Iranian war pigeons are birds that fascinate with their ability to fly, performing many tricks in the process of raising in height. And the characteristic sounds made by the wings during the flight are a distinctive feature and highlight of this breed. The article discusses the characteristics of the breed, the content, as well as its varieties.
Historical data
Once upon a time in Iran only worthy people could raise pigeons - this occupation was considered sacred. Iranians are the most hardy and beautiful birds. Pigeons of this breed have become a symbol of pride and grandeur, they fly in packs, and keep alone. Iranian pigeons tend to fly slowly, but the headwind does not scare them. They call them “martial” for the reason that in flight, gaining altitude, birds beat their wings through the air, creating characteristic sounds.
Iranian pigeons are descendants of Persian pigeons that adorned the royal courtyards. In Persia, more than 1000 centuries ago they began to breed them. Birds were carefully selected, paying attention to criteria such as beauty, stamina, and flight altitude.
Poultry farmers tried their best to create a new breed that would meet all the stated criteria. Special competitions, where 10 birds participated, helped to select the best individuals. Although wars often fought in this region, locals continued to love pigeons, preserving the sacred tradition. Now breeding birds has become a holy tradition of the Iranians.
The farms where Iranian pigeons are bred are owned by respected people. These pigeons are famous for their beauty and ability to fly perfectly. Many people like to watch how these birds fly.
Exterior Features
Birds do not have clear standards, but all species of the breed prevail in common. Iranian pigeons are distinguished by an elongated body, a narrowed, rounded or oval head. Many species have a smooth head with a small forelock and a long beak. The length of the wings reaches 21-30 cm, and the span is from 60 to 70 cm.
Iranian war pigeons boast a wide tail, long, smooth legs, on which there is no plumage. The girth of the body reaches 25-35 cm. The birds have a dense body structure, well-developed muscles, a wide chest. Feathers fit tightly to the body.
There are a variety of instances. Often come across white pigeons, birds with red, black, yellow plumage. Sometimes they are gray. The most valuable pigeons are considered to have combined colors:
- with a colored head and tail;
- plain;
- with a white head and motley body;
- with colored sides (body white, wings colored);
- with a colored head (black, yellow, red, etc. shades);
- with colored tail and white tail;
- with colored rings located around the neck.
Typically, these breeds do not change the color of the plumage with age or during molting and after it. Often, pigeon breeders do not pay attention to plumage, breeding Iranian pigeons only in western Iran. Prefer birds with a clean picture and no blots on the body.
Flight specifics
Iranian war pigeons fly slowly and calmly. A mandatory indicator of summer is a battle with a further exit to the pillar. Birds also show their flying qualities especially well, heading against the wind. A distinctive feature is the ability of pigeons to climb to a height that flies can reach, then they freeze there for a couple of minutes.
Birds of this breed give themselves out as a characteristic battle: it is moderate, and the exit to the rack itself must be fixed for several seconds. The noise of the battle is excellently heard even from a great height. Pigeon growers value the breed for the duration of the summer - birds can fly at distances of 3-10 hours.
What varieties are there?
During the work, breeders managed to breed many varieties of Iranian pigeons. Depending on the place of origin of the breed, pigeons differ in different colors of plumage and its characteristics.
Tibriz pigeons
This subspecies is the most common in the western lands of Iran. The birds have an elongated head and an elongated body. The Baku flyers are considered direct relatives of these pigeons. Iranians note that it is impossible to fully find out how this variety was bred. Even the most experienced pigeon breeder, who has many years of experience, can always learn something new about an ancient bird.
Head
A distinctive feature of headed Iranian pigeons is the contrasting color of plumage on the head. Feathered birds are characterized by a snow-white shade of feathers on the body, and plumage on the head and neck is dark in color - varies from light brown to black. This species is especially appreciated by poultry breeders, due to the fact that they hardly make contact with a person, cause difficulties in taming, but at the same time, having achieved the result, the birds will reward the pigeon breeder with a beautiful pole flight.
Tehran High-flying
Tehran pigeons are a popular and famous species. Feathered are very similar to hawks. These birds have an impressive wing span - it can reach 70 cm. Animals have a round head, a short beak. There are individuals with different colors and patterns.
Hamadan battle cosmos
The northwestern part of Iranian lands, more precisely the Hamadan province, became the place of breeding of the species of Iranian pigeons, due to which the birds got their name. Pigeons have long feathers on their feet (up to 20 cm) - this jewelry is considered the most important in their appearance.
Iranian breeders managed to bring out many lines of representatives of this subspecies. There are specimens that surprise by the presence of a forelock on the head, a long beak, and a color of feathers. There is nothing strange in this, since selection work has been going on for thousands of years.
Tickled (karagesis)
Shaky pigeons combine a cross between Tibris and Tehran birds. The Iranians have a peculiar pattern on the plumage, which makes the species recognizable among the other breeds. The main color of the feathers is a white tint, but the cheeks and head can be red or yellow. The shaky Iranians have a slender body and a smooth head.
Features of pasture and selection
Iranian war pigeons are not used to flying in a flock. Every dove is an individualist. Individual specimens are able to freeze high in the air for several minutes. Providing excellent living conditions and balanced nutrition, specially trained pigeons will not only be strong, but also hardy, but the flight duration will only increase.
The average flight duration is from 4 to 8 hours. Birds that fly less than 3 hours are discarded.
A number of requirements are put forward for young animals preparing for competitions. First of all, he must have developed an excellent ability to return to his house, and after the flight, the pigeons should return to where they were released from. Birds that do not meet these requirements are rejected.
Bird fight
This breed is characterized by characteristic sounds in the air from the wings of the wings. The fight is divided into several categories:
- Butterfly game. It features a frequent battle. It is performed in a single flight.
- Pillar. In this battle bird is able to instantly gain altitude, take off vertically and make short circular flights. At the same time, during the flap of the wings, peculiar clicks are heard. After climbing, the birds tumble over their heads. The final stage is the adoption of a starting position, a decrease in smooth circles.
- Corkscrew. The bird rises vertically in height, whirls, making spiral movements, continuously plays, showing its skills. Such a climb requires strength and maximum effort from the pigeon.
Conditions of detention
The maintenance of pigeons requires the construction of a dovecote from the poultry farmer. When arranging an aviary, you need to follow some rules and features:
- The location. Due to the fact that Iranian pigeons are in poor health, the dovecote should be placed away from sources of infection: cesspools, farmland, pigsties, houses, etc. It is advisable to build a building where there are no electric lines and tall trees nearby.
- Dimensions of dovecote, planting density. The height of the dovecote can reach up to 2 m. At least 50 cubic meters per pair of birds. see. To this space you need to add space for nests, feeders and drinking bowls.
- Warming. Experienced pigeon breeders argue that it is not necessary to install a special heating system in the pigeon, but it is advisable to insulate and seal the house. There should be no gaps in the room. You need to lay the litter, it is changed regularly - this will avoid the appearance of dampness. The optimum temperature in summer is +20 degrees, in winter - + 5 ... + 7 degrees.
- Litter. This is a prerequisite in the winter season. Litter is made of hay and straw, sawdust, small branches, sand or dry peat. The thickness of the litter is about 5-10 cm. Under it lay wood ash or wormwood - help prevent infection by infectious diseases.
- Feeding troughs and drinking bowls. Experienced pigeon farmers recommend installing automatic feeders, because this will significantly minimize the person’s participation in caring for pigeons.
- Perches. The number of perches depends on the number of pigeons. Usually perches are made of wooden bars, fixing them perpendicular to the wall. Floor to ceiling distance is over 50 cm.
- Jacks. The optimal size of the nest is 80x40x30 cm. Females of the Iranian breed prefer to equip their nests on their own. In such a situation, the poultry breeder will only need to supply the pigeons with building material: straw, branches, hay.
- Ventilation. The ventilation system will help to ventilate the room, eliminating unpleasant odors, carbon dioxide from the litter. The house will always be fresh. It is best to build a lattice behind the main door. Also, small mesh holes on the floor will not interfere. On the ceiling it is necessary to mount a closing pipe for the hood.
Be sure to provide birds with a patio for walking. In size, it should be no less than a dovecote. From above and from all sides, the territory is fenced with a metal mesh, they lay a board on the floor or lay plywood.
Feeding and mode
A balanced diet is an important component of bird care. The basis of the diet is grain and juicy greens. In the diet should be present:
- millet - 10%;
- wheat - 30%;
- barley - 50%;
- other grains and seeds (lentils, sunflower seeds, oats, peas) - 10%.
As greens, birds are best fed with various herbs, including spinach, sorrel, alfalfa, nettle, clover, lettuce, and cabbage.
The pigeon grower will need to comply with the diet, depending on the season:
- Summer. Feed the pigeons twice a day: at 6-7 in the morning and at 6 in the evening.
- In the winter. Feed the birds three times a day: at 9 a.m., 2 p.m., 8 p.m.
- During the period of feeding the chicks. Observe three meals a day: at 5 am, 1 o’clock in the afternoon, at 9 o’clock in the evening.
The volume of servings for birds of different ages and in different life periods is quite different. Let’s say that young animals will have enough 30-40 g per day, the daily norm of birds up to the molting period is 50 g, during egg laying and breeding - up to 60 g. When a bird is prepared for competition, a lot of energy is spent. At this time, it is necessary to introduce starch into the diet (to give birds rice) and sugar.
It is important to follow the feeding regimen and make a balanced diet for birds. Otherwise, pigeons may suffer from obesity, because of which their athletic form will simply be lost.
It is also necessary to supply Iranians with mineral additives, which are crushed shell, crushed eggshell, salt, charcoal.
It is strictly forbidden to feed birds with such products:
- Milk and cheese. Birds do not have lactobacilli, it is difficult for them to digest such an amount of fat.
- Meat products and fish. It is difficult for birds to cope with the digestion of these products.
- Bread and bakery products. These ingredients can cause fermentation and disrupt the gastrointestinal tract.
Where to get?
Iranian breed of pigeons today is popular almost all over the world. Despite the fact that the birds come from Iran, you can buy pigeons not only there, but also in Kashan, Isfahan, Shiraz, Tabriz, Tehran, Hamadan, Mashhad. Also, birds are sold in other countries where pigeons managed to take root safely.
On the territory of Russia, large pigeon farms of Vladivostok, Moscow, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Khabarovsk, Chelyabinsk, Krasnoyarsk, Omsk, Orenburg are engaged in the breeding and sale of Iranian war pigeons.
Pigeons and sellers from Ukraine offer. Often, private breeders put up ads for sale on the Internet, which allows you to buy animals without leaving your home.
Like the external characteristics of birds, the price for them can be different. The cost directly depends not only on the species, but also on the flight qualities. The best birds live in Iran. In Russia, Iranians are offered at a price of 1 to 2.5 thousand rubles per 1 dove. Birds that come from good lines can cost significantly more, more than a hundred dollars.
Iranian war pigeons are one of the oldest breeds of pigeons in the world. Birds are distinguished by attractive external characteristics, unpretentiousness in the content. Animals have several varieties, each of which is special and extraordinary.
Posted by
3
Ukraine. City: Kryvyi Rih
Publications: 110 Comments: 0