Pigeon Mating

One of the first problems for a beginner before pigeon mating is how to determine the sex of the bird. This is something which will come with practice, though fanciers who have been in the sport for many years can still make a mistake.

Firstly it must be realized that, as in most birds, there are no visible sex organs; also that, unlike other types of birds, there is no characteristic difference in colour between the sexes. Differences of colour are the product of inheritance. However, a fancier gets to know his family of birds individually, and usually, if he is an owner of some years' standing, can sort out their sexes. He may have difficulty though in dealing with pigeons to which he is unaccustomed.

There are one or two general guides which may help. For instance, the cock is usually larger than the hen and this is noticeable from the day of hatching. Also, as a rule, the cock bird has a bolder looking head with the crown higher above eye-level; the hen's head has a less-pronounced crown and the eye therefore appears to be set higher. Besides this, the hen's general appearance seems altogether more sweet and attractive, whilst the cock has a more aggressive look, although you will often hear older fanciers referring to a 'cocky looking hen' or a ‘henny looking cock'.

Another guide is the preliminary action of courting, when you will see a cock bird apparently blowing out his crop and turning round in front of the hen bird whose attention he wants to attract. Although fanciers describe the enlarging of the crop as 'blowing the crop', it is not the crop itself which fills with air, but the air sac which lies over it. The hen will often coo and inflate her neck a little, but she will very seldom if ever spin round in a circle.

It is during courtship in the pigeon mating season that one obtains the best guide to the sexes. One should remember though that such behavioral differences are not confined to the actual mating or breeding season; even when birds arc parted indifferent sections of the loft you will see them displaying to one another through the partitions if they can see through them. In the case of hens, they walk slowly and somewhat seductively to lead the cocks on. The latter move more quickly with a fast movement rather like strutting, and bob their heads up and down whilst turning a complete circle. As courtship progresses, it leads to a further stage of `beaking'- or 'billing' as some fanciers call it - when the hen puts her beak inside the cock's. They then ring beaks with an action similar to that made when they are regurgitating food to feed their young.

When the female pigeon is aroused, she will quite often follow the cock around the loft as if she were inviting a beaking session; or if the cock is still and resting, she will make a sort of stroking action down the back of his neck. This leads to the final stage in the birds' mating procedure known as 'treading'. Here the hen crouches down, opens her wings a little and the cock jumps on to her back, whereupon, by means of a slight movement to one side by the hen, copulation takes place. This action is very quick. Other cocks will, if possible, rush to prevent copulation, and may be successful if the cock is inexperienced or old. Some fanciers let out their breeding pair’s one at a time so that successful mating is accomplished.

It is not unknown for two birds of the same sex to pair together, and you will find that if you have two hens mated they will both lay. Pigeons lay their eggs in clutches of two so that from the mating of two hens you will get four eggs, but they will not be fertile.