How to raise meat pigeons

Meat pigeon is an ideal food with high protein and low fat, which can regulate heart, nourish blood and replenish qi. There is a great market demand for meat pigeons, and more and more people raise meat pigeons. So, how to raise meat pigeons?

1. Build a pigeon farm

Old houses can be used for reconstruction, or pigeon farms can be built. If it is newly built, it is better to have a brick or civil structure. Pigeon farms are generally single-row bungalows, with a floor height of 30 cents and 40 centimeters, with large red bricks or concrete as well. pigeon cages and equipment should be prepared inside the pigeon house, front and rear windows should be opened on the front and rear walls of the pigeon house, and a sports ground should be set up on the sunny side of the pigeon cottage. Net enclosure.

2. Select breeding pigeons

To choose individual weight, strong physique, eyes, iridescent clear, shiny feathers, wings and feet without deformity, keel straight but not twisted, chest wide and developed, strong feet, more eggs, good hatching rate, good lactation performance, strong protection, strong disease resistance to do breeding pigeons.

3. Feed feeding

Meat pigeon feed requires no mildew, non-toxic, and fixed quality and quantity. If it is a young pigeon, feed it 3-4 times a day, and if it is an egg-laying pigeon, feed it 2-3 times a day. Feed with grain as the main body, such as rice, corn, wheat, sorghum, peas, mung beans, etc., should also eat the right amount of salt every day, but also prepare adequate drinking water, fresh and clean vegetables.

4. Daily management

Pay attention to the hygiene of cages and drinking utensils every day, and wash and disinfect them on time. Give the pigeon a water bath 2 or 3 times a month, choose a sunny day with a warmer temperature at noon, and add 0.1% potassium permanganate solution to the bath water, which can make the pigeon clean and vigorous. The pigeon should be added or subtracted according to the change of temperature in each season to ensure that the pigeon's belly is warm and does not catch cold.

5. Paired reproduction

(1) pairing: pigeons are sexually mature at the age of 5-7 months. Young pigeons can be mixed and paired freely, or they can be caged regularly according to the breed, feather color and body weight of male pigeons, and the female pigeons can be paired in 2-3 days.

(2) Egg laying: the female pigeon usually begins to lay eggs 10 to 15 days after the pigeon is paired. It is necessary to put clean short straw, pine needles, etc., on the egg nest, generally laying two eggs in a row; generally, it can breed 7 nests a year, and those who give birth to a high litter can hold 9 to 10 nests and a maximum of 11 nests.

(3) hatching: hatching begins after laying eggs, and the incubation period is 18 days. Male and female pigeons take turns to hatch their eggs, preventing wind and rain from invading during the incubation period, and they should also pay attention to not leaving the belly feathers of their parent pigeons. Take out azoospermic eggs, dead embryo eggs and broken eggs in time when hatching for 4 days and 12 days.