Don’t try to mate your Jacobins up too early. Jacobins seem to be more sensitive to the length of the days and the temperature than most other varieties of pigeons. I have had little success trying to mate them earlier than mid March.
Only mate healthy vigorous birds. Do not even attempt to breed from birds which are in poor body condition or sick.
Make sure you have plenty of space for your Jacobins. Each pair should have a large nest box which will allow them to mate and go about thier business in privacy. I use a box 3 feet wide 2 and 1/2 feet deep and 20 inches high. In each box I place a rectangle nesting container which is 6 inches wide 9 inches long and 4 and 1/2 inches deep made of 1/2 inch plywood. In the bottom of this nest I place a layer of fine sand followed by a thin layer of wood chips and finally a layer of straw in which I make a hollow about the size of my fist for the eggs to sit in. Jacobins, as a rule,are not the best at building thier nests so it is important to do this.
Make sure your Jacobins (in particular the hens) get plenty of calcium leading up to and during the breeding season to ensure quality eggs. Fine oyster shell or limestone given free choice is good. Extra protien is also important at this time and during the molt. Peas are a good source. Don’t feed too much corn during breeding season.
Jacobins do not mix well with other breeds so it is best if you keep them seperate.
It is a good idea to have a few pair of feeders to switch eggs or youngsters under from problem pairs. I have used racing homers and american show racers with good success.
If you plan to let your Jacobins raise thier own young it would be a good idea to provide a crawl space about 4 inches high somewhere on the floor of your breeding compartment where the babies can hide and avoid being scalped when they first venture onto the floor. Jacobins are agressive and many will scalp youngsters if given the chance.
Trim about 1 and 1/2 inches off of the tail and flights of your breeders when you pair them up. Also trim the long fluffy feathers behind the legs and around the vent, but not too short.
Letting your Jacobins have access to a fly pen will increase fertility.
During the breeding season,when your birds are raising babies, it is a good idea to feed your birds twice a day. I feed first thing in the morning and again in late afternoon. This ensures the babies are always full and content.
Never keep unmated birds in your breeding compartment.They will cause alot of problems.
Make sure you have a spacious, dry, well lit compartment to wean your babies into. I find most young Jacobins are ready to wean at 6 or 7 weeks of age. This compartment should not contain any older birds which will harass the youngsters learning to fend for themselves. Make sure they find the water container by dipping thier beaks in it morning and night until you are sure they are drinking on thier own. Always keep your water and feed containers in the same location or they may not be able to find it. Check the newly weaned youngsters each evening to make sure they have feed in thier crop. Some babies may require extra attention for a short while. You should also have another compartment for older youngsters so they don’t “bully” the younger ones.
Watch closely for any signs of sickness. Especially when the weather begins to get hot. Canker can be a problem but is treated easily. It appears as yellow cheesy growths in the mouth and or throat and ocassionally inside the body. There are several types of pills available for individual treatments from most pigeon supply dealers. For a flock treatment Emtryl powder in the water at a rate of 1 teaspoon per gallon for 4 days is very effective. Avoid giving Emtryl to birds which you are breeding from as it will lower fertility for a short time. Try to treat these birds before breeding season. An overdose of Emtryl can cause dizziness.
I regularily put javex in the drinking water at a rate of one teaspoon per gallon. This helps prevent the spread of bacteria through the water. A couple of drops of iodine in the water is also good for you birds and can help increase hatchability.
Whenever possible give your birds greens. Lettuce, grass clippings, beet tops or alfalfa is great. They will love it.
If you intend to show your Jacobins have the breeding pairs seperated cocks from hens by the end of July if you want them to moult in time for the shows. Remember babies hatched after the end of June will not moult in time for the shows in the calender year.
One final note is to make sure to vaccinate your birds against Paramyxovirus each fall before you attend any shows.
If you would like to contact me, my name is Clint Robertson and I am a Canadian Jacobin breeder. My E-mail address is <clint@jacobins.ca>
