PIGEON BREEDING

PIGEON BREEDING

 First, the pigeon breeding cycle will start with the breeding pair mating.

* 5 days later the cock will begin driving the hen hard
* 5 days after the driving, then hen will lay her first egg
* 44 hours later she will lay her second egg
* 18 days later (4 weeks from the start of mating) the eggs will hatch

Second round of eggs in the pigeon breeding cycle

The first egg of the second round will be laid about 2 weeks after the first egg of the first round.

In other words, the second round will start about 40 days after they were mated.

Note: these are meant as guides. Not all pigeons have exactly the same pigeon breeding cycle, so it’s best just to keep an eye on your birds and work out how long they take through observation.

Fanciers breeding early birds will normally pair up their birds in January or December and then separate the birds. This allows them time in their pigeon breeding cycle to repair for the races. This can be speeded up by using pot eggs and waiting till they are deserted.

(Pigeons will naturally desert eggs that fail to hatch – it’s all part of the natural pigeon breeding cycle)