Breeding pigeons [Archive]

fatdiscus

Fri Feb 20, 2009, 02:04 AM

G'day
Can pigeons raise fry on their own? I've got a pair that have managed to get eggs to the wriggler stage. Read somewhere the fry won't attach to the parents, so can anyone help with tips and suggestions. They definately produce the milk/mucus on their sides.

Thanks
Fatty

Hollowman

Fri Feb 20, 2009, 05:30 PM

I hope these photos answer your questions. :D

H

Hollowman

Fri Feb 20, 2009, 05:31 PM

One more

fatdiscus

Sat Feb 21, 2009, 09:26 AM

Friggin' AWESOME!!!!!!!

I've trawled the archives and dug up some pretty useful stuff. So now I eagerly await the next spawn. Yahoo.

Hollowman

Sat Feb 21, 2009, 02:49 PM

Go for it bud, I never had any problems with these ones. Just make sure you lower the water level as they are about to attach to the parents. Lower the water to just above the tallest fish's dorsal fin, and remove any objects in the tank (apart from heater and sponge filter) But cover the sponge with a white stocking, and make sure the sides and bottom of the tank are light coloured so that the parents are the only objects that the fry swim to.

hth

H :wink:

rheemas

Thu Apr 02, 2009, 09:57 AM

Hi Hollowman,

I love these photos. I am really interested to know how you get the fry to the size in the last photo with the parents? The problem I have is my pair will get fry to about the size in the first photo, then they get really agitated by the fry picking at them and swim around frantically trying to get away. How do I stop the fry from irritating and causing wounds when they get bigger? If I could keep the fry with the parents a bit longer I think there growth rate would improve.

ILLUSN

Thu Apr 02, 2009, 12:03 PM

Well done mate FANTASTIC photos!!!

Hollowman

Sat Apr 04, 2009, 10:25 AM

Thanks guys :D

I think the trick with growing fry on is to try to feed other foods as soon as possible. I generally have live BBS on the go after 3 or 4 days free swimming. The sooner you get them onto the BBS the more they rely on the second source of food which in turn takes the pressure off the parents. I am a firm believer in keeping the fry with the parents for as long as possible, it gives them greater immunity in the future. Once at the size of the last photo about 4 weeks, they should be on ground BH and chopped bloodworm, other granular fry foods are also fed.

hth

H :)