Nikolaev end. Famous pigeons of the Nikolaev breed. Butt and sickle Nikolaev pigeons

A special place in pigeon breeding is occupied by birds of high-flying breeds. They soar into the sky and can stay there for hours, delighting the audience with a charming manner of flight and easily performing aerobatics. One of the most famous bird species with such characteristics is the breed bred in the city of Nikolaev (Ukraine) and given the same name. Its distinguishing feature is the ability of birds to gain height vertically, and the Nikolaev end pigeons hold not only the body, but also the wings in this plane.

What species became the progenitors of the Nikolaev pigeons is not exactly known. According to one version, the origin of birds originates in Ancient Greece, while another says that their ancestors are Polish white-tailed pigeons with a butterfly flying style. The first mention of this breed dates back to the end of the 18th century, and birds were then bred for meat. At that time, their flight characteristics were not recognized as significant, therefore, birds were officially registered as high-flying only in 1910.

Nikolaev pigeons rapidly soar into the sky, and then, with folded wings, fall sharply down. Therefore, in English-speaking countries, the birds are called Sky Cutters, which translates as "cloud cutters". On average, representatives of this breed stay in the air for about an hour, although with proper training, the duration of the flight of birds can reach 7-9 hours.

Nowadays, pigeons of the Nikolaev high-flying breed participate in many competitions and take worthy places. So, at the first world championship in England, they received a gold medal. Birds are common in Ukrainian and Russian coastal regions, and now they are gaining more and more popularity among breeders from other cities. And this is not surprising, because birds are considered the best among the circleless (that is, rising into the air in a straight line). Now many subspecies have appeared, the most famous of which are bred in Marinka, Krasnogorovka, Kurakhovka.

An interesting fact: in Poland, on the basis of the Nikolaev pigeons, a red white-tailed breed was bred, called the Polish eagles. They fully adopted the style of non-circle flight from their forefathers. There are even several clubs for lovers of these birds.

Characteristics

The Nikolaevsky species is distinguished by a streamlined body shape, dense dense plumage, mobile wings with wide feathers and an elastic elastic tail. Due to this, pigeons in flight create with their body a large adjustable platform of air resistance, which, together with developed muscles, increases the time spent in the sky. Trained birds soar so high that it is difficult to see them with the naked eye.

The pigeon of the Nikolaev breed prefers to fly alone. Rising into the sky, he either actively flaps his wings, or soars like an eagle. Of course, this requires appropriate weather conditions. So, end pigeons take off strictly vertically at a wind speed of 7 - 10 m / s.

breed standards

The average length of the bird is 40 cm, the chest is wide with well-developed muscles, the legs are short, without plumage. In a standing position, the body of a pigeon forms an angle of 40 - 45 ° to the ground. Appearance breed has the following features:

• oblong head with even plumage, the occipital region is not expressed;
• golden or orange eyes with a thin stripe of the eyelid;
• dense slightly curved beak of medium size, has a proportional shape;
• short neck widening to the base, covered with fluff;
• convex muscular chest;
• a flat back, wide at the shoulder region and lengthening towards the tail;
• long wings loosely attached to the body with strong primary feathers, located at the level of the tail;
• a massive straight tail with dense plumage, if necessary, opening in a semicircle;
• small paws are dark red.

Despite the fact that the color of the Nikolaev breed is quite diverse (pure white, solid of a different color, pockmarked, spotted), these are predominantly white-tailed pigeons. The exceptions are "murye" birds and martyns. They have colored spots not only on the body, but also on the tail feathers.

All Nikolaev pigeons have a white tail

flight qualities

The birds of the Nikolaev breed are divided into 4 groups, each of which has its own flying style.

• "Lark". During the flight, the bird spreads its wings perpendicular to the body, making quick oscillatory movements with them, which resembles a lark. Periodically, she stops, freezing in the air.
• "Butterfly". The wings are extended forward and make an angle of 30 ° with the body. In the butterfly style, the bird makes frequent strokes, without interruption throughout the flight.
• Sickle. This group includes the only representatives of the Nikolaev breed, flying along a gentle trajectory. As the name of the style implies, in the air they unfold their wings so that they look like a sickle in shape.
• End. Immediately after departure, the birds raise their wings above their heads at a right angle and make strong flaps with them. Thanks to this, end pigeons soar into the sky strictly vertically.

Training

The duration and beauty of the flight of pigeons of the Nikolaev breed is influenced by a headwind. In its absence, birds take off in a circular trajectory and may even fall. That is why birds are so common in coastal regions.

Training begins when the young animals reach 1 - 1.5 months of age. The first training takes place in an aviary, then the birds are gradually taught to take off from the roof of the dovecote. When the birds get comfortable enough, they are released into a single flight. Pets should not be overloaded. The maximum duration of classes is 6 hours with periodic breaks, and only sickle and end pigeons are subjected to such intensive training, because they are the ones who participate in competitions.

The best time to start training is in the morning. Cloud-cutters, despite their name, prefer clear weather. This is especially true for young people. If the air is foggy, pigeons may lose their orientation in space and fall.

Care

The most important element of caring for pigeons is proper nutrition. The food is given twice a day, giving preference to easily digestible types of cereals in the following proportions:

• millet or peeled oats 40 - 45%;
• corn, peas 40%;
• wheat 10%;
• compound feed with mineral supplements and vitamins 5%.

White-tailed Nikolaev pigeons attract breeders not only with activity and vitality, but also with low care requirements. Unlike other breeds, these birds quickly adapt to climatic conditions, have good fertility and produce strong offspring. In addition, butterfly pigeons do not need serious training, so even beginners can breed them.

Diseases

end pigeons Nikolaev breeds are prone to a number of infections. At the first signs, birds should be given antibacterial and antiseptic drugs, the type and dosage of which depend on the cause and severity of the disease. Their choice is best entrusted to the veterinarian. Left untreated, sick birds can infect other birds and die.

The main symptoms of infection in pigeons include sluggish apathetic behavior, indigestion, impaired coordination and orientation in space, convulsions. Birds behave clumsily in the air or refuse to fly at all. Any of these signs, even manifested independently, indicates a disease.

Pigeons of the Nikolaev breed, like butterflies, flutter in the bottomless heights of the sky, and then dive at breakneck speed, conquering the hearts of observers. The flight of these birds is rightfully considered one of the most elegant and at the same time breathtaking sights.

Nikolaev pigeons are one of the most popular and sought-after breeds bred in Ukraine and have received worldwide fame. The breed is classified as high-flying. Pigeons are unpretentious in feeding, have good health, fertility and easily adapt to different conditions of detention.

Nikolaev pigeons were bred at the end of the 19th century in Nikolaev, Ukraine. Breeders used foreign breeds of pigeons with local birds, focusing more on the nature and duration of the flight. A warm climate with constant winds and ascending air currents also played a large role in the formation of the type. This helped the birds to form a streamlined body shape and increase endurance.

Description of the breed

The main feature of the pigeons of the Nikolaev breed is a streamlined body, thick, dense plumage, elastic feathers of strong wings and tail, which gives the birds a large supporting surface when flying. Pigeons are distinguished by strong bones, powerful muscles and endurance. It is these qualities that determine the ability of birds to be in flight for up to 9 hours in a row, quickly gain altitude and take off almost vertically.

Nikolaev pigeons are divided into several intrabreed types that differ in flight style:

1. End type.
2. Sickle type.

end pigeons

Nikolaev box pigeons take off and land vertically, preferring a very limited space above the house for takeoffs, up to four meters in diameter. Taking off, the Nikolaev end pigeons hold their wings in front of them, and the body is turned towards the ascending air flow.

Birds belong to the so-called "wind" pigeons - for the flight they need fresh wind with maximum speed up to 10 meters per second.

sickle doves

Sickle pigeons are significantly different from their butt compatriots. Birds fly horizontally, smoothly, keeping their bodies parallel to the ground and air currents.

Sickle pigeons hold their wings above their heads, and the shape of the curve of the wings resembles a sickle. Sickle pigeons are found in the breed much more often and received the second name Nikolaev butterflies - for their fluttering flight.

breed standard

Nikolaev pigeons have a strictly prescribed standard and birds that do not meet the requirements of the exterior are not desirable for breeding. The head of the pigeons should be dry, narrow, elongated with small, expressive eyes of orange or orange with a golden hue. The beak is of medium length, thin and straight. Short neck with rich plumage. Nikolaev end pigeons have a wider back. The wings of birds are long, with an even and wide fly feather.

Dove color

Pigeons of the Nikolaev breed are bred in several color forms and the color can be:

• Single color: white, black, blue, gray, yellow, ash, cement and red.
• Pocked: black and pockmarked, yellow and pockmarked, red and pockmarked, bluish pockmarked. It is allowed to have one colored feather in the tail.
• Shield or sideways. The main color is the same as that of monochromatic birds, but the scutes and secondary flight feathers are white.
• Murym. Birds with light plumage have dark spots and vice versa, birds with dark plumage have white spots.
• Martynov. Basic white color. Colored spots on the shoulders, back, flight feathers.
• Maned. With snow-white main plumage on the back of the neck, a black, red, blue or yellow spot resembling a mane.

Depending on the color, exterior and training, the price of a thoroughbred pigeon can reach up to several thousand dollars.

Exterior flaws

A breeder who breeds birds must carefully monitor the quality of the breeding stock and not allow individuals with the following shortcomings to breed:

• Massive or loose body.
• Excessively feathered legs.
• Rough head.
• Sunken chest.
• Sparse or narrow tail plumage.
• Rare body plumage.
• Inappropriate plumage color.

The legs of the Nikolaev pigeons have minimal plumage

Features of keeping pigeons

Nikolaev box pigeons and sickle pigeons have an energetic and lively character, easily adapt to weather and climatic conditions, are not demanding on feed, are prolific, and females are good mothers. Even novice pigeon breeders can breed birds - this determines the popularity of the breed both in Russia and in Europe and Asia. If the breeder's goal is to take part in competitions, then time should be devoted to training the birds. Young animals begin to be chased from the age of two months, when they are just starting to leave the dovecote and flit to the roof or trees. If the training starts late, the birds sit up and reluctantly take to the air.

When flying, pigeons often rise very high, which sometimes leads to their loss. Carried away by the wind, they often go astray and return home on the second or third day.

Therefore, before taking the birds into the air, it is worth checking the weather forecast and avoiding days with poor visibility and strong winds. Nikolaev pigeons prefer to fly alone or in pairs, it is rarely possible to observe a well-coordinated flight of the entire flock. Pigeons of the Nikolaev breed are freedom-loving birds, so keeping them in apartments, on balconies and dovecotes within the city is not possible.

Monuments should be erected to such people of pigeon breeding in the city of Krasnoarmeysk, Donetsk region. Respect and understanding in their difficult life experience, work on the continuation of the family of butt pigeons: belted, solid, red, gray. What, in fact, is it about? I, the chairman of the club of the city of Krasny Luch, Luhansk region, with the pigeon breeder of our club, a respected person not only in Ukraine, but also in the countries of near and far abroad, a person with extensive experience, a breeder in breeding and keeping our old breed of Nikolaev high-flying circleless pigeons, Pavel Asingerov Mikhailovich, who has known for 30 years the hero of our article, the famous pigeon breeder of the city of Krasnoarmeysk Leonid Yakovlevich Malchenko, would like to tell you about his life path connected with pigeon breeding.
Donbass is a multinational region. During the years of the first five-year plans, when the mass development of coal deposits began, people from all over the Soviet Union began to come to the cities. In the steppes of Donbass, numerous mining villages began to appear like mushrooms after the rain. Then the family of our respected pigeon breeder L.Ya. Malchenko settled here. His father, as a 5-year-old child, moved to the Donetsk region from the Sumy region, and lived there all his hard life. In 1941 the war began. Yakov Romanovich was drafted into the ranks of the Soviet Army at the front on the first draft. All V.O.V. Yakov Romanovich fought with enemies. He was repeatedly wounded, but, after the war, despite poor health, this man continued his work as a pigeon breeder.
War, devastation, famine caused irreparable damage to our country. The pigeons were practically destroyed. Real amateurs - pigeon breeders bit by bit collected miraculously surviving specimens, tried to revive the breed. Immediately after the war, Yakov Romanovich got a very good male, who liked the old pigeon breeder Bhaiko K., who offered a pair of old and two pairs of young pigeons for a dog. The deal went through. It was difficult, and did not want to part with a four-legged friend. But love for pigeon breeders is more precious than anything in the world. With this, the difficult post-war breeding work began with the continuation of the old line of the Nikolaev breed with the end flight of pigeons. Throughout his life, the father passed on all his skills to his son - Leonid Yakovlevich Malchenko, who still continues to lead this line.
Born Malchenko L.Ya. in 1952, on September 2 in the city of Krasnoarmeysk, and gave his whole life to our pigeons. In his life he knew failures and successes, sorrows and joys. Such is the life of a pigeon breeder.
What is the line of the Nikolaev pigeons of the end flight? This is a medium-sized pigeon (although there are also elongated and compact specimens). The body is dry, the neck, as for the breed, is thin and long. When viewed, pigeons give the impression of unusual lightness and grace. The head is often dry, elongated, although there are individuals with a rounded head. The beak is dark. The eyes are large, golden-straw and pearl, the eyelids are mostly gray. The wing is long, dense, elastic, the wings are tightly pressed to the body, almost always reaching the end of the tail.
In flight, the dove must work with the whole wing, rotating it in three planes, as if twisting into the sky, holding it up, above its head. Tail of unusual width, consists of 12 - 14 feathers. In the open state, merging with the second-order flywheels, it forms a hemisphere, which creates additional windage for the pigeon and allows it to stay in the air even with a light wind. The legs are not feathered, the metatarsus is red, the claws are black. Main colors: gray, gray, red. In the air, the body of the pigeon is located at an angle of 45 degrees, the tail is bent under itself, the wing is thrown out from behind the head and is kept parallel to the body. When taking off and landing, the bird resembles a spider on a web. Talking with Malchenko L.Ya., we watched the flight of his pigeons, I was delighted. A man with great experience told me about their ancestry.
Having traveled all over Ukraine far and wide, I have never met pigeons with such an original and beautiful flight. At the end of our meeting, Leonid Yakovlevich Malchenko gave me and Asingerov P.M. as a sign of respect for the dove, and as a symbol of friendship among the pigeon breeders of the Lugansk and Donetsk regions, his book. He also presented us with discs with the flight of his favorites. We really did not want to leave and part with such a person and his pets.
A huge contribution to the improvement of the Red Army bird was made by Leonid Yakovlevich. For 45 years, the amateur breeder has experienced not only the joy of victories, but also the bitterness of losses. His pigeons are known not only in Ukraine, but also in Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and other countries. Without exaggeration, we can say that end pigeons still exist only thanks to the efforts and diligence of such a person as Malchenko L.Ya.
At the end of my article, I want to express my gratitude: Thank you Leonid Yakovlevich for your hard work in procreation of the Nikolaev circleless high-flying butt pigeons.
Chairman of the club "High Flight" Krasny Luch Shakhov I.V.

AT recent times A lot of controversy and controversy occurs around this notion of side-to-side flight. Some pigeon breeders say that this is a mythical phoenix bird that no one has ever seen. Others of this bird have full cages in markets and exhibitions. I would like to try to figure it out with you. What is the basis of this concept. And why is this happening. To do this, let's return to the history of the Nikolaev pigeons. Let's read the standard of 1956, which was adopted by the pigeon breeders of the city. Nikolaev. At that moment, they approved only two flight styles. This is Tortsovy and Sickle. Everything about any butterfly and lark is out of the question.

A little over 50 years have passed. After the approval of the standard and We can no longer formulate exactly what lies under this concept of side flight. Because of this, the weight of the farce goes, both in Ukraine and in Russia. Pigeon breeders begin to prove to each other that it is the ego pigeons that are truly butt.

I want to present my opinion on this unique flight style of the Nikolaevsky pigeon to you in court. I'll start again with history and my personal experience. Take the example of your city, Rubizhne, Lugansk region. Talking with the old pigeon houses, which, to our great regret, are no longer there or there are only a few left, I realized that. That pigeons were kept in almost every yard. If the kid was not engaged in pigeons. It wasn't a boy. It was an attribute of that time, as now, for example, mobile phone or camptor for youth. Pigeons in those days are a sign of authority, and the Nikolaevsky dove is just a fantasy and the dream of every dovecote! Pigeons, of course, were not praised by everyone, so they had to keep everything in a row so that they would rise into the sky. There was no need to think about the breed. This is how local breeds of pigeons were formed. They were then simply called flying pigeons. They flew high and for a long time, making circles under the underground, but when they reached a high altitude (point) they stopped and hovered at a height for hours on the spot. The authoritative pigeon breeders, who, as a rule, were richer or more agile, had purely Nikolaev pigeons, they went directly to Nikolaev for them. Who bought and who stole. In those days it was like that. The bird brought from Nikolaev was completely different, it was heaven and earth. In relation to the local bird. Both in flight and on the exterior. For these miracle pigeons, people could give everything they had. Who gave a lot of money, who is a cow, who is freedom. And who is life.

The time was such, and the people were then different. Having Nikolaev pigeons in his dovecote. They had to be brought home at night. And even keep it at home in a closet. To get the fruits before they are stolen. The flight of these pigeons was so unique that, having seen it once in a lifetime, the dovecote remembered it for life. I have seen such pigeons in my life. Kid. I caught a dove without knowing where it came from, no one was drawn by suit in the tail. The eyes are white. In a word, there is nothing to see. But as it rises into the sky better and more beautiful than all, it stood as if by a string and did not look like any of mine. Her tail and wings were visible in the sky. The head was almost invisible. We didn’t call it the end face then, but that was that flight then!

Getting a little older. This is 14-16 years old. We certainly went to Nikolaev for a miracle bird. But, alas, by the end of the eighties it was not so easy to find this bird in Nikolaev, although we went in search of them with binoculars, but no matter how much we wanted to find pigeons in the sky over Nikolaev, they had already stopped chasing them. Most likely for profit. In pursuit of a long ruble. But, in spite of everything, we still managed to bring a couple of worthy pigeons out of 20-30 pieces. Which had a unique staging of the wing and hull. But since they were boys, they drove everyone all year round. Despite any merit of their pigeons. Why am I telling you all this, to the fact that the percentage of purely Nikolaev pigeons, using the example of our city, shows that they were both in one city and in the whole of Ukraine. Not forgetting that pigeons from Nikolaev were taken out in batches not only to Ukraine, but throughout Soviet Union, and not really, these pigeons went abroad to Germany, Poland and many other countries. Already in the 80s, there were practically no end birds left in Nikolaev, this is already from my personal experience, and not from stories. And having gone already as an adult by the end of 2000, I completely returned empty without bringing a single one. They were completely gone in Nikolaev, both pigeons and pigeon houses that kept them.

How sad it was to see, but a fact is a fact and you can’t get away from the result.

Another 10 years have passed since I last visited Nikolaev and made sure that there was not a single Nikolaev butcher bird left, no pigeons still remained in Nikolaev, but, as a rule, sickle. And those pigeons for which I came are not in sight. The pigeon breeders of Nikolaev began to breed a fighting bird, well, yes, that's another topic, let's leave it on their conscience. Let's not go away from our topic.

As a result, what we have today. Nikolaev was left without a flying bird, not to mention the side flight.

Where this bird was born and chased is no longer there. She hasn’t been around for at least 30-40 years. What was there spread all over the world, dissolved in local breeds, and everyone went their own way, who began to seek a suit, like Kharkov and turned Nikolaev into Kharkov-Nikolaev Donetsk brought the breed of Nikolaev red-skinned, and so I can give many, many examples. You all know about it yourself and lead by examples

their cities. There were also those cities that worked not only according to suit, but also according to the style of flight, so the Melitopol, Lugansk Butterflies and many other things appeared, you also know all about this. These pigeons rise into the sky and stand without a circle, but you will no longer see that unique flight.

And how can you meet him if he was a drop in a large number of doves. This drop, after the expiration of time, dissolved without leaving a trace. And if we add to this the fashion for a sickle style of flight and new sores of pigeons that arose not so long ago, then the picture becomes even more deplorable.

In the end, what do we have today? Today, there is practically no pure old Nikolaev bird anywhere. As well as this unique flight, about which there is so much controversy now. What do we have today and at least a small part of what was left? In my opinion, only elements of that unique flight remained. We see this in our pigeons when we raise them into the sky. As you can see. Everyone who drives the bird knows and sees. That a dove in the sky does not always wave in the same way, from time to time its flight changes radically, I note that not all pigeons have this. Some pigeons in flight, according to certain conditions and the strength of the wind, rebuild their flight, tip over on their tail, while the wing works completely differently, the wing angle changes and from the bottom we saw how our pigeons become handsome, fully reveal what they are capable of, they just seem balls, this happens when they are exactly above the dovecote, strictly above our heads. This effect my old friend called the flight of a roly-poly. This is when pigeons in the wind lie horizontally on the ground in the wind, and when the wind subsides, they have nothing left to do but go into vertical flight so as not to pass the dovecote. At the same time, they sit down or sit down on the tail, their body is located perpendicular to the ground, as a result, the wing angle changes, but we cannot see this. since we are under the pigeons, they are above our heads. This can be seen only by being at the same height with the pigeon and seeing its flight from the side.

I managed to see it only in the photo, was photographed fighting pigeon at a height of a meter from the ground in flight, at the time of somersault. This is what happens to our pigeons at altitude. For example, again from history, maybe someone remembers. How our pigeons often twirled, without popping. The pigeons sat down on the tail, the body vertically to the ground, and here nothing was needed before the somersault. Just a moment and a chicken. We removed such pigeons, although, as a rule, they were the best flyers with maximum stability.

So that's where I'm going, the butt is today an element in flight, an element of history, an element of the purebred dove. I also had such pigeons that constantly stood on the tail with the vertical position of the body, both when landing and when lifting. These were pigeons from the farm of Boris Trafimovich Grigorov. Once he gave me his old white champion of the city of Summ. He was with a spot on his head, most likely he should remember him. These pigeons are not forgotten! So from under it, my dove showed a five-hour flight to the butt position. But then again, she was alone, and as a kid I couldn’t help but drive both her and everyone else to that moment. that I had. As a result, she stayed at night and did not sit down. And such pigeons, as you know, are practically impossible to return. Well, that's another topic. If we now manage to raise the pigeon to a height of 1-3 meters per second into the wind and at the same time keep them within 1-5 meters in a radius from the pigeon, which is indicated in the old standard of 1956, the bird will have no choice but to go to end style. No other is given.

As for today's work of pigeon breeders. We are definitely going somewhere, we can't stand still. But in what direction we are going, only time will tell. I am personally glad that this moment work is underway in clubs, both in Ukraine and in Russia. In Russia, at the moment, Belaya Kalitva, Voronezh, the regions of Siberia and Moscow are doing a lot of work in this direction. In Ukraine, a Venigorodka is working in this direction, headed by Alekseev, Sumy, Donetsk region. Khmelnitsk, Moreupol, Zaporozhye and cities and towns of Primorye.

In the end, what I wanted to say. Face flight is not like the wings of a dove in flight, it's how the body is positioned. In relation to the ground or its tail. The end face, by definition, is an angle of 90 degrees, and it must be maintained otherwise it is no longer an end face. But something else by definition. But again, this is not a standard, this is already for the most part a story, perhaps we will return to a short one, because everything in our life goes in a spiral. Well, which butt is complex or simple, this is another topic, which has already been considered before me in our Bulletin of the pigeon breeder.

We all need not prove to each other who has the better bird at the moment or who has the end bird. We need to cooperate as much and as fruitfully as possible, make friends, change and revive what was lost that was done before us. After all, there are not so many of us left, and we are obliged, having exchanged tribal material, to communicate in the spirit of friendship and mutual understanding. After all, each style in Nikolaev pigeon breeding is unique in its own way, and today the butt is a brand that they simply want to stick to the bird. At the moment, it's just fashionable and profitable. And this should not in any way divide us both in the clubs and in the camps in which we find ourselves, not of our own free will in different ones.

Nikolaev pigeons are one of the most valuable breeds of birds. They first appeared in the city of Nikolaev and from there spread to most of the Black Sea cities of the Russian Empire, such as Kherson and Odessa. According to the most common version, these birds are the offspring of crossing local and foreign pigeons, which sailors brought with them to the Black Sea coast. There is also a version that the birthplace of these birds is Ancient Greece, and butterfly doves - Poland. They were first mentioned in the works of agriculture professor Mikhail Egorovich Livanov in 1799. The official registration of the breed took place in 1910.

The appearance of the breed

In Nikolaev birds, the body is usually small and elongated. The length of the bird from the tail to the beak is about 40 cm. The colors of the feathers are dominated by colors such as red, white, black, yellow, gray, blue . Their coloration is usually uniform.. Depending on the color of the birds are divided into:

• color-sided (whose sides and forehead are of the same color);
• white-tailed (2-3 extreme feathers are colored).

In the old days, when the beauty and style of flight were valued in Nikolaev pigeons, breeders and breeders paid little attention to the color of birds. Now, when these birds began to be compared with ornamental rocks, types with brighter colors began to appear. Sometimes this negatively affects flight performance.

At Nicholas pigeons rounded oblong head with small golden or brown eyes. They have a sharp thin long beak of light colors, slightly curved at the end. The birds have a rather powerful and strong musculature with a strong thoracic region protruding by about 45 ° and a thickened short strong neck. The back is slightly oblong, smooth, long, smoothly connected to the tail. The wings are very long, freely located near the hull, when closed they reach the tail section. Short red-white paws with light claws are not covered with hair. The tail is wide and elongated, consists of 14-16 feathers.

Flight features

Nikolaev birds famous for their unique flight technique, for which they are commonly referred to as butterfly pigeons. During the flight, birds continuously flap their wings, folded at an angle of 30 degrees. The tail is completely fluffed. Butterflies prefer to fly not in a flock, but one at a time. Even if a group of individuals is released together from the dovecote, they will soon scatter one by one. They may be in the air very long time (up to 1 hour or more). In addition, butterflies are easy to train, thanks to which the time of their non-stop stay in flight can be increased up to 9 hours. While in the air, they do not freeze or stop.

In addition to flying in the style of a butterfly, there is another variety of Nicholas pigeons, which are compared to larks. During their flight, the wings are extended straight and perpendicular to the body. Such a flight resembles soaring in the air. From the outside it may seem that the bird does not fly at all, but moves in the air under the influence of the wind. From time to time, "larks" stop in the air and hang at one point. This method of flight is usually inherent in untrained individuals.

The most common flight method for Nicholas pigeons is the butterfly method. Unfortunately, in recent years, a significant part of the representatives of this breed has lost, for one reason or another, the ability to fly in this way.

Features of the flight of these birds formed due to the influence of some features of the constitution of the body:

Butt and sickle Nikolaev pigeons

In addition to butterflies and larks, experts have bred new types of these birds - end and sickle. The first rise into the air and land in a vertical position, the wings are erected behind the head all the time of soaring. Body is vertical and directed towards the air masses. For a full-fledged flight, end birds need a wind speed of about 7-10 meters per second. With a lack of wind power, pigeons quickly lose strength and reduce their flight altitude.

Crescent pigeons fly horizontally. In flight, they keep smoothly, allowing for slight slopes in both directions. The body is located parallel to the ground or the direction of air masses. The wings are wound behind the head and are arranged in the form of a sickle, thanks to which this type of bird got its name. Sickle pigeons are found much more often than their butt relatives. However, end pigeons are valued higher for their rarity and higher flight. At various competitions, the lion's share of awards and prizes goes to these birds.

Growing and training conditions

very popular both among professional breeders and in amateur pigeon breeding in various countries of the globe. Pigeons received the widest recognition in Russia, Ukraine, and the Baltic countries. These birds easily adapt to different climates and conditions. They are unpretentious in food, successfully breed. Nikolaev pigeons have a lively, mobile character. Birds lend themselves well to training (especially butterflies).

Despite them high level adaptability to various growing conditions, Nikolaev pigeons feel best in the atmosphere, close to the atmosphere of their native region. It is in such an environment that birds most positively manifest their flight properties.

It is allowed to start training pigeons from the moment they reach the age of one and a half months. The calendar date for the onset of this period, as a rule, corresponds to the end of March - April. The first training flights should take place in the presence of an adult, who will serve as a flight instructor for the chicks. The load for the chicks from lesson to lesson should be gradually increased, but not too sharply. After 5-6 "lessons" you can start teaching pigeons to fly independently.

Many breeders practice bird training at night. In this case, the pigeons rise into the air at sunset and land only in the morning. This method is dangerous because young inexperienced birds, poorly oriented in space, can get lost and not come back. For such flights, it is necessary to turn on the flashlight., to the light of which the pigeons will be guided. The best time to study is early morning. Cloudy or foggy days are also not good for studying.

The diet of Nikolaev pigeons should mainly include plant foods. The main food for them is to make millet, corn and peas, as well as wheat, grass, various vitamins and top dressings, etc. Adults are able to provide themselves with food.

Treatment of diseases

Butter pigeons are most susceptible to diseases of an infectious type. Usually the development of infection in pigeons, it is accompanied by symptoms such as:

• apathy;
• disturbed digestion;
• convulsions;
• clumsy movement or flight, refusal to fly.

If any of these signs appear, a qualified veterinarian should be consulted, who will determine the type and severity of the disease and prescribe the appropriate treatment. As a rule, various antiseptics and antibacterial agents are “prescribed” to Nikolaev pigeons. In no case should you start the disease, because one sick individual can infect the entire flock, which will lead to a mass death.