How to raise parent pigeons? A detailed guide to scientific management methods

Strengthen the feeding and management of parent pigeons to improve egg production rate and fertilization rate. The following introduces the problems and practices encountered in the feeding and management of parent pigeons during the laying and brooding periods.

1. Pigeons should be prevented from @#@247@#@ laying infertile eggs, soft-shelled eggs and deformed eggs

In the early stage of laying, the number of infertile eggs will be somewhat higher, but the fertilization rate should still reach above 70%. Below this rate, it is abnormal, and you should check whether the pairing of the pigeons is reasonable, whether there are cases of all males or all females, and whether the health grit is supplied according to the formula and requirements.

2. Minimize broken eggs

There are many causes of broken eggs: first, the structure of the nest is unsuitable, with no bedding material or a bottom that is too flat, so the pigeon eggs are not gathered together and are easily trampled and broken by the parent pigeons; second, the two pigeons are not compatible, especially newly paired pigeons, which often peck at each other and jump around, causing the eggs to be trampled and broken; third, disturbance by strangers and careless work by the keeper, which frightens the pigeons and causes them to trample and break the eggs; fourth, the pigeons are too heavy in body weight, and combined with an improper nest position, they often trample and break the eggs; fifth, after the laying nest is taken down and cleaned, it is not put back in time, and the pigeons lay the eggs on the cage bottom and ground, causing them to fall and break or be trampled and broken; sixth, because the pigeons lack certain elements in the body, they eat the pigeon eggs. Necessary feeding and management measures should be taken in response to the above causes.

3. Candling eggs on time and promptly handling bad eggs

Candle the eggs on the fifth and tenth days of incubation. Clear eggs (infertile eggs), red-root eggs (dead sperm eggs) and dead embryo eggs (rotten eggs) should be removed in time to prevent the eggs from rotting and affecting the normally developing eggs and the health of the parent pigeons. If a low fertilization rate and a high dead embryo rate are found, the causes should be identified in time, the management system should be improved, and the productivity of the parent pigeons should be raised.

4. Reasonable feeding

For breeding pigeons during the brooding period, appetite grows larger as the squabs get older, so supplementary feeding should be given 2-3 times a day. For pigeons not in the brooding period, that is, during the incubation period and the early stage before laying, supplementary feed is not necessary, but each feeding should let the pigeons eat their fill, so as to avoid affecting the formation of eggs and sperm due to lack of nutrition.

5. Keep the nest bowl warm and clean

After the squabs are born, attention should be paid to keeping them warm and preventing drafts. The nest bowl should be kept clean and warm. When the squabs are about 10 days old and their bodies have grown larger, if the nest bowl is small, it will seem crowded, and they may even fall out. At this time, the squabs can be moved to another nest bowl, or at 13 days old they can be taken out of the nest bowl and placed on burlap at the bottom of the cage. In this way, the parent pigeons can lay the next clutch of eggs without disturbance.

6. Carry out retaining breeding stock and marketing on time

Squabs at 20-25 days old can be marketed for sale. Pigeons kept for breeding should be taken away from the parent pigeons at 1 month old to reduce the burden on the parent pigeons.

7. Keep good records and statistics

Keep good records of the production situation of the parent pigeons, and use statistics and summaries to grasp the production situation.

8. Strengthen feeding and management during the molting period

Parent pigeons molt every year in late summer and early autumn, and the process lasts as long as 1-2 months. Some pigeons stop production during the molting period, but for better breeds, molting has little effect on production. If the pigeons generally stop production during the molting period, the protein content of the feed can be reduced and the amount fed can be decreased to urge the flock to complete molting as quickly as possible in a short time. After molting, the full supply of feed should be restored in time, and the nutritional level of the feed should be maintained or raised to promote the breeding pigeons to lay eggs as soon as possible. During the molting period, the flock can be adjusted: cull breeding pigeons with poor production performance, weak and sick ones, and old ones that lay few eggs; and supplement excellent breeding pigeons. At the same time, carry out a comprehensive cleaning and disinfection of the pigeon cages and the environment inside and outside the pigeon house to create a fresh production environment.

9. Ensure the safety of the parent pigeons

Cats and rats are natural enemies of pigeons. Rats eat squabs and pigeon eggs. When cats enter the pigeon house, they disturb the pigeons' incubation and normal activities. Therefore, the pigeon house should prevent cats and rats from intruding, and the pigeon loft should be enclosed with wire mesh or bamboo strips. In places with many rats, wire can be strung around the pigeon house at a height of 5 cm from the ground, and electricity can be turned on at night to electrocute the rats invading the pigeon house (but attention should be paid to the safety of the workers).

10. Pay attention to epidemic prevention work

Prevent wild birds and other poultry from entering the pigeon house to prevent the occurrence of disease outbreaks.