The history of pigeon mail is rooted in antiquity. Birds were used in military affairs, helping to deliver important information over long distances. You will learn about breeding carrier pigeons today and which breeds are better trained when reading this article.
Historical information
The first mention of pigeon mail can be found in the Bible. The Old Testament says that it was Noah who released the pigeon to make sure the land was suitable for life, and the bird returned to it with a sprig of olive.
In ancient Rome and Greece, birds sent military messages and information important to the state.
Pigeon mail was widely distributed in Egypt during the reign of Nureddin, who ordered the construction of many postal towers, thereby establishing communication throughout the country.
Later, the pigeon mail served to transmit love letters and important news.
A significant role was played by pigeons during the Second World War, delivering urgent messages to the front.
How does a bird know where to fly?
It is erroneous that the carrier pigeon can be sent anywhere in the world, and it will deliver a message to the address. In fact, the only place where pigeons are able to precisely fly is in their nest.
This instinct was called "homing." Even a pigeon taken to a long distance returns to his home. This ability is due to the presence of magnetic receptors located above the beak. With their help, the pigeon picks up magnetic vibrations that differ at every point on the earth. Already a newborn chick can accurately distinguish the magnetic field of its nest.
In addition, the pigeons have a phenomenal memory for the birds and are perfectly oriented on the ground, so they can accurately find their home.
How far can it fly?
Pigeons fly at a speed of about 70 km / h. They are able to fly over 300 km at a time without stopping. Trained pigeons can cover distances of up to 1000 km.
Is it relevant these days?
Pigeon mail has not lost relevance these days. In Europe, birds are used to deliver sensitive information. But now, not letters are tied to their paws, but a microchip or flash drive. This gives confidence in the protection of the transmitted information, because it is more difficult to get to it than when sending via the Internet.
In addition, pigeons are used for advertising purposes to deliver announcements or messages about promotions. More romantic people send love letters with the help of birds.
Today, pigeon training for sports is popular. There are entire Olympics in which the owners of pigeons compete in the strength and endurance of their wards.
Breeds
Not all breeds of pigeons are suitable for mail delivery. Such work is only possible for strong and hardy birds that are easy to train. The most popular ones are described below.
English quarry
The pedigree of this breed is rooted in ancient centuries. It is believed that it was their ancestors who delivered mail to the territory of Ancient Egypt and China.
English pigeons are appreciated for their good flying qualities, swiftness and endurance.
The main qualities of pigeons:
- Body constitution. Pigeons are quite large. They can have a height of up to 50 cm. Moreover, they have a small and neat head.
- Eyes. Expressive thanks to brightly defined eyelids.
- Wings. Long. Tightly adjacent to the body.
- Beak. Thick. On it there are growths similar to warts. It is this characteristic that distinguishes English pigeons from other breeds.
- Tail. Elongated. Almost reaches the ground.
- Plumage. Hard, mostly monochrome. Birds can have a white, black, brown color.
The most popular is Carrier (English "messenger").
Belgian (Antwerp, Brussels, Luttih, etc.)
They were bred at the beginning of the 19th century, by crossing several species of pigeons.
The breed is highly regarded as birds have excellent terrain orientation skills and are capable of flying over very long distances.
What other features does the breed have:
- Body constitution. Birds are medium in size and can grow up to 40 cm. They have a rounded body shape. Broad, well-shaped chest.
- Eyes. Black color. Outlined by pale eyelids.
- Head. Small, rounded with a growth on the beak.
- Tail. Long and narrow.
- Plumage. Shiny and silky. Color can be varied - from light to dark.
- Wings. Fit tight to the body. They have cropped feathers.
It is widely believed that Belgian pigeons received good flying qualities due to crossbreeding with seagulls.
German postal (exhibition) pigeons
This breed was bred as a result of crossing English and Belgian pigeons. Breeders sought to obtain a strong and beautiful breed with excellent flight characteristics.
Although the early attempts were unsuccessful and it was possible to get only a view that is valuable from an aesthetic point of view, today German pigeons are highly regarded as a post breed.
Their qualities are as follows:
- Body constitution. Pigeons have a fairly wide chest. They are powerful and stocky.
- Wings. Loosely fit to the body, slightly bulging forward.
- Neck. Very long. With a small head.
- Beak. Flat.
- Color. It can be varied. There are pigeons of gray, white, brown colors.
- The size. The birds are quite miniature.
- Tail. Shortened.
Russian carrier pigeons
The birds of this breed have a rather beautiful profile with a rounded head. They are stately and graceful.
Among the main characteristics of this breed:
- Wings. Powerful. Pressed close to the body of the bird. They have bends at the ends.
- Legs. The elongated shape. Strong enough. There are no feathers on them.
- Color. Mostly white. But there are varieties with colorful plumage.
- Beak. Convex. At the base expands.
- Eyes. They have a predominantly red-orange color of the iris.
Representatives of the Ostankino variety are most highly valued. They can be distinguished by the black color of the eyes.
Czech
Czech birds are used for postal purposes when you need to fly short distances.
Czech pigeons are very loyal and easy to train.
What else are these birds valued for:
- Body constitution. Pigeons are small in size, but very stately.
- Beak. Little. Has a soft growth at the base.
- Eyes. Large, expressive. Mostly black.
- Tail. Short, wide.
- Neck. Elongated.
- Wings. Fit tight to the body.
- Plumage. Smooth. The color may be light or brownish.
Dragons
This breed began to be used in mail delivery earlier than others. It's all about the activity of pigeons and excellent orientation in space.
The value of Dragons is also due to their unpretentiousness in content.
Breed parameters:
- Body constitution. Dense. With a small head. Chest rounded.
- Eyes. Big ones. They have a reddish-orange color of the iris.
- Beak. Long. Closes tightly.
- Neck. Medium size. Narrowed closer to the head.
- Wings. Strong, powerful, long.
- Tail. Long, lowered to the bottom.
- Plumage. The color is mostly dark.
Conditions of detention
As for the conditions for keeping pigeons, you need to remember these rules:
- The norm of nutrition. 1 pigeon needs 400 g of food for 7 days. If the training is intense, then the norm increases to 800 g.
- Frequency of feeding. You need to feed the birds 3 times a day.
- Feeding time. It is better to give food immediately after dawn, after lunch and before sunset.
- Diet. You can feed the pigeons with yellow peas, lentils, vetch. Add a little lime or salt to the feed. For a change, you can add flax seeds, potatoes, oats. Water should be changed daily.
- Accommodations. Pigeon houses where birds are kept must be dry, clean and protected from the wind. It is possible to equip a room in the attic of a house. It is imperative that pigeons can freely fly out and return to the nest.
Training
Before using pigeons as postal workers, they must go through a full training course.
It is better to start training pigeons from the age of 6 weeks.
The following activities are carried out:
- Test flights. They are made around the dovecote where the bird lives. The course lasts 1.5 months.
- Short range flights. The pigeon is carried away from the house for short distances and released so that he returns to his native nest. The distance increases gradually when the effect of each flight is fixed.
Do not shorten the distance, this can negatively affect the learning process.
- Increase the distance. Over time, the pigeon will learn to find a house at a distance of several hundred kilometers. But it should be remembered that a one-year-old bird is unlikely to be able to cover a distance of more than 300 km.
- Recreation. Before each short-range flight, the bird must rest for at least 1 day. If you have a long flight, it takes at least 90 hours.
- Motivation. To consolidate the effect, birds returning home should be given a treat. You also need to take care of choosing a partner for the pigeon, otherwise he may find him elsewhere and not return home.
- Activity. It is necessary to take care of the constant activity of the bird to maintain optimal physical fitness.
- Weather characteristics. It is better to start training in clear and dry weather, so it will be easier for the bird to find its home. Once the skills are fixed, you can try to release the pigeon in the rain.
- Time of the year. The ideal time for training is the period from April to October.
- Time of day. You need to let the pigeon fly in the morning, before noon.
- Flight conditions. You need to transport the birds to the point of departure quickly so that they do not spill over while they are in the basket. Better to release from the dais. It should be remembered that they are better oriented in open terrain than in rough terrain.
- Trapping pigeons. It is better to catch birds during the day with nets, rather than hands. They should be treated with care so as not to develop a cautious, timid attitude towards the owner.
In the dark, you can take pigeons with your hands.
Today, the use of carrier pigeons can become not only a fascinating hobby and sport, but also a business. This requires a lot of time and patience in training the bird. You need to choose the right breed, training time, think about physical development. This is the only way to grow a perfectly trained carrier pigeon.
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