How to breed pigeons? What are the prospects?

Pigeon is a kind of bird with mature breeding technology and high survival rate. But because it is easy to raise pigeons, unless wild pigeons are domesticated and sold as games, or racing pigeons with excellent ability are cultivated, we can't expect to achieve too high economic benefits, but it is very difficult.

In short, things that are easy to raise will not have high returns; Things that are difficult to raise have high returns and high risks, that's right. Due to the unique geographical advantages of China's southern coastal areas, Shanghai and Guangdong took the lead in introducing, breeding and developing carrier pigeon breeding, which made the carrier pigeon breeding in China develop rapidly from east to west and from south to north. Hotels and restaurants all over the country are constantly introducing dishes featuring meat pigeons, which makes their demand increase. Nowadays, meat pigeon is no longer a strange food. Guangzhou and Shenzhen alone sold more than 3 million pigeons, and the demand in big cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin exceeded one million. The continuous expansion of the domestic market and the continuous improvement of consumption level have further stimulated the development of pigeon breeding industry, and the stock has doubled, and it has entered full-scale commercial production, and the feeding management level has reached the advanced level. According to incomplete statistics, there are currently more than 700 pigeon farms registered in China, with more than 2.5 million pairs of pigeons.

What is the future development prospect of pigeon breeding industry? The answer is beautiful. There are three reasons: first, the domestic market demand will continue to increase, "replacing chickens with pigeons" is not an illusion, and the international market is also expanding. At present, the export volume reaches150 thousand, and Hong Kong, Macao and Southeast Asia have deeper development potential. Second, the value of earning foreign exchange is high. The international market price of each meat pigeon is stable at US$ 4 ~ 5 and HK$ 30 ~ 40 yuan. Third, the breeding conditions are good. China has suitable environment and feeding conditions, constantly optimizes and introduces varieties, and is rich in labor resources. It is estimated that the meat pigeon breeding industry will develop faster in the future, and squab will become one of the best-selling foods.

Second, the excellent varieties of meat pigeons

Pigeons belong to vertebrates, birds, lateral leaders, doves, pigeon family, carrier pigeons. There are many kinds of meat pigeons. This paper briefly introduces the famous meat pigeons at home and abroad to help you choose correctly. Raising excellent breeding pigeons is the premise of speeding up the production of young pigeons and improving the efficiency of pigeon farms.

1. Excellent domestic pigeon breed

(1) kg pigeon

Kilogram pigeons were cultivated by Mr. Chen, a famous pigeon expert in China. This breed is produced in Kunming, related to Hom and other pigeons, and weighs about 1 kg, so it is called kilogram pigeon. Strong adaptability, strong resistance and strong flying ability. Pigeons grow fast in the early stage, precocious, easy to fatten and save feed. Body length, mostly tile gray, but also other coat colors.

(2) Seventeen grids

Produced in Shi Qi Town, Zhongshan City, Guangdong Province, China. It is composed of Wang Ge, Lunti, Meng Dan and other varieties and local hybrids. Physical characteristics: body length, wing length, tail length, body is banana bud, the size is similar to that of king pigeon. Flat head, long nose, long beak and small eyes. Strong reproductive ability, with an annual output of 7-8 pairs of young pigeons, but the eggshell is thin and easy to break when hatching. Adult male pigeons weigh 750-800g, female pigeons weigh 650-700g, and four-week-old young pigeons can reach 600g. Pigeons in Shi Qi have more coat colors, and white is the best.

(3) Yaoan Meat Pigeon

Produced in Yao Ning, Yunnan, small and medium-sized meat pigeon, precocious, adaptable, weighing 600-750g, with high feed reward and rough feeding tolerance.

2. Excellent varieties of foreign meat pigeons

(1) Wang Ge

King pigeons were originally produced in the United States, and there are common white king pigeons and silver king pigeons. Baiyuwangge is a high-quality strain bred by relevant scientific research units in Shanghai, and it is one of the best breeding pigeons for meat in China. Adult male pigeons weigh 750-900g and female pigeons weigh 650-750g. The whole body has pure white feathers, a round head, a protruding forehead, a small nose and beak tumor, a wide and round chest and long wings at the tail. Laying 9 ~ 10 pairs and raising 6 ~ 8 pairs of young pigeons every year. The average weight of 4-week-old squab is 620g.

(2) King pigeon K species (American landing king pigeon)

Wangge K is a hybrid improved variety of Wangge, which has many feathers, strong production performance, short cycle and rough feeding resistance. Adult pigeons weigh 500 ~ 750g. Pigeons are very small and weigh about 500 grams when they are 4 weeks old.

③ French ground pigeon (Mengdan pigeon)

Produced in France and Italy, it is big, not good at flying, and likes walking. The weight of adult pigeons is about1000g, the annual output of young pigeons is 6-8 pairs, and the weight of 4-week-old young pigeons can reach 750g. Pigeons can be roughly divided into three types: crown type, flat head type and claw-shank type (hairy and hairless).

④ Cange (Ma Ge)

Originally from Belgium and England. The American 1920 has the best big elm. Adult pigeons weigh up to1000g, and 4-week-old pigeons weigh 600g. The disadvantage is that the number of spawning nests is small, 5 ~ 6 pairs per year. The weight of pure Holm pigeons is 800-900g less than that of Daheim pigeons, and the annual output of young pigeons is 7-8 pairs.

⑤ Kanu Pigeon (Red Pigeon)

Of Belgium and France. It is characterized by wide chest, thick neck, short tail and small eyes. Weighing 700 ~ 900g, it has a magnificent and upright appearance. Strong reproductive ability, the annual output of young pigeons is about 10 pairs. Like clustering, poor adaptability and poor disease resistance. Feathers are pure red and pure white, and pure yellow army is the top grade. Strong nesting ability, high fertilization rate and hatching rate.

(6) Lundi Pigeon (Couple Pigeon)

Originated in Italy, it is the largest kind of meat pigeon, with a weight of1200 ~1500g, and the pigeon at the age of 4 weeks can reach 800g. Strong fertility, laying 8 ~ 10 pairs a year. However, because of its large size, low fertilization rate and hatching rate, the production benefit of commercial squab is not great, so it is better to breed other new varieties.

Third, how to choose improved meat pigeons

Improved meat pigeon is an excellent breed cultivated in pigeon breeding farm for a long time. The parents of these varieties have strong reproductive ability and good production performance. As long as parent pigeons are introduced directly, squab production can be carried out.

Generally, pigeon farms will not sell the original seeds of excellent varieties obtained through long-term breeding, that is, most great-grandparents buy parents of excellent varieties, and parents cannot completely repeat the excellent characteristics of the previous generation. Therefore, when selecting breeding pigeons, we should comprehensively observe the external milk shape and production capacity. It should be that the feathers are tight and shiny, and the body, feet and wings are not deformed; Eyes bright, rainbow clear, chest keel straight without bending, healthy and energetic. In terms of production capacity, the weight at the age of 25 days should reach more than 500 grams, and the daily weight gain during the fattening period after 20 days is better. Adult male pigeons weigh more than 750 grams and adult female pigeons weigh more than 650 grams.

On the other hand, regional adaptability should be fully considered when introducing, and climate, geographical location, feed, sand control and water quality should be carefully compared.

Buying breeding pigeons should be easy to raise and have a high survival rate. Novices tend to choose large varieties with large size and high price, while large varieties are difficult to raise, with low reproduction rate, poor brooding and lack of experience. The first kind of pigeon is best to choose the white feather king pigeon, which has been raised in China for many years. This strain has adapted to various climates in China, and can grow healthily as far away as Hainan Island in the south and Heilongjiang in the north.

Fourth, how to raise breeding pigeons for meat?

Raising meat pigeons is mainly to raise breeding pigeons and young pigeons to supply the market, so raising breeding pigeons well is the key to whether the meat pigeon breeding industry can achieve good benefits. Practice has proved that each breeding pigeon pair generally produces 6 ~ 10 young pigeons every year, and the annual net profit is about 80 ~ 150 yuan. However, according to the survey, the benefits of many pigeon farmers can not meet the above standards. One reason is that the imported breeding pigeons are not good or seriously degraded, and the other is that the feeding management is unscientific.

To raise breeding pigeons for meat, the following two tasks must be done:

The first is to optimize improved varieties. At present, there are many pigeons, such as King Kong Xiang Pigeon and Lion Mountain King Pigeon. Hong Kong King Kong pigeon is an excellent breed bred by crossing American king pigeon with local meat pigeon by pigeon breeders in Hong Kong and Macao. Lion Mountain King Pigeon is a new breed bred by the state-owned special farm of Lion Mountain in Yingde County, Guangdong Province, and it is the only excellent breed of meat pigeon in China that can meet the index of cultivating "Guangdong King Pigeon" proposed by the expert group of the National Special Bird Breeding Committee.

The second is scientific management. Mainly concentrated in the following periods:

Matching period. Pigeons are better paired at six and a half months, and they are forced to pair at night. It is necessary to choose male and female pairs with similar body size and weight and consistent coat color. Four eggs were born after pairing, which means it is the same mother. Those who often lay azoospermic eggs after pairing should be re-bred. Male pigeons that do not lay eggs after pairing can be injected with testosterone propionate 5mg/ time, and then injected with 1 time after 3 ~ 5 days; Or take a vitamin e orally. In addition, those who are discordant and often fight after pairing should also be paired again. After re-matching, the two sides should be isolated where they can't see each other.

Laying eggs on 10 ~ 15 days after mating in the egg-holding period, and placing hemp chips or short straw and pine needles in the egg nest two days before laying eggs. During the incubation period, prevent rainwater from invading, and eggs will die if they are soaked or immersed in water. In order to prevent the gasket from getting wet, it should be replaced in time if it gets wet. Be careful not to leave the belly feathers of the pigeon when planting eggs. In hot weather, reduce straw mats, open more windows, wash the floor with cold water or spray to cool down; Add padding when it is cold, pay attention to keep warm, and heat below 6℃ to keep warm. Eggs were taken and photographed once on the 5th and 2nd day after hatching, and sperm-free eggs and dead embryo eggs were taken out in time; From 17 to 18, check the hatching situation. For those who are difficult to hatch, artificial shelling is needed for midwifery, only less than 1/3.

Incubation period The feed with high nutrition requires protein content 18% and metabolic energy of more than 2,800 kcal/kg, and is fed 5-6 times a day. Take good care of the young pigeons, and the single ones should be combined. When 15 days old, move the young pigeons to the cage bottom net for feeding.

Molting stage Breeding pigeons molt once a year in late summer and early autumn for about 1 ~ 2 months. At this time, 10% hemp seed can be added to the feed, and 200 grams of gypsum powder or 100 grams of sulfur powder can be added to every 50 kilograms of raw sand. At the same time, a variety of vitamins can be added to the feed to eliminate those breeding pigeons with poor production performance in time, and then choose from the backup breeding pigeons.

Verb (abbreviation of verb) Feeding and management of meat pigeons

1. Take good care of the young pigeons

After the meat pigeon hatches, the young pigeon is about 10g, with eyes open and fetal hair lying under the mother pigeon's stomach. About 24 hours, I feel hungry, so it will keep stretching its head, touching the mother pigeon's stomach and purring. The mother pigeon knows the requirements of the young pigeon, holds the young pigeon's beak with her beak, and then slowly spits out the milk in the young pigeon's mouth for the young pigeon to suck. When the young pigeon is full, she will sleep comfortably on her abdomen. After three or four days, the pigeon's eyes slowly opened, its body became strong and its feathers began to grow. At this time, the young pigeons began to learn to walk, their food intake increased day by day, and their digestive ability was enhanced, so the mother pigeons frequently fed the young pigeons, sometimes as many as 10 times a day. Therefore, providing higher nutrition for female pigeons can increase the consumption of beans, and the food intake of female pigeons will also increase a lot during the brooding period, which is about 1 times more than that of non-brooding pigeons. Pigeons eat more and excrete more feces, which is easy to pollute the nest. They should prepare more clean linen and change it in time, because pigeons have poor physical resistance and are most likely to get sick at this time.

Pigeons should wear anklets when they are 1 week old. The anklet is the pigeon's ID card. The anklet of the homing pigeon indicates the place of origin and date of birth. The anklets of meat pigeons are mostly replaced by wing numbers, which are printed with numbers to mark the time of birth and distinguish sister pigeons.

Pigeons grow to 10 days, and new feathers grow a lot. At this time, the heat preservation time of the mother pigeon will gradually shorten. The food fed by the mother pigeon has also become semi-granular feed, and a few young pigeons have not fully adapted to it, and often have indigestion and snoring. In this case, you can give young pigeons some stomach-strengthening drugs such as yeast tablets to help digestion. 15-day-old pigeons are close to the mother pigeons, and the meat pigeons can reach 400 ~ 500 grams. Feathers are basically very long and can move freely, so they can be caught from the egg nest. A few days ago, I put a piece of 20×20 cm linen on the bottom of the cage, so that it can adapt slowly on the linen to avoid spraining the ankle. At this time, the young pigeons also need to be fed by the mother pigeons, and the feed fed by the mother pigeons is also granular, just like the feed they eat. Most pigeons have begun to lay eggs here, so leaving the nest will not affect the laying of eggs, but also increase the activity of young pigeons and strengthen their physique. A few female pigeons have no intention of feeding their young pigeons after laying eggs, so they should be artificially fed to ensure their normal growth. After 20 ~ 25 days, the young pigeons will move in the cage, but they can't peck themselves and still rely on the mother pigeons. Therefore, when it is hungry, it will touch the mother pigeon with its beak, or rub it with its body to find food. At this time, the mother pigeon will begin to force the young pigeon to live independently and act unwilling to take care of the young pigeon. In management, we should increase the supply of high-protein feed to meet the needs, but we should not put too much feed at a time to prevent the mother pigeons from eating too much and feeding the young pigeons too full. In addition, keep pigeon cages and nests clean. Pigeons can be listed in 20 ~ 25 days, generally about 23 days is appropriate, because at this time, the ratio of meat to feed is the most cost-effective and the weight is appropriate. Pigeons for breeding can continue to stay with the mother pigeons, and when they can live independently for 28-30 days, they should be caught in time to rest and prepare for breeding. Pigeons who start to leave their mother pigeons should try to provide fine-grained and good-quality feed. After a day or two, pigeons can feed themselves.

2. Feed management of breeding pigeons

Pigeons that stay to breed are young pigeons until they leave the nest and mature sexually. When pigeons first moved to a new pigeon house, some of them did not adapt to the new environment, were emotionally unstable and did not think about eating. But don't worry, let it starve for a few hours to more than ten hours. When other pigeons get food in the feed trough, they will follow to find food. Because pigeons have to adapt to the new environment, their physical functions have also changed a lot. If it is not properly managed, it is easy to cause growth retardation or illness and death. Therefore, we must take care of it. First of all, we should pay attention to keep warm to prevent colds. The position of feed trough and water trough should not be too high, and fine granular feed should be supplied. A multivitamin B aqueous solution should be added to drinking water. Attention should be paid to ventilation to prevent mosquitoes in hot weather and thieves in cold weather. It's best to keep warm with infrared light bulbs or thermal umbrellas at night. After half a month, pigeons have a certain adaptability to the environment. At this time, they can provide food according to the pigeon's feed and healthy sand formula, or they can take a bath and go to the sports ground to bask in the sun to enhance the pigeon's physique. Pigeons begin to molt about 2 months old, and the energy feed in the feed formula can be appropriately increased, accounting for 85% ~ 90%, and the amount of hemp seed can be increased to 5% ~ 6%, which promotes feather renewal. Chinese herbal medicines, such as andrographis paniculata and gentian, are properly added to health sand, and antibiotics are added to drinking water in a planned way to prevent respiratory diseases and paratyphoid fever. 3-month-old pigeons show secondary sexual characteristics and their mobility is getting stronger and stronger. At this time, the pigeons can be raised separately, and the pigeons are repelling insects to ensure the normal growth and development of the pigeons.

Pigeons aged 3 ~ 5 months should pay attention to the supply of feed, and should not constantly improve the nutritional level and intake of feed in pursuit of pigeon weight to prevent pigeons from being overweight and precocious. It is advisable to feed it 2 ~ 3 times a day, and the supply should not be too much each time, and it will be eaten in about half an hour. Take the feeding trough away or turn it upside down after eating, so as to prevent the feeding trough from being polluted by feces. The supply of health care sand should be sufficient, 1 ~ 2 times a day, and the dosage of each sand is 3 ~ 4g per day. There is no need to supplement feed and increase light at night.

Six, pigeon feed and sanitary sand

1. Choosing feed according to different kinds, ages, uses and different requirements for nutrition at different growth stages of pigeons and reasonable collocation can complement each other and improve the nutritional value of feed. Introduced the feed formula of some pigeon farms at home and abroad (%):

(1) Guangdong pigeon farm formula: rice 40, peas (wheat beans, bamboo beans, mung beans or miscellaneous beans) 30, corn 20, wheat 10.

(2) The formula of Shenzhen Shahe Pigeon Farm: corn 35, pea 26, mung bean 6, wheat 12, sorghum 12, rice 6 and hemp seed 3.

(3) The formula of Hong Kong pigeon farm: corn 30, brown rice 20, wheat 10, sorghum 10, mung bean 15, pea 10 and hemp seed 5.

(4) Formula of some pigeon farms in the United States: winter formula: corn 35, peas 20, wheat 25 and sorghum 20; Summer formula: corn 25, peas 30, wheat 22, sorghum 23.

2. Formula of pigeon health sand

The main function of healthy sand is to supplement mineral feed (%). The formula is as follows:

(1) oyster shell powder 40, fine sand 30, red soil or yellow mud 20, charcoal powder 5 and salt 0.5.

(2) Yellow mud 30, sand 25, shell powder 15, gypsum 5, lime 5, charcoal powder 5, bone powder 5 and salt 0.5.

(3) Yellow mud 30, shell powder 35, sand 25, charcoal powder 6, salt 0.3, Radix Gentianae and Radix Glycyrrhizae 1.

(4) Shell powder 40, coarse sand 35, charcoal 10, bone powder 5, limestone 5, salt 0.4 and red soil 1. According to the above formula, the prepared raw materials are dried or dried, crushed and mixed evenly before use; Or add a little water, make it into a ball and dry it for later use. Put the healthy sand in the healthy sand jar and allow it to be eaten freely. Need to be quantified regularly. Feed 2 to 3 times a day.