What food is best for pigeons? A detailed guide to scientific feeding methods
The pigeon is a bird, and it is now raised in most places. Some people keep them as pets, while others raise them on a large scale as meat pigeons. So when raising pigeons, you need to think even more about weight gain, growth, and egg laying, the aspects that can bring income to the breeder. What food to feed so they grow well means the feeding method has to be adjusted. So what food should pigeons be fed?
1. Common feeds
Generally, coarse grains are the main feed, and refined grains are rarely fed; pigeons fed coarse grains are strong and healthy. The commonly fed items are corn, mung beans, peas, wheat, sorghum, and peanuts; these common grain crops are what pigeons often eat. A variety of feeds can be mixed for feeding, and they can be fed whole or ground into pellets, which are a bit easier to digest. Usually wheat, corn, and peas are mixed together.
2. Feeding by difference
For ordinary feeding, corn and millet; for young pigeons, soaked white beans and soybeans; for adult pigeons, mung beans, red beans, and the like; for pregnant pigeons about to lay, some fine sand needs to be fed to help digestion, and it is also beneficial for laying eggs afterward. Pigeons cannot be fed too much polished rice alone, as it easily causes diarrhea; pigeons with a weak constitution can be fed more peanuts, while normal pigeons cannot be fed too many peanuts, as that also easily causes diarrhea. Generally, chicken feed can also be fed to pigeons.
3. The role of feeds
Protein supplementation mainly relies on beans and peas, peas, mung beans, and the like; animal protein comes from fish meal, shrimp meal, bone meal, and the like; energy feeds are coarse grains, corn, sorghum, millet, and wheat, which are the main source of carbohydrates; fat feeds are peanuts and sesame, which are good for the feathers; the source of vitamins relies on vegetables, pasture grass, and carrots. The source of minerals relies on feeds such as shell powder and bone meal. These are essential nutrients for bone development.
4. Feeding methods
Feed clean, mold-free feed. Pigeons have a small appetite; a strong pigeon is fed 3 times a day, and an egg-laying pigeon can be fed twice. Each feeding should let the pigeons finish eating within 15 minutes. Do not feed too much, to avoid waste. It is best to feed a formula feed with various ingredients mixed according to a recipe; there are different recipes, and adjustments can be made according to the growth stage.
Pigeons are mainly fed various coarse grains; polished rice can be fed, but not too much, as too much easily causes diarrhea. For comprehensive nutrition and good growth, a formula feed can be fed.