Egg laying is an important reproductive behavior of female poultry. This study aimed to clarify the correlations and variation patterns between the age (1-3 years) of breeding pigeons and the stability of their egg-laying performance and egg quality. 900 pairs of breeding pigeons aged 1-3 years (300 pairs per group) with stable pair bonds were selected and reared under identical conditions. Egg-laying indicators, egg quality traits, and nutritional components were recorded and analyzed. The results showed that clutch size was consistently 2 eggs, and oviposition interval was stably 2 days across all age groups. Notably, the duration of clutch pause was concentrated in the range of 9–13 days, exhibited a significant decreasing trend with increasing age (p < 0.001). The 3-year-old group also demonstrated superior yolk specific gravity, yolk color, unsaturated fatty acid content (especially linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid), and PUFA/SFA ratio. No significant differences were observed in amino acid composition or cholesterol content among the three age groups. Taken together, breeding pigeons maintain high egg-laying performance and superior egg quality up to 3 years of age. These findings provide a theoretical basis for maximizing the utilization of breeding pigeons during this 3-year core reproductive period, precisely optimizing breeding and management practices, and promoting the sustainable development of the pigeon industry.
Lin et al. (Wed,) studied this question.