# Can I cross breed fantail and nun pigeon?



## Iamgr8

I want to cross breed a fantail pigeon with nun or helmet pigeon. Will result be good?


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## sreeshs

Well, you will end up with a pigeon which neither a nun nor a fantail. Is there any specific reason you want to do this pairing? If you are trying to get a particular color, pattern or attribute (like the tail of the fantail or the helmet of the nun) this would require multiple breeding, strict and disciplined breeding plan. So it would be nice to know whether it is beneficial to spend such an effort and also what to do with the cross bred pigeons which will be produced in due course as "by-products"


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## Iamgr8

sreeshs said:


> Well, you will end up with a pigeon which neither a nun nor a fantail. Is there any specific reason you want to do this pairing? If you are trying to get a particular color, pattern or attribute (like the tail of the fantail or the helmet of the nun) this would require multiple breeding, strict and disciplined breeding plan. So it would be nice to know whether it is beneficial to spend such an effort and also what to do with the cross bred pigeons which will be produced in due course as "by-products"


Thanks for reply. 

Btw, my fantail is hen. Its bigger than the cock pigeon I want to cross breed. Will it work? I trimmed her tails and around vent so that he can mate.  If I put them in a cage together will they mate?


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## Kevin Stanly

No , when you cross with other breeds it woon't work well, and the result wiuld end up in mutts, but you would get a variety of breed, that's it, but it won't be good demand in the market when you try to sell.


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## Iamgr8

sreeshs said:


> Well, you will end up with a pigeon which neither a nun nor a fantail. Is there any specific reason you want to do this pairing? If you are trying to get a particular color, pattern or attribute (like the tail of the fantail or the helmet of the nun) this would require multiple breeding, strict and disciplined breeding plan. So it would be nice to know whether it is beneficial to spend such an effort and also what to do with the cross bred pigeons which will be produced in due course as "by-products"



I have another query. If I buy two eggs (hopefully fertile) to put under a broody pigeon will they hatch and raise? Can I store the eggs for sometime and wait untill my pigeon lay eggs. I got two female fantails. They laid 3 infertile eggs last time. If I buy two eggs now and wait for the pigeon to lay another round of eggs to replace them. Will it work?


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## sreeshs

Iamgr8 said:


> I have another query. If I buy two eggs (hopefully fertile) to put under a broody pigeon will they hatch and raise? Can I store the eggs for sometime and wait untill my pigeon lay eggs. I got two female fantails. They laid 3 infertile eggs last time. If I buy two eggs now and wait for the pigeon to lay another round of eggs to replace them. Will it work?


It is said that pigeon eggs if removed before being incubated, will last up to 10 days or so before being incubated again and hatched. You need to store the egg with pointed side upwards and rotate the eggs two to four times a day so that the content does not stick to one side of the inner shell. Do not refrigerate.

I personally had success with up to 4 days of storage, have not tried greater than that. It might also depend on the temperature, I live in a place which is comparatively hot.


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## Whytpigeon

Iamgr8 said:


> I have another query. If I buy two eggs (hopefully fertile) to put under a broody pigeon will they hatch and raise? Can I store the eggs for sometime and wait untill my pigeon lay eggs. I got two female fantails. They laid 3 infertile eggs last time. If I buy two eggs now and wait for the pigeon to lay another round of eggs to replace them. Will it work?


Yes you can put foster eggs under true pairs that have layed their own eggs and remove their own eggs. It s best to use experienced true pairs that have raised successfully before .

The foster eggs to be held can NOT be incubated as the embryo has started and needs constant heat to live. So the eggs have to be not incubated if going to hold them for a period of time. 

Now if the foster eggs are incubated for only say five days and the foster parent hen lays within that 5 days if you can switch the eggs with in an hours time so they don't cool off and the foster pair had been sitting and incubating their real eggs then the incubated foster eggs can be slipped in and the foster birds real eggs taken out. with in 5 days of the foster hen laying. You want them to develope crop milk at the right time, not too soon or too late. They develop crop milk at the end of incubation, if the foster eggs are not coming along at the same time as their own then problems can arise with either stopping incubation too soon, or not having a supply of pigeon milk if they hatch to early for them. So there is allot to think about, but a pigeon pair will hatch any other fertile egg if you do it right.


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## earlofwood

Sreesh,
I have bred nuns (from other nuns of course). Their color and adornments are mostly a combination of recessive traits. Breeding to another breed will likely hide the color patterns, shell crest, etc. I can't recommend this mating unless you are just curious. 

I have often used foster parents to hatch eggs. If the fosters have eggs of their own, you can swap their eggs with the ones you want and they will usually sit on them and take care of the young. Good Luck.


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## Iamgr8

earlofwood said:


> Sreesh,
> I have bred nuns (from other nuns of course). Their color and adornments are mostly a combination of recessive traits. Breeding to another breed will likely hide the color patterns, shell crest, etc. I can't recommend this mating unless you are just curious.
> 
> I have often used foster parents to hatch eggs. If the fosters have eggs of their own, you can swap their eggs with the ones you want and they will usually sit on them and take care of the young. Good Luck.



If I put two fake eggs will they sit on them? I am planning to buy two eggs of different breed to replace fake ones. One hen pigeon (lesbian pair) had laid an egg today again but the shell was thin enough to crack. The hen is not sitting on cracked egg. If I put fake egg for one hour and replace it with another real egg will it work?


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## 95SPORTSTER

Hey have fun try it and see what you get. You may have junk bird's but who cares if you are having fun with your bird's. Enjoy your bird's just don't expect to much from this cross. I know a guy that crossed his homers with tipplers and actually won a couple short race's. Pigeons should be enjoyed fly them or not show them or not cross them breed them straight just have fun and enjoy your bird's spend time with them and they will show you their heart.


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## earlofwood

Iamgr8 said:


> If I put two fake eggs will they sit on them? I am planning to buy two eggs of different breed to replace fake ones. One hen pigeon (lesbian pair) had laid an egg today again but the shell was thin enough to crack. The hen is not sitting on cracked egg. If I put fake egg for one hour and replace it with another real egg will it work?


Generally, yes you can substitute eggs. The fake ones will keep an experienced pair on the nest until you get the eggs you want. However, keep in mind, pigeons take 17 to 19 days to hatch. If your pair doesn't see any hatching after about 25 days they will usually abandon the nest so timing is important. Sounds like a fun project. Good luck.


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## Iamgr8

earlofwood said:


> Generally, yes you can substitute eggs. The fake ones will keep an experienced pair on the nest until you get the eggs you want. However, keep in mind, pigeons take 17 to 19 days to hatch. If your pair doesn't see any hatching after about 25 days they will usually abandon the nest so timing is important. Sounds like a fun project. Good luck.



Okay, I have abandoned the nun-fantail plan for now. Will do it some time later. For the time being I bought two eggs of this breed for $1.5 and put under my fantails.


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## Whytpigeon

I have done that before but with different breeds. You just have to make sure you put them under the hen of the pair after her second egg is laid. The foster eggs also if being held waiting for a hen to lay her second egg, then they need to be UNincubated eggs, if the held eggs had been sat on or incubated then growth had started if fertile and without constant warmth the growth slows and then quits. So I hope it works out, those are very nice. Are they high flyers?


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