Tips for raising pigeons well, and how much can you earn a year from raising a pair

Pigeons have extremely high nutritional value; they are both a rare delicacy and a premium tonic, long known by the saying “one pigeon beats nine chickens.” Many people eat them, and many people raise them. So, how can you raise pigeons well? How much can you earn a year from raising a pair?

1. How can you raise pigeons well?

1. Build a pigeon house

To raise pigeons, you first need to build a pigeon house. It can be built in a sunny, well-ventilated place with no natural enemies. It must be rainproof and moisture-proof, and the surrounding environment must not be noisy. Suitable temperature and humidity must be ensured; the temperature should be controlled between 14°C and 19°C, and the humidity should be controlled at around 60%, keeping the pigeon house warm in winter and cool in summer.

2. Place pigeon cages

Pigeons are highly competitive birds. If all the pigeons are kept together, they will fight over territory, which reduces the survival rate of the pigeons. Therefore, pigeon cages should be placed, and each cage can hold one pair of pigeons. A pigeon cage is roughly a 55cm cube, about 45cm above the ground, depending on the actual situation.

3. Feeding food

Pigeon feed is mainly based on coarse grains, such as wheat, buckwheat, sorghum, corn, peas, mung beans, hemp seed, peanut kernels, etc. Green feed such as leafy greens, cabbage, and wheat seedlings, as well as mineral feed, can also be provided. Feed twice a day: once at around 7 a.m., with the amount fed accounting for 1/3 of the daily ration, and once at around 4:30 p.m., with the amount fed accounting for 2/3 of the daily ration. Feeding must be done at fixed points and fixed times, and the pigeons must be fed after they return to the pigeon house, so that they form a conditioned reflex of having food when they return to the house.

4. Cleaning and disinfection

Pigeons are birds that love cleanliness very much. In summer and autumn, they should be given a water bath at least twice a week, and in winter, once a week. Great attention must be paid to the cleanliness and hygiene of the pigeon house, and the pigeon house must be cleaned frequently. If the pigeon house is very dirty, the pigeons will not enter it. Pay attention to the hygiene and disinfection of the pigeons, and they must be vaccinated. If they get sick, they should be isolated as soon as possible to avoid contagion.

2. How much can you earn a year from raising a pair of pigeons?

Each pair of breeding pigeons can produce 8 to 12 pairs of squabs per year. Squabs only need 25 to 30 days of feeding before they can be sold, and the average reproductive life of pigeons is 6 years (5 full years). Beyond that age, they are old pigeons. However, male pigeons have longer lifespans and reproductive lives than female pigeons. If an old male pigeon is mated with a young female pigeon, it can continue to breed for another 3 to 4 years, or even longer.

At the Honghu Pigeon Industry Professional Cooperative in Panji Village, Lixindian Town, Queshan County, person in charge Li Yinliang said that each pair of pigeons yields an annual income of 80 to 100 yuan. At the Shuli Meat Pigeon Breeding Professional Cooperative in Yulin Township, Mingshui County, chairwoman Ma Shuli did the accounts: a pair of breeding pigeons is bought for 200 yuan, hatches two young pigeons in one month, and after one month of growth they can be sold. After deducting all costs such as feed, epidemic prevention drugs, and labor, the profit is 20 yuan. If 10 pairs are bred, that is 200 yuan, and the annual net profit is 2,000 yuan.

The above is an introduction to the methods for raising pigeons well and the annual benefits of raising a pair of pigeons. We hope it is useful to everyone.