What issues should be noted before raising meat pigeons?

Raisers must have a basic understanding and knowledge of the pigeon market. Squabs entering the market have requirements for age in days, weight, and specifications, as well as commercial standard restrictions on carcass skin color. Domestic and international commercial markets require squabs to be under 28 days old, with a gross weight of 550 grams or more, and a white carcass.

Good breeding pigeon varieties must be selected. First of all, they must be white breeding pigeons. At the same time, the local market may be considered, and silver, gray, red and other varieties may be appropriately selected, but the carcass must be pure white. At present, better domestic varieties include White King pigeons, Deep King, White Carneau pigeons, etc., but the key is that improved breeding pigeons must have good reproductive performance, requiring an annual output of 12-20 squabs in order to achieve better returns. Pigeons fall within the scope of breeding poultry management. Units selling breeding pigeons must hold a breeding poultry production and operation license, and breeding units must issue a breeding pigeon qualification certificate for the breeding pigeons they sell. Farmer friends must clearly understand the situation of the supplying unit before purchasing breeding pigeons.

Raising meat pigeons is a highly scientific technique. Do not blindly introduce stock when you have not truly mastered the raising technique. You should first go to a breeding unit to study and receive training in the technique, and then begin raising them. Beginners should preferably introduce paired production pigeons that are laying eggs, incubating, and feeding young and are under 2 years old. Blindly pursuing cheaper young pigeons is unsuitable for beginners in pigeon raising, because young pigeons are relatively weaker in constitution, and if technique and management cannot keep up, it will cause an imbalance of males and females and an unclear production situation. Moreover, from young pigeons to breeding pigeons there is still a selection and breeding stage, and part of them still need to be culled.