Popular breeds of pigeons
Many poultry farmers are keen on breeding pigeons. This bird has long been close to humans. The winged ones served as the first postmen, harbingers of a thunderstorm, good and bad events in life, but non-superstitious people keep pigeons for the sake of participating in sports, getting aesthetic pleasure from observing birds or for the sake of meat. Consider what breeds of pigeons are popular today.
Pigeon breeds
Types of pigeons
All bird breeds, depending on their orientation, are divided into 4 large groups:
- sports or postage;
- flight;
- decorative;
- meat.
Some poultry breeders distinguish another group called wild pigeons. It is them that we most often see on the street. We will not dwell on wild pigeons in detail. Let's just say that the most numerous breed of wild pigeons is the cisar. This bird has gray, white and gray tones in color. The tail is usually a tone or two darker than the color of the back, and the plumage of light shades on the chest. Wild pigeons of the Klintukh, Crowned and Pigeon breeds are less common. Color unites all representatives of wild breeds, and the sizes of wild pigeons differ slightly from each other. Despite the fact that wild pigeons look unremarkable at first glance, one should not forget that they were the progenitors of all breeds that exist today. However, even today, wild pigeons are used by scientists to breed new species.
Sports or post depths
Already from the name it is clear that these birds are somehow connected with sports. And indeed it is. Pigeons of sports breeds regularly take part in competitions of different types. Poultry farmers from all over the world come to such competitions, and exhausting trainings precede the competitions.
Not every pigeon can be trained: the bird must have a tendency to be able to travel long distances. It is this ability that breeders improve when breeding sports breeds.
Today the sports capital of the world is Belgium. It is there that the largest number of sports competitions among birds are held.
Belgian birds
The birds of this breed take almost all awards in sports, so it is with this breed that we begin our review. As for the appearance, the bird is quite ordinary, but the appearance is absolutely not important for the athlete. The flyer is appreciated for other qualities: for the ability to fly at high speed and navigate in space.
As for speed records, the Belgian pigeons are the champions. Some birds reach a speed of 100 km / h.It is also worth noting that Belgian pigeons are capable of covering distances of 1,100 km.
In addition to speed records, Belgian birds surprise with their cost. For some representatives, people are willing to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars. For example, a pigeon called Bolt was sold for almost $ 400,000. Given that Usain Bolt, after whom the bird was named, is an Olympic sprint champion, the bird is very promising.
The Belgian or, as it is also called, the Antwerp breed of pigeons, attracts attention not only for its flying qualities, but also for its appearance. Representatives of the breed have a not very long tail, on which wide feathers are located, and a fairly wide chest. This body structure allows you to quickly gain speed during flight. Separately, it should be said about the plumage. The color of the Belgian pigeon ranges from light gray to blue. Feathers resemble silk to the touch. The color of the wings is usually a shade lighter than the color of the body.
German pigeons
Tried to get an excellent flyer and breeders from Germany. The result of their painstaking work is German birds, which are not only good flyers, but also have an attractive appearance. When breeding the breed, birds of the Antwerp breed and the English were used.
The first fruits of the work did not give the expected results: the resulting birds looked more like ornamental birds, and the flying qualities left much to be desired, but in the end the scientists achieved what they wanted.
The birds of the German breed have a long neck, a small head and a fairly wide and short beak. The bird itself looks compact: long legs, like a short tail, add grace. There are representatives of the breed of a wide variety of colors, from white to red.
English careers
Pigeons of this breed look like decorative ones at first glance. Near the eyes of English birds, there are skin folds that lie slightly on a long, narrowed beak at the end, but the flying qualities allow the birds to be ranked as sports pigeons.
It should be noted that the English quarry has a powerful body, which allows it to quickly gain acceleration during flight. The length of the beak is 4-5 cm. On a small-sized head there are large eyes, which are, as it were, outlined with a beige-yellow pencil. On long legs, there is no plumage. Pigeons of the English quarry breed can be painted in a wide variety of colors. There are representatives of the breed of two-tone color.
Czechs
Pigeon breeders value this breed not so much for its flying qualities as for its loyalty. Czechs are an athletic breed. In addition to being easy to care for and maintain, they are easy to train. Also, pigeon breeders note the resistance of the bird to all kinds of diseases.
Pigeons of the Czech breed are well built. On a long neck there is a small head with expressive large eyes. The body is muscular, which allows you to develop high speed during flight. A distinctive feature of the representatives of this breed is a short tail, which hardly protrudes beyond the line of the body. The color is predominantly white. Gray belts are present on the tail and wings.
The postage pigeon variety is the most expensive in the world. Chicks with good genetics cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Flying pigeons
Unlike sports pigeons, flying pigeons are valued not for their flight speed, but for their ability to navigate in the air. Despite the wide variety of sports pigeon breeds, it was flight birds that were used to send mail. They always deliver mail to the right address and return home. In addition to the ability to perfectly navigate in space, pigeons of flying breeds are able to overcome huge distances.
Within this variety of pigeons, there is another classification, which is based on the style of summer.So, for example, high-flying breeds of pigeons are isolated, which are in the air for about 10 hours. They fly up to the sky, describing circles of different radii. Rutting breeds also describe circles when gaining altitude, but, passing to a new turn, they make a kind of somersault over the wing. Poultry farmers especially love to watch fighting pigeons, which tumble in the air not only through the wing, but also through the tail. Fighting birds can do somersaults in different directions.
We will not talk about how the birds manage to find the addressee and the way back without using either a map or an atlas. Pedigree pigeons are handled by specialists who teach them these skills. Let's just say that the birds of this group see all the details well, which allows them to orient themselves in space. Consider which breeds of pigeons in this direction are most popular.
Nikolaev birds
We start looking at flying pigeons with this breed, as it is the most popular among bird lovers. The name of the birds corresponds to the name of the city in which the work on the creation of the breed was carried out. These birds are high-flying. Nikolayev's pigeons are gaining height, moving in a straight line, but it is not the manner of summer that attracts attention, which has no specific features, but the outline of a bird in the air, the movement of its large wings.
As for the exterior, the birds have short legs, a small and neat head, on which medium-sized eyes are located, a short but muscular neck and a large body. In general, the pigeon is proportionally complex. There is a small skin fold near the beak.
Tehran birds
The Tehran or, as it is also called, the Persian pigeon refers to the slaughter pigeon. Despite its small size, it emits loud sounds in flight. But the interest of pigeon breeders is due not only to the flying qualities of the pigeon breed, which the breeders managed to bring out, the exterior of the bird is also important.
The medium-sized body is proportionally folded. On a massive neck of medium length, there is a head of a round shape uncharacteristic for pigeons with a shortened beak, and a small crest that looks like a crown adorns the graceful head.
Persian pigeons have large wings that are tightly pressed to the body and lie on the tail.
Hungarian high-flying
Another breed of flying pigeons that poultry farmers enjoy. The people of Hungarian high-flying birds are also called derish. This breed is popular. due to its unpretentious content. Breeding is also almost never difficult.
Hungarian flyers are distinguished by their strong constitution. On a small head there is no tuft, the neck is long, large eyes, a wide chest, a tail of medium length and legs of the same medium length. The small beak is black and the legs are red. The toenails, like the beak, are painted black.
In the color of the birds, there are gray and dark blue colors, blotches of green are visible on the neck, and black belts flaunt on the wings and tail. Gray and ash colors are present on the chest and back.
Rising into the air, the bird hovers there for several hours. Trained girls can float in the air for at least 5 hours. Birds usually do not rise high into the sky.
Andijan
When looking at the Andijan pigeons, few people doubt that these are decorative birds, but this is not so. Andijan pigeons belong to fighting flight birds. At the same time, their summer style leaves no one indifferent, and the majestic gait of these birds is worth seeing. But first, let's talk about the exterior.
Andijan birds are neither large nor medium-sized. Their body length is 35-40 cm. In flight, the wingspan reaches 0.7 m.The wings are decorated with feathers 8-10 cm long.The decoration of birds is the eyes, the iris of which is painted in a milky white color. Representatives with a steel-gray eye color are less appreciated. The eyelids are painted in light colors to match the eyes, but here the palette is somewhat wider. Various shades of white, blue and light lilac are allowed.
On the head, which in its shape resembles an inverted bullet, flaunts a forelock. Sometimes the head of the birds is decorated with 2 forelocks. Quite long plumage is present on the paws. Lush wings are loosely pressed against the body. The neck is of medium length and passes into a wide chest. As for the color of the feathers, the breed standard allows about 60 of the most diverse colors.
As for the flying qualities, birds soar in the sky for 6-8 hours. Some representatives of the breed fly for 10 hours without a break. Their summer style is mesmerizing. During the flight, they somersault, while connecting the wings, as a result of which a fairly loud sound is obtained. It was thanks to these sounds that the bird was assigned to the group of slaughterhouses. In addition to flying qualities, bird breeders are attracted by the attachment of these birds to the house, which simplifies their maintenance.
Chile
Representatives of the chili breed in Russia are rare. In other countries, this breed is generally unknown today. Before breeding this breed of pigeons, scientists wanted to get an excellent flyer with good exterior qualities. It turned out fighting pigeons, watching the flight of which is a pleasure. It is interesting that each bird develops an individual style in the first months of life, and it will be possible to find out what it will be only after a while.
The content of this breed is unpretentious, which attracts many pigeon breeders. The color of chili pigeons is dominated by black. The head, as a rule, is painted white with black splashes. Sometimes the main color is dark purple.
Persians
Persians are a fighting breed of pigeons. Accordingly, birds are appreciated for their flying qualities, for the manner of summer. Persians are not particularly sociable, so they prefer solo flights. They rise into the sky high enough, and there they enjoy long flights. Sometimes the bird lingers in the sky for 10-11 hours.
The massive body of the Persians looks powerful. Wings have no less powerful appearance, which makes it possible to make long flights. But, despite the powerful wings, the "battle" emitted during the flight barely reaches the ground. Feathers on the neck and head are slightly tousled. The head of some individuals is decorated with a small forelock. The color is predominantly white.
Bugulma is the birthplace of the Bugulma (Chistopol) high-flying pigeons, which also have excellent flying qualities. It is also worth noting the flyers of the Kakhetian battle breed.
Decorative pigeons
It is impossible to pass by the pigeons of decorative rocks. The legs of these birds are decorated with “boots”, and their heads are decorated with withers. In addition to the unusual plumage, the color of the birds is sometimes surprising. Decorative breeds are not distinguished by good flying qualities, therefore they cannot take part in sports competitions, but exhibitions with them are systematic.
Consider not only popular, but also rare breeds of decorative pigeons.
Jacobin
The second name of the Jacobin pigeons is wig pigeons. They received such a nickname due to the unusual shape of the feathers on their heads. But before proceeding to the description of the plumage of Jacobin pigeons, consider the general characteristics of the exterior.
The bird is medium-sized, proportionally folded. The ribcage protrudes slightly forward, and the shoulders are slightly narrowed. The head has a rounded shape, the short beak is straight, the back is straight, the body is not wide, the tail is of medium length and narrow. Long wings, nestling against the body, gently lie on the tail. The short legs are colored red, the beak is creamy. The eyes are cream colored to match the beak, although sometimes feathery eyes are pearl rather than cream. The color of the eyelids is in harmony with the color of the eyes.
A distinctive feature of the Jacobin birds is the presence of a tuft and a mane, or, to use special terms, rosettes. The rosette conventionally consists of 3 parts: a hat, a shirt front and a mane. These three parts should look like one piece. The longest feathers are located on a rounded cap. The presence of sharp forms is a violation of the breed standard. The dicky covers the entire neck and goes down to the chest. The plumage on the front is not as dense as on the cap, but it is not rare either. At the same time, experts value those representatives of the breed more whose shirt-front goes down as low as possible. The mane is curved, but there are no sharp shapes.
Jacobins are found in a wide variety of colors.
Dutysh
The pigeon of the Poutysh breed belongs to the decorative group. A distinctive feature of these birds is the ability to inflate their goiter to incredible sizes. Sometimes it even looks unnatural in photographs. The homeland of birds is Belgium. This breed of pigeons does not differ in flying qualities. It is prized solely for its specific appearance.
The nature paints feathers of blown-ups in a wide variety of colors: black, coffee, gray, etc. There are representatives who have boots on their feet, and there are birds with bare feet. There are subspecies within the breed that differ from each other in exterior. Some birds have very short legs, while others are overly elongated.
Caring for puffers is quite difficult to carry out, since the bird is very temperamental and whimsical.
Bohemian cosmonaut magic swallow
These pigeons are decorative breeds. The space-legged swallow can rightfully be called one of the most beautiful birds. We owe the birth of this breed to Czech scientists. Whatever breeds were used for crossing, the result exceeded all expectations. The large bird has a stunning pattern on the wings, which is why it got its name. The main color of the plumage is white, the auxiliary color can be black, chocolate or charcoal black. The pattern is clearly visible when the pigeon unfolds its wings. The color is also striking in that the pattern located on the wings is symmetrical.
The representatives of the breed have a mark on the head, the color of which coincides with the color of the auxiliary color. On the legs of purebred pigeons, there is a long two-tone plumage.
Curly
This breed will not leave anyone indifferent. Birds are of the decorative type and attract attention by the type and color of their feathers. It is the only pigeon with curly feathers. At the same time, there is no curl on the head and tail. The paws are also decorated with long, wavy feathers.
The curly pigeon is a medium-sized, well-proportioned bird with a short and powerful neck. Small expressive eyes are located on a small neat head. The curly pigeon does not belong to short-billed birds. The plumage color ranges from chocolate to gray.
This is not the whole list of decorative species that deserve attention. So, for example, the seagull pigeon, which got its name due to the similarity with the bird of the same name, has a unique tail shape. Gull pigeons come in a wide variety of colors, including cream. Decorative breeds are especially popular in Russia.
Meat breeds
Today there are not so many meat breeds, but scientists are constantly working to develop new breeds of meat pigeons. It should be noted that bird meat is valued for its excellent taste. It is quite suitable for preparing meat delicacies, and if you wish, you can build a profitable business on breeding such poultry.
King
King pigeons are valued for their meat production. These birds are especially popular in the United States, although the inhabitants of Russia do not mind eating the meat of a pigeon, which, due to its size, cannot fly. In fact, kings are the largest pigeons.If the bird is provided with proper care, body weight will reach 1-1.2 kg. Some individuals weigh 1.5 kg.
As for the exterior of the king, this bird is massive, has a wide chest, a short neck and a fairly large head. There is no plumage on the legs of medium length. The color is predominantly white, although there are representatives of the breed with black, spotted and brown colors.
We have considered far from all breeds of pigeons found in Russia and abroad. Although, in addition to the above, such a breed of domestic pigeons as Tashkent deserves attention. These are fighting birds, shod in boots made of long feathers. Particularly popular are the marbled-white pigeons. The feathered neck is marble, and the rest of the body is white, but marble belts flaunt on the white wings.
No less attractive are the Kamyshin pigeons, Tajik birds, dervish, Voronezh beetles and American high-flying, Dubov, Iranian tadpoles.
Even if you give a brief description of each breed of pigeons, which scientists from Russia alone could bring out, it will take a very long time. If we talk about elite breeds, then it is worth noting two-toothed German drummers, marcheneros, pigeons of the barb breed, bullfinch, dragon and German exhibition birds.
Sharp-toothed pigeons of the Indian breed and the feathered breed of Sochi are popular among the decorative breeds. World experts have recognized the fighting pigeons from the Krasnodar Territory, which were the fruit of the work of Russian breeders, the rutted birds of the Bryansk breed, the Warsaw feathered and Tula magpies, the Strasser meat pigeons. The recently bred Kharkiv breed deserves attention.
Choosing chicks for breeding
It is impossible to answer the question of which of all existing breeds is the best: even within one species, such a choice is difficult to make. Some birds are valued for their fractional and majestic move, others for their flying qualities, and there are birds that are loved for just one look.
If you seriously decide to start breeding birds, then it is advisable to consider everything by pigeons with photos and names. In this perspective, it will be easier to determine for yourself which birds the soul lies, and practice has proven more than once that breeding pigeons will be successful only if a person receives aesthetic pleasure when looking at the birds.
You can see the characteristics of the breeds of domestic pigeons with prices on Internet resources, but it is better to go to the nursery for a purchase. There, experts make sure that the best pigeon eggs are selected for incubation, and individuals with good genetics are used when crossing. In addition, the nursery will tell you how to raise a healthy bird suitable for participating in competitions or exhibitions. In addition, nurseries make sure that the birds meet the breed standard.
Before buying chicks, you should build a house for them. Building dovecotes, and if you plan to seriously engage in bird breeding, then you need to make several of them, you can do it yourself. Each of the dovecotes should have feeders and drinkers, and other necessary equipment. Small pigeons need to be kept clean. If the dovecote is old, it must first be disinfected.
During crossbreeding, a purebred pigeon should not walk with a thoroughbred, although sometimes such experiments make it possible to breed unusual bird breeds. For breeding in our country, Russian breeds are best suited. Birds native to, say, Asia will not be able to adapt to climatic conditions as well as Russian birds born in this climatic zone.
Conclusion
All breeds of domestic pigeons are extremely difficult to consider due to their huge number. We focused on the most popular representatives of each species. It makes no sense to compare the species of pigeons with each other, because they were all bred for different purposes.So, for example, the Nikolaev breed of pigeons will perfectly cope with the delivery of mail, and, due to its extraordinary appearance, you can look at the curly feathered eternity.
Unfortunately, some species of wild pigeons are now completely extinct. It is possible to restore these rocks by operating with their description with a photo, and this is the only thing left with scientists, it is not possible. Such a breed as the wandering pigeon has disappeared forever. This extinct species was unlike anything that exists today. The small bird had an unusually beautiful color, in which almost all the colors of the rainbow were present, from yellow, including all its shades, to coal black. Some individuals showed pink spots, some - green ones. Despite all the work on crossing different breeds of pigeons, it has not been possible to get a bird with a similar color to date. And the most offensive thing is that the wandering pigeon died out due to the fault of man.
Endangered species include the pink pigeon, Nicobar, brown and fan-shaped. Scientists are fighting for each endangered species, trying to control the reproduction of offspring.