The nutrition of thoroughbred birds requires not only the preparation of the correct diet, but also a careful selection of products. What does a domestic pigeon eat? The answer to this question is very multifaceted. Street birds can eat almost any food, while thoroughbred individuals need a special diet.
This article provides a list of products that will help determine how to feed a pigeon at home. You will learn the main nuances of their nutrition, as well as the features of feeding birds with various crops.
How to feed a pigeon at home
Many people think that pigeons eat everything. You can often see how they fly into any food offered to them on the street. But for full development, they need good quality feed.
If you want to know how to feed a pigeon at home, you should consider several nuances. (picture 1):
- For any breed it is important that the meals and its composition are the same. Changing the ingredients in the diet negatively affects birds. Adults should eat 35 grams of feed per day.
- Lack of food depletes the body and weakens the immune system. And excessive consumption leads to the fact that the birds begin to eat fat, move little, stop flying. To get around certain problems, you need to make sure that vitamins, minerals, amino acids, proteins and carbohydrates enter the feed. You should also consider the characteristics of the breed, the way of keeping, the age of the bird and the time of year. In the summer, they should be fed no more than three times a day, and in winter - only twice.
- If you plan to breed large numbers, that is, it makes sense to buy special feed for industrial production. They contain all the necessary components and significantly save time and effort in caring for birds.
- The basis of the diet for pigeons serve grain (millet, barley, pearl barley) and herbs. It is also useful to give pure oats, legumes (boiled peas, vetch, lentils), various cereals, greens (meadow herbs), mineral components (chalk, sand, gravel, small pebbles, eggshells).
Figure 1. Features of feeding poultry The grain that the bird will eat should be dry, clean from dirt and weeds. It is also good to give fresh carrots grated on a fine grater to the main feed.
Note: During the mating period, during adaptation after illness or molting, it is useful to give oily food (rapeseed, sunflower seeds and oilcake, flax, hemp).
From greens, you can give salad and spinach, and in winter you need to sprout grain. For meat breeds in fattening, it is useful to give legumes. If birds can fly freely, then in the summer you should not worry about vitamins, they will find them on their own. As for meat breeds, vitamins and mineral top dressing are included in their diet year-round.
Special granular feed for pigeons is best used as a supplement. And also add to the main diet feed additives such as sulfur, clay, lime, earth, salt, nettle flour, as well as fish oil (especially in the cold season). Five are selected from these ingredients and added to food daily.
The author of the video will tell you how to properly feed and water pigeons at home.
Is it possible to feed pigeons with millet (pros and cons of this type of feeding)
For many bird species, the main food is grain. It contains many vitamins, carbohydrates, protein, fats and minerals.
Note: Very often, beginning poultry farmers feed pigeons at home with millet. However, it should be borne in mind that birds should not be given raw millet.
Figure 2. Features of millet feeding In general, it can be said that millet porridge is good to use for feeding short-billed breeds (Figure 2).
Is it possible to feed pigeons bread
Many are interested in whether it is possible to feed pigeons with bread, because this is what we do when we see hungry birds in a park or on the street. In the form of goodies in a small amount, you can use crackers from white bread.
Fresh bread or rolls should not be given as feed. Such foods contain yeast that causes fermentation.
Black bread cannot be given to birds because of the high water content in it. In such bread, high acidity, which slows down digestion and leads to fermentation in the body and can cause inversion of the intestines. Another minus is rye starch, which is not absorbed by the body of birds.
Is it possible to feed pigeons with pearl barley?
If you are interested in the question of how to feed pigeons on the street, you should know that it is better to give the birds not cereal, but cereal. For this purpose, barley is perfect (Figure 3).
Figure 3. Feeding with pearl barley Since pigeons in nature feed mainly on grain and plant foods, cereals can not be cooked. It will get wet in the goiter and get into the stomach already swollen. Barley porridge is recommended to feed only young animals whose goiter is not yet fully involved in the digestion process, although adult birds will not refuse such a treat. The main thing is not to abuse pearl barley, since an excess of such food can cause blockage of the esophagus.
Is it possible to feed pigeons with rice
Rice contains a lot of starch, but low fat, so this cereal can be used for feeding.
Rice can be used both peeled and brown. Birds will eat rice with pleasure, but feeding them is not always recommended, as this can lead to diseases affecting the nervous system. They can be mixed with another type of grain.
In pigeon breeding, rice is used for digestive upsets. To do this, boil the rice until half cooked and sprinkled with chalk.
How to feed pigeons in the winter on the street
Winter is a difficult time for birds, because finding food is quite difficult. Therefore, if possible, street birds are recommended to be fed (Figure 4).
Let us dwell on how to feed pigeons on the street, so that birds do not have health problems, and their body receives the necessary nutrients.
Power technology
Usually in winter, birds feed on rowan berries and the way people feed them. The main feeding is sunflower seeds.
Note: In no case should pigeons be given roasted and salted pumpkin seeds or dense oatmeal.
They also like to peck frozen butter and unsalted lard. The remnants of white dry bread will also appeal to the birds. But you need to use dry bread, as it contains less moisture, and the birds will not freeze.
Figure 4. Features of winter feeding As the main component of the diet, you can also use millet. You can add crushed corn, rep, colza, flax seeds to it. As an addition to the main feed, they give wheat or rice porridge, cereal seedlings. An example of a diet is shown in Figure 5.
Feeding pigeons during the breeding season
During the breeding season, it is necessary to monitor the nutrition of birds, it is important to give high-quality and complete feed. After all, the viability of the chicks depends on the feed.
There are special diets for the breeding season, although in general the composition of the feed remains the same.
Feeding Features
During this period, the diet of birds should be rich in proteins and minerals. To do this, use a shell rock, chalk or dried chopped shells, as well as potassium iodide, which is poured into a separate feeder. But it is necessary to gradually transfer the birds to a new diet so that the body does not experience stress due to a sharp change in the composition of the products.
Figure 5. Making a diet for pigeons The main part of the diet should be legumes. They are rich in proteins and minerals and can quickly saturate a pigeon. Feed mixtures are also prepared. Variants of the feed mixture: millet, peas, barley, vetch, oats, corn. Each day, each bird should receive about 60 grams of such food.
This is not to say that the Egyptians are unsentimental. As Woland would say: “A people, like a people. Nothing human is alien to him! ”That's just the habitat, the desert, maybe it spoiled it a little. Remember that passionate lover of pigeons from the movie Love and Pigeons? How wonderful he was kissing with his pets, talking with them, discussing his hardships. Such a picture - kisses with pigeons - is hardly possible in Egypt.
Arriving in Egypt, to your surprise you will see here and there huge pigeons. And not even pigeons, but entire palaces for pigeons, multi-storey cottages, made according to a specially thought-out, industrial technique. The fact is that a lot of pigeons are bred in the country, but not for beauty, but for eating. They are simply eaten, and a pigeon stuffed with beans is one of the most delicious Egyptian delicacies. In Egypt, every self-respecting mistress has her own unique recipe for making a pigeon. Pigeon stews are very popular during festive feasts.
It would be strange to see the owner kissing his dove, and then sending him to the kitchen. But such is the culture of Egypt, and there is nothing to be done.
But we grow poultry meat on a huge scale - chicken, turkey, goose - and on a large, industrial scale. Huge poultry farms are engaged in breeding, and then cooking these birds for our table. But in some countries of Central America, turkeys are already sacred birds.
The origins of this attitude to pigeon meat, in principle, are understandable. The difficult habitat, the dominance of the desert has long forced these people to look for ways to survive. Gone are the days when huge herds of cattle grazed in Egypt, for keeping records of which in ancient Egypt the pharaoh even had a special accountant.
The desert is constantly coming. And now from those oases, 4000 years ago, in Egypt, less than a third. An ancient Egyptian, once in the famous and now Fayyum oasis, would simply not recognize him - everything has become much smaller. You can’t get drunk from the lake anymore and do not use water for irrigation.
Egyptian cattle meat is in high demand and is very expensive, especially lamb and young calf meat. Therefore, the Egyptians replace it in their dishes with beans, beans, vegetables, which suits this arid climate. In coastal areas, the menu has a lot of fish.
Hence, out of a desire to deal with the situation, over time this passion for stuffed pigeons was born, which grew into a famous delicacy for tourists.
By the way, the north of Africa is the homeland of pigeons. There is even a special kind of pigeons - Tunisian. Then, already, in the middle of the XIX century, Europeans brought these birds to their continent.
And no matter how carefully you peered into the Egyptian sky, you will not see a single dove fluttering there. And on the roofs of high-rise buildings, they also do not live. And if you ask some local resident, where did all the pigeons go, then, jokingly, they will answer that they were eaten. And it is true. Pigeons have long been part of the festive and sometimes everyday menu of the Egyptians.
It’s just a part of a long and very respected culture, which is very different from ours!
Basically, people who did not have experience with birds think that they are doing a good job, tossing them bread crumbs and leftover rolls that they themselves eat to feed them. And thereby they only harm them. Because of this, the average life expectancy of street pigeons is not more than six years. While their biological capabilities allow you to extend it to fifteen years.
So, if you have a desire to feed the pigeons, give up the following products.
- Bread and roll. It is poorly digested in the stomach, causes bloating and all this can lead to death.
- Meat and fish food. She, too, is poorly digested by pigeons.
- All dairy delicacies. They cause dysbiosis in birds.
You can give them what is natural for them. And these are seeds (only not fried), cereals (pearl barley, millet), barley grains, grass. But in feeding you need to know the measure. Overeating for them is also bad.
The Basics of Feeding Pigeons
Feeding poultry occurs constantly, and not from case to case, as happens with street birds. Therefore, other knowledge and a more complete understanding of the technology of their feeding are already needed here.
The main components of pigeon feed are cereals. They should be 60% of the total feed. For example, the ratio may be
- barley - 30%,
- millet - 20%,
- pearl barley - 10%.
Of the prepared feeds for pigeons, food for parrots is best suited in its composition. In addition to the diet of domestic pigeons should be added:
- boiled peas and other legumes (lentils, vetch);
- you can give peeled oats;
- mineral components and greens (chalk, gravel, meadow grass) are required.
Of herbs, they are especially useful
- alfalfa,
- sorrel,
- nettle.
During molting and breeding, pigeons require enhanced nutrition. The amount of feed should reach 60 grams per head. In a normal period, one dove is enough forty grams of food.
Requirements for feed and their features
The crops used to feed the pigeons must be of high quality.
- Well dried.
- Clean, free of dirt and impurities.
- No signs of fungus and mold.
These feeds must be stored in a room that will ensure the safety of these quality indicators.
Legumes are a necessary component of the diet. They contain a large number of B vitamins, as well as minerals: phosphorus, sulfur and calcium.
Oil crops. They should not be abused, but in the diet they should be present in small quantities during their stressful situations: molting, mating, illness.
The percentage of feed components varies not only from the time of year, but also from the periods of their life cycle. This relationship can be seen in the table below.
Feed additives
Granular pigeon feed is better not to use all the time, but as a vitamin supplement. In addition, they must be provided with the following feed additives:
- fish oil;
- nettle flour;
- lime;
- common salt;
- clay;
- caraway seed
- gray.
Ready-made complexes of mineral additives are also for sale. The amount of feed additives in the total diet of poultry ranges from seven percent.
General rules
To establish a confidential contact, each pigeon must be fed separately or in pairs. To do this, it is desirable to serve each pigeon family individually. It is easier to control the process of eating and eliminates their malnutrition.
The frequency of meals contained in the aviary is as follows:
- in the summer - three meals a day (at 8, 13, 19 hours);
- in the fall and winter - twice (at 9, 20 hours), and in the second feeding it is necessary to add vitamins and top dressing.
Breeding Feeding
During this period, vitamins and minerals are also included in the diet. This is done in order to increase the laying of eggs and increase the viability of the chicks. Legumes have these qualities. Therefore, they must be introduced into the diet of this period of the life of pigeons. The feed mixture can be made up on your own. Here is one of these recipes.
| Component | Percentage |
| Peas (can be used dried) | |
| Corn | |
Feeding chicks
Young chicks are removed from their parents at the age of twenty-eight days. Until this time, their parents feed them. They do this with the help of a special biological substance - “goiter milk”, and softened grain. All the necessary trace elements necessary for the developing chick are extracted from this feed.
Relocation of chicks is a stressful situation. Therefore, the pigeon breeder needs to be especially careful and caring at this time. Pigeons must be accustomed to self-nutrition. If this is not done, they can die quickly. Little doves know nothing about water. Therefore, finding it is a problem for them. They need to be taught to eat and drink on their own. To do this, put food in a prominent open place, and water nearby.
Initially, they need to give small grains, gradually increasing their size. Feed mixtures must necessarily contain a sufficient amount of protein. He is involved in the formation of a new plumage.
Therefore, feeds are used, which include the necessary additives. Their amount can reach up to half of all grain feed. Protein food ingredients are given until the chicks are completely fledged. This must be done because without protein no feathers will form. So, you need to make up for his loss.
Drinking water should always be fresh. And the tanks themselves washed. If necessary, vitamins in liquid form and minerals are added to it.
Feeding tribal pigeons
The fertility of eggs and the viability of future young animals depend on the usefulness of their nutrition. Their feed should be more fortified. They need to add more green plants, complex vitamins.
It is necessary to additionally introduce phosphorus and calcium into the food. To meet vitamin A requirements, carrots are included in the diet. And in vitamin B - germinated grain. With a lack of vitamin B, the embryo dies.
Food for exhibition and sports pigeons
The nutrition of such pigeons is characterized by the saturation of healthy carbohydrates, more energy-intensive feed. During this period, corn is necessarily introduced into the feed mixture, rice and starch are added.
A day before a competition or exhibition, you can’t give sugar cubes, but during the competition, on the contrary, they need to be fed. On sparring pigeons fly on an empty stomach. They are fed after performances. Moreover, oil plants should be present in food.
At exhibitions it is optimal to use food of the “cold period” or the time of calm breeding. You need to feed them twice a day. Every day in the morning they clean the cage. They put food in it in such a quantity that all the birds have time to eat their fill, but the food should not remain. Fine gravel and chalk are placed next to the feeder. Change the water.
The second feeding is done in the evening, then she will have a goiter full, and it will be easier for her to endure the cold. Liquid vitamin complexes are added weekly.
It is optimal to feed exhibition and working pigeons with a grain mixture mixed with mixed feed (50 to 50). From cereals rye and oats are selected.
In autumn and winter, pigeons require enhanced nutrition. To determine whether there is enough food, they should be picked up more often, determining their weight. This checks whether they are too light or, conversely, heavy. Only pigeons with optimal weight perform successfully at competitions and exhibitions. If you feed them with heavy food, they become greasy and lazy. In this case, you can’t count on prizes.
Proper and balanced nutrition determines almost everything in the life of any living creature, including a pigeon. And its duration, and sexual activity, and exterior features, and athletic success, and most importantly health. This issue should be given constant attention, studying special literature and guided by personal observations.
According to official data, the genus of pigeons now has 35 species. The habitat of these birds is very diverse. They can be found in Europe, Asia and Africa. The pigeon was tamed for a long time, and its meat is considered a useful dietary product.
Is it possible to get infected from a pigeon
There are a number of diseases that affect some species of birds. Unfortunately, many of them are transmitted by airborne droplets. Therefore, a person who has been in contact with a sick bird has a risk of infection.
Such diseases include:
- ornithosis;
- trichomoniasis;
- campylobacteriosis.
Let us describe in more detail the symptoms of each of them:
Important! This bacterium can enter the human body along with untreated water or food. The incubation period is 12–72 hours
There are other types of diseases that can be transmitted from pigeons to people, so you need to be more careful about hygiene.
Can i eat
In modern conditions of development of poultry farming, pigeon breeding is gaining ever greater momentum. Growing them on an industrial scale, you can provide a large number of people with food.
City pigeons
If the bird is urban, then it is by no means worth eating, as it can be infected with some kind of disease. This is due to the fact that she could eat carrion and waste, as well as drink contaminated water.
Did you know? The pigeon is capable of flying 900 km per day at a speed of 70 km / h.
Wild pigeons
Wild pigeons are less at risk. Their meat is a rather valuable dietary product, however, judging the health of the bird is possible only by its appearance. Note that its meat is not hazardous to human health in 85% of cases.
How to catch and cook a dove: video
Domestic pigeons
But poultry can be eaten. For this, a special meat breed was bred. In addition, there are many cooking recipes with this ingredient.
Important! The carcass of an ordinary pigeon has a weight of 200–300 g, while the meat mass is - 600–900 g. The largest individuals are able to reach weight in 1200 g.
Usually, young individuals are chosen for eating, because their meat is more tender. As a rule, pigeons live in nature for 3-5 years, and when breeding at home - up to 15 years. In some cases, this period can reach 35 years.
The benefits or harms of pigeon meat for humans
The meat of this bird is considered dietary, since 142 grams of calories are contained in 100 grams, and when cooked, its caloric content reaches 294 kilocalories per 100 grams. By using it in moderation, obesity problems can be avoided.
It contains magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, as well as vitamins A, B, PP. In addition, it is rich in proteins and fats, and contains 13 grams of these components.
It should be noted that pigeon meat is able to strengthen the immune system, improve the digestive tract and normalize blood pressure, maintain healthy skin, nails and hair. In addition, as a dietary supplement, it contributes to weight loss, while enhancing overall health.Cooking pigeon
Since the meat of pigeons was eaten back in the days of the ancient civilizations, in the modern world there are many recipes for its preparation. In various countries, it is customary to combine it with berry and fruit sauces, as well as mushrooms and green peas.
Did you know? The world's most expensive pigeon was sold in 1986 for £ 41,000 thanks to its achievements in postage.
Thus, residents of France, for example, traditionally cook this bird in a marinade. In Moldova, it is customary to stuff it with lamb, in Egypt - millet.
Plucking
Before you start cutting and preparing a dish of pigeon, you need to pinch it. There are several ways to do this:
- by dry plucking;
- by scalding.
Cutting
To cut the bird you will need to perform a number of actions:
- Take the bird by the wings and crank them, separating from the carcass.
- Remove the sternum from the body.
- Cut fillet and offal.
Recipe
Since the pigeon is a small bird, it would be most appropriate to make soup out of it. This dish is considered not only dietary, but also beneficial for digestion. To prepare it, you will need the following ingredients:
- pigeon meat - 200 g,
- onion - 1 pc.,
- carrots - 1 pc.,
- potatoes - 3 pcs.,
- water - 2 l
- sunflower oil - 2 tbsp. l
- salt, spices.
Video: how to cook pigeons
As a rule, on farmer's markets such a bird is sold in a cut-up form, it is plucked and the head is separated. When choosing such a bird, you should pay attention to the fact that the color of its skin may have a burgundy or purple hue, and the smell should not be repulsive.
Many city dwellers, especially children, are very fond of feeding pigeons on the street. And in rural areas, many residents keep them at home, along with other poultry. Feeding the birds while on the street or at home is really a very exciting experience. But pigeons, like any other birds, must eat properly and balanced. Therefore, before feeding pigeons, you must definitely find out what doves eat, which are on the street or at home.
What doves eat: basic principles of feeding
Feeding pigeons on the street and at home are very similar. Both wild and domestic birds eat about the same thing. But you need to not only know how to feed the pigeon, but also at least roughly imagine the basic principles of feeding these birds on the street and at home. You need to know not only how to feed the pigeon, but also how to feed it.
These the principles the following:
- Since wild and domestic pigeons have a rather small volume of the stomach, they should eat often, but little by little;
- For the same reason, neither wild nor poultry should in any case be overfed or force-fed;
- Birds should not eat scraps from the human table, they need their own food;
- Birds should eat only food that they can chop with their beaks. When a bird swallows solid food without chopping its beak, it can choke, and food will be poorly digested;
- Birds should eat not only their main food, but also, if possible, receive a variety of vitamin-mineral complexes.
Feeding pigeons living on the street
City dwellers traditionally feed these birds with bread. In fact, this is not recommended, since bread is not initially the right food for birds and, in particular, pigeons. They, like other bird species, should have a balanced and varied diet, especially if it is thoroughbred pigeons that are kept at home. Largely due to an improper diet, the life expectancy of birds living on the street is quite small and reaches only five, a maximum of six years. However, under favorable conditions of detention and a proper diet, they are able to live up to twenty years.
The most common daily nutritional supplements are:
Here are the main additions to the diet of birds that enjoy large popularity in birds in the warm season, from late April to early October. However, in the city, beautification workers actively mow grass and cut trees in parks, squares, streets and squares, birds suffer from malnutrition and willingly take from the hands of citizens not the most useful products for them: bread crumbs, cereals (rice, buckwheat, millet) and sunflower seeds.
Features feeding pigeons
Pigeon chicks are usually born small and defenseless, they are completely dependent on their parents and do not fly outside the nest until at least three months of age. In the case when the male or female suddenly dies, the surviving parent spends all his strength on the education and feeding of numerous offspring. He feeds his pigeons with a special “milk”, which is produced in goiter. The chick gradually grows older, becomes more and more and begins to consume more and more of such food.
Features of feeding pigeons in the cold season
Doves and other non-migratory birds live hardest of all, of course, in the cold season. In late autumn, winter and early spring, grains, seeds, and green grass are hidden under the snow. Accordingly, they have to look for alternative sources of food in order not to die of starvation. Obeying the instinct of self-preservation, birds go closer to people's places of residence and willingly take food from them. Starting in late autumn and ending in early spring, city trash bins often become the main haven for wild street pigeons.
In winter a lot of birds die. Most often, the sudden death of a bird is associated with malnutrition. In winter, pigeons consume low-calorie foods with low nutritional value, and such food is clearly not enough for an intensive metabolism to prevent birds from freezing in the cold. In this regard, in the winter and autumn, pigeons must be fed. The best option is to design the simplest feeder and periodically replenish in it a stock of various cereals and grains.
How to feed pigeons
In addition to the main food - grass (fresh or dried) and grain feed, it is necessary to feed the birds kept at home with feeds that are very easily absorbed and digested. How much food to give for one feeding depends entirely on the breed, as pigeons of different breeds have different sizes and different levels of food demand. Pigeons of some dwarf breeds eat twenty to thirty grams of feed per day, and this is quite enough for them for intensive growth and development. And, at the same time, there are heavyweight birds who need at least forty grams of feed per day for intensive growth and full development.
For pigeons kept at home, forty percent of the total grain diet should be barley. Another option is also possible: fifty percent of barley grains and fifty percent of pearl barley. Ten percent of the total grain diet, as a rule, is millet. In addition, legumes (peas, beans, beans, lentils) should be consumed as often as possible for active digestion and well-being. Legumes contain a large amount of protein necessary for the full growth and development of birds of any age and any breed.
At different times of the year, the feeding regime for birds that are kept at home is built in completely different ways. The number of meals per day may vary. When birds enter the period breeding or begin to molt, they need to be fed intensively, and you also need to make sure that their food contains a lot of protein, is rich in valuable vitamins, minerals and trace elements.
What exactly should feed pigeons
In order for the birds to eat fully and balanced, they need to be given not only greens and grain food. The diet should include other types of feed. This is a prerequisite for the intensive growth and proper development of pigeons that are kept at home. In the diet of domestic pigeons, the following must be present constituents:
Also, birds that are kept at home, it is necessary to periodically give such important vitamins and mineral supplements as special mineral mixtures, ordinary table salt, crushed red brick in small crumbs.
What foods should be strictly prohibited from eating pigeons
There are a number of products that should in no way be present in the diet of birds, because they can provoke an upset stomach, intoxication of the body and even cause sudden death of the bird. These are products such as:
Vitamin and mineral feeding for pigeons
In winter and early spring, birds often suffer from a lack of nutrients - vitamins and minerals necessary for normal growth and development. This negatively affects the well-being and appearance of the birds. Feathers become dull, they themselves become lethargic, eat poorly. Therefore, pigeons in this difficult period need special vitamin-mineral fertilizing. Also feeding pigeons with vitamin supplements is absolutely necessary when they breed, molt or feed the chicks. Vitamin and mineral supplements have a positive effect on metabolism, digestion and the strength of eggshells.
In the diet of pigeons, the following vital chemical the elementsnecessary for intensive growth and full development:
- Calcium;
- Phosphorus;
- Iron;
- Cobalt;
- Potassium;
- Sodium;
- Chlorine;
- Zinc;
- Manganese;
- Copper.
In the case of a lack of useful vitamins and minerals included in the above list, the life expectancy of pigeons is significantly reduced, and their health begins to rapidly deteriorate. Therefore, vitamin top dressing must be given attention when keeping pigeons at home.
Feeding pigeons in home conditions - not such a difficult thing. The main thing is to follow the basic rules and try to ensure that the birds have a balanced diet. And then the birds will feel well and have brilliant feathers, the birds will delight the owners with their beauty and will certainly pay the owner for their care for them. It is equally important to feed wild pigeons, as feeding pigeons helps people become more merciful and compassionate towards animals and birds. This is especially important for children and adolescents.
