Methods of Pigeon Conservation and Scientific pairing to prevent inbreeding

pigeons

In recent years, meat pigeon production has developed rapidly. However, due to insufficient attention to seed conservation and purification and rejuvenation of improved pigeons, the inbreeding phenomenon of core population is serious, germplasm degradation is obvious, and product quality is declining. The main manifestations are: the first is productivity decline, the second is late hatching dead embryos, and the third is disease resistance decline. Therefore, after selecting and determining a fine breed as the core group of breeding pigeons, on the basis of artificial incubation technology, we must do a good job in seed conservation and purification and rejuvenation.

1. Seed preservation and purification method

Take the American white pigeon as an example, its measures have the following aspects:

1. The parents lay 3 pairs of eggs per month, and the descendants of high-yielding parents with a litter cycle of less than 35 days are reserved for seed use;

2. Select reserve breeding pigeons with 30-day-old weight, female pigeons with more than 550 grams and male pigeons with more than 600 grams, and keep them for breeding;

3. The whole core population is divided into two groups A and B. The male pigeons of the offspring of group A are matched with the female pigeons of the offspring of group B, and the male pigeons of the offspring of group B are matched with the female pigeons of the offspring of group A to prevent close relatives.

4. The above work must be recorded and the cage number established.

pigeons

II. Scientific pairing method

(1) Estrus of pigeons

When pigeons grow to 3 - 4 months of age, they begin to appear secondary sexual characteristics, called pigeon estrus. Its performance is abnormal active dial, mood is extremely unstable, chase each other, fight, and issue a louder than usual "purr a purr" cry. Pigeons enter estrus, will choose their own mate and reproduce offspring, this is the natural reproduction method (or natural pairing method). Artificial breeding pigeons, do not advocate the use of natural breeding methods for reproduction. (Because it can lead to early mating, inbreeding, and mismating, resulting in pigeon breed degeneration.) Instead, artificial pairing should be used.

(2) Male and female grouping management

Pigeon mature after the emergence of secondary sexual characteristics, and reproductive capacity, in order to prevent early mating and good selection work, male and female pigeons should be raised separately management.

Male and female breeding is to separate the pigeons of 3-4 months old from each other and raise them in two different pens. After grouping, the pigeon pens should not be too large, with 50-100 pairs per pen, of which the male pigeon pens can be larger and the female pigeon pens can be smaller. Because male pigeons will chase each other after estrus, fighting; column is too small (that is, feeding density is too large) will peck or peck dead pigeons.

When grouping, whether it is the male pigeon pen or the female pigeon pen, it should be noted that the age difference cannot be too large, that is, the pigeons of the same age should be placed in one pen as far as possible to prevent the big bullying the small, the strong bullying the weak, resulting in the disability of the weak pigeons. In addition, the size is uneven and not easy to manage. In the distinction between male and female pigeons, it is impossible to be 100% accurate, it is inevitable that individual heterosexual pigeons mixed in the pigeon pen after grouping, so in the process of daily feeding management, we should observe at any time and anywhere, once found, immediately catch it, put it in the pigeon pen with its same sex. The performance of the opposite sex pigeons in the grouping pen is that a few cocks in the hen pen are particularly active and constantly chase the hens; while a few hens in the cock pen are often chased by several cocks, competed and fled everywhere, or pecked off their head feathers and skin. In addition, strange pigeons will also be besieged by pigeons. Therefore, in the first few days of group breeding, especially when pigeons are not originally in a pen, they should be observed frequently. If they find the phenomenon of siege, they should be immediately caught or scattered. When they become familiar with each other, this phenomenon will naturally disappear.

After the male and female pigeons are separated into columns, the breeding standards are formulated and the breeding is selected one by one according to the standards, and those pigeons with disabilities and poor development are eliminated.

pigeon breeding

(3) Preparation before pairing

After the separation of male and female pigeons, it is necessary to strengthen the breeding management work, and the following points should be noted:

One is to prevent too fat and too thin. As the saying goes,"chicken fat does not lay eggs," the same is true for pigeons, raised too fat, affecting the fertility of the pair. Male pigeons are overweight, sperm crystal is poor, sperm number is low or abnormal sperm is high; female pigeons are overweight, laying eggs is low or no eggs. If too thin, malnutrition, not only will cause growth and development, but also easy to cause nutritional diseases, sperm, egg production and formation is also unfavorable. Generally fed twice a day, feed intake to 89 into full is appropriate, feed mix should be reasonable, drinking water without restrictions, and bath once a week.

The second is to enhance the pigeon's disease resistance. Half a month before pairing, pigeons are fed antibiotics, such as erythromycin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, etc., to prevent infectious diseases, and to drive away internal and external parasites, such as levamisole or Quasitiling to drive out roundworms. At the last bath, appropriate amount of trichlorfon is added to the water to kill external parasites such as pigeon lice, pigeon flies and fleas.

Third, the disinfection of pigeon houses and cages, no matter what kind of pigeon houses, newly built, old houses reconstructed or courtyards, balconies, etc., should be thoroughly cleaned one week before entering pigeons, all tools such as pigeon cages, feeding troughs, sinks, health sand cups, etc. should be placed, and potassium permanganate plus formalin fumigation or caustic soda solution spraying should be used for comprehensive disinfection.

Pigeon pairing

(4) Matching method

Pigeon breeding to 6 months of age, body organs and sexual organs have fully developed mature, can be paired cage. Female and male pigeons produce feelings and lay eggs in about 10 days. Pigeon pairing can be done in two ways: one is natural pairing. That is, the pigeons in the flock are free to find their own partners, and they are paired in pairs.

The advantage of this pairing method is that it is simple and convenient, and does not cost labor. However, there are many shortcomings:

One is that pigeons lay two eggs at a time, hatching pigeons are mostly a male and a female, mature, may be matched into a pair of brothers and sisters, resulting in inbreeding.

Second, early mating is easy to occur, especially in some small pigeon farms, the number of young pigeons is not much, the young pigeons left from the parent pigeons are kept together, the age of the month is uneven, some pigeons are mature, some are not mature, and lead to premature mating.

Third, it causes differences in variety, body shape, weight, feathers and so on, which is unfavorable to obtain excellent offspring.

The second is artificial pairing. That is, using artificial methods, pigeons are deliberately paired. It can overcome all the shortcomings of natural pairing, but it requires a certain amount of manpower and time. Before pairing and caging, weight, age and health status should be checked. Meat pigeons meeting the standard requirements can be caged and recorded, and those unqualified can be eliminated. Caging method, that is, first put the male pigeons into the cage (can be arranged regularly according to species, feathers, etc.), after two or three days of male pigeons familiar with the environment, and then use the same method, the selected female pigeons into the cage. Pigeon farms or families that implement small group breeding can use this method to pair up the cage. After the cage is placed, the nest door can be closed. After the pairing is successful, the nest door can be opened to allow the parent pigeons to go out and get familiar with the environment and know their nest, so as to avoid fighting for nests.