Studbook nr. 5, December 2008

EUROPEAN STUDBOOK CROWNED PIGEONS
Table 5.1 presents the diets of the five institutions with the best reproductive results compared with
each other. The daily need for energy is 1.5 MJ metabolizable energy.
Table 5.1: the diets of the five institutions with the best reproductive results compared with each other
grams per MJ grams per day % dry matter
Intake 250 40%
Crude protein 10 15 15%
Crude fat 7 11 11%
Crude fibre 7 11 11%
Crude ash 8 12 12%
(Hallebeek, 1995)
Comparison between crowned pigeon food in the wild and in captivity
During a research project in Papua New Guinea by Marc Damen, samples were taken of the crop
and stomach contents from four crowned pigeons. Table 5.2 shows a comparison between the
results of the questionnaire and the results of the analysis of the samples from the wild crowned
pigeons. The values of the wild-diet are derived from the samples taken from the crop, and not the
stomach, because the contents of the stomach are already more digested than the food parts in the
crop.
Table 5.2: Comparison between crowned pigeon food in the wild and in captivity
Zoo-diet Wild-diet
(g/kg DM) (g/kg DM)
Crude protein 150 ± 38 96 ± 12
Crude fat 110 ± 16 102 ± 24
Crude fibre 110 ± 21 449 ± 73
Crude ash 120 ± 30
Phosphorus 2 ± 8 1 ± 2
Calcium 4 ± 17 2 ± 7
There are some remarkable differences between the nutrition of crowned pigeons in the wild and in
the five zoos with good reproductive results. The percentage of crude protein is much lower in the
wild, which might be explained by the fact that these samples were collected shortly after the
reproductive season. The same explanation might be applicable to the lower ratios of calcium and
phosphorus in the wild. The ratio Ca/P is higher in the wild than in captivity. In zoos and bird
parks, most crowned pigeons are able to produce eggs throughout the year (Hallebeek, 1995),
while the samples in the wild were collected about three or four months after egg production. The
most remarkable difference is the ratio of crude fibre, which is four times as high in the wild as in
captivity. The food, collected from the crop and stomach of crowned pigeons in the wild, contains
a lot of large seeds, while the food of crowned pigeons in captivity usually comprises of smaller
food parts. The largest pieces they get in captivity are pies and parts of fruits, while in the wild
they are swallowing whole beans (which are rich in fibre) up to 6 cm long. The large stones they
swallow in the wild might assist to digest the large food parts faster (Vogel, 1984).
It should be considered to supply the crowned pigeons in captivity with larger food parts, to
stimulate the activities of their gastro-intestinal tract. If more crude fibre and large mineral stones
should be fed to the birds, their gastro-intestinal tract would be more active, which will reduce
stress and will lead to more natural behaviour. Furthermore the amount of protein, calcium and
phosphorus is higher in captivity than in the wild, and this can be a reason for the relatively high
egg production in captivity. Of course there are more factors which can have an influence on the
breeding results like zootechnic factors and stress.
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