Maybe something for you? (27-02)
It has been years ago that, due to circumstances, I was only able to have the lights on for half of my pigeons the last few weeks before the winter breeding. I chose the cocks and was later pleasantly surprised that it did not detract from a successful breeding at all. People who followed me also react enthusiastically.
‘Lighting cocks only is enough.’ Incidentally, "lighting" in preparation for a successful breeding is only necessary before February. In the past, February 2nd was ‘the couple date’. No one had heard of "lighting" then. Incidentally, "born of necessity" often leads to new inventions. For example, last year, because of corona, some had no choice but to race the (old) pigeons, without prior training, directly at 200 kilometers. Some were scared to lose such unprepared birds, but no problem for old experienced pigeons, as it seemed.
RISK
The stranger emailed that during that bitter cold he had brought in the nest bowls containing twelve-day old babies. "You haven't got pigeons for long?" I asked. The man: "How do you know that?"
Not difficult of course. Taking small youngsters from the loft and placing them back later is not without risk anyway. There are pigeons, although few, that immediately notice when you put them under a youngster that is not theirs. Even if it is the same size. A massacre could result. Anyway, pigeons can handle the cold, no need to take extra measures.
BARELY A PROBLEM
It seems that ten degrees below zero is more of a problem for the fancier than for the pigeons. The fancier needs to make sure that the drinking water is not frozen. Pigeons can handle a lot.Fortunately, supplying birds with water barely applies to separated pigeons, especially hens, as they barely drink. My (separated) pigeons were only given water later in the day during that cold. None walked to the drinking trough.Incidentally, the water will freeze a little less quickly if you place the drinking bowl on the floor, preferably against a wall a little deeper in the loft. The drinking bowl in an open cardboard box on its side makes a difference again. FIRST EGGAnd if an egg is laid at many degrees below zero? Then take the egg away? Maybe, but NOT because of the heavy frost.Pigeons instinctively take care of their offspring, including eggs, but if it freezes very hard, they may perhaps immediately breed on the first egg too tightly.THAT may therefore be a reason to temporarily remove such an egg. After all, it could come out too early (two days), and you shouldn't want that.
TRANSPORTING EGGS
Transporting eggs is rarely a problem in the summer. They can take a lot if they have been incubated for a while. When it is real cold I find the most ideal method to put them in pigeon food that is warmed up. If you put the warmed seeds in a box that closes well (like you get from the Chinese when you take out)) the food will retain that warmer temperature for a long time. Very useful if you are on the road for many hours. Watch out, the grains should not be TOO hot !!!
ALSO SOLVED
Twice I went wrong with the breeding because of my own fault. It was always in hot and humid weather. When I entered the lofts then, much to my dismay, I found the eggs and little babies left ice cold. The nest bowls were deserted. I soon learned what was wrong. The bowls were loaded with those little round, extremely mobile red bugs. They also greatly irritate your skin. I got the aerosol out, but there was nothing left to save. The dead young remained dead, not a pigeon went back on the eggs. If "cure" is no longer possible, you must try to prevent. So what to do in such circumstances?
You take a cloth and cut out two pieces. Size roughly a small handkerchief. You take "bug spray" (for example Natural), sprinkle both cloths, put them on top of each other under the nest bowl as "place mats" and you will no longer suffer from those lice for the time being. If you really do not know what to do with your money, you can also take handkerchiefs.
ALSO POSSIBLE
It is well known how useful heating plates are when you wean squeakers. After all, you have to avoid moisture at all times and what spreads more moisture than a number of young pigeons of four weeks old that huddle together? On the other hand; what absorbs more moisture than hemp fiber? What you can do is obvious. You take a wide board or a wooden plate, hammer an upright edge of about 15 to 20 cm on all four sides, in the container you now get you put hemp fiber and the newly weaned squeakers on it. Especially useful if you are weaning very young like me (about 23 days old). One disadvantage, the hemp fiber is not cheap.
BREEDING AREA
Pigeons are naturally hygienic animals. They like a clean environment and that is why you rarely see a pigeon sitting, standing or lying next to its breeding partner. Because it prefers not to dirty its own territory. The same goes for the breeding pigeon. To shit, it gets up, leaves the breeding box and drops its turd somewhere else. And that turd can be amazingly big because it was "stopped": The breeding bird didn't want to soil its own nest.
So if both partners (when brooding) are preferably not in the same breeding box, sitting on the floor is also not ideal, then you can accommodate them by adding little shelves. All champions make their lofts as pleasant as possible." Of course for the pigeons.
FRAME
Do you feel bored in these corona times? Chase that cat off your lap, get out of that easy chair, get some tools and four slats. Make a frame the same size as the door of your pigeon loft and place mesh in it. Or wooden bars. If it is not too windy, put that "fence" in the opening that arises when you open the door of your loft and the result is often astonishing. Pigeons may recover more than you can achieve with vitamins or other supplements.
