In recent years, amateur poultry farmers, in addition to traditional poultry, have also been breeding rarer species of birds - pigeons, especially meat ones. The dietary properties of pigeon meat were estimated in antiquity by the great scientist Avicenna, and he recommended that it be used by patients.
Indeed, the meat of these birds is easily digestible, fine-fiber and very tasty! By building a large pigeon, you can eventually get a pretty profitable business. Moreover, the breeding of meat pigeons - this is far from all that you can do.
Species of birds by purpose
Depending on the functions performed, pigeons are divided into groups. It is recommended to keep different types of birds in the pigeon, then the field for activity will be much wider.
- The meat pigeons (King, Strasser, Roman), as you probably already understood, are bred for the purpose of subsequent slaughter and eating. Such birds have high reproduction and gain weight extremely quickly.
- The breeding of Uzbek pigeons (short-billed), datys, Jacobins and other breeds carries a decorative function. These birds have a beautiful color, but do not fly high and long. Some species differ in that they have a large goiter, a magnificent tail or collar, cirrus paws. Such pigeons are usually used at various celebrations, often at weddings. You can rent them out and make good money on it.
- Viennese Turmans, Tula, Uzbek martial, hryvnia - pigeons that perform a sports function. They are beautiful flyers, participants in exhibitions and competitions. Such birds can stay in the air for up to eight hours, and soar so far that they hide from the eyes of observers.
What you need to know
Before you start breeding pigeons, you need to find out all the features and habits of these birds, because they are quite different from other birds. First, pigeons are monogamous. This means that they form strong pairs that never fail, unless the death of one spouse occurs. Secondly, these are flocks of birds. That is, they are held in groups, and of considerable size.
Thirdly, pigeons are the only representatives of birds that produce so-called bird milk, which is actually a kind of gruel. It is secreted in adult individuals (both females and males) by the epithelium of the goiter walls. This gruel pigeons feed the chicks in the first days of their lives.
How to choose a pigeon
To organize a business, young birds should be purchased. The choice of a quality individual is a whole science. Therefore, we recommend that you first read the literature on the breed that you want to purchase. Learning all the subtleties will take some time, but then the efforts will be rewarded - breeding pigeons will become a profitable business. If you worry that you can’t do it yourself, resort to the help of a pigeon breeder.
So first make sure the bird is clean. Then examine her: the pigeon should be smart, slender, with even feathers not plucked out, not listless, but not aggressive, his eyes should not water. Expand the feathered wing and examine it in the light: the presence of holes indicates that the bird is infected with parasites (peroids and poohoedov).
To understand whether feathered lice have, you need to examine the beak and the anus. Also pay attention to what kind of bird the flight is, it is especially important when you choose sports individuals.If your goal is breeding pigeons, then, of course, you need to buy birds in pairs so that they give offspring. It is not difficult to identify the spouses: in a pair, the dove usually cooes, and in response, the dove fluffs feathers and bows its head. But if the birds fight among themselves, then most likely they are individuals of the same sex.
How to determine the age of a pigeon
This can be done on the legs and wax. When the feathered bird turns five months old, the waxworm gradually acquires a white color - this indicates that puberty has come. In the future, it increases in size, with time it becomes more and more, which allows you to determine the age of the bird up to three to four years.
Then it becomes difficult. In general, pigeons live up to fifteen to twenty years, but they can reproduce only at the age of up to ten years. Old individuals are not suitable as producers: firstly, they are unproductive, and secondly, they produce very weak offspring. Therefore, you need to mate only strong, purebred and completely healthy birds.
Pigeon content
First of all, you need to think about the room. Birds are usually kept in specially constructed pigeons, aviaries, large cages or nurseries. The choice of a particular place depends on the type of individual and its behavior in the pack. Cages for pigeons should be kept clean; peat or sand is most often poured onto the bottom.
After winter, you need to carry out disinfection and general cleaning. Separate bird species are recommended in different cages. Sick pigeons should have a personal place. New individuals also should not be immediately launched to old-timers - check them first for diseases.
Training
Only decorative birds can be released from the cages, which always find their home and return to the owner. “Why keep such birds at all, because they are of no use?” - Beginner poultry farmers often ask. In fact, they are mistaken. For example, breeding Uzbek pigeons with short beaks can bring a good profit - they can be used in wedding events.
Remember the tradition: the bride and groom launch two white doves into the sky? So, you can rent birds for such celebrations. But the birds must be trained, otherwise there is a risk that they will fly away and not return. Training should begin gradually: first drive off close to the cage and release the birds, then increase the distance. You can cordon off territory for safety.
Fattening birds
The most common food option for pigeons is a grain mixture, while the most suitable grain is barley. In addition, it is necessary to give the birds fruits and vegetables in grated form. If your task is to breed pigeons for meat, you should use egg-pea, potato-pea porridge for fattening, and also add fat to your food.
To maintain their health, birds also need vitamins, calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium - these elements contain chalk and fine sand. Currently, a large number of all kinds of mixtures are produced, which in the composition have the necessary nutrients and trace elements.
An adult eats about fifty grams of feed per day. Breeding pigeons is quite expensive, because grain mixtures are expensive. In winter, birds will need to be fed even harder - a large amount of food will allow them not to freeze. Do not forget about drinking. Drinking bowls with clean water should always be kept in cages. Also, pigeons can be given herbal decoctions. Breeding meat pigeons requires intensive fattening. You can buy birds still chicks, but when they already know how to peck food.
Breeding pigeons
The birds begin to breed somewhere in the beginning of spring, so already prepare the aviary in advance: clean from debris, dry, put in a nesting device (make skeletons of branches and install wooden flat boxes with low sides, fill the corners with a mixture of small sawdust and gypsum) . Several methods of breeding birds can be used.
- Random (natural) mating - occurs in March-April, when males are launched to females. The disadvantage of this method is that the result may be far from the best and not the most powerful individuals.
- Linear breeding is based on an accurate determination of the birds' inheritance of the qualities and consequences of mating.
- Inbreeding is the mating of related pigeons (sisters and brothers of the same generation or parents and offspring). This method is used to improve the cleanliness of the breed.
- Mating birds similar in appearance.
- Mating non-related individuals.
Of all the above, of course, the first method is considered the simplest, but if you want to get strong beautiful birds, you need to use the rest. At the end of the mating, the female begins to equip the nest, and the male searches for the material for the arrangement: these are different twigs, twigs and the like.
Even doves hatch eggs together, one at a time. On average, the process takes four weeks. It is impossible to disturb the birds at such a time; check the nests when birds are absent. The female usually lays two eggs at a time, there are up to three clutches per year.
Business costs
Breeding pigeons will require an initial investment of at least 200 thousand rubles, provided that you buy only a couple dozen birds and a few cages. The main expenses are the purchase of individuals, feed, aviaries, equipment (rake, buckets, cans for water, a shovel, scrapers, brooms, dustpan and so on), as well as renting land if you do not have it. The simplest cage can be bought for 15-20 thousand rubles.
The cost of pigeons varies depending on the type: the price of a pair of ordinary whites is about two thousand rubles, and for a couple of decorative or sports one will have to pay from three thousand or more. One ton of feed mixture costs an average of 4-5 thousand rubles.
Sales organization
The payback period of expenses will depend directly on the type of business: when breeding meat pigeons, it will take about six months to breed young animals and feed them to the right mass. It will be possible to sell one carcass for about 400-500 rubles. But remember that a business will never succeed unless a marketing strategy is developed. Think about product distribution channels in advance.
So, you can offer pigeon meat not only to wholesalers, but also, for example, to owners of restaurants specializing in delicacies. In case of breeding of decorative birds, organize advertising services in wedding salons. Do not forget about events such as the graduation party and the last bell, because there are also doing pigeon fireworks. Among other things, sometimes birds are rented for photo shoots, creating videos. In general, the field for activity is large. Go for it!
