Cage Breeding Vs Colony Breeding

This article is on pros and cons of colony breeding as compare to single cage breeding. Your suggestions/criticism is always welcome. This article was written for pigeons only but the same rule applies to all birds.

I am breeding fancy pigeons since long. Since I am a breeder so I always looks for good breeding results. I have used both the methods for breeding pigeons but in my own opinion single pair in one cage produce much better results as compared to colony system. However, any body have its own ways of breeding systems, you can correlate with the disadvantage of colony system with the advantages of single pair and vice versa. In Pakistan most of the cases pigeon fanciers keep their pigeons on colony system, they are also getting good results out of this system but I have my own opinions given at the end.

The Advantages of Breeding in Single Pair

The pair will take more interest in breeding. You have more checks as what the pair is doing. This point is very important, here comes your management and all your success in the future depends on this point. How many chicks reared in a year, weather the pair are good parents. The rate of hatchability of eggs increases and broken eggs diminishes due to non interference of other pairs. More control on producing a specific color. As the chances of mating with bossy style males stops. The growth of chick tremendously improves as the parents give more feed. Chicks get more independently start eating food as they are made available to them all the times. In case of viral infection it could not spread as fast as in the case of colony system. Chances of fights with other breeding pairs and jealously reduces a lot.

The Disadvantages of breeding Single Pair

it is more time consuming and expensive method to keep one pair in one cage. You need lot of space. You have to check the feeding and water parts on daily basis at least two times a day. It is difficult for the pigeon keeper to get the pairs bath on regular basis. In hot weather dead in shell is very common. The pigeons in the long run don't get exercise which is very essential for their health being. I have observed that female pigeon if kept long in single pairs, she stops laying eggs, it is not very common , but it do happens with my birds. It is also difficult to give medicine in single pair system, as it need lot of labor work and time consuming.

In colony many birds can be kept together but a close eye must be kept on them to see if fighting is going on. If so it is better to identify and remove the culprit. It usually is a hen who takes fancy to some other hen's nest and the fighting starts between them to conquer the nest box. If colony is handled well then it is more rewarding then the single pair breed. But for beginners I will advice them to keep them as single pair and remove the chicks as soon as they r able to feed themselves

Conclusion

If I may allow giving my honest opinion of breeding fancy pigeons I must say that I will keep my pigeons in single pairs. Why, because I got very success full results with this system. Since I am a breeder and I am more
satisfied with good breeding results. However, in few cases where pigeon were not breeding in single pair system I put them in colony system and they start laying eggs and also start producing chicks too. I think management should be good.