What kind of pigeons are easier to raise and make money?

In pigeon breeding, meat pigeons are mostly cultured. Let’s introduce the introductory knowledge of meat pigeon breeding technology

Meat pigeons are also called squabs, which refer to young pigeons within 4 weeks of age. . Its characteristics are: large size, rich nutrition and high medicinal value. It is a high-grade nourishing nutritional product. The meat is tender and delicious, ranking first among blood meat products. It has been determined that squab contains more than 17 kinds of amino acids, the total amino acid content is as high as 53.9%, and it contains more than 10 trace elements and multiple vitamins.

Appearance characteristics

Meat pigeons Pigeons belong to the class Aves, order Columbiformes, family Doveidae, and genus Columbine. The ancestor of the pigeon is the wild rock pigeon. The meat pigeon is a breed formed by people after long-term selection and breeding. Because it is large in size, produces a lot of meat, has good meat quality, and is not good at flying, people raise it for the purpose of eating meat. Therefore, it is called "meat pigeon". Meat pigeons, also called squabs, refer to young pigeons within 4 weeks of age, which are characterized by their large size.

Nutritional characteristics

It is rich in nutrients and has high medicinal value. It is a high-grade nourishing nutritional product. The meat is tender and delicious, ranking first among blood meat products. It has been determined that squab contains more than 17 kinds of amino acids, the total amino acid content is as high as 53.9%, and it contains more than 10 trace elements and multiple vitamins. Therefore, pigeon meat is an ideal food with high protein and low fat. Meat pigeons have very good medicinal value. Their bones and meat can be used as medicine. They can regulate the heart, nourish blood, and replenish qi. They can prevent diseases, eliminate fatigue, and increase appetite.

Life habits

1. Monogamous mate sex. Adult pigeons are selective about their mates. Once they mate, the male and female pigeons always live closely together, and they jointly undertake the responsibilities of building nests, incubating eggs, raising squabs, and guarding the nests. After pairing, if one loses or dies, it will take a long time for the other to find a new mate.

2. Pigeons are late-growing birds. Newly hatched squabs (also known as young pigeons) have weak bodies, cannot open their eyes, have only some raw down on their bodies, and cannot walk or forage. The parent pigeons feed the pigeons with the pigeon milk in their crops. It takes one month for the pigeons to nurse before they can live independently.

3. Eat plant seeds as the staple food. Meat pigeons feed mainly on corn, rice, wheat, peas, mung beans, sorghum, etc., and generally do not have the habit of cooked food. Under artificial breeding conditions, the feed can be formulated into a full-price compound feed according to its nutritional needs, using "health sand" (also known as nutritional mud) as an additive and adding some vitamins to make pellet feed with a diameter of 3 to 5 mm. , pigeons can adapt to and make better use of this kind of feed.

4. Pigeons have a habit of salt. The ancestors of pigeons have lived by the sea for a long time and often drank sea water, so they developed a habit of salt. If pigeons' food lacks salt for a long time, it will lead to physiological disorders such as egg production. Each old pigeon needs 0.2 grams of salt per day. Too much salt can also cause poisoning.

5. Love cleanliness and habit of living in high places. Pigeons do not like to come into contact with feces and dirt, and like to perch on perches, windowsills and nests with a certain height. Pigeons love bathing, especially in hot weather.

6. Have strong adaptability and alertness. Pigeons are distributed in tropical, subtropical, temperate and cold zones. They can live in temperatures of ±50°C. They are particularly resistant to stress and have strong adaptability to the surrounding environment and living conditions. Pigeons are highly alert. If they are disturbed by natural enemies (hawks, cats, weasels, rats, snakes, etc.), they will start a flock panic and try their best to escape from the cage. After escaping, they will not want to return to the cage to roost at night. , Any abnormal noise in the pigeon loft will also cause panic and commotion among the pigeons.

7. Have strong memory and homing ability. Pigeons have a very strong memory and are particularly capable of identifying directions, nest boxes and young pigeons. Even after several years of separation, they can identify the direction, fly back to the place where they came from, and identify their mates among the pigeons. Pigeons can also establish certain conditioned reflexes for the breeders who are in frequent contact with them. In particular, they have a strong ability to recognize the sounds and tools used by the breeders during each feeding. After a period of time, the pigeons hear this After hearing the sound and seeing the feeding tools, they can gather on the side of the food container and wait for food. On the contrary, if the breeder is rough, after a period of time, the pigeons will run away from the breeder as soon as they see it.

8. Has the habit of controlling his wife. After the pigeons build a nest, the male pigeons begin to force the female pigeons to lay eggs in the nest. If the female pigeons leave the nest, the male pigeons will chase the female pigeons desperately and peck the female pigeons to let her return to the nest. They will not give up until they achieve their goal. The strength of this wife-controlling behavior is closely related to its fertility.

Pigeon feed

1. Plant protein feed: mainly peas, broad beans, mung beans and black beans.

2. Animal protein feed: commonly used fish meal, shrimp meal, blood meal, meat and bone meal, etc.

3. Energy feeds: including carbohydrate feeds such as corn, rice, rice, millet, sorghum, barley and wheat, and fat feeds such as rapeseed, sesame and peanuts. Fat feed is indispensable in the diet of meat pigeons during the feathering period. Although its dosage is small, it is extremely important to enhance the luster of feathers.

4. Green feed: Commonly used ones include cabbage, spinach, carrots and tender green pasture. These feeds are rich in chlorophyll, carotene and various vitamins, and are the main sources of various vitamins required by meat pigeons.

5. Mineral feed: mainly shell powder, bone meal, egg shell powder and trace element additives. These feeds contain calcium, phosphorus, potassium, iron, zinc, sulfur, manganese and other elements, which are essential for the normal growth and development of meat pigeons and enhanced disease resistance.

6. Special feed: including antibiotics, enzyme preparations, etc.

7. Diet combination and feeding essentials:

(1) Diet formula for young pigeons: 10% peas (beans), 40% corn, 20% brown rice, wheat 10%.

(2) Diet formula for brooding and breeding pigeons: 50% rice, 20% corn, 10% wheat, 20% mung beans (miscellaneous beans), and a small amount of hemp seeds.

(3) Health sand formula: 30% yellow mud, 25% fine sand, 15% shell powder, 10% old lime, 5% charcoal powder, 5% salt, and 10% bone meal. Meat pigeon feed is required to be mold-free, non-toxic, and must be qualitative and quantitative. Usually, the food intake of pigeons is 1/10 of their body weight, but the specific amount should depend on the pigeon's food intake and growth and development status. The food intake can be appropriately increased during the peak period of growth and development, so that it can be eaten within 15 minutes. . Young pigeons are fed 3 to 4 times a day, that is, at 7 a.m., 11 a.m., and 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.; egg-laying pigeons are fed 2 to 3 times a day, at 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. in summer. Feed once, and in other seasons, feed once at 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Growth and reproduction

Meat pigeons mature early, reproduce quickly and grow rapidly. Pigeons can be paired for breeding at the age of 5 to 6 months. Each pair of breeding pigeons can produce 8 to 12 pairs of squabs per year. The squabs can be sold after only 25 to 30 days of feeding and can weigh up to 500 to 750 grams. The breeding cycle of meat pigeons is short, the turnover is fast, the investment is low, and the results are quick. The buildings and equipment required to raise meat pigeons are simple, the scale can be large or small, and the feed consumption is small. The maximum daily food consumption of each pair of pigeons is no more than 100 grams. It is mainly based on corn and other raw grains. It does not require processing, is cheap, and has convenient feed ingredients. Easy to obtain and low maintenance cost. The benefits can be seen within the month of purchasing the breeding pigeons. Meat pigeons have good adaptability, few diseases, simple feeding and management techniques, high and stable breeding income, and low risks.

Breeding management

(1) Selection of improved breeds

Raising meat pigeons and breeding squabs requires fast growth in the early stages, and one pair is required to be produced in 40-45 days. For squab, the weight requirement is over 0.5 kg.

Meat pigeon

1. King pigeon is native to the United States. The weight of adult pigeons is 0.75-0.9 kg, and the weight of large male pigeons can reach more than 1 kg. It has strong fecundity and good mothering ability. Under good breeding conditions, it can breed 8 nests of squabs every year. It is the dominant variety in this region.

2. French Ground Pigeon: This pigeon is famous for its love of walking on the ground and is easy to raise indoors. They are large in size, with well-developed and plump chest muscles, weighing around 1 kilogram, and the largest can reach 1.25 kilograms. They have strong fecundity and high breeding rate.

3. Shiqi Pigeon: It is native to Shiqi, Zhongshan City, Guangdong. It is bred by crossing introduced meat pigeons with Chinese pigeons. The male pigeon weighs 0.75-0.9 kg, and the female pigeon weighs 0.75 kg. It is one of the large meat pigeon breeds in my country and can lay 7-8 clutches of eggs per year. It is characterized by its resistance to extensive breeding, docile temperament, and is famous for its tender meat, soft bones and delicious taste. Other varieties include large Herm pigeons, Luan pigeons, etc.

(2) Building a pigeonhouse

1. Pigeons have five fears about pigeons: fear of moisture, fear of stuffiness, fear of darkness, fear of dirt, and fear of natural enemies. Building a pigeonhouse requires high terrain It is dry, well ventilated, sunny, clean and hygienic, and can prevent natural enemies. It is better to sit north and south, 5-10 degrees eastward.

There are two types of pigeon lofts

① The breeding pigeon loft, also known as the production pigeon loft, can use ordinary houses or specially build simple column pigeon lofts with three-dimensional pigeon lofts placed inside the lofts. Multi-level pigeon cage.

②Young pigeon lofts can also use old houses to raise in small groups. It is best to have 10-15 square meters per room and a loft height of 2-2.2 meters. It is best to connect the loft to the sports ground. The playground is surrounded by lead wire or nylon mesh. There are no pigeon cages in the lofts for young pigeons, only some perches for collective living.

2. Pigeon cages and pigeon equipment. It is better to raise pigeons in cages. Most pigeons are raised in three layers in a single cage. Each single cage is 50 cm wide, 50 cm deep and 45 cm high. . The cage is equipped with a nest basin frame and a nest basin, and a food trough, a drinking fountain, and a health care sand cup are hung on the side of the cage. Generally, 6 single cages are combined into a group, which can be a bamboo and wood structure, or a lead wire and triangular iron structure.

Pigeon equipment: including pigeon nests, food troughs, health sand cups, drinking fountains, perches, foot rings, etc. Pigeon nests can often be made of wooden strips or plastic fruit pots with a diameter of 18-22 cm and a side height of 4-5 cm. The inner bottom is made of soft hay and other bedding materials. The nest basin is used for incubation and brooding of production pigeons. Anklet is about 1cm high and ring-shaped, with a hole diameter of 8-9mm. It is available in plastic or lead. It is numbered and easy to record. Generally, young pigeons used for breeding should be put on when they are 7-10 days old. Put on anklets.

(3) Reproductive performance

Pigeons lay eggs, hatch and raise chicks all year round. It is sexually mature at around 6 months old, with an incubation period of 18 days and a lactation period of 30 days. Usually a pair of pigeons produces 5-7 pairs of young pigeons every year. Pigeons breed in "monogamous" mating. Female pigeons lay 2 eggs per clutch, that is, after laying one egg the first day, they will lay another egg the next day, and then hatch it. During the incubation process, male and female pigeons take turns to hold the nest. The male pigeon is on day shift every day (9:00 to 16:00), and the female pigeon keeps the nest from 16:00 to 9:00 the next day. During the incubation process, eggs must be picked up manually. Generally, infertile eggs and dead embryonated eggs are checked and removed in time during 4-5 days of incubation; on the 10th day of incubation, the eggs are illuminated again to remove dead embryonated eggs. When a single pigeon egg hatches, it should be merged into the nest in time.

(4) Nutrition and feed

Each pair of adult pigeons should drink 120-300 ml of water per day. The feed contains crude protein, preferably 12%-15% for young pigeons and resting pigeons, and 15%-18% during the breeding period. Fat content 3%-5%, supplemented with multivitamins and minerals. The feed should be fresh and of high quality, and inferior and moldy feed should not be fed.

(4) Nutrition and feed

Each pair of adult pigeons should drink 120-300 ml of water per day. The feed contains crude protein, preferably 12%-15% for young pigeons and resting pigeons, and 15%-18% during the breeding period. Fat content 3%-5%, supplemented with multivitamins and minerals. The feed should be fresh and of high quality, and inferior and moldy feed should not be fed. Feed formula example (%) Formula for young pigeons and off-laying pigeons during the brooding period

One, two, three, one, two, three, four

Corn 50 40 35 40 30 45 20

Wheat 20 15 25 20 - 13 10

Sorghum 10 10 25 10 10 10 -

Peas 20 17 10 30 10 20 30

Rice - 10 5 - 20 - -

Hemp seeds- 3 - - 5 4 -

Rice- - - - - - 40

Mung beans- 5 - - 15 8 -

Barley - - - - 10 - -

In summer, add some mung beans as annealing food. When the pigeons are raising chicks, add 10-20% sunflower seeds. Generally, a pair of meat pigeons needs about 75 grams of feed every day, supplemented with drinking water, salt, and fresh and clean vegetables. Feeding is usually twice in the morning and evening. When the mother pigeon is holding pigeons, it needs to be fed once at noon. The calcium:phosphorus ratio is 1.0-1.02:0.65.

Examples of health sand formulas (%)

Formula 1, 2, 3, 4, 56

Yellow mud 30 -35 40 1 -

Coarse sand 25 60 - - 35 20

Shell meal 15 31 40 - 40 -

Bone meal 10 1.4 5 - 8 -

Old plaster 5 1 - 6 - -

Charcoal powder 5 1.5 10 - 6 -

Salt 5 3.3 5 4 4 5

Alum - 0.5 - - - -

Licorice - 0.5 - - - -

Gentian - 0.5 - - - -

Iron dioxide - 0.3 - - - -

Fine granite - - 5 - 6 -

Brick powder - - - 30 - -

Ocean mill powder - - - 20 - 75

Health care sand should be prepared and used immediately to keep it fresh. The method is to crush and mix multiple ingredients before feeding. It can be fed every day or concentratedly fed twice a week. Each pair of pigeons eats about 5-9 grams per day, 3 kilograms throughout the year.

American Palm Pigeon Farm Feed Formula

Formula Winter and Summer

Yellow Corn 35 20

Peas 20 20

Wheat 30 25

Sorghum 15 35

(5) Feeding and management

1. General principles ① Feed regularly, quantitatively and qualitatively, pigeons should be fed every day 3-4 meals, pigeons are fed 2-3 meals on the day of birth. The diet is 1/10 of the pigeon's weight, generally about 50 grams per pigeon per day, and the food intake of the pigeons during the nursing period is doubled. ② Drinking water is constant, the water quality is good, and there is no pollution. ③ Check the feeding, drinking water, feces, egg production, hatching, brooding, etc. every day, and deal with the situation in time if found. ④ Disinfect regularly. The floor of the pigeon house, sports field, ditch, pigeon cage, and drinking fountain should be cleaned and disinfected once a day. The food trough should be rinsed and disinfected every two days. When entering the pigeon house, you must disinfect and change clothes and shoes. The nest basin should be cleaned and disinfected every two days. After the squabs leave the nest, clean and disinfect them thoroughly. ⑤ Keep good records, such as pigeon production records, daily expenses, income, veterinary diagnosis and other records.

2. Breeding of squabs: The young pigeons from hatching to leaving the nest for sale are called squabs. After hatching, the squabs are mainly fed by the pigeon milk of their parents and grow very fast. Generally, the weight of the squabs can reach 0.5 kg in 18 days. In order to improve the palatability of pigeon meat and achieve higher economic benefits, fattening is generally carried out for one week. Healthy squabs weighing more than 350g are all fattening objects, and they are equipped with fattening beds, filling feeders and soaking basins. Legumes for fattening feed account for 20%-30%, and corn, brown rice and wheat can account for 70-80%. Each squab is fed 50-100 grams of feed each time, twice a day in the morning and evening. After each feeding, let the pigeons move freely for half an hour, then lower the curtains to allow the pigeons to rest and sleep quietly. Feeding methods can be divided into two types: manual and mechanical. Feed squabs with indigestion half a yeast tablet every day.

3. Raising young pigeons: Pigeons that leave the nest (30 days old) to before sexual maturity (5-6 months old) are called young pigeons. ① It is better to raise them in small groups. ② Pay attention to the raising of 4-6 week old pigeons. From the stage of dependent life to independent life, provide fine granular materials and require a warm, dry and ventilated environment.