Introduction to High-Quality Meat Pigeon Breeds and Detailed Explanation of Common Feed Formulas
Pigeons, besides ornamental types, also include edible types. There is a famous dish called Gastrodia-elixir stewed squab, and of course some places very much like roast squab, so there are quite a few people in our country engaged in meat pigeon farming. So what breeds of meat pigeons are there? Here is a brief introduction to several breeds.
1. Shiqi Pigeon
Produced in the Shiqi area of Zhongshan County, Guangdong Province, China, it was developed by crossbreeding and selecting local pigeons with King Pigeons, Runt Pigeons, and Carneau Pigeons, and is a large breed. The maximum body weight of male pigeons can reach 900 grams, and that of female pigeons can reach 750 grams. The body, wings, and tail are all long. The plumage colors are gray with two bars and fine rain spots. Annual egg production is 7-8 pairs. It has a gentle temperament, tolerates coarse feed, has tender meat, and is easy to raise.
2. King Pigeon
Originally from the United States, it is a famous superior breed. Body weight is about 1000 grams. The body is short, the breast is round, the tail is short and upturned, and the feathers are compact. Plumage colors include red-yellow, pure white, pure blue, pure black, and gray with two bars. For meat use, pure white pigeons are mainly used, while other plumage colors are mostly used for ornamental purposes. Annual egg production can reach 7 pairs. Squabs have a large, plump body and are highly favored in the pigeon industry.
3. French Mondain
Also called the French ground pigeon, it originated in France. It is large in size, not good at flying, and likes to walk on the ground. Its body is square, with a deep and broad breast, and it is mostly white-feathered.
4. Homer Pigeon
It is a large breed, including multiple strains such as the Giant Homer developed in the United States in 1920, with a body weight of about 1000 grams. The Giant Homer grows quickly during the squab stage, and the food intake of squabs and parent pigeons is almost 1 times greater than that of the Shiqi Pigeon; another strain, the purebred Homer, was imported from the United Kingdom to the United States in 1918 and has now spread throughout Europe. Annual egg production is 7-8 pairs, and plumage includes blue bars, pure gray, pure brown, pure black, and other colors. The Carneau Pigeon originated in France. It has a thick neck, broad breast, wide distance between the eyes, tail feathers that often touch the ground, and an upright posture when standing; body weight is 600-800 grams; plumage includes yellow, red, white, black, and others. It has strong reproductive capacity, with annual egg production of more than 10 pairs. It likes to flock and is easy to tame and manage.
5. Feed
Common feed for meat pigeons mainly includes paddy rice, corn, wheat, sorghum, barley, oats, millet, peas, mung beans, broad beans, soybeans, and so on.
Feed combinations:
① Daily ration formula for breeding pigeons during the brooding period: generally 70%-80% energy feed (3-4 types) and 20%-30% protein feed (1-2 types). For example, paddy rice 50%, corn 20%, wheat 10%, mung beans or adzuki beans 20%.
② Daily ration formula for young pigeons: 75%-80% energy feed (3-4 types) and 20%-25% protein feed (1-2 types).
③ Daily ration formula for breeding pigeons during the non-brooding period: 85%-90% energy feed (3-4 types) and 10%-15% protein feed (1 type). Health grit formula: yellow mud 30%, fine sand 25%, clam shell powder 15%, old gypsum 5%, charcoal powder 5%, bone meal 10%, salt 5%, slaked lime 5%.
In summary, the meat pigeon breeds and feed formulas above are for everyone's reference only. Have you eaten squab? Which breed do the users raising squabs in your area usually choose? Friends who want to learn meat pigeon farming techniques can follow Huinong Academy!
For wonderful pictures and texts and popular comments about the introduction to meat pigeon breeds, you may be interested in the following recommended content from Nongxun Network. Welcome to read.