Key Points of Squab Breeding Technology: What Feed Do Squabs Eat?

Pigeons are a very common bird in our lives, and our country has a very long history of raising pigeons. Moreover, pigeon breeding, as a rising industry, can bring people very considerable economic benefits. There are many kinds of pigeons, but squab refers to the young pigeon within one month of age, from hatching to sale or retention for breeding. So what breeding techniques are there for this kind of young pigeon?

Squab Breeding Technology

1. Observe carefully: If the parent pigeons still do not feed the squab 5-6 hours after it hatches, check and look for the reason. If the parent pigeon is sick, besides isolating it for treatment, the squab should also be taken out and placed with another nest; if the parent pigeon is raising young for the first time and does not know how to feed it, artificial induction should be used. The method is: gently place the mouth of the newborn squab into the mouth of the parent pigeon. After several inductions, the parent pigeon will learn.

2. Nutrition must be sufficient: Newborn squabs first cannot walk or feed themselves and rely entirely on the parent pigeons for rearing; second, they grow and develop rapidly and gain weight quickly. For this reason, the parent pigeons must be given nutritionally rich feed, especially more protein feed, and the number of feedings must be increased.

3. Temperature must be suitable: Newborn squabs have very short feathers and poor cold resistance. In cold winter, cold protection and warmth must be done well. When the house temperature is below 6 degrees C, warming facilities should be added; in hot summer, heat protection must be done. When the house temperature is above 26 degrees C, heat protection work should be done well.

4. Keep the nest and house clean and dry: Nest bowls and bedding straw contaminated by droppings and dampness should be replaced promptly. The house should be disinfected regularly, and the interior should be kept clean and dry to keep away disease outbreaks.

5. Pay attention to providing health grit: To ensure the health of squabs and increase their market weight, health grit should be provided to the squabs on time every day to increase trace elements and vitamin content and prevent indigestion in squabs.

6. Grasp the market time: According to market demand, they can generally be marketed (or purchased) at 20-25 days of age. According to practice, marketing at around 23 days of age gives the most cost-effective meat-to-feed ratio. Squabs kept for breeding must be around 30 days of age, and can only be taken away from the parent pigeons when they can live independently.

What Feed Do Squabs Eat

1. Spring

Disease prevention work should be done well for pigeons. In addition to preparing nutritionally rich food for pigeons, necessary medicines also need to be prepared to help kill pathogens around the pigeons. For example, keepers can feed pigeons garlic water, and simmer deworming medicine for pigeons into a soup and then feed it to the pigeons, to prevent the pigeons from being harmed by disease.

2. Summer

Because temperatures rise, food and water are extremely prone to spoiling. The most common disease at this stage is intestinal disease. Overall, in summer, change the water frequently for pigeons, let them bathe more, check the feed more, feed more rice and corn, with added rapeseed, increase the amount of mung beans every noon, and add a little Chinese medicine to the culture soil. For example: gentian, licorice, Andrographis paniculata, and so on, to enhance the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying.

3. Autumn

It is the main season for pigeons to compete, so the dietary management of pigeons should also be strengthened. Keepers should increase the nutritional content of the feed and can appropriately add oily foods, such as hemp seeds and peanuts, to supplement energy. On rainy days, add some oxytetracycline tablets to the water to prevent virus invasion after fatigue.

4. Winter

It is the best time for people and animals to rest and recuperate. Many diseases and stubborn illnesses can improve significantly the following year through timely and appropriate tonics in winter. In winter, some medium-to-high-grade feed can be prepared for pigeons, and every morning an appropriate amount of honey or cod liver oil emulsion, etc., can be added to the drinking water so the pigeons can drink freely.

How to Make Pigeons Reproduce Quickly

1. Pairing period: Mature pigeons are paired male and female according to the keeper's purpose and locked in a pigeon cage so they develop feelings and mate and lay eggs. This period is the pairing period. Most pigeons can develop feelings during the pairing period and become a loving “couple”, living together, producing together, and never separating. This stage lasts about 10-12 days.

2. Incubation period: This is the process after male and female pigeons are successfully paired, in which the two mate and lay fertilized eggs, then take turns incubating, lasting about 17-18 days. The brooding period is the stage from the birth of the squab until it can live independently. After the squab is born, the male and female pigeons produce pigeon milk, jointly care for the squab, and take turns feeding it. During this period, the pigeons begin mating again, and after the squab is 2-3 weeks old, they lay another clutch of eggs. This stage requires 20-30 days.

3. Brooding period: From birth to full development, squabs need 4 months, and some early-maturing varieties only 3 months. At this time, the pigeon has all the characteristics of a mature pigeon, will go into heat, mate, and has reproductive capacity. However, it is inappropriate for pigeons that have just approached maturity to be paired for breeding. They should wait until fully mature before being paired for production.

How to Make Pigeons Pair Quickly

1. Pairing cage: First, a pairing cage can be purchased, and the male and female pigeons can be placed together for raising. If the male and female pigeons are emotionally unstable, they can first be raised in separate compartments, and once they are more familiar with the new environment, they can be put together.

2. Choose the season: Pairing male and female pigeons is also greatly related to the season. Generally speaking, spring is the easiest time to succeed, while winter is the most difficult, so try to promote breeding in spring. Doing warmth protection measures for the pigeon house in autumn and winter can avoid the influence of the season.

3. Feed well: If you want pigeons to mate as quickly as possible, consider feeding chopped scallions or hemp seeds, and try to avoid injecting medicines, because they have certain side effects.

As mentioned above, the methods of raising pigeons are not very difficult, but relatively cumbersome. Therefore, if you are a beginner in breeding, it is best not to raise too many at once at the beginning. It is best to gradually increase the number according to your own breeding experience.