiny pigeons with the help of an already formed beak begin to break the shell, completely hatch after 2-3 hours. Often, in order to speed up the process, parents also actively participate in the riveting of the shell where the little pigeons are.
What does a newborn chick eat
Immediately after hatching, the mother rush to feed him fresh colostrum, usually this happens in the first hours of his life. You will probably wonder where colostrum comes from, because the bird does not belong to mammals and does not have such an organ as an udder. The fact is that colostrum is secreted from the beak of a female dove, and its chemical composition, surprisingly, has many similarities to the human colostrum that infants consume. The mechanism of its formation is as follows:
- First, the female lays eggs
- In the body, the restructuring of enzyme production begins
- After 20 days, the composition of saliva changes and excreted colostrum, which feeds newborn chicks
The peculiarity of pigeons is that in one clutch there are one or two eggs, and they are not in equal conditions, since the one that is younger always receives food later than his brother or sister, the same applies to vital colostrum. It is believed that it is colostrum that enables newborn pigeons to gain mass incredibly quickly, and with great speed to turn from a clumsy defenseless creature into an independent bird. In order to assess the swiftness of mass gain, we present the following table where the kids are pigeon chicks and their age standards:
Age | Weight grams |
1 day | 12 grams |
2 day | about 100 grams |
3 weeks | more than 200 grams |
Features of pigeon nesting
Where doves live, where doe chicks grow and grow stronger? The answer to the question why people never see pigeon chicks is the fact that a female pigeon finds a place farthest from a person for nesting. In the city, it can be an abandoned house or a sports ground, attics of buildings, very tall trees, in the countryside there are caves, rocks and so on. For this reason, pigeon nests are located as high as possible, usually on the roofs of houses where construction is completed. It is noteworthy that city pigeons are old-timers, that is, they do not change their nesting places if they are not forced to do so.
Some people claim to have seen small scruffy pigeons or pigeon eggs on the balconies of their homes, is that true? Indeed, this can happen occasionally, because at present it is impossible to call a pigeon wild, because a bird lives side by side with a person and depends on it in many respects. Of course, not always, such a trust is justified, since a curious person who wants to know everything will naturally get to the pigeon’s nest to see what the pigeons have and can harm unborn chicks or those already hatched. Although often, acquaintance with a pigeon chick occurs after the pigeon chick has fallen from its nest.
If you notice a pigeon's nest on the balcony or on the roof of a private house, you have two options: leave it as it is, let the chicks grow and fly away, or carefully move the pigeon's dwelling, however, it is very likely that the female will refuse further hatching and the entire brood dies. In any case, it makes sense to familiarize yourself with the appearance of the nest of pigeons in order to be able to distinguish it from nests belonging to other birds.
Pigeons - Pigeon Chicks - Waiting for Offspring - Pigeon Saga - Episode 1
WHY DO WE NEVER SEE THE DOVE PAGES? THE SECRET IS DISCLOSED
How pigeon chicks grow: from 1 to 32 days, + photo-video at two months of age
Pigeon nestlings growing up
As mentioned earlier, the dove is born completely helpless, there is a resemblance to human children who cannot service themselves for a long time. Due to this lack of independence, the first time someone is constantly in the nest with the chicks - either a female or a male. It is impossible to throw a brood even for a minute because the kids quickly lose heat, the thermoregulation mechanism works imperfectly, since the little pigeons are completely devoid of feathers, their parents warm with their bodies.
Parents leave the nest in turn, giving each other the opportunity to find food and drink water but the pigeons know where their chicks are and rush home. It was this attachment and the presence of responsibility to each other that caused the steady expression “pigeon fidelity” to appear. After all, pigeons are one of the few birds, and perhaps the only ones who create pairs once and for all, raise children together and constantly support each other in summer and winter, this is called constancy.
However, along with this fact, there are very unpleasant and even repulsive facts regarding the life of pigeons. Among such examples is the situation when the chicks became orphans, that is, their parents, unfortunately, died. You should not wait for help from other pigeons, they simply will not pay attention to the orphans, will not bring food and water, the inevitable death awaits the little ones. A person may notice a problem if the pigeon's chick falls out of the nest, that is, when it is no longer possible to help, when it is found, but if earlier it is possible to try to feed the little pigeon chicks.
How doves grow
Pigeon chicks grow stronger in nests or in artificially created dovecotes, depending on whether they belong to the category of wild or domestic. It is worth saying that those birds that live in captivity are much worse at caring for their offspring, which cannot be said about wild dove pairs. This is due to the fact that poultry get used to comfort, to the fact that food does not need to be obtained independently, all this negatively affects the presence of natural instincts, including parental ones. For this reason, a person has to take a direct part in caring for pigeon chicks if they live in a dovecot condition.
A person often takes the pigeon chicks for the dead. Why is this happening? The fact is that in the first days of life, their movements are minimal, and body temperature is quite low.
How long have pigeon chicks been in the nest? Usually this period lasts about 1.5 - 2 months, only after this period the nest becomes empty. At this stage, you will no longer see the ridiculous bald chick, it is an adult shaped dove, which is ready to go into independent life and knows how to fly. Thus, an answer was formed to the question of why a person does not see pigeon eggs and the chicks themselves.
Ornithologists recommend that you do not touch the pigeon nests with your hands, if this is not urgently needed. The fact is that the female can abandon her offspring, as she will smell an odor on her unborn cubs. The same applies to the nest itself, it is better not to go where human intervention is not necessary. Want to help the chicks, pass by, do not interfere in the natural life cycle of the bird. If you really want to see the pigeon's nest, you can use the Internet and watch a lot of videos and photos.
How to feed pigeon chicks
This section will be needed only for those who contain "postmen" at home, that is, in pigeons, which, by the way, can be done manually, carefully studying the design. Weaning from parents can be carried out already three weeks after the hatching of young animals, this is the time when pigeons hatch chicks if they live in a natural environment. However, having done this, you take on a huge responsibility, since now you must ensure not only the feeding, but also the constant heating of the babies. It is advisable to immediately teach the birds to eat from feeders and to drink from special devices inside the house, this will greatly simplify your work. It is also important to ensure the constant access of the chicks to the pigeon stone, it can be purchased at veterinary stores or on the Internet, it serves as an indispensable source of obtaining the necessary mineral substances, so we ourselves will breed the offspring.
It is important to pay enough attention to the purity of the pigeon, as otherwise, this can provoke the development of many diseases in chicks. Remove litter in time, periodically disinfect the premises, equipment and equipment that is used for cleaning, so the little chick grows faster.
Recommended Nutrition
In order for the bird to develop normally, it is necessary to ensure that more than half of the diet is compressed feed. They contain protein, which will help to gain weight faster and grow stronger. In addition, the quality of food will also determine how painful the pigeons will be or may not hurt at all, this aspect excites any poultry farmer.
- Here is an example of an approximate diet for young birds, which can be taken as a basis:
- Corn, peas - about 10-15% of each component, calculation of the total mass of the daily diet
- Millet - should be at least 30-40%
- Cereals - about 15%, barley - at least 20% of daily feeding
Pigeons are usually fed three times a day, and the third feeding, that is, evening, should be large in volume and calorie content. As for the size of the servings, about 30-50 grams of feed is left for one individual, this is the minimum that needs to be repelled.
If the pigeon is sick, then the diet also changes. At this point, you need to replace the usual components of the feed with softer and more gentle. Boiled cereals (rice, wheat, pearl barley and so on) are ideal. The importance of a balanced diet increases at times if birds are not raised for domestic use, but to participate in the exhibition, because the mass and beauty of feathers are appreciated there.
What should be the care
If you decide to get a private dovecote, you should make sure that the bird is comfortable. To do this, first of all, you need to make the birds tame, that is, tame, then build a spacious and comfortable pigeon house. By the way, on the Internet there are many examples of its construction with detailed photos and video instructions.
The process of taming can not be called complicated, it includes constant communication with pigeons, feeding by hand. After some time, the pigeons will take you "for their own", will not prevent you from being nearby, feed and clean in the cages.
In order to prevent the development of diseases in pigeons, care must not be neglected. It is recommended to periodically conduct an external examination, which can help identify many diseases at the very beginning of their origin. As you can see in the video, an adult pigeon is a fairly mobile bird, which rarely sits in place, has a great appetite. If you see that the behavior of the birds is changing, this may indicate that something is wrong with their health. Here are the most common symptoms of a disease state in pigeons, which definitely should alert you:
- Changing the color of the oral mucosa
- The presence of discharge from the nose or beak (usually enrofloxacin helps if you start giving it on the first day)
- The pupils are not the same
- The pigeon does not stand well, falls and so on
It is important not to miss the onset of the disease and begin treatment in a timely manner, since this bird can be a carrier of many dangerous diseases, many of which can be dangerous even for humans. It is worth saying that pigeons die in large numbers, that is, infection occurs quickly.
Now you know what a pigeon nestling looks like, how little pigeons can come out, how to feed them and how to prevent the development of diseases.