How to Raise Pigeons? Breeding Methods and Key Technical Points

I think everyone is very familiar with pigeons. We can often see flocks of pigeons flying in the sky, or flocks of pigeons playing in the square. Through the taming of their keepers, after they fly out to play, they will find their way home when they hear the keeper's call.

Feeding and Management Techniques for Squabs  

Squabs are the young pigeons from hatching until they leave the nest for sale or before breeding. During this period, the squabs are fed by their parent pigeons (breeding pigeons). According to observations, within 7 days of hatching, the parent pigeons feed the squabs with whole crop milk (called pigeon milk, from thin to thick), and after 7 days they feed a mixture of crop milk and feed, gradually switching to whole grains. If the parent pigeons are healthy and have good feeding performance, the squabs grow very quickly; generally, by 18-20 days they can reach a weight of 1-1.2 jin, at which point they can be sold. If they meet the selection requirements, they are raised for another 10-15 days, and when the squabs' feathers are full and they can eat on their own, they can leave the nest for breeding and live in a flock.  

Feeding and Management Techniques for Young Pigeons  

Squabs selected as breeding stock are called young pigeons from the time they leave the nest until they reach sexual maturity and are paired. The purpose of raising young pigeons is to obtain a good reserve breeding flock, in order to expand production and to replenish and renew the breeding flock at any time.  

Feed for young pigeons with larger grains (such as broad beans, corn, etc.) is best ground into small pieces first, then soaked in clean water, dried, and only then fed to them. A suitable amount of salt or compound vitamin B1 can be added to the drinking water.  

Young pigeons begin molting at around 50 days, and at this time they are relatively sensitive to the influence of the external environment and are prone to catching colds, which can cause colds and bronchitis, so cold protection and warmth maintenance work must be done well.  

When young pigeons reach 3 months of age, their activity ability and adaptability become stronger and stronger, and they gradually enter a stable growth period. At this time, the first deworming and selection of the best while culling the inferior can be carried out for the flock.  

When young pigeons reach 6-7 months of age, they have entered maturity and can be paired for production. Before pairing, another round of selecting the best and culling the inferior as well as deworming must be carried out. Pigeons are birds that live in “monogamous” pairs. Adult pigeons are selective about their mates, and after pairing they are devoted to their partner, unlike chickens or other poultry that mate and pair indiscriminately.  

Feeding and Management Techniques for Production Pigeons  

Pigeons that have been paired and put into production are called production pigeons, often referred to as laying pigeons.  

1. Feeding and management techniques during the newly paired period: For newly paired laying pigeons kept in cages, patrol several times a day during the first few days after initial pairing to observe whether they get along well. If the pairing is appropriate, generally after 2-3 days a pair of pigeons will get along harmoniously; if after pairing they still do not get along and often fight after 4-5 days, it indicates that this pair is not suitably matched, or both are male pigeons, or although one is male and one is female they are unwilling to pair, and at this time they should be re-paired promptly. 

2. Feeding and management techniques during the egg-sitting period: Newly paired laying pigeons begin laying eggs after they get along with each other, become familiar with their cage, and settle into life, so nest bowls with nesting straw should be laid out for the laying pigeons early, and egg-laying records should be kept well.  

3. Feeding and management techniques during the brooding period: Under normal circumstances, 2 hours after the squabs hatch, the parent pigeons will mouth-to-mouth pass air to the squabs, so that the squabs adapt to being fed pigeon milk; after another 2 hours, the parent pigeons feed the squabs very thin pigeon milk. During this stage, pay attention to observing whether the parent pigeons feed the squabs. If it is found that the parent pigeons do not feed the squabs, carefully determine whether the parent pigeons are sick or whether manual measures should be taken to train the parent pigeons to feed the squabs.  

Feed Formulation and Health Grit Formula  

1. Feed formulation: When formulating feed, try to achieve as much variety as possible and avoid being too monotonous, because multiple feeds mixed together play a role in complementing each other nutritionally, which is beneficial for improving the pigeons' vitality or reproductive capacity. During the brooding period, breeding pigeons should adopt the following daily ration formula: (for reference) corn 40%, wheat 30%, peas (mung beans) 20%, brown rice 10%.  

2. Health grit formula: Supplying sufficient health grit is very important for raising pigeons well, especially cage-raised pigeons. During the brooding period, breeding pigeons should adopt the following formula: (for reference)  

Methionine 0.3%, lysine 0.6%, Andrographis paniculata 0.5%, gentian 0.6%  

Iron powder 0.5%, alum 1%, multivitamins 1%, trace elements 1%  

Charcoal powder 4%, salt 4%, aged gypsum 6%, bone meal 10%  

Yellow mud 10%, shell powder 25%, medium-coarse sand 35%      

From the above introduction, we can see that there are many types of pigeons, and the more common ones are young pigeons, production pigeons, squabs, and so on. Although they are all pigeons, their feeding methods and management techniques are different, so before breeding, keepers should first understand the living habits of each type of pigeon.