# When do pigeons stop breeding?



## wcloft (Nov 25, 2016)

Hey, I was given some older birds yesterday. Both hatched in 2006 and i was wondering when pigeons stop producing. The cocks a cool color and i hope i can get something out of him. Here is a picture of the pair 

*also, does anyone know what color he is?


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## beachwood45789 (Jul 15, 2014)

Hi Wcloft, The bird on the left looks like a chocolate checker the one on the right looks like a slate. the only way to tell if they are fertile is to mate them with a hen if they lay eggs and they hatch your good. i have two birds with 2006 bands on and they both still are frertile. Beachwood


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## wildcat hunter (Jan 17, 2014)

Looks like a hen and a cock. I would mate them both to younger mates. I also have a 2006 cock and last year he had a nest on the floor. When I fed the young would come out of the nest, eventually they both died out of the nest on the floor. I "think the old cock was not making enough food to keep the young satisfied and that's why they kept coming out of the nest - looking to be fed.
I think both the birds are slates, one appears to be blue and the other a chocolate or a plum. I don't know much about colors though They look pretty cool.


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## Roller Tom (Dec 12, 2015)

The old cock bird's primary color appears to be ash-red check. The plumish tint in his coloration likely comes from his carrying a gene for bronze. If he came from a big-time color breeder, he might even be indigo, but I doubt it. The hen is a pencil blue slate, probably blue bar with a gene for either "smoky" or "dirty" to cause the darkish "pencil" coloration in the wing shields.

How long they can remain fertile depends of many factors--breed, strain, past care, past stress (such as racing), health history, and more. Cocks can generally remain fertile a few years longer than hens. In my experience, most hens go barren between 9 and 11 years of age.

It's a big help to an older bird if they're paired to a younger one, especially with respect to the crop milk they feed their youngsters. Feeding only one youngster per nest, rather then two, is also a big help to older cocks, who take on most of the feeding of the youngsters after about two weeks of age.


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