How should squabs be raised well? Master these breeding techniques

Strengthen the feeding of breeding pigeons

After squabs hatch, it is best to feed them small-particle feed to aid digestion, such as mung beans, brown rice, small-kernel corn, wheat, sesame, rapeseed, and so on. The feed must be clean and not moldy, and the number of feedings for the breeding pigeons should be increased, extending each feeding time so that the parent pigeons have sufficient time to eat and to feed their young.

Strengthen the care of squabs

To ensure even growth of the squabs, if one pair of squabs is one large and one small, the smaller squab should be given some health grit to strengthen its stomach's absorption capacity. Or promptly isolate the larger squab temporarily so that the weaker one gets more feeding. You can also swap the perching positions of the two squabs. After a few days, once the two pigeons are similar in weight, no special care is needed.

Strengthen the adjustment of single squabs

If one of a pair of squabs dies midway or only one squab hatches, the squab can be placed into another nest with a single squab of the same age or a similar age. This process should be carried out at night to prevent pecking injuries. Within 3 days of hatching, do not disturb the breeding pigeons, to prevent the squabs from being trampled to death, and do not let droppings contaminate the squabs.

Prevent indigestion in squabs

During the squab stage, it can be divided into 3 periods according to the different composition of the food fed by the parent pigeons. Squabs aged 0 to 4 days rely entirely on the parent pigeons for feeding; at 5 to 8 days of age, the squab feed contains some softened and fermented feed; after 9 days of age, the parent pigeons feed the squabs entirely by regurgitating original pelleted feed. Therefore, in the latter 2 periods, improper feed preparation can easily cause indigestion, leading to crop impaction and inflammation. In addition to feeding the parent pigeons digestive aids, squabs can be separately given vitamin B1 and yeast tablets to help digestion.

Pay attention to the cleanliness of drinking water

Every morning after cleaning the pigeon loft, wash the water troughs clean and fill them with clean drinking water. Every 4 to 5 days, clean and disinfect the water troughs with 0.2% potassium permanganate water, and frequently provide 0.1% potassium permanganate aqueous solution for the breeding pigeons to drink, which can prevent gastroenteritis and crop inflammation in squabs.