What are the methods for rapid breeding of pigeons?

Pigeons are a common poultry in our country, and pigeon farming has a long history in our country, and in recent years it has expanded even further. So, how do you make pigeons breed quickly? What are the precautions for pigeon breeding? Let us take a look together!

1. How to make pigeons breed quickly?

1. Pairing period

For pigeons that have already matured, according to the breeder's purpose, a male and a female should be paired up and kept in a pigeon cage, so that they develop feelings for each other and even mate and lay eggs. This period is the pairing period. Most pigeons can develop feelings during the pairing period and become a devoted “couple”, living together, producing together, and never separating. This stage lasts about 10-12 days. If during the pairing period the pigeons are found to be incompatible in temperament, they should be separated in time.

2. Egg incubation period

This is the process after the male and female pigeons have successfully paired, in which the two mate and lay fertilized eggs, and then take turns incubating them. This period lasts about 17-18 days. The brooding period is the stage from the birth of the squab until it can live independently. After the squab is born, the male and female pigeons produce pigeon milk accordingly, jointly care for the squab, and take turns feeding it. During this period, the pigeons begin to mate again, and after the squab is 2-3 weeks old, they lay another clutch of eggs. This stage requires 20-30 days.

3. Brooding period

From birth to full development, a squab needs 4 months, and some early-maturing breeds need only 3 months. At this time, the pigeon has all the characteristics of a mature pigeon, will go into heat, mate, and have reproductive capacity. However, it is inappropriate for pigeons that have just approached maturity to be paired for breeding. They should wait until they are fully mature before being paired for production.

2. Precautions for pigeon breeding

1. Avoid early pairing

Sexual maturity does not mean physical maturity. In order to avoid early pairing, young pigeons aged 3-4 months should be raised separately by sex. Generally, by 6 months of age, the body has developed sufficiently and can mate and breed normally. For a newly established pigeon farm, it is best to introduce young pigeons aged 3-4 months, with equal numbers of males and females, so that after reaching 6 months of age they can be paired purposefully.

2. Egg-laying management

Under normal conditions, pigeons lay 2 eggs in a row per clutch. Generally, the first egg is laid at noon or dusk on the first day, no egg is laid on the second day, and the second egg is laid after noon on the third day, with a time difference of 48 hours. Pigeon eggs are white, oval-shaped, and weigh about 15-20 grams.

3. Incubation management

Incubation mostly begins after every 2 eggs are laid, with the male and female taking turns sitting on the eggs. The incubation period is about 18 days. After 4-5 days, the first candling can be carried out. Hold the egg up to a bright light. If there are reddish-brown blood vessels inside the egg, evenly distributed, forming a spiderweb pattern, and the shape is stable, then it is a fertilized egg. On the tenth day of incubation, candle it again with light. If one side of the egg is found to be dark, while the other side forms a brighter empty area because the air cell has enlarged, then it is a normally developing egg. After about 18 days, the squab pecks through the shell and emerges.

4. Do a good job of disease prevention

Always check whether there is bedding straw in the nest bowl. When there is no bedding straw, it is easy for the breeding eggs to break and affect the hatching rate. At the same time, pay attention to the stability of the nest bowl and its fixed position. If the nest bowl is unstable, it is easy to damage or kill the young pigeons by dropping them. If the nest bowl is not fixed, it is also easy to cause breeding pigeons to enter by mistake and fight, affecting reproduction.

5. Feed nutrition

Only when the crude protein content is 18-20% can pigeons obtain sufficient nutrition and prepare rich pigeon milk for the birth of the squab. If it is found that pigeons lay 1 egg per clutch, or lay soft-shelled eggs and sand-shelled eggs, this is a problem of nutrition and health grit. The way to deal with it is to provide nutritionally rich feed and high-quality health grit.

The above is the little knowledge compiled by the editor on how to make pigeons breed quickly. I hope it can help you!