Pigeon – a bird the most habitual to an eye even of the city dweller far by nature. But at the same time scientists still did not find definite answer to a question: as pigeons are guided in space and unmistakably find a way home. In dovecots and house zoocorners types a pigeon house and turtle-doves dwarfish most often meet. Requirements to conditions of living and food of these beautiful birds in many respects depend on breed and season.
Instruction
1. The first what it is necessary to take care for keeping of pigeons of, - the choice of the habitat. If you decided to breed not purebred pigeons or sizary (they most often meet on city streets), make a usual standard dovecot which appearance and the sizes are approved by administration of your city (usually in the cities there are 3 standard projects).
2. For keeping of pigeons in rural areas, build a dovecot as it will want to you, however, it anyway has to have basic elements of a design. In a dovecot on the attic make outside walking and also equip the dwelling for pigeons with the two-meter room. Separate it from other attic plywood or a wire grid. The dovecot can be one - and two-section, to be established on a flat roof and to be under construction of a grid (in warm climate), a tree or boards with an iron upholstery.
3. If you prefer dwarfish house types (for example, a korotkokryly turtle-dove), buy a special cage for the pet. In movies it is possible to see that houses of pigeons contain in dome-shaped cages with various openwork jewelry, but it is wrong. Buy a rectangular cage from strong breeds of wood, avoid decorative elements – they complicate care for the dwelling of a pigeon. The worst option is the cage of their copper rods: under the influence of oxygen, copper quickly is oxidized, forming unhealthy oxide of a bird.
4. Feeding of pigeons depends on a season. During the winter period give a forage nourishing, but containing limited amount of protein. Include in a diet barley and wheat (in the ratio 2:3).
5. After winter the marriage period begins, it lasts in March 2-3 weeks. Take care that food of birds was protein-rich also amino acids. Since the middle of March, include in a diet the minerals and vitamins providing the optimum growth of baby birds as the breeding period begins. Mix a forage from the following ingredients: peas (20%) + oats (10%) + wheat (50%) + barley (20%). Also add to fodder mix iodide potassium (70 mg on 1 kg of a forage) and tocopherol – the vitamin influencing processes of pairing and a laying of eggs (2-3 drops on 1 kg of a forage).
6. In April the pigeons begin to take off from a dovecot therefore surely you feed them mainly with carbohydrates which will give strength for long flights. However the breeding period proceeds, adult individuals need to feed and grow up baby birds therefore food has to be full. You feed birds with the following mix: hemp (5%) + oats (5%) + wheat (10%) + peas (20%) + barley (30%) + millet (30%). If weather costs hot – refrain from feeding bean as at high temperature their digestion becomes complicated.
7. From August to November the pigeons strongly fade. Therefore take care that their food contained the increased amount of protein, otherwise the period of a molt can increase, and new feathers will be created short and weak. Add to a forage 10 ml of cod-liver oil on 1 kg.