In order to conduct breeding work and artificially create bird pairs, the factory must be able to correctly determine the sex of the individual. According to primary sexual characteristics, it is impossible to distinguish a pigeon from a pigeon, so you have to compare the birds, analyzing their appearance, voice, body structure and even behavior. In addition to modern scientific techniques, you can also use folk methods.
External differences
After analyzing the appearance of the birds, the breeder can identify in the flock of females and males. To do this, he needs to compare various parameters, which we will consider further.
Feather color
Feathers of birds can have the most diverse color - from light blue and lilac to cherry, blue and black. Shades depend on the particular breed, but it is believed that the plumage of females is of two types:
- darker, closer to black;
- monotonous and nondescript, closer to gray.
This fact is due to the fact that the soft color helps the female to be less noticeable in the environment and is a kind of protection against predators, which is especially important during the period when she hatches eggs and grows chicks.
Males, on the contrary, have plumage of a lighter and more intense color. In addition, their feathers are often covered with splashes of complementary colors. As a rule, the color of their neck is more intense and gives a metallic tint, and on the wings and tail there are beautiful patterns. It is believed that this appearance helps males attract the attention of females to create a pair.
These differences do not apply to females and males of pigeons of decorative breeds, since their plumage is often the same in intensity.
Head and beak
Males have a high forehead, a more powerful and shorter neck, a large rounded head. The females are distinguished by an elegant and small head on a longer neck. It should be noted that doves have larger and more expressive eyes.
If we compare the beaks of heterosexual individuals, it should be borne in mind that in males it is coarser and thicker. The same can be said about the wax - the area of thickened skin at the base of the upper beak, on which the external openings are located.
The structure of the pelvic bones
This is one of the most important parameters that the most experienced breeders pay attention to. To analyze the structure of the pelvic bones, the bird must be picked up and examined, stroking from the chest, through the stomach and to the cloaca. Below the abdomen, you need to feel the pelvic bones:
- in a male, both bones are densely located to each other and are almost invisible;
- in females that already laid eggs, the bones are located at a distance of 2-3 cm from each other.
It should be borne in mind that the bones of the pelvis of the pigeons diverge mainly from the moment when they begin to lay eggs. In chicks, before adulthood, there are no differences in the structure of the pelvis, since both bones are tightly adjacent to each other.
According to the observations of poultry farmers, when a man strokes his stomach, the males immediately tighten their paws, but the females do not change the position of the body.
Vote
Experienced breeders can determine the gender of a bird by its voice:
- The males coo much louder, crisper and more persistently. They have a gruff voice that resembles a bass. This is because males tend to attract the attention of females with their roulades. Moreover, with their loud bass, they often scare away potential competitors.
- The doves coo coo more gently and quietly. They have a deeper and laryngeal timbre, so often their coo is called "burry". The song of the females sounds on one note in a soft voice, although individuals with a rougher sound are found, so they can be confused with males.
Correctly determining the gender of a bird only by voice is quite difficult, since the factor of subjective human perception plays an important role.
Body size
Males are always larger and heavier, and also have a massive body. Females differ in a more "graceful" figure and short paws. However, it should be borne in mind that in some species of decorative pigeons, females are larger. This fact must be prescribed in the exterior characteristics of the breed.
When comparing pigeons by body size, their age must be taken into account, since a young bird is always smaller and more elegant than the old one. In addition, pigeons must be compared within the same breed, as females of large breeds are always larger than males of small and medium breeds.
Behavioral differences
Exactly on the basis of external factors, it is far from always possible to accurately determine the sexual identity of a bird, since much depends on the particular breed, age, and individual qualities. Given the differences in the behavior of representatives of different sexes, it is possible to more accurately establish the gender.
What are the signs of distinguishing a dove from a dove, says the poultry breeder in the video below:
Character
Males can show aggression even in a normal calm environment. As a rule, they begin to fight for territory or a female. It should be borne in mind that some pigeons can quite calmly respond to attacks of the enemy and even respond with a bow.
Females are calmer individuals, but if they already have a couple, then they can quite aggressively repulse the boyfriend. At this moment, it may resemble a male.
Mating season habits
Male and female individuals begin to change their character in the mating season:
- Males become more active and try by all means to attract the attention of females. In this period, the pigeon is characterized by the opening of its tail and protrusion of the goiter. Often he scrupulously pursues a dove and even shows some belligerence. If several males appear in the same territory during the mating season, they will certainly start a fight.
- Doves behave calmly and modestly, but at the same time they refuse to share the territory with another female. However, if there are several females nearby, they do not fight, but communicate with each other with a quiet coo.
Attitude to man
Birds of different sexes respond differently to humans. If you reach out to the pigeon, he will try to peck it, because he will perceive human actions as aggressive. In a similar situation, the dove behaves more peacefully and rarely bites.
Experienced breeders note that if you reach for the beak of the male, he will abruptly take his head away. The female reacts more calmly and even allows you to touch yourself.
Folk ways
Inexperienced breeders to determine the gender of the bird can take advantage of folk methods that have long been practiced by poultry farmers.
One bird cage landing
According to this method, it is necessary to plant a couple of pigeons in one cage and follow their behavior:
- The males begin to bully each other if they are together in a confined space, since each wants to prove his superiority over the other. Doves behave more calmly and peacefully, even in the presence of the other sex.
- If pigeons of different sexes end up in the cage, then the male behaves more confidently and even begins to study the “lady”, spin around her and arch her neck. If the female responds with indifference to such courtship, the male does not lag behind her and continues to coo. When the female likes the boyfriend, she begins to puff feathers in the pelvis, lead her tail along the floor and bow low.
When resorting to this method, you need to understand that it is not very reliable, since the reaction of a bird often depends on its nature. So, a fight in a cage can easily start two temperamental females. It should also be borne in mind that doves are monogamous individuals, therefore, they can also be aggressive towards other males.
Use of the pendulum
This method has been used for a long time and, according to the assurances of experienced pigeon breeders, makes it possible to determine the gender of the bird with an accuracy of 98%. Intends to use pendulums made of copper, bronze or brass.
This method is implemented as follows:
- Tie a piece of metal to the thread to get a kind of pendulum.
- Take a bird in one hand, and a makeshift pendulum in the other. It must be placed above the coccyx and genitals of the pigeon.
- If the pendulum swings along the line of the spine, then a male is in front of the breeder. If the pendulum makes a circular rotation, then this indicates a darling.
It should be noted that this method has no scientific basis, therefore it causes skepticism among professional pigeon breeders, but is often used by beginners.
How to determine the gender of the chicks?
It is much more difficult to distinguish the sex of young animals than adult birds, since the chicks do not yet have a large number of distinctive characteristics. They have the same structure of the pelvis, a similar voice and the same type of behavior. However, there are some signs by which you can still distinguish the gender of the chick:
- the head of small males is slightly larger, and the beak is wider and more massive than that of females.
- the sizes of the chicks of both sexes are approximately the same, but the males are somewhat larger;
- in younger females of the texan breed, the fluff is quite long, and in males, on the contrary, short.
To accurately determine the sex of the chicks, you should find out the structural features of the body and the behavior of the breed of pigeons to which they belong.
Feature table
Experienced breeders analyze a set of parameters to accurately determine the pigeon's gender. The final table of distinguishing characteristics, which can be found below, will not make a mistake in this matter:
Characteristic | Females | Males |
Bird sizes | The dimensions of the body of the doves are quite miniature. | They have a strong and powerful body. |
Head | It has a rounded shape, devoid of bulges and irregularities. The neck is rather thin, and the wax and beak are graceful. As a rule, doves look with expressive eyes. | It differs in a rather pronounced frontal part. The neck is wider, and the beak and wax are developed and massive. Pigeons look with big and round eyes. |
Plumage color | As a rule, it is monophonic and devoid of bright shine. | Males often have bright colored blotches on their chest, wings and tail. Ornate patterns can adorn their case. In the neck, feathers often shimmer in various shades - green, blue, burgundy. |
Vote | More calm and melodic. In this case, it is believed that the doves burrs slightly. | Quite loud, because the individual is trying to attract the attention of females or scare away opponents. Their roar is quite aggressive. |
Interaction with other sexes | To express sympathy for the male, the doves can slightly dance, coo and sit on their tail. If the female is already taken, she can react quite aggressively to an outside male. | When a pigeon likes a female, he begins to look after her, demonstrate his color, coo coo loudly and perform a mating dance. He can even acquire a “lady” by taking her under his wing. |
Interaction with individuals of the same sex | Females calmly react to each other and can even enter into friendly relations. | Males often show aggression against each other and begin to fight to prove their leadership and superiority. |
So, in order to find out the sex of a pigeon, it is necessary to take into account a number of parameters - the size of the head and beak, the color of the feathers, the structure of the pelvic bones, the nature and behavior of the mating season. In addition, there are a number of folk methods that have proved their effectiveness in practice and are used by many breeders. All these methods can be used in combination to maximize the accuracy of determining the gender of the bird.