الفهرس 
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Abstract
Summarized results of the present study on pigeon behaviours and management include.
1-Pigeon is mainly a monogamous bird, Deviation from monogamous system of breeding can be during pair formation but rare and may occur due to breeding of unequal number of both sexes.
2-When different breeds were housed together a great percent of them still prefer the sex of the same breed .
3-Each sex prefer to mate with the opposite sex of the different body colouration .
4-Males were the most stable sex in their pair formation .
5-The outside top places were preferred as the site of mating as a great percent of successful mating was occurred due to absence of annoyance of other males .
6-The male is the most active partner in the initiation of mating behaviour.
7-Cooing display is done by courting male at the beginning of mating during which the male inflates his crop , spreads and lowers his tail to sweep the ground under it, ruffles his back feathers and begins to circle around the female.
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8-Courtship feeding occurs several times before mating , during which the female inserts her beak into that of the male which begins to perform a regurgitation movements.
9-Wing preening is one of the main sexual behaviour which occurs shortly before mating and concentrated only on the inside aspect of both wings greatly in male and with a few percents in females.
10-Driving is very important in pigeon and may serve to protect females from being mated by another males. It occur 4-5 days before laying and displayed by males.
I I- Female sexual behaviour includes
1-The female searches for male.
2-Persists inside the loft for a long period than usual .
3-Stands infront of any nest containing male looking inside then tries to enter the cage .
4-Becomes interested to the courtship stimulus by any male.
12-Mating behaviour occurs by jumping of the male on the back of the female with a frequent wing flapping to keep his balance then the male lowers his posterior end and begins to move his tail right and left till locates the cloaca of the female then he presses his cloaca against that of the female to facilitate ejaculation then dismounts and flies or crouching for the female to mount or elevates his wings to the level of the back and ruffles his back feathers, spreads and lower the tail then takes few steps away from or toward the female .
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13-Captivity of adult vergin female together with male led to the shortening of the period needed for pair formation (appearance of the first courtship between them), as well as that needed for the first egg lay.
14-The male takes the initiation of nest site selection, he preferred corners, any unobserved or hidden dark places or already existed nest cages. Two nest sites were selected by each breeding pair, the nest building was shared by both sexes but the male performed most of it, different materials were selected as a nesting materials such as rice straw, pieces of wood, pieces of iron, nails, feathers, shredded paper and dried tree leaves and stems. the nest identification in pigeon depended mainly upon its site not on its shape or colouration.
15-Before egg laying the female enters the nest and crouches inside it for a long period than usual 2-4 days before laying . In the day of egg laying the female carrier, baladi and their crosses enters the nest before laying by 38.33 + 13.81, 43.14 + 12.69 and 38.5 + 3.78 minutes respectively. during laying the female sit in a penguin - like posture and deposits her egg, then stands for 2.25 + 0.41, 5 ± 1.54 and 2.25 + 0.82 minutes respectively and begins brooding.
16-During the summer time the first egg was laid in carrier ,baladi and cross bred at 5.43 + 0.11, 5.32 + 0.14 and 5.36 + 0.15 PM while the second egg was laid at 3.37 + 0.26, 2.33 ± 0.24 and 2.30 + 0.22 PM respectively in the following day but one.
17-During the winter time the first egg was laid at 5.15 + 0.13 , 5.05 + 0.12 and 5.06 + 0.12 PM, while the second egg was laid at 3.01 + 0.22 , 2.39 + 0.17 and 2.59 + 0.27 PM respectively .
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18-Under condition of continuous light the first egg was laid at 5.61 0.12, 5.39 + 0.11 and 5.36 PM while the second one was laid at 1.84 + 0.38, 1.32 + 0.18 and 1.52 + 0.23 PM respectively.
19-The period elapsed between laying of the first and second eggs during the summer time was 45.43 ± 0.19, 45.73 + 0.26 and 44.73 + 0.17 hours, while that during the winter time was 45.86 + 0.28 , 44.19 + 0.24 and 46.60 +0.57 hours, in carrier baladi and cross bred respectively.
20-Egg laying in carrier, baladi and cross bred was expected after 8.93 + 1.13, 8 + 0.79 and 8.64 + 0.98 days respectively from beginning of the courtship behaviour ,when these females laid at least one clutch before, but expected after 34.78 + 7.98,32.57 + 2.73 and 30.53 + 4.81 respectively in females laid for the first time, and occurred 4.5 ± 0.68 , 5 + 0.77 and 4.88 + 1.63 days from appearance of driving behaviour , while observed after 3.8 + 0.54, 3. 43 + 0.43 and 3.38 ± 0.68 days respectively from beginning of nest building behaviour.
21-The normal clutch size in all examined breeds of pigeons was two eggs (96.8 %), with a rare instances of one egg clutch (3 %) and a very rare instances laid a clutch of three eggs (0.2 %).
22-The average egg weight was 20.50 + 0.32, 17.51 + 0.25 and 17.99 + 0.24 gm. in carrier, baladi and their crosses respectively.
23- Egg removal as well as egg addition not affect the clutch size , but clutch removal affect subsequent clutch which occurred after 10.8 ± 0.87, 8.27 + 0.58 and 9.88 ± 0.51 days in carrier, baladi and their crosses respectively.
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24-Ovulation in pigeon depends mainly upon the courtship of the male .
25-Egg recognition depends mainly upon the colour, the shape and the character of the egg shell as well as the size of egg.
26-Incubation behaviour started after laying of the first egg but exact and regular incubation starts after laying of the second egg.
27-egg rolling occurs by the rate of 10.41 + 1.32, 11.16 + 0.83 and 11.64 ± 1.12/ hour in carrier, baladi and their crosses respectively.
28-Mating behaviour was not observed between incubating pairs
29-During incubation the fecal matter is deposited in a large size than usual.
30-Induction of incubation is primarily hormonal but once started the egg is important as external stimuli.
31-Stimuli provided by incubating females were sufficient alone for induction of incubation behaviour as well as feeding of hatched squabs by their males.
32-Wandered eggs were restored again inside the nest by retrieving, this behaviour was not observed toward squabs.
33-Detection of egg fertility was depended mainly upon appearance of blood vessels through candling which is reliable after 3.5 + 0.20 and 2.6 ± 0.16 days in the first and second egg respectively. Darkening of the
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egg with a bad smelling odour and watery content on shacking were also a signs of infertility.
34-Pigeon squabs were hatched in a helpless condition and wholly dependent on parental care, incapable of locomotion or feeding of themselves, with closed eyes, their bodies were covered with a varying amounts of natal clown sparsely distributed on the surface of the body except sides of the head and the ventral aspect of the body from behind the crop till the cloaca .on the top of the beak near its end there was an egg tooth. The body weight at hatching was 12.82 + 0.31 grams .
35-The period elapsed between date of hatching and next egg laying in carrier, baladi and cross bred was 26.11 + 1.36 , 24.18 + 1.37 and 21.56 + 1.21 days respectively during the summer time , while it was 29.39 + 1.44 , 28.44 + 2.27 and 28.5 + 1.91 days respectively during the winter time with a significant variation in the cross bred only.
36-Sexing per clutch were 53.45 %, 57.14 % and 60 % males and 46.55 %, 42.86 % and 40 % females so that the ratio of females to males was 1 : 1.15, 1 : 1.33 and 1 : 1.5 in carrier, baladi and cross bred respectively, the percent of males was greater than females in all examined breeds, it is not always true that similarity to one parent in body colouration was associated with a similarity in sex.
37-Parents could not differentiate between their own squabs and other strange ones as long as they not taking its characteristic body colour i.e. before feathering.
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38-Viability of young squabs was greater when raised inside a nest of wide opening specially those hanged above the ground.
39-Fostering was successfully performed with ease before feathering in all examined breeds of pigeon.
40-Body weight of squabs at 30 days old was greatly affected by its breed, being largest in carrier and lowest in baladi. it also affected by the clutch size being largest in a clutch of one squab and lowest in the clutch of three squabs.
41-The highest growth rate of squabs was obtained during feeding on the crop milk and the lowest was during seeds feeding .
42-Defensive behaviour was occurred after laying of the first egg and continued throughout the whole period of incubation and extended after hatching till 14.86 + 1.78, 13.33 + 1.41 and 13.2 --±-1.62 days post hatching in carrier, baladi and cross bred respectively.
43-Pigeon take three main position while roosting at night 33.01 % 29.41 % and 32.29 % of them rest on one limb, Laying down position was also observed in 52. 24 % ,53.59 % and 51.57 % of night roosting pigeon, while 14.74 %, 16.99 % and 16.14 % were noticed stand on both limbs.
44-The reproductive cycle was significantly shorter in the summer time than the winter and this may be due to seasonal variations. it was not altered by exposing birds to a condition of continuous light, but during
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moulting period it was increased than that occurred during summer and winter times and when these birds were subjected to a condition of continuous light this not significantly alter its length
45-The age of puberty in the three breeds of pigeon in study (carrier, baladi and cross bred ) was 4.28 ± 0.23, 4.19 ± 0.23 and 4.49 + 0.21 months respectively, during summer time it was 4.24 + 0.18, while during winter time it was 4.29 ± 0.26 without a significant difference between the two times, under condition continuous light it was 3.69 + 0.20, while it was 4.64 + 0.15 in the control group with a significant
result.
46-The parents began to feed their young squabs 1/2 to 2 hours after hatching. Feeding on pure crop milk was continued from hatching till the age of 2.43 + 0.11, 2.47 + 0.19 and 2.4 + 0.15 days in carrier baladi and cross bred respectively, then the crop milk was mixed with finely ground grains or small seeds and this continued during the period from 3.47 + 0.12 to 5.13 + 0.21 in carrier, from 3.5 + 0.31 to 6 + 0.58 in baladi and from 3.25 + 0.15 to 5.25 + 0. 46 in their crosses. Beginning from the 6 + 0.19, 6.09 ± 0.45 and 6.33 + 0.42 day of hatching in the three breeds respectively feeding was on seeds and no crop milk was produced. At first the feeding process was completely done inside the nest site but later on from the day 23.62 + 0.72, 21.77 f- 0.66 and 24.85 + 0.74 of hatching in carrier, baladi and cross bred respectively feeding process occurred outside the nest. After 3.29 + 0.36, 3 + 0.32 and 3 + 0.45 days respectively of the following egg laying most of feeding actually was done by male parents.
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47-Pigeon is a seed eater ,a wide variety of seeds were eaten such as bean, white and yellow corn, sorghum, wheat, lentils and rice. Pigeon take his food by picking and swallowing it without need to raise his head after eating each seed in case of small seeds but usually raise its head for rest or swallowing of large seeds. Searching for seeds by sideways movements of the beak was frequently used either in the ground or in the feeder to expose the underlying preferable seeds.
The daily food consumption / pair was 81.22 + 6.17 in carrier 61.61 + 2.36 in baladi and 54 + 1.81 in their crosses respectively.
The daily food consumption / 100 gm body weight was 8.83 + 0.68 gm in carrier, 7.47 + 0.32 in baladi and 5.84 + 0.21 in the cross bred.
Pigeon usually drink after feeding by inserting his bill and sucking up water, usually the nostrils were kept under water surface during
drinking .
Pigeon usually drink after feeding by inserting their bills and sucking up water, usually the nostrils were kept under water surface
during drinking.
Act of drinking was occurred through a number of series, each of which included a number of sucking movements, this display was
studied
The daily water consumption was / pair was 127.33 + 9.19, 141.11 + 11.02 and 103.56 + 5.43 ml. in carrier, baladi and their crosses
respectively .
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The daily water consumption / 100 gm body weight was 13.76 J-
0.95, 17.19 ± 1.48 and 11.14 ± 0.52 ml. in carrier, baladi and their crosses respectively.
48-from hormonal estimation, the highest level of testosterone hormone was observed during the period of courtship then decreased after that during incubation and feeding of squabs.
49-The highest level of progesterone was recorded around the time of
ovulation and beginning of incubation while decreased throughout the period of incubation.
50-The level of prolactin was increased at the time of beginning of incubation and still increased throughout the period of incubation and
reached its beak at the time of hatching and beginning of crop milk secretion.
51-The thyroxine hormone was increased during moulting period and during crop milk formation.
52-from the histological appearance of the crop and testis it is found that the crop weight was increased during the period of crop milk formation while the testis was also affected histologically but not in weight.