How to identify a pigeon's age? Master these methods to judge accurately

Knowing how to tell a pigeon's age is of great significance for timely pairing and breeding and for selecting good stock. Pigeons generally live 10 to 15 years, but the best breeding age for breeder pigeons is 2 to 4 years, and the ideal breeding age for fine racing pigeons is 2 to 5 years. A pigeon's age can usually be identified from the following aspects.

Identify by the shape of the beak and the calluses at the corners of the mouth

The older the bird, the blunter and smoother the tip of the beak. The tip of a squab's beak is pointed, soft and slender; a young pigeon's beak is thicker and harder; an adult pigeon's beak is thicker and shorter, with a harder and smoother tip. Because adult pigeons feed squabs, calluses in the form of scabs appear at the corners of the mouth. The older the bird and the more squabs it has raised, the larger the calluses at the corners of the mouth grow; in laying pigeons over 5 years old, the scabs on both sides of the corners of the mouth are jagged.

Identify by the replacement of the pigeon's feathers

A pigeon has 10 primary wing feathers. At 2 months of age, it begins to replace the first one, and thereafter replaces them in order about every 13 to 16 days. When the last one is replaced, the pigeon is about 6 months old and already mature, and can begin to be paired for production. A pigeon has 12 secondary wing feathers, which are mainly used to identify the age of adult pigeons. Each year one secondary wing feather is replaced in order from the inside outward, and the replaced feathers look darker in color and clean and neat.

Identify by the liveliness of the pigeon's eyes and the number of wrinkles in the bare skin of the eye ring

Young pigeons' eyes are more alert; the eyes of young pigeons and young adults are bright and piercing, and the nictitating membrane flickers quickly. Old pigeons' eyes are dull and slow, and the liveliness is poorer. In addition, young pigeons have very fine wrinkles in the bare skin of the eye ring, and as the pigeon ages, the wrinkles in the bare skin become coarser and thicker.

Identify by the size and color of the pigeon's cere

A squab's cere is rosy, while a young pigeon's is light red and glossy. In pigeons over 2 years old, the cere already has a thin powdery white color; in pigeons over 4 or 5 years old, the cere is powdery white and has become rather rough; in pigeons over 10 years old, it looks dry and rough. The pigeon's cere also becomes slightly larger with age.

Identify by the size and presence or absence of the pigeon's bursa of Fabricius

The pigeon's bursa of Fabricius is located above the cloaca. In young pigeons the bursa of Fabricius is relatively large; in adult pigeons it becomes smaller, and after a few years the bursa of Fabricius becomes very small, or only a trace remains.

Identify by the color of the pigeon's feet and the thickness of the scale patterns

A young pigeon's feet are bright red, the scale patterns are not obvious, the scales are soft and flat, the toenails are soft and pointed, and the foot pads are soft and smooth. In pigeons over 2 years old, the feet are dark red, the scale patterns are fine and clear, and the scales and toenails are slightly hard and curved. In pigeons over 5 years old, the feet are purplish red, the scale patterns are obvious and coarse, the scales protrude and are rough, with small white scales attached on top, the toenails are thick, hard and curved, and the foot pads are thick and hard.