How to Raise Fancy Pigeons? A Detailed Explanation of Key Breeding Techniques

Fancy pigeons, as the name suggests, are a type of pigeon raised specifically for people to admire. In recent years, the fancy pigeon breeding industry has gradually emerged, because many people like pigeons, and market demand has brought relatively considerable profits. However, many people also encounter quite a few problems during the breeding process, most of which are caused by breeders using incorrect breeding methods.

How to Raise Fancy Pigeons

1. First is the food for feeding the pigeons; miscellaneous grains are sufficient. Common miscellaneous grains include: wheat, corn, mung beans and peanut kernels, etc.

2. In addition to daily miscellaneous grains, we should also feed the pigeons some green vegetables or leafy vegetables such as cabbage, and it is best to include some minerals in the feed.

3. Choosing the location of the pigeon loft also requires knowledge; it must be in a place with ample sunlight and protection from wind, and it must be dry, and attention must also be paid to sneak attacks by rats, snakes and cats. Many divided perching racks must be placed inside the pigeon loft to prevent the pigeons from fighting each other and fighting over territory.

4. Furthermore, pigeons are clean-loving animals, so the pigeon loft should be cleaned frequently in normal times; in summer at least twice a week, and in winter at least once a week.

5. Also, if raising pigeons in large batches, the initial investment will be very large; you need to buy high-quality breeding pigeons, breed and feed them yourself, and the later investment will naturally be relatively smaller.

6. Also, what needs attention in raising pigeons is the hygiene and disinfection of the pigeons; it is best to vaccinate them, so as to avoid the whole flock of pigeons getting sick together.

Fancy Pigeon Breeding Techniques

1. Nutrition must be sufficient: Newly hatched fancy pigeons, first, cannot walk or feed themselves and rely entirely on their parent pigeons for nursing; second, they grow and develop rapidly and gain weight quickly. For this reason, the parent pigeons must be given nutrient-rich feed, especially increased protein feed, and the number of feedings must be increased.

2. The temperature must be suitable: Newly hatched fancy pigeons have very short feathers and poor cold resistance, so in cold winter seasons good cold protection and insulation work must be done; when the coop temperature is below 6 degrees C, insulation facilities must be added; in hot summer seasons heat protection is needed; when the coop temperature is above 26 degrees C, good heat protection work must be done.

3. Swap the positions of the fancy pigeons: To avoid one fancy pigeon in a clutch being large and the other small, with a great difference in individual development, the method of swapping positions and balancing care must be adopted. The specific practice is, before the 6-7 day old fancy pigeons can stand, swap the positions of the two fancy pigeons in the same clutch once every 2-3 days, so that they can receive balanced care from the breeding pigeons.

4. Pay attention to supplying health sand: To ensure the health of the fancy pigeons and increase the market weight of the fancy pigeons, health sand must be supplied to the fancy pigeons on time every day, to increase trace element and vitamin content and prevent fancy pigeons from developing indigestion.

5. Keep the nest and coop clean and dry: Nest bowls and bedding straw contaminated by manure and damp must be replaced promptly, the coop must be disinfected regularly, and the coop must be kept clean and dry, so as to keep away the occurrence of disease.

Common Pigeon Diseases and Their Prevention and Treatment

1. Pigeon paratyphoid: The pathogen is Salmonella, with an intestinal type, manifesting symptoms of diarrhea, passing green or watery droppings. There is a septicemic type, manifesting as acute death. The joint type manifests as inflammation and swelling of the leg joints and wing joints.

Prevention and treatment: Use chloramphenicol, adding 50 grams per 50 kilograms of feed, for 3 consecutive days; it is forbidden for laying breeding pigeons; norfloxacin can also be used for prevention and treatment, adding 12 grams per 50 kilograms of feed, for 5 consecutive days; sulfonamide drugs can also be used for prevention and treatment. Generally, 2-3 courses of treatment are required.

2. Pigeon ascariasis: This disease is a common parasitic helminth disease, especially common in pigeons kept in groups and in flocks that often come into contact with the ground. When mildly infected there are no obvious symptoms; when severely infected the sick pigeons are thin and weak, feather growth is poor, digestion and absorption are impaired, constipation and diarrhea alternate, pica is common, and occasionally convulsions and head tilting and neck twisting can be seen, finally dying of exhaustion.

Prevention and treatment: Doing a good job of environmental hygiene inside and outside the pigeon breeding coop, frequently removing manure and carrying out harmless disposal, and conducting regular deworming are effective measures to prevent this disease. Commonly used deworming drugs include piperazine, levamisole hydrochloride, albendazole, phenothiazine, etc.

What Problems Need Attention When Breeding Pigeons

1. Pay attention to breed quality.

Whether the breeding pigeons used for production are excellent is a prerequisite for every pigeon breeding enterprise and is the foundation of a pigeon farm. Excellent breeding pigeons have relatively high immunity, disease resistance, fertility, hatchability and survival rate, and squabs grow quickly, reaching more than 500 grams by 25 days of age. If they are inferior breeding pigeons, then the situation is different, and economic benefits are out of the question.

2. Pay attention to feeding techniques.

Feeding and management techniques are the key to the success or failure of the pigeon breeding industry. Whether it is an existing pigeon farm or a newly established pigeon farm, if it lacks feeding knowledge and techniques, cannot update scientific technology, and adopts traditional backward feeding methods, then even if it has excellent breeding pigeons, it cannot produce benefits.

3. Pay attention to market risk.

At present there is a large gap in the squab market, with supply falling short of demand, but it is wrong to say there is no market risk. The squab consumer market, whether domestic or foreign, has a demand standard. High-quality squabs entering the market will certainly sell well, but if inferior squabs do not meet quality standards, then market risk will inevitably exist.

We all know that pigeons are an animal that belongs to self-breeding and self-raising, and they hold a very large market domestically, so raising pigeons well can bring very good benefits. However, breeding requires attention to problems such as breed and techniques, and only when these reach high quality can the benefits be higher.