Which Meat Pigeon Breed Is Easy to Raise? A Guide to Choosing Pigeon Breeds
Choosing a breed is a very important matter when raising pigeons, as a higher-quality breed can bring you more income. However, most breeders may not be very familiar with pigeon breeds, so they tend to hesitate when choosing one. Below are several breeds of breeding pigeons that are both easy to raise and high quality, to help you solve your current problem. Let's take a look!
1. Mondain Pigeon
This breed of pigeon is suitable for both meat and ornamental purposes. Some breeders select high-quality birds from their squabs to raise as pet pigeons, earning income from both. This pigeon fattens up relatively quickly; for example, the French Mondain can generally reach over 1 jin at one month old. Adult pigeons usually weigh around 1.5 jin. Although squab output is a little lower, they can be marketed quickly. If you want to try raising pigeons at first to learn the process and recover your funds quickly, you might consider raising the Mondain pigeon.
2. King Pigeon
I believe many people know the King pigeon. As one of the most famous breeds today, its performance in all respects has basically been recognized by breeders. The King pigeon ranks among the top in feed conversion ratio and fattening results. If a breeder's skills are up to standard, about 200-300 grams of feed can basically produce about 100 grams of weight gain, which is an amazing ratio. In addition, some strains of the King pigeon can be fed up to about 2 jin, making it a medium-to-large pigeon; adult birds generally weigh around 1.5-2 jin. However, raising King pigeons requires a certain level of skill. If you have been raising pigeons for a while and are thinking of switching breeds, you might consider the King pigeon.
3. Shiqi Pigeon
The Shiqi pigeon is the product of introduced breeding stock improved by breeders in our country, and it fits market demand extremely well. It is a large, excellent meat pigeon breed. Its reproduction rate is very fast, with more than 20 eggs laid per year, and adult pigeons can be fattened to around 1.5-2 jin. If you want to expand your breeding scale, you might try raising Shiqi pigeons. In addition, this breed ranks among the top in meat quality and nutrition, the market has remained relatively stable, and the breeding risk is relatively low. It also adapts greatly to breeding environments in various regions, so it is worth considering.
4. Runt Pigeon
This is a large pigeon; adult birds can reach around 2-3 jin, and one-month-old breeding pigeons can grow to over 1 jin. However, its rapid growth is mainly concentrated in the middle and later stages. Its advantage lies in its high meat yield. Its reproduction is at a normal level, at roughly more than 6 pairs per year, but it tends to have problems with incubation because the Runt pigeon is too heavy and may crush the eggs while sitting on them. This is something breeders need to pay extra attention to. If you simply need meat pigeons, you can give more consideration to this breed; it is still a good choice.
The above are some meat pigeon breeds that are relatively easy to raise, and the economic benefits of each are also quite considerable. Raising pigeons mainly depends on your own actual situation. If there are better options, of course you can try them. If you are not sure what is easy to raise, you can consider the breeds above.