Birds, like any other living creature on the planet, take care of their reproduction. They have the issue of offspring in the first place. Mating occurs only in order to leave behind a genus, and not for pleasure. Usually the mating season lasts 13–20 days, sometimes a month and a half.
How birds mate
Courtship period
Mating time - spring... Indeed, in order for the offspring to appear, it takes time to prepare the nest, incubate the chicks. After courtship, mating occurs, fertilization and the bird begins to lay eggs. Different breeds of birds have a different number of eggs and, accordingly, a different number of chicks. There are birds that fly every day for many days. And some can only fly for 5-10 days. But the main thing is not the number of eggs, but how well they are fertilized.
During mating all males change their gray inconspicuous plumage to a brighter one. Some of them dance at the sight of females during the mating season. They do it to get attention. The criteria for choosing a male for procreation are different for all birds. But all males must have good health, beautiful plumage, or it must be the most vociferous partner, caring and hardworking.
The avian relationship does not last long. But there are birds that live together for several years, and some can remain partners for life. For example, swans... In the event of the death of one of the partners, the second ends his life by suicide, rising high into the sky and throwing himself down.
Birds, like all inhabitants of the earth, have the ability to fertilize through the internal fusion of a male and a female. By pre-selecting the female, the male has sexual intercourse. When the sperm overtake the mature eggs in the ovary, they fertilize it. To fertilize the female, the males are ready during the mating season, and at other times they are absolutely sterile. During the breeding season in males, the testes grow up to 1,000 times.
In females, only the left ovary, located near the kidney, is ready for fertilization. During reproduction, follicles have the ability to enlarge and accumulate yolk. When the oviduct gets longer and swells like a ball, the follicle ruptures and the ovum flows out first into the body cavity and then into the oviduct. From this moment until the appearance of an already formed egg, it takes from 12 hours to two days.
What are the features during the fertilization of birds
Birds mate at different times... Some breed in the spring and others in the summer. There are birds that nest in one place from year to year, while others change their abode every year. This is due to the fact that birds with a craving for travel fly away to distant lands, fly from one country to another. Such birds begin to nest only at the time of breeding.
Mating in birds is divided into two types:
- Natural when mating occurs naturally. That is, the male himself finds the mating object for himself;
- Forced pairing. That is, mating occurs artificially or as a result of certain human actions, in order to breed new breeds.
The bird's body is arranged like this that it lacks a special genital opening. The male genital organ enters the cloaca. In general, mating in birds looks like this: the male is pressed by the outlet of his cloaca to the outlet of the cloaca in the female, the action is called a cloacal kiss, and as a result, sperm is transferred.
There are special birds in which there is a special organ for mating, resembling an inverted cloaca, which penetrates into the female's reproductive tract at the time of mating. Some species of ostriches, ducks and geese have such a feature of the structure of the organs of mating and reproduction. In some bird species, this twisted organ can reach up to a meter, which is several times the length of the female.
Probably, many will have a question? Why this length and where will it fit? Can't he curl up into a ball in the genital opening of the female? Of course it cannot. If we consider the avian reproductive organ, then indeed its length is very large. They say that males grow such an organ solely to show off to their partners and nothing more. But is this really so, only the representatives of the strong bird sex themselves know.
Other birds, like humans, use different symbols to surpass their rivals during mating and mating games. For example, peacock while mating and courting the female, it spreads its tail, and the dove puffs up to look bigger, the dolphin can dance, wriggling around the female, and the man, before and during mating, showers his darling with gifts and compliments.
Reproduction in birds takes place in different ways. It all depends on natural factors, place, climate, conditions, environment and the region in which this or that species of birds lives.
The first stage of reproduction in birds- preparation for the process of mating and breeding.
That is:
The most intensive incubation of eggs is the period after full oviposition. Therefore, after the expiration date all chicks appear at the same time.
The main feature during the development of the chick in the egg is the shell with a high salt content, which during the incubation period, under the influence of heat, gradually passes into the skeleton of the chick, becoming fragile. That is why, at the beginning of the incubation period, the shell is very strong, and at the end of the incubation period, especially on the last day, it becomes fragile, and a mature chick can very easily break it, being born.
Incubation time depends on many factors:
For example, in chickens, offspring appears on the 21st day from the beginning of hatching. Muscovy mute ducks sit on eggs - 32–35 days; Sparrow chicks hatch on day 14, crows hatch chicks on day 17, mallards sit for 26 days, swans hatch their offspring for 35–40 days. The longest incubation period for chicks lasts two months in penguins, vultures and albatrosses.
Of all the fauna in birds, the most difficult process of courtship and mating is the so-called mating games.
In the spring, males grow overgrown with bright outfits, bring out inviting trills and roulades, dance pirouettes, fight with rivals.
And all this in order to attract the attention of the female and continue their race.
The criteria for choosing a partner are different for all birds: it can be the strongest, the most colorful, loudmouth, caring or the most hardworking. Relationships in bird pairs can be both short-lived and long-term, sometimes for several seasons, sometimes for the whole life.
Birds, like other land animals, are characterized by internal fertilization. The male injects sperm into the female's genital opening, the sperm reach the mature eggs inside the ovaries and fertilize them.
It is interesting that birds have paired genitals and reproductive tracts, but in most species, only the left "halves" are used for reproduction. It is possible that the simultaneous formation of large eggs in paired ovaries is simply impossible. As for the males, outside the mating season, they are usually sterile, but in the spring their testes can increase in volume almost a thousand times.
The sperm of the male enters the female genital opening at the bottom of the oviduct system. From there, it moves into the oviduct, where in some cases it can persist for several weeks before being used to fertilize the egg. Fertilization directly occurs in the initial part of the oviduct.
After that, the oocyte moves towards the cloaca, "overgrown" with membranes, and, finally, in the thickened posterior part (uterus), immediately before flowing into the cloaca, a calcareous shell-shell is formed.
How is mating going
Birds do not have a special genital opening, their genital tract extends into the cloaca - the final section digestive system feathered. Mating itself consists in the fact that the male presses the exit of his cloaca to the exit of the female's cloaca (the so-called cloacal kiss) and transfers his sperm to her.
Only in a few species, in particular in ostriches and some ducks and geese, males have a special copulatory organ in the form of an unpaired portion of the cloacal wall, which enters the genital opening of the female during mating.
In males of the Argentine white-headed duck, this organ can be one and a half times longer than the length of the duck itself, reaching 45 cm. A reasonable question arises: where is so much? Doesn't it wrap itself up in a ball in the body of a female during mating? Quite right, it does not fold. And from a "technical" point of view, the size of the genital organ of these amazing birds is completely redundant. And they grew it up for themselves to show off.
Other animals - including people - use symbols to get around rivals in mating games: the peacock fluffs up its tail, the dove puffs up to appear larger, the dolphin dances, and the man begins to shower the lady with gifts.
The Argentine Duck "decided" to simplify the scheme by using the penis itself as the symbol of the penis. Looking at the offered assortment of genitals during mating games, the female chooses the most suitable partner for herself - and voila!
Before acquiring a poultry farm, each farmer must clearly determine for himself the purpose for which he is doing this. If the main task is to obtain eggs and meat, then only female birds can be got. But, if the owner plans to get offspring, it is impossible to do without males in this matter. Their presence in the poultry yard complicates the keeping process somewhat, but these inconveniences will be quite justified after the first brood of chicks. Information on how birds breed - chickens, ducks, pheasants, quails, etc. - in the courtyard, you will find in this publication.
At about the 25th week of life, chickens and roosters enter puberty. It is worth noting that in egg breeds, maturation can occur earlier than in meat species. The sexual activity of the rooster also depends on the weight of the male. Large individuals are able to fertilize up to 10 females per day, and males without excess weight can master up to 50 pairings per day. Thus, for one weighty meat rooster, there should be a maximum of 15-20 females. A slender male will cope with 20-25 chickens. The optimal number of chickens per rooster is considered to be 10 pieces. This proportion gives the maximum guarantee of fertilization of all eggs. If the number of females increases, there is a chance of getting dummy eggs. If there are fewer chickens, the rooster will torture the birds in an attempt to realize their biological potential.
How to keep two roosters in one flock
In order for the pies to feel protected and rush properly, there must still be a rooster in every chicken coop. But in order to always have peace in a large family, it is necessary to create conditions under which the roosters do not have to divide the territory and mating objects. Even with the optimal number of females for each male, roosters can fight. This is due to the natural need to reclaim its territory.
- Try to take cockerels from the same brood to reduce the likelihood of conflict between them.
- Choose only calm individuals.
- When choosing males, select them so that one of them is younger. The young individual may turn out to be less attentive to pies.
- Add several young males to one old one. If you let an old rooster into the poultry house to the young, it will be pecked, and then the slaughter for the division of the territory will begin.
Mating games in chickens
Inborn instincts stimulate the need for reproduction in chickens. At such moments, they are characterized by marital behavior. During the courtship period, the rooster plays the main role. Most often, he pretends that he has found a tasty treat and calls the female with a loud cry to share the prey with her. Few birds can resist such a proposal. If the trick fails, the male begins his ritual dance of seduction. Sideways he wooes the pestle in a circle, making loud sounds. During the dance, he also presses one wing to the ground. As soon as the female's attention is attracted, the rooster begins to stomp on the hen.
Mating process in chickens
After mating games, the main stage in reproduction follows. At one of the stages of mating, the rooster climbs onto the female and begins to trample on her, grabbing the neck or the back of the head with its beak. Fertilization takes place through the cloaca. It is called the enlarged part of the chicken intestine. It is under the tail and looks like a hole.
During fertilization, the hen's cloaca takes an inverted outward position and meets the same inverted male cloaca. This allows the rooster's testes to come into contact with her. At this moment, the semen penetrates into the genital canals and begins to move towards the egg. As long as the seed continues to remain active, all eggs laid during this period will be fertilized. This can take up to 20 days.
An interesting fact is the cock's lack of a penis. His genital organ is rudimentary. This means that it is not fully formed. The evolutionary process of the penis ends even during embryonic development.
Depending on the season and the degree of activity of the bird, the rooster can mate with females up to 22 times a day. The quality of the seed also depends on the activity of the owner of the flock. Overly active individuals have a lower sperm concentration. To consistently obtain offspring and maintain the size of the flock, follow the recommendation of experienced poultry breeders: for 10 chickens, you need to have 1 rooster.
Video - Rooster and hen in the courtyard
Fertilization process of a chicken egg
The primary form of egg existence is the oocyte. In the future, it will become the yolk. In the ovary, the oocyte looks like a bunch of grapes with berries of different sizes in the amount of 4-6 pieces. This is due to the degree of maturity of each of the eggs. Usually, a chicken matures one oocyte per day. If it happens that there are several of them, an egg with two yolks is obtained at the exit. The oocyte, ready for fertilization, breaks off from the cluster during ovulation and gets rid of its membrane. He aspires to the oviduct.
During the contact between the cloaca of the male and the female, the seed enters the genital tract. Spermatozoa begin to move upwards along them. About 60 reproductive cells of a rooster are sent to the target, but only one of them is found with an egg. Fertilization takes place at the top of the oviduct. Back in 1948, scientists found out that this process occurs 20 minutes after the release of the oocyte from the ovary. Reproductive cell the male enters the egg only with the head, which carries the genetic code. The tail remains outside and disappears.
In this publication, you will learn about the process, nuances and possible problems of breeding offspring using an incubator.
How to determine if egg fertilization has occurred
Not all eggs laid by a hen are fertilized. To find out which of the eggs will become chicks in the future, you need to use a flashlight or a special device, an ovoscope. When the shell is open, a small blood clot can be seen. Its presence means that the egg has been fertilized and soon an embryo will appear in it.
We study the contents of the egg in several stages:
Step 1. We find a dark place, move the eggs and the ovoscope into it.
Step 2. Place the egg with the thick side facing the light.
Step 3. Tilt the egg for a better view of the contents.
If no black spots or blood clots show through inside the shell, the egg has not been fertilized. This means that it will not be possible to hatch a chick from it. If the usual signs of life are not observed inside, but a dark blood contour is visible along the edge of the yolk, this means that the embryo has died. A properly fertilized egg has dark blood clots or dots in the middle of the yolk. Such indications will be given by an ovoscope for a period of 5-7 days. After 10 days, check whether the embryo has survived. A pale yolk and a halo around the embryo are considered positive signs.
Ovoscope prices
Video - Development of a chicken embryo
What if the rooster tore the back and sides of the hen?
This situation is common. In the process of sexual intercourse, the cock holds the female with its beak by the feathers on the neck. Trying to keep on top of the chicken, he tears her back and sides.
If you are experiencing these consequences of mating, try the following:
- Shorten the rooster's claws. With them, he scratches the chicken during copulation. Given the fact that it can happen several times a day, it is easier to trim the claws once than to constantly rehabilitate torn chickens.
- Clean the wounds on the backs and sides of the chickens and treat them with healing ointment. For this, ordinary hydrogen peroxide and Vishnevsky ointment are suitable.
- While the wounds are healing, remove the rooster from the chickens or isolate the injured individuals.
- Adjust the number of males as needed based on the number of chickens.
How turkeys breed on a farm
Turkeys reach puberty at the age of 8 months. At the same age, the turkey begins to lay its first eggs. Unlike chickens, turkeys are the first to call in the male. They perform a ritual dance, at the end of which they peck the turkey into the coral. If the male pays attention to flirting, he opens his tail. During this time, the corals take on a bright red hue. The female lies down on the ground, and the turkey climbs on top of her and begins to trample.
After the end of the clutch, the eggs must be collected and placed with the blunt end to the top in a dark place with a constantly maintained temperature of 15-20 ° C. The shelf life should not exceed 10 days. The ideal time for this is from March to June. The hen's nest is installed in a quiet place, next to it is placed a feeder, a sippy cup and a sand bath. The eggs are returned to the brood hen. After 28 days, she will hatch chicks. As they hatch, the chicks are removed from the mother in a heated box. After they are all dry, they are returned to the turkey again.
To avoid spoilage of the brood, use light birds as broods, or hatch chicks in an artificial incubator. You can do it like this:
Step 1. Disinfect the eggs in a manganese solution.
Step 2. Dry the eggs and arrange them horizontally in the incubator.
Step 3. Mark the set of eggs with a pencil to ensure even turning.
Step 4. Turn the eggs 12 hours after the first set. Then repeat the action every 4 hours.
Step 5. For the first three days in the incubator, the temperature should be 38 - 38.3 ° C. Further, up to 14 days, it is necessary to maintain a temperature of 37.6 - 38 ° C. After the 15th day, the optimum temperature will be 37.4 - 37.8 ° С. It must be maintained until the eggs are peeled.
Step 6. Stop rolling at 25 days.
Step 7. The hatched turkey poults are allowed to dry and placed in a heated box.
In this publication you will learn about the choice of an incubator, the selection of raw materials, about the features of the process of birth of turkey poults.
Egg incubators prices
Egg incubators
How geese breed on a farm
Geese, like other birds on the farm, are bred naturally and artificially. Since geese most often do not have a dense build, they do not harm the brood with their own weight during incubation. This makes natural breeding less troublesome compared to artificial breeding.
With the beginning of spring, geese have a peak of sexual activity. These birds are mostly monogamous. Therefore, one male does not fertilize more than two geese at a time. It should be borne in mind that these birds need a reservoir to reproduce their offspring. At the age of 2 to 7 years, geese give the strongest offspring. How more difference in the years between goose and goose, the more likely it is to get strong chicks. The male flirts with the goose, the field of which, without waiting for consent, climbs on it and begins to trample. Mating can also take place afloat in a body of water.
If the goose has an increase in the number of laid eggs, it becomes ready for their incubation. The bird begins to pave the nest. It is important to help her find a suitable place in time and provide constant access to food and water. One goose can hatch up to 10 eggs. They are chosen of the same shape and without defects. It is necessary to check the condition of the masonry under the bird on the 11th and 27th days. At this time, the eggs are selected in the light. If low-quality specimens are found, they are removed from the nest. By the end of the incubation period, the goose becomes restless. This means the chicks will hatch soon. As soon as they begin to peck at the shell, they are set aside until all individuals hatch. Later, the entire brood is returned to the goose. Sometimes at this moment goslings from the incubator are also added to the offspring.
In this publication, you will learn how to breed geese in an incubator, the main mistakes that farmers make in this process, and further steps when hatching goslings.
How ducks breed on a farm
Breeding ducks is different from breeding other poultry. To get healthy offspring of chicks, farmers select only thoroughbred, strong and healthy ducks. From such specimens, a flock of breeding birds is formed with one drake for 6-7 females.
The tribe begins to form in the fall, so that by the beginning of the mating season, individuals get used to each other. By the spring, a family with a population density of no more than 2 birds per 1 should be formed square meter... Also, there should be a small pond on their territory. Living conditions and quality of feed contribute to the breeding of strong and healthy chicks.
When making up a tribe for the continuation of the genus, it is necessary to take one male for 3 - 4 females. Ducks must be of the same age. But it is better to take a drake a couple of months older and from another tribe so that the birds do not turn out to be relatives. This is due to the fact that sexual maturity in female birds occurs earlier than in males. It should be borne in mind that two males can be kept in a duck family. One of them will be dominant, and the second will be his stand-in. This technique is used when there is a little active male in the tribe. Feeling the competition, the leader will better perform his duties in the fertilization process.
A duck, unlike a goose, has two full egg-laying per year. At 6-8 months of age, females are ready to hatch eggs. In spring and autumn, at the peak of sexual activity, they begin to separate from the family and pave nests. Males, on the other hand, are showing more and more interest in individuals of the opposite sex. If mating is planned on land, the drake walks around the duck, bending its neck to the ground. At the same time, he screams loudly. Noticing courtship, the female obediently lies down on the ground. A drake climbs on a duck and begins to trample on it. If sexual intercourse takes place on the water, the male performs a ritual dance by diving under the water, after which he sits on the duck. It looks like he is floating on a partner.
Mating ducks - mandarin duck
During the period of sexual activity of birds, the main thing is to provide them with the necessary conditions in time. One duck is ready to heat up to 10 eggs. During their incubation, she can leave the nest to eat or swim. Upon returning, the duck shakes off the water on the eggs and sits on them. Within 28 days incubation period the duck turns the clutch on its own. During this process, the shell of the eggs is slightly erased, which has a beneficial effect on the further process of hatching. After the ducklings begin to appear, they are taken one by one into a warm box prepared in advance. When the entire brood is dry, the chicks are returned to the duck.
In this publication, you will learn about the rules for setting up an incubator, the nuances of breeding duck ducks and common mistakes during incubation.
How quails breed on a farm
Quails in the bird world resemble the Amazons. In conditions of a farm and a limited space of cages, they spend most of their time in pursuit of males. The females show their attention in a peculiar way: they peck at the quail, pluck the feathers from it and chase it around the cage. Every time the male lies down to rest, he risks his own life. Therefore, males are either kept completely separate, or temporarily fenced off from the females with a rag with holes pre-cut in it. This method allows you to remove the quail from the sight of bloodthirsty females and give him time to eat and sleep. At the same time, the interest in isolated quail becomes higher, and with it the interest in mating grows.
To get offspring, it is necessary to control the breeding process. One male should not trample females more than 3 times in 2 days. This increases the likelihood of getting fertilized eggs. The pairing itself takes place without preliminary games. The quail jumps on any bird he likes and begins to trample on it.
Quails differ from other birds in that they have long lost the ability to hatch eggs. This concern has passed completely into the hands of farmers and is carried out artificially with the help of an incubator. Quail eggs are not subject to temperature changes. Thanks to this property, the farmer may not even buy a special incubator, but make it with his own hands.
Quail eggs for incubation must meet the following parameters:
- Egg weight for breeding poultry is 10-15g.
- The weight of eggs for growing poultry for meat is 8 - 13g.
- Absence of shell defects.
- Smooth matte surface.
The selected eggs are then sent to study the contents using an ovoscope. Quality specimens are sent to an incubator with a temperature of 12-13 ° C. The time it takes for the eggs to hatch directly depends on the breed of the bird. So, the Japanese quail will hatch on the 17th day, the Californian - on the 22nd, and the Virginian - on the 23rd.
For middle lane spring reproduction and development of birds is characteristic. In the spring, insects appear, it becomes warm, there is a building material for the nest. Ideal conditions are created for raising offspring.
Reproductive system
Birds are oviparous dioecious animals. Sexual dimorphism is most often pronounced. Males are more attractive than females.
The reproductive system of females is represented by the left ovary (the right one is reduced) and the oviduct. The absence of the right ovary is due to two reasons:
- one ovary significantly lightens the weight of the bird, which is important for flights;
- only one large egg can pass through the narrow oviduct.
By the beginning of reproduction, the ovary swells from numerous follicles and takes the form of a grape bunch. The oviduct - a long tube with internal glands - departs from the ovary as a funnel, passes into the expansion (uterus) and opens outward with a cloaca, through which fertilization and egg removal occurs.
A follicle is a structural part of the ovary, consisting of an oocyte and an epithelial layer. After maturation, an oocyte is formed from the oocyte, which enters the oviduct from the ovary.
For males, the presence of paired testes is characteristic, from which the vas deferens extend, ending in a cloaca. The external male genital organ is absent in most birds. The exception is ducks, which have a spiral-shaped penis. Also, some species of birds (ostriches, geese, craxes) have a copulatory organ extending from the wall of the cloaca.
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Rice. 1. The structure of the reproductive system of birds.
Egg structure
The actual egg (ovum) - the yolk - is fertilized in the upper part of the oviduct and, passing the way from the ovary through the uterus to the cloaca, is covered with protein, films, lime shell. On the formation of an egg in the oviduct in different types birds spend 12-48 hours. The internal structure of the egg is described in detail below.
- Yolk ... Consists of nutrients and water necessary for the development of the embryo. In the upper part of the yolk, there is always an embryonic disc or blastodisc - a small accumulation of cytoplasm with a nucleus. The blastodisc is detached and stands out on the yolk with a light spot. The embryo develops from it. The yolk is covered with a membrane that separates it from the protein.
- Protein ... Protects and provides the germ with water. From above, the protein is surrounded by two dense membranes, which delaminate at the blunt end, forming an air chamber. As the embryo grows, the chamber enlarges, and the chick begins to breathe in a supply of air.
- Chalaz ... Protein cords (protein clumps) extending from the inner shell and holding the yolk in the middle of the egg in a suspended state. The ropes protect the embryo from impact and damage.
- Shell ... The upper hard shell, permeated with numerous pores through which gas exchange takes place. The shell can be colored with a special masking pigment in open nesting conditions. A thin shell covers the top of the shell.
Rice. 2. Internal structure of the egg.
The emergence and development of chicks
Briefly speaking about the reproduction and development of birds, four behavioral features should be distinguished:
- pairing;
- pairing;
- nesting;
- taking care of offspring.
Males attract females for mating, arranging mating games. Singing birds, fighting males, building nests, decorations and gifts are attributes of courting a female or mating. Depending on the species, males can search for a mate for life or seasonally.
After mating, the birds nest. Nests are built independently from clay, twigs, pebbles, or they occupy other people's houses. Birds lay 1-20 eggs.
For the development of the embryo, heat(38-39 ° C). Therefore, birds incubate eggs, periodically turning them over. The formation of the embryo ends at 16-40 days, depending on the species.
Rice. 3. Development of the embryo of birds in the egg.
After the appearance of offspring, the birds take care of them in pairs or singly for some time. According to the duration of development, the chicks are divided into two groups. The features of the groups are described in the table.
What have we learned?
From the article on biology of the 7th grade, we learned about the structure of the reproductive system of birds, the peculiarities of the internal structure of the egg, about the behavior of birds during the mating season and two types of development of chicks.
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Any life prepares a change for itself. In order to understand how birds reproduce, it is worth listening to the opinion of scientists. They are sure that this process is influenced by various factors. For example, the main external circumstance that determines the reproduction of birds is the change in the length of the day and night.
Any life prepares a change for itself
In the spring, flocks of birds fly to their nesting territory, where the mating season takes place. The first to arrive are the advanced males, they choose a place for the nest, during this period they overgrow with bright feathers, sing diligently and do not allow other males to enter their site. All these actions are aimed at attracting a female for the purpose of procreation. The choice of a female is made according to different criteria. Some species of birds need a strong male, while others are suitable for the most vociferous, colorful or caring partner.
Birds unite in pairs, while their future relationship can drag on for years or become fleeting. Birds, like other animals, are characterized by internal fertilization. The sperm of the male enters the female genitals after being ejected. Ripe eggs, which are inside the female's ovaries, collide with sperm, fertilization occurs.
It is worth noting that birds are endowed with paired genitals, while there are many species that reproduce with the help of the left "halves". The formation of eggs in paired ovaries is not simultaneously conceived by nature. In males during the mating season, the testes are enlarged hundreds of times, the rest of the time the birds are sterile.
Mating of birds is a peculiar phenomenon, individuals are not endowed with a special genital opening, they have a different structure. The reproductive tract in birds goes into the cloaca, this is the last section of the digestive system. Cuddling with these cavities, the birds mate, this process experts call "cloacal kiss". During this time, sperm transfer occurs.
In the spring, flocks of birds fly to their nesting territory, the mating season takes place here Sperm begins its movement from the bottom of the oviduct device, getting there through the genital opening. Once in the oviduct, it is able to remain there for several weeks. Fertilization takes place in the initial section of this canal. After that, the bird's egg cell moves to the expanded end part, here it becomes overgrown with shells, and the shell is formed. Further, the formed egg enters the cloaca.
Mating of birds is a peculiar phenomenon Ostriches, certain types of geese and some ducks, unlike other birds, are endowed with a copulative organ, which, when mated, enters the genital section of the female. The Argentine duck has a reproductive organ longer than the body of a duck, it grows up to 45 cm. This part of the body is completely redundant, males use it for bragging, exposing the organ. Peacocks in mating games use their appearance, they fluff up their tail, pigeons inflate. Each species of birds has its own trump cards during the mating period.
How doves kiss (video)
How pigeons mate
If we consider the mating of pigeons, then it is important to remember that these birds have two options for the implementation of the described process - artificial and natural copulation. If the reproduction of pigeons occurs in nature or without the participation of the breeder, then the male chooses the other half himself. In the case of artificial reunification, the pairing of pigeons is based on the choice of the breeder. Birds that have created a pair on their own are capable of not leaving each other for years, in the event that the male and female mate at the request of the breeder, the relationship will not last long.
The mating season of any species of birds is regulated by hormones; active changes occur in the gonads at such a time. The sexual structure of individuals of both sexes has similarities, but still they are arranged in different ways.
In females, the ovaries are uviform, in males, nature forms a pair of testes, from which a thin canal departs, that is, for reproduction, birds have gonads.
For those who do not know how pigeons breed, it is worth clarifying: the period of puberty in birds occurs at 1-2 years. By these years, the birds acquire good immunity, their body is finally formed. The fecundity of flyers lasts up to 10-12 years. Pigeons are able to feel, they have a well-developed sexual instinct, they play mating games. If the female likes the male, then she begins to bow to her partner, make certain movements towards the male. Mating of a pair occurs shortly after the birds meet. At the first meeting, individuals are pressed against their bodies, kiss with their beaks and pinch feathers on their necks.
In nature, pigeons create very strong pairs, together they lay many eggs. If the pigeons are mated at the behest of the poultry farmer, then the pair will not only break up soon, but the birds may develop aggressive behavior towards each other. In addition, such a pair produces few eggs.
Embryonic development of birds (video)