Do flight feathers grow in pigeons. How to feed pigeons during molting: tips for breeders. Peas and fish oil: just what the doctor ordered

It is believed that the pigeon feather has positive energy and can be used as an amulet. Finding a dove feather is not so difficult - the birds periodically molt, giving many a chance to find their amulet. Let's analyze together what its strength is from a scientific point of view, that is, find out how it works and why birds can fly with it. From the article, you will also learn what exactly happens when a pigeon changes its flight cover.

Eyelashes and hooks

Light and graceful, dense and flexible bird feather is a special natural "gift". The plumage provides lift and thrust, and helps to correct the direction of flight. This is also a reliable warming cover: outside it is very dense, and inside it is loose, with a heat-insulating down layer. It makes up 60% of the total volume of the pigeon, and only 11% by weight.

The feather is formed at the stage of embryonic development. According to its structure, it has a fan and a rod, the bottom of which is called the center. It is deepened into the skin - a special feather "bag". Its main part is hollow, without a fan.

The rod runs through the middle of the wing. Small branches recede from it in both directions - "beards" of the first order, and from them, in turn, "beards" (second order). They have 'hooks' and 'eyelashes' that keep them hooked together and make the feather look continuous.

Powdered by nature

The dove has over 2000 different types of feathers.

The main elements of the contour feather of a bird are the trunk and the fan. It can be:

coverts - slightly convex and tight to other feathers;
flywheel - long, hard;
steering - located on the tail.

Among the flywheels there are paramount feathers - the first order. They are strong, developed, attached to the carpal part of the wing and forearm, forming an asymmetric fan. Their number is small - 10-12 pieces.

The flight feathers of the second order have a symmetrical fan; they are attached to the ulnar section of the wing. There are no down feathers in the plumage of a dove, but there are downy beards in the lower part of the fan.

Powder feathers are also available. Their ends break off, resulting in a powdery powder. It covers the entire feather "outfit" of the bird, gives softness to color shades.

The secret of beauty lies in the coccyx

Pigeons love to take baths, including sun baths. After a thorough cleaning, the feathers of birds become more shiny, clean, they retain heat longer. Rain for birds is a natural shower, many of them love stagnant water. Street individuals can be seen in puddles. Having fluffed up, they move their beak as if they want to dive. Then they freeze, rinse their heads, wash their necks, flap their wings in the water. And so not once.

Some individuals love to lie motionless in the water. After water procedures, the dove diligently cleans its plumage, goes out into a sunny place and lies down, alternately opening one or the other wing. Substitutes under the sun and his fluffy tail.

Change of bird outfit

The process of molting consists in changing the plumage of a bird. Periodically growing new feathers push out the old ones, which is reminiscent of the change of milk teeth to molars. For some pigeons, this begins at seven weeks of age, for others a little later, when they begin to fly.

Primary wings of the first order change the feather, as a rule, on the 48th day from the moment of the birth of the bird, tail wings - on the 52nd day, secondary flywheels - on the 78th day. This process lasts until the final puberty of birds.

In the young of early broods, feathers are renewed in the same year; in later ones, this process does not have time to complete and continues in the next. It happens that in the summer of the new year, with an unfinished primary molt, a secondary one begins.

If autumn chicks do not have time to change plumage in the year of their birth, then they uncertainly fly at 8-9 months. Spring chicks show good success in flying as early as 4-5 months.

One feather, two feathers...

According to the molting scheme, at first the dove loses the tenth primary flight feather. Following him - alternately all the rest to the outer extreme (first).

The loss of flight feathers occurs at regular intervals, with each subsequent feather falling off only after the previous one has grown by about half.

Second-order flight feathers in a pigeon fall off after a complete renewal of the first 6 primary feathers of the same type. They begin to change from extreme to central.

Sometimes, together with them or a little earlier, the tail begins to shed. 12 feathers located on it (6 on each side) fall out in pairs. First, a couple of fifths, then sixths (in the middle), fourths, thirds, first (extreme) and second.

From about the second half of August and during two more autumn months, covert feathers change. The lateral plumage of a bird is updated the longest.

Warmth and nourishment, and courtship will wait

When molting, the bird looks lethargic, it has difficulty breathing, the shine in the eyes is lost, and the tongue becomes yellowish. Some birds refuse to eat.

As a result, it is necessary to follow the basic rules to facilitate molting in pigeons: protect them from drafts, high humidity and dampness, monitor nutrition.

It is better not to allow love games, mating during molting: the female may refuse to feed the chicks if they have appeared just by this time.

Bathing for molting birds is not prohibited, but the water should be at least 23 degrees Celsius. It is also necessary to maintain the room temperature of the water in the drinker.

Walking for birds is permissible, only you should observe the time they spend under the sun - it is highly undesirable for a pigeon to overheat.

Very carefully you need to take a feathered pet with an open molt in your hands.

Peas and fish oil: just what the doctor ordered

It is necessary to feed the molting bird tribe as plentifully as when laying eggs, since the formation of a new feather of a dove takes a lot of substances useful for the body.

Forage during molting should be nutritious and contain millet, rapeseed, peas, flax seeds, hemp, sunflower, rice, colza, cottage cheese.

There are many possible combinations of these and other ingredients. The daily norm of food for an adult is 50 g.

An important element for the formation of feather cover is protein. Legumes can be its source. The amount of carbohydrates must be reduced in the diet of birds, for example, bread, potatoes. Due to their low mobility during the molting period, these products can lead to obesity.

It is recommended to give pigeons fish oil (preferably in the form of gelatin capsules) and minerals (especially sulfur) when changing feathers. To stimulate the appetite, you can feed the bird one or two peas of black pepper.

Everyone is different and not always according to plan.

If the molting was successful, then the new feathers have a bright color and shine. If not, the bird may be weakened throughout the current year and will not be able to fully perform at exhibitions and competitions.

How long the molt takes depends on the conditions of detention and the breed of pigeons. For example, it is easier in sports breeds - Permians, hryvnias, Bakuvians. But it’s more difficult for kosmachs - you just have to hook a new and still fragile feather on your leg - it immediately starts to bleed.

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This is a normal physiological phenomenon that repeats itself every year and is dictated by the need to periodically replace old, worn-out feathers with new ones. Irm pom is replaced not only by the feather, but also by the epidermis.

There are two types of molting: juvenile and periodic.

juveal - by shift primary pen to primary. Come on! it is in young pigeons from the age of seven, but in some, the timing of the onset of molting can be delayed before the start of flights. Young pigeons of late hatching begin to molt at the beginning of winter, and this process is painful for them, so the young must be placed in a darkened room for several days, improving the diet. The use of wet hay as a bedding material also contributes to the acceleration of molting.

In young pigeons, the change of primary fly feathers begins at 48 days of age, tail feathers - at 52 days and secondary fly feathers - at 70-80 days of age and continues until puberty.

An interesting detail: in pigeons of early hatching, the feather is renewed in the same year, in later ones, renewal stops during severe frosts (in December) and resumes next year with the onset of heat. It happens that next year, along with the end of the juvenile molt, the secondary (seasonal) molt also begins. The period of molting in young animals affects the quality of flights. Periodic seasonal feather molting is the annual feather change in adult birds. It begins with primary feathers of the first order. First, the tenth feather falls out, then the next ones up to and including the first. After the renewal of the primary flight feathers, the secondary flight feathers fall out, starting from the extreme to the center of the row. At the same time, molting of tail feathers and secondary flight feathers occurs. The second feathers from the middle fall out first, then the two middle feathers are replaced, then the next two feathers, etc. The second feathers from the edge end the molting of the tail. The coverts of the wing come into play when the sixth primary feather falls out, and are completely renewed before the change of primary feathers.

Along with the main molt, the molt of the Spirit passes quite imperceptibly, especially in January-February. But if severe frosts come at this time, it stops.

Insulation of the nursery greatly facilitates and speeds up the process, which ends in early April. Mating pigeons begin only after the complete change of down.

Molting weakens the pigeon so much that it becomes lethargic, passive. His breathing is difficult, the mucous membranes turn pale, refusal of food, weight loss is possible. Help for the pigeon during this period is simply necessary. Hemp and flax seeds should be added to grain feed, and the feed should be enriched with mineral and vitamin supplements.

Moulting is a periodically repeated process of changing the feather in a bird. During molting, the developing new feather pushes out the trunk of the old feather as it grows.
Molting in young pigeons usually begins at the age of seven, in some individuals a little later, that is, after they begin to fly.
It has been established that the molting of primary fly feathers in young pigeons begins at forty-eight days of age, tail feathers - at fifty-two days and secondary fly feathers - at seventy-eight days of age and continues until puberty of birds.
For pigeons of early hatching, the feather is renewed in the same year, for later ones, the feather change stops in December and continues the next year. It happens that the next summer the secondary molt begins at the same time and the unfinished first one partially continues. If the molting of autumn chicks did not end in the year of their birth, then at the age of 8-9 months they still fly uncertainly, while the young of the first hatch at the age of 4-5 months have significant success in flight.
Scheme of molting of primary primaries (I), secondary primaries (II) and tail feathers (III) Feathers marked in black are dropped first. The arrows show the order in which the next ones appear.

Molting begins with primary flight feathers. First, the tenth feather falls out, and then the rest in turn until the outermost one.
As a rule, the tenth feather in adult pigeons falls out when the chicks of the second hatch are 5-10 days old. Flight feathers fall out at certain intervals, and each subsequent feather falls out only when the previous one has grown about half, the outermost (first) feather is discarded last.
Secondary flight feathers begin to fall out when the first six primary flight feathers have already completely renewed.
The change of secondary flight feathers starts from the extreme feathers and goes to the center of the row.
The molting of tail feathers begins approximately at the time when 5-6 primary feathers have already fallen out, sometimes the beginning of the molting of the tail feathers coincides with the beginning of the fall of the secondary feathers.
The molting of twelve tail feathers (six feathers on each side) occurs as follows. Feathers fall out in pairs, first both fifth feathers, then the sixth (middle of the tail), fourth, third, first (extreme), the second feathers fall out last. By the end of September, the pigeon's tail has the following appearance: the fifth feathers have been completely renewed, the sixth feathers that have changed have reached 4/5 of the final length, the fourth feathers that have changed are 1/2 of the length, and the third feathers that have changed have reached 1/3 of the final feather length, the second feathers have not yet changed , and new first feathers have just begun to grow. Usually from mid-August and during September-October there is a change of covering feathers. While the flight feathers, with the exception of the four terminal feathers, have already been renewed, the molt of small covering feathers begins, which in pigeons ends before the complete change of flight feathers. The longest is the change of plumage on the sides.
Along with a large, or, as the molt of flight feathers and tail is called, an open molt, a molt of down occurs quite imperceptibly. Down falls especially intensively in January-February, but if severe cold sets in, the down molting stops. Down shedding It proceeds more easily and more intensively in insulated dovecotes, with good ventilation and sufficient lighting. Well-fed pigeons shed their down faster and more intensely than poorly-fed pigeons. The shedding of down mostly ends in early April. Since the update of the fluff is very important point For sports flying, if possible, the fancier should not fallow the pigeons until the down changing process is complete.
Molting greatly weakens the pigeon, the bird becomes lethargic, shortness of breath is often observed, the eyes lose their inherent brilliance, the tongue turns yellow, pigeons sometimes refuse to feed. Therefore, during the period of open molting, the pigeon breeder must especially carefully look after his pets. Dampness and drafts should not be allowed in the dovecote. Feeding pigeons should be highly nutritious, hemp and flaxseed should be added to the main feed, be sure to give the mineral feed necessary for feather formation. In case of poor appetite, it is recommended to give a pigeon 1-2 grains of black pepper.
Early calendar fallouts cause molting earlier. In no case should accidental early steaming of young animals be allowed. Laying eggs and feeding the chicks leads to the cessation of molting.
A pigeon with an open molt must be handled carefully so as not to hurt him and not to damage the tubes of the emerging new feather.
By following all the rules for feeding and keeping pigeons during molting, the pigeon breeder will ensure its normal flow.

Molting begins with primary flight feathers. First, the tenth feather falls out, and then the rest in turn until the outermost one.
As a rule, the tenth feather in adult pigeons falls out when the chicks of the second hatch are 5-10 days old. Flight feathers fall out at certain intervals, and each subsequent feather falls out only when the previous one has grown about half, the outermost (first) feather is discarded last.
Secondary flight feathers begin to fall out when the first six primary flight feathers have already completely renewed.
The change of secondary flight feathers starts from the extreme feathers and goes to the center of the row.
The molting of tail feathers begins approximately at the time when 5-6 primary feathers have already fallen out, sometimes the beginning of the molting of the tail feathers coincides with the beginning of the fall of the secondary feathers.
The molting of twelve tail feathers (six feathers on each side) occurs as follows. Feathers fall out in pairs, first both fifth feathers, then the sixth (middle of the tail), fourth, third, first (extreme), the second feathers fall out last. By the end of September, the pigeon's tail has the following appearance: the fifth feathers have been completely renewed, the sixth feathers that have changed have reached 4/5 of the final length, the fourth feathers that have changed are 1/2 of the length, and the third feathers that have changed have reached 1/3 of the final feather length, the second feathers have not yet changed , and new first feathers have just begun to grow. Usually from mid-August and during September-October there is a change of covering feathers. While the flight feathers, with the exception of the four terminal feathers, have already been renewed, the molt of small covering feathers begins, which in pigeons ends before the complete change of flight feathers. The longest is the change of plumage on the sides.
Along with a large, or, as the molt of flight feathers and tail is called, an open molt, a molt of down occurs quite imperceptibly. Down falls especially intensively in January-February, but if severe cold sets in, the down molting stops. Down shedding It proceeds more easily and more intensively in insulated dovecotes, with good ventilation and sufficient lighting. Well-fed pigeons shed their down faster and more intensely than poorly-fed pigeons. The shedding of down mostly ends in early April. Since the renewal of down is a very important step in sports flying, if possible, the breeder should not fallow the pigeons until the process of changing the down has been completed.
Molting greatly weakens the pigeon, the bird becomes lethargic, shortness of breath is often observed, the eyes lose their inherent brilliance, the tongue turns yellow, pigeons sometimes refuse to feed. Therefore, during the period of open molting, the pigeon breeder must especially carefully look after his pets. Dampness and drafts should not be allowed in the dovecote. Feeding pigeons should be highly nutritious, hemp and flaxseed should be added to the main feed, be sure to give the mineral feed necessary for feather formation. In case of poor appetite, it is recommended to give a pigeon 1-2 grains of black pepper.
Early calendar fallouts cause molting earlier. In no case should accidental early steaming of young animals be allowed. Laying eggs and feeding the chicks leads to the cessation of molting.
A pigeon with an open molt must be handled carefully so as not to hurt him and not to damage the tubes of the emerging new feather.
By following all the rules for feeding and keeping pigeons during molting, the pigeon breeder will ensure its normal flow.

The dove is a beautiful bird and is very popular with breeders. It is called the bird of the world, songs are dedicated to pigeons, films are made where they play an important role. In order for domestic birds to be healthy and develop properly, they need good nutrition.

Many people like pigeons. How to feed these birds so that they have everything they need in their diet? After all, flying qualities, fertility, productivity, as well as resistance to diseases largely depend on this. The main diet of this bird is grain feed. For its preparation, millet, legumes, wheat, hemp are taken and mixed in a ratio of 4: 4: 1: 1. Depending on the body weight of the bird, they feed from 20 to 50 grams of one individual.

You can cook for pigeons and the so-called mash. To do this, boil the potatoes directly with the skin, cool and chop. Finely chopped leaves of cabbage, lettuce or nettle are added to it. These vitamins are especially needed by the bird from late autumn to mid-spring. So that the pigeons do not get sick. it is necessary to periodically add such green vitamin seasonings to their food. Grain is poured into the vegetable mass and everything is mixed well.

Instead of potatoes, you can use white bread soaked in water or milk and well wrung out. The main requirement of pigeon food is that it should be in an easily digestible form.

It is important to know the features of feeding pigeons in different seasons. So, for example, in the summer you need to limit heavy feed, peas. In autumn, it is necessary to develop a menu for birds, taking into account the fact that during this period they have a change of plumage. The sight of such a dove to an ignorant person may seem sick. But this is what a molting pigeon looks like, and besides, it suffers from heat loss. Therefore, during this period, it is very important for birds to provide rational enhanced nutrition.

Compound feed for poultry during the molting period may consist of: millet, rapeseed, hemp, flax seeds, canary seed, a small amount of rice, piles. 46% should be for substances that do not contain sodium, 10 for water, 16 for protein and fat, 8% for fiber and 3% for ash.

Pigeon feather is 92% protein. Therefore, feeding pigeons during molting should include, in without fail, the presence of this element. At the same time, the menu reduces the amount of carbohydrates. During molting, pigeons move less because of this, there may be a danger of obesity. That is why it is important to strictly monitor at this time how much food containing a large amount of carbohydrates is added to the feed. These are: potatoes, grain, bread.

Of course, it is by no means necessary to completely exclude grain, since this is the main product of their diet. It should be mixed with low-fat cottage cheese, you can give crushed peas, lentils, vetch, which also contains a lot of protein. During molting, it would be good to add flax, sunflower, hemp seeds to the diet of pigeons, which make up 10% of the daily allowance. Then the new feather will grow faster and have a shiny appearance. It is also necessary to give fish oil and preferably in a gelatin capsule, since fatty acid during this period, the bird is simply necessary.

In order for the feather cover to grow faster, pigeons must also be given minerals. So pigeon food should contain proteins, fats, minerals, and also a moderate amount of carbohydrates during molting. Breeders recommend in this period such a diet for birds: 20% peas, 20% oatmeal, 10% each of vetch, millet, corn, barley, wheat.

For reasons of hygiene and to avoid contamination, it is necessary to feed the pigeons in separate feeders. In order for the pigeons to treat the owner with great confidence, you need to feed them individually or in pairs. The pigeon breeder should take an individual approach to each pigeon family, each cage.

Many experienced breeders themselves develop menus for their pigeons and proceed from the daily allowance of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. So, pigeon breeders in Germany combine different feeds and like to change diet options quite often.

Feed the bird during the period of molting and plumage change 2 times a day. The norm of food per day for one adult bird is 50 grams. If birds have a poor appetite during the molting period, then pigeon breeders advise adding black pepper grains to the feed, 1-2 peas per bird.

In a certain way, you need to feed sports pigeons during molting. All year they are treated to enriched healthy food. Thanks to this, sports show pigeons do not gain excess weight. Feeding them with the right ingredients helps them to get to the finish line faster during the competition, thanks to their excellent athletic form. Autumn food is designed to provide pigeons with all the necessary nutrients, and, accordingly, energy. A balanced compound feed will help the bird to completely change its plumage in a short time.

Exhibition pigeons simply need to add hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, fish oil to the feed. Then their feathers will shimmer, have a very beautiful appearance and just radiate health. With improper feeding, some flight feathers in birds can grow underdeveloped and this will negatively affect flights. After the change of plumage occurs in sports pigeons, they should receive 30-35 grams of balanced feed per day.

The issue of feeding pigeons must be approached with all responsibility. Their diet should contain all the necessary trace elements and substances. It is especially necessary to carefully develop the bird's menu during the molting period, when it looks and feels especially unprotected.