Force-feeding methods and technical key points for meat-type squab
Meat-type squab at 18 to 25 days of age can reach a body weight of 350 to 500 g, and depending on the situation can be considered ready for market. However, at this time the squab meat has a relatively high water content and little subcutaneous fat. To improve the quality of the pigeon meat, force-fattening can be carried out for 5 to 7 days before sale. After force-fattening, the squab is crisp-skinned, tender-boned and flavorful after cooking.
1 Squab selection
Squab from 10 to 25 days of age can all be force-fattened. Most often, squab at 15 to 20 days of age with a body weight of 350 to 500 g are used for fattening, and they are required to be large in body size, full in muscle, glossy in feather, white and tender in skin, healthy and free of injury or deformity. Squab over 25 to 30 days of age, weighing less than 350 g, with coarse feathers, thick skin, injury or deformity or disease are not used. For those younger in age and lighter in weight, the fattening period can be longer.
2 Pigeon house and equipment
The style and structure of the fattening pigeon house can follow that of an ordinary pigeon house, but the height should be appropriately lower, the windows fewer and smaller, and curtains should be used to block light. The air must be circulating and fresh, and the humidity low; the floor should be paved with brick or cement, and in cold weather heating should be provided to keep the temperature at 25°C.
The equipment used for fattening squab includes fattening beds, fattening cages, feed basins and feeding machines. In China, fattening beds are mostly used, while abroad multi-tier fattening cages are mostly used. The style of the fattening bed is the same as that of a brooding bed, but the sides are 20 to 30 cm high, the width is 65 to 70 cm, the length is 1 to 3 m, and it should be 60 to 70 cm above the ground. In a small compartment of a fattening bed about 1 m long, roughly 40 squab can be raised.
Each small compartment of a fattening cage is only 12.7 to 30.4 cm, and can only hold 1 to 2 squab, to ensure that the squab inside will not be crowded or scratch each other's back skin. The length of the fattening cage depends on the length of the pigeon house. The number of tiers of a multi-tier fattening cage should be limited to what the keeper's hands can reach. The bottom of the cage is a metal mesh with openings of about 2.5 cm, and below the mesh is a metal water-and-droppings tray, into which pigeon droppings fall through the mesh.
3 Fattening feed ⟧11⟧ The daily ration formula for fattening is: corn 50%, brown rice 15%, @#@245@#@ 10%, legumes 25% (if legumes @#@125@#@ are in short supply or too expensive, the proportion can be reduced to below 20%). To facilitate feeding, large seeds such as broad beans and corn should be crushed into small particles before use. To allow the grain and bean seeds to be fully soaked and softened, they can be soaked in water for 1 day and night. When feeding, the water temperature must not be lower than 25 to 35°C.
The fattening diet formula is: corn 50%, brown rice 15%, @#@245@#@ 10%, beans 25% (if beans @#@125@#@ are scarce or too expensive, the proportion can be reduced to below 20%). To make force-feeding easier, large seeds such as broad beans and corn should be crushed into small pieces before use. To allow the grain and bean seeds to be fully soaked and softened, they can be soaked in water for 1 day and night. When force-feeding, the water temperature must not be lower than 25-35°C.
4 Feeding methods
4.1 Feeding with a funnel
The funnel can be made of metal or plastic, with a funnel tube about 14 cm long and 1 to 1.3 cm thick, and the tube opening blunt, rounded and smooth. The specific method is: insert the funnel tube into the bottom of the squab's esophagus, and pour clean and dry small grains such as millet, sorghum and wheat, which are small, round and smooth and relatively easy to drop down, through the funnel opening into the squab's crop. If blockage occurs midway, you can try using a thin rod to push the feed down, or use your mouth to blow air at the funnel opening to blow the feed down. For dry feed, first feed until half full, then immediately feed some clean water. Note that when inserting the funnel tube, it must never be inserted into the trachea. This method is very difficult for 1 person to operate, and it is best to have 1 assistant to help.
4.2 Injection feeding with a syringe
The requirements for the syringe nozzle are basically the same as for the funnel tube. The feed is loaded into the syringe barrel, and a plunger is used to inject the feed into the squab's crop. This method is suitable for granular, powdered or paste feed. Whether granular feed is mixed with water depends on which is more convenient and what the feeding results show.
4.3 Filling with a feeding machine
At present there is no feeding machine specially used for filling pigeons in China, and most are converted from duck-filling feeding machines. The specific method is: first put the soaked small seeds or crushed pellets together with an appropriate amount of water into the hopper of the feeding machine, then hold the squab with the left hand, open the pigeon's beak with the right hand, insert the discharge port of the feeding machine, then press the switch with the right foot, and the feed and water will be poured into the squab's crop; each press of the switch fills 1 squab. Generally, 1 feeding machine can fill 300 to 500 squab per hour. When filling, be careful and cautious, and act lightly and quickly, to avoid the discharge port of the feeding machine injuring the squab's mouth and tongue.
5 Feeding amount
When force-fattening meat-type squab, generally feed 2 times per day, with each squab fed 50 to 100 g of feed each time (half water and half feed, or slightly more feed). About half an hour after each feeding, the curtains can be lowered to let the squab rest and sleep quietly. If wounds appear on the squab's throat, it indicates that the feeding operation is inappropriate, and it should be done carefully or the operation should be improved.