Effects of Different Rearing Patterns on Reproductive Hormones of Lactating Pigeon in Winter
Breeding pigeons are the fundamental source of profitability in pigeon breeding,and in order to achieve higher economic benefits,the breeding industry in China usually employs a high-rearing pattern.However,too many squabs consume more energy of breeding pigeons,especially in winter when the temperature is low,which may cause reproductive hormone disorders in breeding pigeons and adversely affect their reproductive performance.To determine the effect of different numbers of litters on the reproductive hormones of breeders during winter lactation,144 pairs of 14-month-old European Mimas breeders were randomly divided into 3 groups of 48 pairs each with 2,3 and 4 squabs during lactation("2+2","2+3"and"2+4"),and fasting plasma reproductive hormones were measured on days 0,7,14 and 28 of lactation.The results showed that the levels of estradiol and progesterone in female pigeons increased significantly(P<0.05)with the number of litters carried,while the levels of luteinizing hormone,follicle stimulating hormone,prolactin and testosterone tended to decrease significantly(P<0.05)with the number of litters.Correlation analysis revealed that body weight loss on day 7 of lactation was significantly positively correlated with testosterone levels and highly significantly negatively correlated with progesterone levels in hens;body weight loss on day 21 of lactation was significantly negatively correlated with follicle stimulating hormone.Plasma luteinizing hormone levels on day 14 of lactation were significantly and negatively correlated with egg production interval.The above studies suggest that an increase in the number of litters significantly affects the plasma reproductive hormone levels of hens during lactation and may further increase the body weight loss and prolong the egg-laying interval during lactation,resulting in a decrease in breeding performance.