Impact of Removal of Incubated Eggs or Replacing them with Dummy Eggs on the Behaviour and Performance of Egyptian Baladi Pigeons

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the impacts of egg removal or replacement with dummy eggs on behaviour, performance, and prolactin levels in Egyptian Baladi pigeons. Twenty pairs of mature Egyptian Baladi pigeons (12-18 months) were distributed into four groups (5 replicates each, one pair per replicate). Group 1 (G1): parents incubated two eggs without remove (control), G2: incubated eggs were removed and replaced by dummy faked eggs, G3: included the removal of 1st egg only after laying, and G4: each pair had two eggs removal after 2nd egg lay (incubate no eggs). Using a digital camera for recording and analysing the behaviour. The results showed that the most of maintenance behaviour (kinetic, ingestive, and body comfort behaviour) were higher in G1 and G2 than other groups. While resting behaviour (crouching and perching) increased in more stressed groups (G3 and G4) due to egg removal. Most of the courtship behaviour in breeding males and females increased in G3and G4 as they began another egg cycle rapidly after egg removal. However, G1 and G2 showed greater reproductive behaviour after egg laying than other groups, because breeding parents in these groups had already incubated either natural or dummy eggs. Meanwhile, egg searching and peeping increased by egg removal in G3 and G4. The incubation period was prolonged in G2 compared with other groups, but egg laying interval increased in G1 compared with others as they had hatched eggs and reared squabs, so prolactin level increased in groups (G1 and G2) with incubated eggs. The current study proved that egg removal and/or replacement affected most of the maintenance and reproductive behaviour of Egyptian Baladi pigeons. In conclusion, egg removal techniques can be used as a method of breeding control for pigeons while egg replacement by faked eggs could help in artificial incubation techniques.