What are the common feeds used in meat pigeon farming?

1. Energy feed

(1) Corn: high in calories, low in fiber, highly adaptable, easy to digest and absorb, and high-yielding and cheap, it is known as the “king of feed.” Yellow corn is rich in carotene and is a good source of vitamin A, but after storage the vitamin A content decreases by as much as 30%. Its inclusion in pigeon diets can reach 30%-60%. In summer the proportion used can be smaller; in winter the proportion can be larger.

(2) Wheat: also relatively high in calories, with much protein, and its amino acid composition is more complete than that of other grains. It is also richer in B vitamins, so its nutritional value is relatively high, and it is an important feed for pigeons. Its inclusion in the diet is 10%-30%.

(3) Barley: lower in calories than wheat and rich in B vitamins, but its husk is hard and it is not easy to digest. Used in small amounts, it can increase the variety of feeds in the diet and help balance nutrients. About 10% can be used in the diet.

(4) Paddy rice: lower in calories than corn and wheat, with a protein content similar to that of wheat. In the south, it can reach 10%-20% of the diet.

(5) Sorghum: slightly higher in protein and also lower in calories, but sorghum grains are small and suitable for feeding pigeons, especially squabs. The amount used in winter is 15%, and in summer it can reach 35%-40%.

The above energy feeds all belong to cereal grains. Their nutritional characteristics are a high nitrogen-free extract content, accounting for 70%-80% of the matter, so they are high in calories, with metabolizable energy of 8.36-14.63 megajoules per kilogram. Their protein content is not high, ranging from 8%-11%, and the protein quality is poor, generally lacking essential amino acids such as lysine, methionine, and tryptophan. Among the grains mentioned above, paddy rice and barley contain relatively more lysine, at 0.55% and 0.52% respectively; they lack calcium, generally below 0.1%; they lack vitamins A and D, but yellow corn contains a small amount of carotene; B vitamin content is generally fairly rich, but riboflavin content still cannot meet the needs of pigeon growth and development.

2. Protein feed

(1) Plant protein feed. The plant protein feed for pigeons is mainly legume seeds, such as peas, mung beans, broad beans, soybeans, red beans, adzuki beans, black beans, bamboo beans, pigeon peas, and hemp seeds, etc. Their nutritional characteristics are: protein content is higher than that of cereal grains, generally between 20%-40%, and protein quality is good, especially rich in lysine and methionine, which are lacking in plant proteins. When used together with cereal grains, their amino acids can play a complementary role, thereby improving the utilization rate of protein in the feed. Nitrogen-free extract content is lower than that of cereal grains. A few types, such as large beans and hemp seeds, have higher fat content, so their calories are all lower than those of cereal grains. In terms of minerals and vitamins, they are roughly similar to cereal grains, though in vitamin B2 and B1 content some are slightly higher than cereal grains, but they are not top-grade; calcium content is slightly higher, but the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio is inappropriate, with more phosphorus than calcium, making it unsuitable for utilization.

The proportions of several important plant protein feeds in the diet are as follows: peas are an important protein source and can be used at 20%-40%; mung beans have the function of clearing heat and detoxifying, and some can be added in hot summer, generally at 5%-8%; broad beans have more crude fiber and larger grains, and after crushing into small pieces, the amount used is 10%-25%; soybean protein is outstanding among plant proteins, not only with a protein content as high as 41.7%, but also with a reasonable amino acid composition, only slightly lacking in methionine; soybeans have relatively high fat content and very high nutritional value, and the amount used can be 2%-10%. Before use, they must be treated at high temperature (stir-fried or boiled); hemp seeds can have a protein content of up to 34%, and the amount used can reach 3%-6%.

(2) Animal protein feed. The characteristics of this type of feed are high protein content and an ideal amino acid composition, so its biological value is high; it is rich in minerals such as calcium and phosphorus, with an appropriate ratio, and is easy to digest and absorb; therefore, it is a good protein supplement feed for pigeons. It mainly includes fish meal, meat meal, silkworm pupa meal, earthworm meal, etc. This type of feed is not yet common at present, because of traditional habits and also because it affects the taste of pigeon meat.

3. Mineral feed. It mainly includes bone meal, shell meal or clam shell meal, limestone, calcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, salt, red iron oxide, etc. Its role is mainly to supplement mineral elements such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, chlorine, sulfur, iron, copper, cobalt, zinc, and manganese; these substances are especially important for caged pigeons.

4. Additive feed

(1) Nutritional additives. Their purpose is to supplement micronutrients and improve the nutritional level and utilization rate of the feed. There are generally three major categories: Amino acid additives. They can improve the types, quantities, and proportions of amino acids in protein and increase the biological value of dietary protein. At present, the two commonly used in China are lysine and methionine.

Vitamin additives. At present, small and medium-sized pigeon farms in China mostly use raw grain for feeding; this will inevitably cause a deficiency or lack of certain vitamins. This can be met by supplementing vitamin additives. In addition, when pigeons are transported, moved between groups, vaccinated, or disturbed by external factors, they will produce stress reactions, which reduce disease resistance and cause disease. Multivitamins can be supplemented through drinking water to resist stress. Such as Subu-14, Subu-20, Qiangli Duowei, poultry multivitamins, vitamin AD powder, cod liver oil, and so on.

Trace element additives. For caged or wire-floor-raised pigeon flocks, trace element deficiency is easily caused, and attention should be paid to supplementation.

(2) Non-nutritional additives. There are generally the following types:

Health-promoting and growth-promoting additives: including antibiotics and various medicinal health-care types (such as sulfonamide drugs, furan drugs, deworming drugs, and Chinese herbal medicines, etc.). The role of this type of additive is to stimulate pigeon growth, improve the pigeon's ability to utilize feed, and prevent and treat disease, ensuring healthy growth of pigeons. The method of use can be through drinking water or health sand, or directly by mouth or injection.

Feed preservation additives: mainly some antioxidants and preservatives, used for the preservation of compound feed or health sand. Prepared pellet feed and health sand are large in quantity and cannot be used up in a short time. Preservatives can be added to prevent mildew and oxidation damage to effective additive components, thereby reducing their feeding value and nutritional value.

Appetite-enhancing and quality-improving additives: appetite enhancers use monosodium glutamate, certain spices (such as lemon oil, butyric acid, lactic acid monobutyrin, ethyl lactate, scallion oil mother, etc.) and various appetizers (such as nux vomica, betel nut, mustard seed, fennel oil, etc.) to improve appetite. The main quality improver is colorants, used for two purposes: first, by coloring the feed to stimulate the senses and improve appetite; second, through the body's absorption of the colorant to improve the color tone of the pigeon carcass. Since purchasing requires squab skin to be white or gray, there is no need to add colorants to the feed.