What Are the Annual Costs, Profits and Prospects of Raising Pigeons? Plus Squab Prices, Sexing Males and Females, and Breeding Techniques
Pigeon is the collective name for birds of the genus Columba in the family Columbidae, widely raised around the world. The pigeon we commonly refer to is just one species within the genus Columba, and it is the domestic pigeon; the most common of the domestic pigeons is the homing pigeon. So what are the annual costs, profits and prospects of raising pigeons now? How much does a squab cost? How do you tell males from females? What are the breeding methods? According to a pigeon farm in Shandong, different types of pigeons have different prices, ranging from a little over ten to several tens of yuan; the specific price should be based on the local market price.
What are the annual costs, profits and prospects of raising pigeons now?
Prospects:
There are many kinds of pigeons, roughly divided into three types: meat pigeons, homing pigeons and fancy pigeons, among which meat pigeons are the main breed raised. So the pigeons sold on the market today that can be eaten are also meat pigeons. Meat pigeons are highly nutritious; in particular, the meat of squabs is rich in protein, vitamins and trace elements, with protein content as high as 24.5%, while fat content is only 0.73%. Therefore, pigeon meat, as a low-fat, high-protein meat, is favored by more and more consumers.
With the development of our country's economy and the continuous improvement of Chinese people's living standards, the market demand for meat pigeons in our country has also risen year by year, which in turn has driven a steady rise in meat pigeon raising across the country and has also led to the rapid development of our country's meat pigeon industry. From 2000 to 2010, over 10 years, the market consumption of squabs increased from 50 million to as many as 600 million. At present, the average annual consumption of squabs in each of our country's cities is more than 1 million.
Costs and profits:
Taking the case of meat pigeon farming, a pair of meat pigeons consumes a basic daily grain weight of between 11 grams and 14 grams, and over a year of raising they need about 90 jin of feed, with feed calculated at 1.2 yuan per jin. They also need protective health measures: the health grit each year is calculated at 4 yuan, health products and vaccines at 3 yuan, and labor, water, electricity and office expenses at 17 yuan, so the cost per pair of meat pigeons is 134 yuan.
Calculating meat pigeons as producing 20 squabs per year, with a sale price of 12 yuan per squab, sales revenue is 240 yuan; subtracting the total cost of 134 yuan, the annual net profit per pair of meat pigeons is 106 yuan. Calculated on the standard of raising 500 meat pigeons, the net profit available each year is about 26,500 yuan.
How do you tell male pigeons from female pigeons?
1. Look at the navel. When squabs are 1 to 2 days out of the shell, look at the distance between the navel and the tail end. A longer distance means male; a shorter distance means female.
2. Look at the down. When squabs are 3 to 5 days out of the shell, look at the down on the top of the head and the neck. Pale yellow (light, like the yolk of a laying hen's egg) means male; dull yellow (dark, like the yolk of a free-range egg) means female. The author has observed this method for more than ten years, and its accuracy is above 70%.
3. Look at the anus. When squabs are 4 to 8 days out of the shell, look at the anus from the side. If the upper edge covers the lower edge, the two ends of the anal opening curl slightly upward, and the open anal opening is slightly hexagonal inside, it is male; if the lower edge covers the upper edge, the two ends of the anal opening bend slightly downward, and the open anal opening is slightly star-shaped inside, it is female. The author has not observed this method much.
4. Look at the uropygial gland. When squabs are 5 to 8 days out of the shell. If the tip of the uropygial gland is forked, it is male; if the tip of the uropygial gland is not forked, it is female.
5. Look at the true feathers. When squabs are 10 to 14 days out of the shell, if true feathers appear first on the cheeks of the head, it is male; if true feathers appear first on the top of the head, it is female.
6. Look at the breast feathers. When squabs are 25 to 30 days out of the shell, if the true feathers on the breast and neck are slightly metallic in luster and have no ring edges, it is male; if the true feathers on the breast and neck have no metallic luster and have ring edges, it is female.
7. Look at the flight feather edges. When squabs are 25 to 30 days out of the shell, if the ends of the 7th to 10th primary flight feathers are relatively pointed, it is male; if the ends of the 7th to 10th primary flight feathers are relatively round, it is female.
8. Look at the toes. After squabs are one month old, if the 2nd and 4th toes are of different lengths, it is male; if the 2nd and 4th toes are of the same length, it is female.
9. Look at mouth movement. After squabs are one month old, hold the pigeon's beak with your hand; if it does not smack its beak after being released, it is male; if it smacks its beak, it is female. This method has relatively high accuracy.
Appendix: Pigeon breeding techniques
1. Pigeon feed is mainly miscellaneous grains; the more commonly used ones are wheat, buckwheat, sorghum, corn, peas, mung beans, hemp seeds and peanut kernels. When feeding, at least two kinds of feed should be selected and mixed; for example, ordinarily 3 parts wheat, corn and sorghum combined, and 1 part peas; during training, change to 3 parts wheat, corn and sorghum combined, 1 part peas and 1 part hemp seeds.
Besides miscellaneous grains, green feed such as green vegetables, cabbage and wheat sprouts, as well as mineral feed, can also be provided. Mineral feed can be bought from homing pigeon associations in various places. It can also be mixed yourself; generally it is enough to meet the needs of homing pigeons. A mineral feed ratio is: 3 parts yellow mud and 3 parts yellow sand, 2 parts slaked lime, 1 part salt, 0.5 part shell powder or eggshell powder, and 0.5 part charcoal; after crushing, add water, mix and roll into balls, dry them in the sun, and when feeding, break the balls and place them in the pigeon loft.
2. Feed twice a day, once at around 7 in the morning and once at around 4:30 in the afternoon. The morning feeding amount accounts for 1/3 of the daily ration, and the afternoon feeding amount accounts for 2/3 of the daily ration. The daily feed amount for each adult pigeon is about 50 grams; during training, it can be appropriately increased a little. Once the pigeons stop flying, you can call them back to the loft and feed them, so that they form a conditioned reflex that there is food when they return to the loft, which is helpful for homing.
3. During the period of racing training for pigeons, feed more corn and peas, and feed water first, then feed. You can first feed glucose water, then feed light salt water. In summer and during the period of hatching young pigeons, an appropriate amount of salt can be added to their drinking water.
4. Pigeons are birds that love cleanliness very much, so great attention must be paid to the cleanliness and hygiene of the pigeon loft; in summer and autumn, bathe them in water at least twice a week, and in winter once a week is enough.