English tipplers are high-flying breeds of pigeons. Endurance is one of the main features of these birds. They are distinguished by the fact that they are easily kept in the air all day and overcome long distances without rest, and can tolerate any weather well. How to properly maintain and train English tipplers - read the article.
Description and Features
Pigeons of this breed have such signs:
- average torso size;
- wide strong chest;
- short neck;
- strong wings pressed to the body;
- the tail is horizontal and consists of about 12 tail feathers;
- the head is smooth, small;
- the beak is medium in length;
- small eyes of white, beige or pearl color;
- large, protruding nostrils;
- the color of the feathers can be black, blue, yellow, red, but gray pigeons are most often found.
Birds fly making circles in the air, rise high up in the first minutes of flight. They don’t need wind, they move freely, hardly moving their wings.
The uniqueness of the pigeons is that they are very hardy and can fly without interruption up to 18 hours.
The recorded record is 20 hours and 40 minutes of flight without landing.
Pigeon training
In order to achieve long and beautiful flights from tipplers, you need to properly approach training:
- adhere to a clear schedule - training should take place at the same time, with the same breaks;
- Do not feed and water the birds before the flight;
- doves train in small groups of 5-6 individuals;
- those birds that fly incorrectly should be removed from the "team".
After training, the birds need rest: if the flight was from 10 to 15 hours, then at least three days should be allowed to rest.
You can watch the flight of trained pigeons of the English Tippler breed in the video clip:
Possible difficulties
Birds are well oriented in space, however, having risen too high, they may experience shock (altitude sickness) and get lost. This is due to a sharp drop in atmospheric pressure and rarefied air.
Usually, only young individuals are faced with this, and a dropper pigeon can help avoid such cases. This is a more experienced bird of the same breed, usually white (to stand out and be noticeable). Droppers let fly along with the young.
Sometimes the owners of the dovecote are faced with the fact that the dove does not want to fly. There may be several reasons for this:
- Diseases Viruses and parasites are the most common bird lethargy problem. In this case, you should definitely contact your veterinarian.
- Injuries. Pigeons experience dislocations and fractures. The help of a specialist is also needed here.
- Fatigue. To avoid this problem, you must follow the rest and training regimen.
- Improper nutrition, lack of vitamins. Affects the overall health of birds. You can solve the problem by feeding pigeons with fresh food and clean water, balancing nutrition and introducing vitamin complexes into the diet.
- Too noisy training place. Pigeons are rather timid: unknown noise and bright light can confuse them.
Maintenance and care
Keeping tippler pigeons easy, they don’t need special conditions. In Britain, some owners keep birds in small dovecote-sized houses like a telephone booth.
Arrangement of a dovecote
When arranging the place for keeping tipplers, it is better to adhere to the following rules:
- Pigeons live in an ordinary dovecote, which is convenient for flying up to.
- In the dovecote set a departure box for faster learning. It is painted white so that birds can see it from afar and more easily find their home.
- If the dovecote is built as a separate structure on a personal plot, it is important to install it in such a way that birds can easily view the area. In such cases, the drawer is attached to the roof.
- For young animals, it is better to use drawers, they are very convenient to use.
- If the dovecote is equipped on the roof, then the drawer is trellised. This will facilitate the take-off and landing of both young individuals and adults. It is installed as close to the dormer as possible.
- For night flights, dovecot is electrically illuminated, but so that the shadow does not fall on the place of approach of the birds. Darkness or dim light can make landing difficult.
The dovecote is divided into 2 different zones:
- For breeding. Here, in separate cages, nests are installed where pigeons could retire and begin to breed. After mating, the dove lays eggs for 10 days. The couple take turns hatching them, and after the birth of the chicks, they look after them.
- For adult birds. Separate cells, each 20x40 cm in size, are equipped with sufficient depth so that the bird fits completely in it. In these cells pigeons spend the night. For convenience of approach, a perch is installed near each of them. Monthly young animals are transferred to a room for adult birds.
Do not forget about the hygiene of the pigeon's place of residence: regularly clean and disinfect the premises, as well as equipment, drinkers and feeders.
Nutrition
Tipplers are fed in the evenings in the dovecot, always with the lights on.
Pigeons are not capricious in food. But it is important to ensure that the feed is always fresh. This is one of the most important factors affecting the quality and duration of flights. In addition, clean drinking water is needed, which must be changed regularly.
Diet:
- The basis of the diet for pigeons should be cereals (wheat, barley, corn, oats, millet, rice, rye).
- Oilseeds (rapeseed, flax, sunflower seeds, hemp, colza) are added to the feed. They are especially useful during molting.
Frequent use of hemp seeds causes inflammation of the mucous membranes of the nasal passages.
- Beans (peas, vetch, lentils, beans) - serve as a source of protein, vitamins B and C, calcium, phosphorus. It should be remembered that when eating legumes, pigeons need water in sufficient quantities.
- Greens (salad, cabbage, spinach, alfalfa, nettle) - to replenish vitamins.
The owner accustoms pigeons to his voice, developing a reflex: when he enters the room and calls the birds, they immediately understand that it is time to eat. You can also use a whistle for these purposes.
It is best to come to the dovecot every time in the same clothes, so that tipplers get used to their appearance.
In breeding and training the flight of pigeons, the English tipplers most importantly - patience. They do not need special requirements for the conditions of detention. But, you should adhere to the basic requirements for hygiene and provide them with a balanced diet. Then, you can achieve good results, and represent the birds in competitions.