Nikolaev high-flying pigeons are distinguished by their endurance - they can fly for a very long time high in the sky without interruptions. To do this, birds need to be properly trained, as well as follow the rules of keeping so that they remain as energetic and healthy as possible. More details are in the article.
Description
This breed of pigeons has a special body structure, thanks to which they quickly take off:
- body length 40 cm;
- the body is long with a large chest;
- dense plumage all over the body, except for the legs;
- wings are loose on the body, long;
- strong wing muscles;
- plumage color can be different: black, blue, yellow, gray, red, pockmarked, white with black spots on the head and neck or with multi-colored blotches.
- in any color, the tail is white, wide, straight and consists of about 15 tail feathers;
- the head is narrow, round;
- eyes are small, yellow, or orange;
- beak - medium in size, thin, tip bent down;
- the neck is short;
- when the bird is standing, the body is tilted 45 degrees to the ground;
- the male differs from the female in the size of the body (it’s larger), as well as a wide neck and a lighter color of feathers.
The behavior of birds is usually quite violent, especially in males. But despite this, they are good parents to their offspring. The chicks, in turn, from birth are similar to adults in character - they are equally active.
Flight qualities
Nikolaev high-flying pigeons are the only birds of their kind that take off and land vertically, rather than circling.
During the flight, pigeons need a headwind.
There are four flight styles:
- “Butterfly” - continuous flapping of wings, tilted slightly forward and fully open tail;
- “Lark” - straight, slightly fluttering wings are perpendicular to the body;
- end flight - vertical take-off, wings are 90 ° to the body;
- Crescent-style - the wings are located in front of the hull and bend in an arc, resembling a sickle.
The most common type of flight is “butterfly”, but untrained Nikolaev pigeons fly in the “lark” style.
Training
To develop endurance and a certain style of flight, pigeons need to be trained regularly.
Properly trained pigeons can fly without rest from 6 to 10 hours.
Before proceeding directly to training, you should make sure that young individuals:
- calmly take off high;
- can be in the air for a long time;
- Do not get lost at the sight of people and animals.
If all these qualities are absent, then such a pigeon can serve exclusively for decorative purposes.
Training begins at dawn when it is fresh outside. They last no more than 6 hours a day with breaks.
The entire long training process is divided into stages:
- Addictive pigeons to the coach. To do this, daily you need to come to the nursery in the same clothes. So the birds will remember you and will eat from your hands, not be afraid of approaching, sit on your shoulder.
- From 1.5-2 months, pigeons are released briefly from the nursery into the aviary.
- After - 5-7 days, dovecote is released from the aviary to the roof. This stage lasts up to 5 days.
- Young animals can fly around the nursery along with the leader pigeon, who teaches them a certain flight style.
- After 6-7 such trainings, you can let the pigeons fly one by one or in a flock, but without a leader.
- After a short time, the birds begin to spend in the air for 20-40 minutes.
- When the flight time reaches 45 minutes, young people can be released with an old dove, who flies in the same style.
There are several prohibitions on training pigeons:
- training stops temporarily when the pigeon begins to molt and the fifth fly feather falls out - this process affects badly the ability to fly;
- you can not train females before oviposition;
- birds with different flight styles cannot be released at the same time.
Sometimes during training, birds fall. There are several common causes for this:
- Inappropriate time for training (too hot, fog);
- calm weather;
- various diseases;
- the birds lost their orientation.
We suggest you watch a video clip about how Nikolaev high-flying pigeons look, where they contain them and how they train the “butterfly” flight style:
Adult conditions
Pigeons tolerate cold weather well, so even in winter they are kept in a spacious dovecote: 1 square. m for a couple. Main conditions of detention:
- the optimum temperature in winter is +5 ℃, and in summer + 20-25 ℃;
- additional lighting in the dovecote should extend the daylight hours to 12 hours a day;
- Before the first mating (in spring) for pigeons they arrange a place for oviposition (boxes with sides), sawdust, branches, feathers and down are laid on the bottom.
- for the winter, females and males are planted separately.
In addition to the poultry house, pigeons need an aviary, where birds get used to flying and go through their first training. It should be a large spacious room with conditions as similar to natural ones as possible. The walls and ceiling are covered with a net.
Pigeons eat about 50 grams of feed per day.
They need a complete, varied diet:
- wheat grain;
- vegetables, especially cabbage and carrots;
- peas and lentils (boiled);
- bread;
- in winter, foods containing a lot of fats are added to the diet: sunflower seeds, rape and oats.
For good development of bones and the body, fish oil, bone meal and chalk, as well as mixtures of vitamins and minerals, are added to the food.
Breeding chicks
The chicks of Nikolaev high-flying pigeons are hatched in two ways, which we will consider below.
Naturally
With natural breeding, birds usually find a mate for themselves, but humans can do this to get genetically pure offspring. For this, the matched pair is placed in a separate cage during the mating season.
Most eggs are brought by laying hens of 1-2 years of age. In the very first egg laying there can be only 1 or 2 eggs.
Pigeons are good parents and hatched eggs alternately.
After birth, the chicks live with their parents who have goiter milk. Chicks feed on them for the first 10-30 days.
Incubator
Due to the developed maternal instinct and good care of the chicks, it is worth raising pigeons in an incubator only in case of emergency.
To do this, do the following:
- Inspect the eggs, select only whole, without cracks and damage.
- Place them in a box, the bottom of which is covered with cotton wool, and leave for no more than 12 days in a room with a temperature of 10-15 ° C. During this time, you can collect the maximum number of eggs for breeding in an incubator.
- Place the material in the incubator at a temperature of 37.5 ℃.
- Every day you need to turn the eggs and check the appearance of the embryo.
- After about 18 days, chicks are born.
With the incubator method of breeding, the probability of obtaining healthy offspring is much less than with natural.
Feeding and care
Feeding occurs according to the following principles:
- Food should be given to the chicks 6 times a day.
- If they are removed using an incubator, then instead of mother's milk give a grated chicken yolk mixed with cow's milk. This mixture is carefully poured into the beaks using a pipette.
- To teach the chick to drink water, its beak is lowered into a container of water. This must be done carefully so that it does not choke. There you can also add vitamins for the development of plumage.
- From 14 days, a whole egg with protein is ground and sugar is added, and peas, barley, millet, wheat, and corn are also beginning to produce. In addition, cereals steamed with boiling water and cooled can be added to food by adding powdered milk, chalk or chopped eggshells to them.
- At the age of three weeks, steamed small grains and chopped greens are added to the diet.
- From a month of age, a mixture of grated raw carrots, white soaked bread and boiled chicken eggs is prepared. From such feed balls are molded and young animals are put in their beaks.
- Fruits and vegetables are added to the diet.
Read here how to feed your chicks yourself.
Caring for pigeon chicks includes:
- for chicks hatched in the incubator for the first month of life, you need a separate warm room without drafts;
- in the heat of the chicks you can dip on the neck in cool water;
- monthly young growth can be kept together with adult birds.
Disease and Prevention
And the young of Nikolaev pigeon, and adult birds are very susceptible to disease. Therefore, it is necessary to be able to distinguish between healthy individuals and patients.
Caring for pigeons also includes regular screening for disease.
Healthy birds differ:
- dense physique;
- age-appropriate development (for chicks);
- symmetrical pupils, clean, clear eyes;
- light breathing;
- smooth mucous membranes of a pale pink color;
- thick and uniform plumage;
- good appetite and interest in food;
- soft, non-fluid stools.
Diseases and their symptoms:
- Twirl - viral disease. Symptoms: green and liquid stools, lack of appetite, cramps.
- Smallpox - skin and mucous membranes are damaged. Manifested by small growths in the beak, general lethargy.
- Paratyphoid - damage to the nervous system, intestines, eyes. The main symptoms: lack of appetite, shaky gait, half-closed eyes, drooping wings.
- Ornithosis - respiratory organs suffer. Observed: shortness of breath, general weakness, lack of appetite.
- Coccidiosis - intestinal disease. It has the following symptoms: poor appetite, loose stools, apathy, cramps and blurred eyes.
- Trichomoniasis - inflammation of the digestive system and throat. It can be detected by a yellow coating in the throat, the bird cannot eat, and then breathe.
- Anemia - associated with parasites or poor-quality nutrition. Outwardly manifested only by lethargy and loss of tone of the motor muscles and muscles of the neck.
- Thrush - fungal disease. Symptoms: lethargic, loose stools, neoplasms on the mucous membranes.
Doves get diseases mainly by contact with other birds, animals, rodents, as well as from bad, dirty grain and water. About other common pigeon diseases and methods of their treatment, read here.
To avoid illness:
- the room where the pigeons are kept should be dry;
- mandatory ventilation system;
- the house should be cleaned regularly;
- timely wash and disinfect all appliances: drinking bowls, feeders;
- get vaccinated on time;
- give the necessary vitamins.
Nikolaev high-flying pigeons are distinguished by unique flying abilities, can be in the sky for up to 10 hours. Caring for them is simple. It’s easy to train them if you know and follow the basic instructions. The main problem is diseases that can be easily prevented by hygiene and preventive measures.