How to Raise Parent Pigeons? A Full Analysis of Scientific Breeding Methods

Strengthen the breeding management of parent pigeons to increase egg production and fertilization rates. Below is an introduction to the problems and practices encountered in the breeding management of parent pigeons during the laying and brooding periods. 1. Prevent pigeons from laying unfertilized eggs, soft-shelled eggs and deformed eggs. In the early stage of laying, the number of unfertilized eggs will be somewhat higher, but the fertilization rate should still reach above 70%. Below this rate is abnormal, and you should check whether the pairing of the pigeons is reasonable, whether there are cases of all-male or all-female pairs, and whether health grit is supplied according to the formula and requirements. ⟦4 <p>Strengthen the breeding management of parent pigeons to increase egg production and fertilization rates. Below is an introduction to the problems and practices encountered in the breeding management of parent pigeons during the laying and brooding periods.&nbsp;</p><p></p><p>1. Prevent pigeons from laying unfertilized eggs, soft-shelled eggs and deformed eggs&nbsp;</p><p>In the early stage of laying, the number of unfertilized eggs will be somewhat higher, but the fertilization rate should still reach above 70%. Below this rate is abnormal, and you should check whether the pairing of the pigeons is reasonable, whether there are cases of all-male or all-female pairs, and whether health grit is supplied according to the formula and requirements.&nbsp;</p><p>2. Minimize broken eggs&nbsp;</p><p>There are many causes of broken eggs: first, the structure of the nest bowl is unsuitable, with no bedding material or a bottom that is too flat, so the pigeon eggs are not gathered together and are easily trampled and broken by the parent pigeons; second, the two pigeons are not compatible, especially newly paired pigeons, which often peck at each other and jump around, causing the eggs to be trampled and broken; third, disturbance by strangers and carelessness by the keeper, which frightens the pigeons and causes them to trample and break the eggs; fourth, the pigeons are too heavy in body weight, and combined with an improper nest position, they often trample and break the eggs; fifth, after the laying nest is taken down and cleaned, it is not put back in time, so the pigeons lay their eggs on the cage bottom and floor, where they break or are trampled; sixth, pigeons eat the eggs because they lack certain elements in their bodies. Necessary breeding management measures should be taken to address the above causes.&nbsp;</p><p>3. Candling eggs on schedule and promptly handling bad eggs&nbsp;</p><p>Candle the eggs on the fifth and tenth days of incubation. Clear eggs (unfertilized eggs), red-root eggs (dead germ eggs) and dead embryo eggs (rotten eggs) should be removed in time to prevent the eggs from rotting and affecting normally developing eggs and the health of the parent pigeons. If a low fertilization rate and a high dead embryo rate are found, the causes should be identified promptly, the management system improved, and the productivity of the parent pigeons raised.&nbsp;</p><p>4. Rational feeding&nbsp;</p><p>Breeding pigeons during the brooding period eat more and more as the squabs grow older, and feeding should be supplemented 2-3 times a day. For pigeons not in the brooding period, that is, during incubation and the early pre-laying period, supplementary feed is not necessary, but each feeding should let the pigeons eat their fill, so as not to affect the formation of eggs and sperm due to lack of nutrition.&nbsp;</p><p>5. Keep the nest bowl warm and clean&nbsp;</p><p>After the squabs are born, attention should be paid to keeping them warm and preventing attacks by drafts. The nest bowl should be kept clean and warm. When the squabs are about 10 days old and their bodies have grown, if the nest bowl is rather small, it will seem crowded and they may even fall out. At this time, the squabs can be moved to another nest bowl, or at 13 days of age they can be taken from the nest bowl and placed on burlap at the bottom of the cage. In this way, the parent pigeons can lay the next clutch of eggs in peace without disturbance.&nbsp;</p><p>6. Carry out retaining for breeding and marketing on schedule&nbsp;</p><p>Squabs 20-25 days old can be marketed for sale, and pigeons retained for breeding should be taken from the parent pigeons at 1 month of age to reduce the burden on the parent pigeons.&nbsp;</p><p>7. Do a good job of registration and statistics&nbsp;</p><p>Keep good records of the production of the parent pigeons, and use statistics and summaries to grasp the production situation.&nbsp;</p><p>8. Strengthen breeding management during the molting period&nbsp;</p><p>Parent pigeons molt every year in late summer and early autumn, and the process lasts 1-2 months. Some pigeons stop production during molting, but better breeds are little affected in production during molting. If the pigeons generally stop production during molting, the protein content of the feed can be lowered and the amount fed reduced, to prompt the flock to complete molting as quickly as possible in a short time. After molting, the full supply of feed should be restored in time, and the nutritional level of the feed maintained or raised, to promote the breeding pigeons to lay eggs as soon as possible. During the molting period, the flock can be adjusted: cull breeding pigeons with poor production performance, weak and sickly ones, and old ones that lay little; and supplement fine breeding pigeons. At the same time, carry out a comprehensive cleaning and disinfection of the pigeon cages and the environment inside and outside the pigeon house, creating a fresh production environment.&nbsp;</p><p>9. Ensure the safety of the parent pigeons&nbsp;</p><p>Cats and rats are the natural enemies of pigeons; rats eat squabs and pigeon eggs. When cats enter the pigeon house, they disturb the pigeons' incubation and normal activity. Therefore, the pigeon house should prevent the invasion of cats and rats, enclosing the pigeon loft well with wire mesh or bamboo strips. In places with many rats, wire can be strung around the pigeon house at a height of 5 cm from the ground, electrified at night, to electrocute the rats invading the pigeon house (but attention should be paid to the safety of the workers).&nbsp;</p><p>10. Pay attention to epidemic prevention work&nbsp;</p><p>Prevent wild birds and other poultry from entering the pigeon house, to prevent the occurrence of disease outbreaks.&nbsp;</p>