What are the methods to increase the egg production rate of meat pigeons?

Prepare meat pigeon feed rationally to meet the nutritional needs of breeding pigeons

Feed formula: 50% corn, 15% wheat, 10% cereal, 5% broken rice, 20% beans (preferably black beans). Because yellow corn contains vitamin A and lutein, it can increase the egg production rate, while white corn lacks these, so use more yellow corn. Cereal germ contains tocopherol, which can also promote higher egg production, so its amount must not be reduced.

Prepare health sand rationally and supply it adequately

In addition to adding loess, charcoal, salt and river sand, the health sand should also include 3% "multivitamin" or "more eggs" and 20% bone meal. Many pigeon farms have affected the increase in egg production rate because the health sand was prepared unreasonably.

Pay attention to selecting and retaining high-yielding breeding pigeons and breeding high-yielding lines

Breeding pigeons with strong persistence in laying, a short winter rest period, high laying intensity and an annual egg production of more than 8 pairs can be regarded as high-yielding pigeons and should be retained for production. For breeding pigeons that produce fewer than 8 pairs of eggs per year, which are low-yielding pigeons, pair splitting and re-pairing should be carried out. If the production rate is still not high after regrouping, the unqualified breeding pigeons among them should be eliminated without mercy. For the cultivation of high-yielding lines, the excellent offspring of high-yielding breeding pigeons can be bred through selection within the breed and crossbreeding.

Strengthen health care and disease prevention and control work

Any disease has an impact on the egg production rate, especially pigeon paratyphoid, pigeon tuberculosis and pullorum disease, which can cause breeding pigeons to stop laying eggs completely.

Strengthen the control and improvement of environmental conditions

Environmental factors affecting the egg production rate include light, humidity, temperature, air pressure, ventilation and sound. Light is an important factor; insufficient light can reduce the egg production rate. For example, a pigeon farm in Guandang Township, Dangyang City had a dark breeding pigeon room with no light, and as a result the vast majority of breeding pigeons stopped laying eggs and the farm was forced to close down. Therefore, breeding pigeons must receive 10 hours of light every day, and in winter an additional 1-2 hours of light should be supplied every day. Temperature is also an important factor; the suitable temperature for breeding pigeons to lay eggs is 13-21°C.

Pay attention to candling eggs and merging eggs

Five days after breeding pigeons lay eggs, carry out the first candling and remove infertile eggs; at 14 days, carry out the second candling and remove eggs with dead embryos. For the remaining single eggs from different nests of the same age, merge the eggs, that is, place them in one nest. This can free some breeding pigeons to let them lay eggs again, increasing the egg production rate.