Choosing the same partner for mating , nesting and spending all of the life with him/her proves the loyalty . If this type of mating happens it is called mating for life . IF you are breeding pigeons for the first time or made a pair for breeding then this question came to your mind for surely, Do pigeons mate for life?
Pigeons usually mate for life . Male seduces the female. If the female shows interest then their mating happens till death . They separate only if one of the partner dies or one of the pigeon is unfertile.
Pigeons are very similar to humans especially in romance, loyalty and in sexual behaviour . There are some interesting facts and reasons you need to know that are helpful for pigeons breeding.
How breeding starts?
Pigeons are single in their early life. Male get mature at the age of 4 month while the female reach the maturity level at the age of 6 months. Sometimes it happens that male may spinning in circles and cooing before female pigeon, calling him for pairing.
Male shows his interest in female like this. He shows how strong he is! by uplifting his chest. In return when female is not showing her interest . The reason may be that she has not matured yet as they takes longer time to be mature.
So Like food, home and desire of being parent is the same feature shared by all animals. Females always got an edge of being purposed by males. They always have the choice .Same case here for the pigeons.
When male likes a hen pigeon ,he will boast in front of her .Trying to impress her by showing his body. He will puff himself up and strut his stuff .The male will fan his tail feathers and turn himself about.
It is up to the female who choose the mate. As I said earlier females always got an edge .IF she is not interested she will ignore him, peck him or flee for her life as a sign of rejection.
How cruel behavior’s it is to break the innocent heart of male! Don’t you think? But there are some reasons she has to reject him
Why Female rejects male pigeons?
Females are generally soft hearted and loyal. They reject the offer of males for two reasons
- May be they are already paired with other pigeon.
- They don’t like him
If the female pigeon like the male ,she will accept his purposal . Then the mating will last for life.
How do pigeons mate?
Pigeons mate through cloacal openings. These openings are not only for intercourse but also for the removal of urine and poop from the body.
In the first step they kiss each other . This is the way of showing love to each other. Kissing develops their mood and make them ready for mate. After that male jumps over female to touch the cloacal openings .This allows the sperm to enter the female pigeon .
The sperms are then stored in the reproductive tract of female . When the egg is formed , sperms combine with it .In this way egg is fertilized and can give birth to new life.
DID YOU KNOW?
Pigeons can lay eggs without mating. When a female reaches its puberty age ,it produces egg.If she finds no partner then the egg laid will be unfertilized.
How long do pigeons mate ? Pigeons mate only for a few seconds . They release sperms in the female reproductive system in no time . Fertilization of egg starts within the female after that and egg is laid down after 18-21 days or more depending on the breed and environmental factors.
Environmental factors include availability of food and the season in which they breed. It also depends on the temperature . Higher temperature more than 40C may denature the egg . Lower temperature may slow down the process of hatching. Moreover the type of food also matters .
WHen do pigeons mate?
Pigeons are one of the birds that mate through out the year .Usually the best season for their breeding is autumn and spring. This season is optimum for laying eggs .
If you have a pet pigeon and you are thinking of taking breed than I recommend you not to allow your pigeons mating in summer. It is because when the pigeon will hatch egg he must have sit over it. The heatness of the egg and the environment can sick your pigeon, Moreover the optimum temperature for pigeon egg to hatch is 36=37 C .if you provide more temperature ,the egg may not hatched and possibly the chick dies within the egg
As the puberty age starts , the pigeons start searching for their partner. So, we can say after about 7 months of age when both are mature they start doing mating and this mating usually lasts for life,
This is the reason ,the number of pigeons are rising tremendously in cities. It makes them the largest pest in bird. The availabilty of food in cities and the suitable environment is the biggest cause.
How many times do pigeons breed in a year?
PIgeons can breed 12 times a year .They can give 24 eggs a year .But usually pigeons breed about 8 times a year which can bring two baby pigeons with one breed in optimum conditions .
WIth every two pigeons normally about 16 babies pigeons are coming . Moreover the pigeons as discussed earlier ready for breed after almost 6-8 months. From here you can judge the population is increasing at very fast rate. Pigeons in cities also dont have a lot of predators and are getting food without any struugle.
What happens if a pigeons mate dies?
Pigeons are very loyal to each other and usually are monogamous .Both love each other alot . But sometimes death separates their bond. In this condition , a pigeon grieves for some days as a sign of distress .They are intelligent birds . But like human they learn to move on.
When one mate pigeon dies ,pigeon look for another partner for mating . Mostly male look for pairing up faster than female. Female grieve more . (Same case for humans.) .
What pigeons do after breeding?
After mating, both look towards building a nest. The male pigeon is very eager for the female to sit on the nest and lay the egg. Both the parents want to raise the new chicks because it is their duty but sometimes the pigeon is lazy and does not sit in the nest. The male pigeon shows anger and forces it to sit.
Like all birds, pigeons build nests, but their nests are different from others. It is usually made of sticks and leaves.It is very difficult to make. If you have pigeons in your home, provide them with a box in which they will lay eggs and raise baby pigeons.
Related question, Do wood pigeons mate for life?
Wood pigeons also mate for life. They are also monogamous. After mating they raise their children and spend time with each other. They divorce only when one is barren or one separates them. The real reason for their separation is death
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