Poultry farm is a great help for the family budget. Among the many types of farms, pigeon breeding is very popular. It is generally accepted that such birds are raised as a hobby or for sporting purposes. However, pigeon meat is considered a valuable dietary product. It is easily absorbed in the body and is suitable even for babies. Poultry lovers should pay attention to pigeons of meat breeds. This article provides information for beginner pigeon breeders who have decided to engage in breeding birds for sale.
Where to begin?
First of all, you need to get more information about birds, since pigeon breeding has its own nuances that should be taken into account. Some elite breeds, in their habits and living conditions, are significantly different from ordinary pigeons. Let's pay attention to the general characteristics of birds:
- A pigeon is an independent bird, loves to fly, and in the summer it is able to provide itself with food.
- The unpretentiousness of meat breeds frees the poultry farmer from unnecessary trouble in arranging a home for them.
- The digestive system of pigeons is designed in such a way that their glands located in the area of the goiter are able to secrete the so-called bird milk, which birds feed the chicks. Interestingly, not only females, but also males possess this property.
- Individuals are faithful to each other, therefore they create monogamous pairs. The bird does not leave its partner until its death.
Individuals who are sources of dietary meat need separate boxes for mating and a competent approach to feeding. In this regard, the beginning pigeon breeder has a number of mandatory tasks:
- Prepare the room and stock up on material for the construction of future boxes.
- It is right to choose a breed, since the quality of the meat product and the income received will depend on this.
- Seriously approach the care of young animals, as well as their feeding.
- Timely send pigeons for slaughter.
Species of rocks
There are a considerable number of species of pigeons, but only some individual breeds are suitable for growing them for meat. Among them are gigantic, chicken and meat. Each of them has its own characteristics. Giant birds cannot fly and are very heavy. Chicken species in their structure are very similar to ordinary chickens. They have a long neck, a wide short body and a small tail. Meat - typical birds of this family, only a little larger. The following characteristics are expected from pigeons of meat breed:
- rapid development and growth;
- good fertility;
- high endurance;
- tendency to accelerate fattening.
Perhaps the description of pigeons of meat breeds presented in our article will help you make the right choice. However, before purchasing productive birds, you need to prepare a comfortable home for them to live.
Arrangement of premises
For the maintenance of meat pigeons, special nurseries, farm buildings or attics are used. There are no special requirements for the design of the dovecote. The main thing is that in winter there should be no subzero temperature and the room should be equipped with ventilation and electric lighting. During construction, it should be noted that no more than 3 pairs of rare individuals can be settled on 1 m 2 .
Pigeons are clean, so you should take care of the litter. For these purposes, straw, sawdust or shavings are used. They must be changed depending on the degree of contamination. General cleaning of the premises is carried out twice a year.
Mandatory is the presence of an enclosure with installed feeders and drinkers.
It is desirable that the room has enough space to accommodate boxes for mating pigeons. There should be more of them than the pairs themselves, so that each of them can independently find the nest they like and remember it. After completion of the mating process, crates can be used to nest birds.
Feeding
Although keeping and caring for pigeons of meat breeds is not a big deal, they still have their own dietary preferences. In order for the birds to bring the maximum amount of valuable product, they need to ensure constant feeding and adjust the right balance. Mostly pigeons feed on oats, millet, peas, corn, barley and sunflower seeds. Potatoes need to be mixed into the feed, as it contains the necessary substances useful for birds. To protect pigeons from obesity, food should be constantly enriched with vitamin E. For 1 kg of the bulk of the feed, it is enough to include only 10 mg of the supplement.
Slaughter
Poultry farmers raising pigeons for meat are always interested in quickly sending poultry for slaughter. Undoubtedly, the meat of young animals has a delicate structure and excellent taste. Meat breeds of pigeons, in this respect the most profitable individuals. They can please the poultry breeder after their first flights. Subject to proper maintenance and care at the age of one month, the bird will be ready for slaughter.
To simplify the process of evisceration, 24 hours before slaughter, feeding must be stopped. It will also improve the taste of meat. Experienced pigeon breeders recommend feeding pigeons with herbs in a few days to give the product a spicy flavor.
The total term of keeping birds, in particular, depends on their variety. Elite individuals grow in different ways and have an individual size and weight. So, let's start our review of meat breeds with giant pigeons.
Roman giant
The giant bird reaches from 1.3 to 1.5 kg in weight. Individuals are inactive, do not strive for flights. The body is powerful, large, oblong (total length up to 50 cm). An impressive variety of colors. Giants are white, black, blue-gray, red, fawn and brownish. According to the size and habits, birds need a low aviary and large nests. Due to their inherent slowness, they have a predisposition to obesity. Birds are highly immune to infections. By their nature they are too trusting, for this reason they should be protected from predators.
King
Representatives of chicken breeds bred in America. The advantage of king pigeons in their productivity and impressive mass. Unlike other meat pigeons, they grow more slowly. The time for keeping these individuals is at least 45 days. By this period, birds weigh almost 800 g. Kingas love freedom, so they must be periodically released from the cage, and a room for their maintenance should be built more quickly. The speed of gaining mass will depend on the walking of the birds.
A female can reproduce up to 17 chicks per year. Since pigeons love to roam outside and live in large buildings, they are more suitable for large farms. However, if the birds create optimal conditions, it will be possible to get a considerable income from the sale of valuable dietary meat.
Carnot
The breeding of meat breeds of pigeons of this species began during the progress of mechanized pigeon breeding. The breeding of the Carnot breed suggested the keeping of birds in the aviary. For this reason, pigeons are not capable of independently forage. Carnot is easier to keep in automated rooms. They need not be spacious, as pigeons respond normally to crowding. Individuals are small, but productive and very rapidly gaining a certain mass (no more than 600 g). The plumage is different: black, yellow, white. Feathers are absent on the legs.
The minus of the breed is that the pigeons have a nondescript appearance and a disproportionate structure. They have an excessively convex chest and a thickened neck. Against the background of a rounded body, the head looks too small. At the same time, it is worth noting that these characteristics are not reflected in the value of a dietary product. Their meat is juicy and quite tender.
Modena
A distinctive feature of this breed is its rich plumage. The general background of the whole body of the bird is cast in a variety of colors, and the wings may have a different color. Each individual feather on the wing is bordered by a contrasting contour. There are two varieties: German and English Modena. The first is small, it is not grown for culinary purposes. English is famous for its large size and bred for meat. The maximum weight of an adult pigeon reaches 900 g. The article provides photos of meat pigeons. They can consider the exterior differences of birds.
Texans
Quite folding birds of powerful physique, with a broad back and a vertically positioned neck. Tightly pressed wings fold in the middle of the tail. The head is small, the chest is convex, the tail is slightly raised up. Reproductive ability is well developed. A female under good conditions is able to hatch more than 20 chicks. Texans have a calm disposition and are not picky about food. They grow rapidly, the average weight of an adult bird is 750 g. Since birds are not particularly demanding on living conditions, they are suitable for busy people who can not devote too much time to keeping birds.
Strassers
The bird has a solid appearance. She has a round, proudly protruding chest, large head and forehead. Broad, short back, completely covered by wings. Color varies from white-gray to black and white. The legs are wide set, without plumage, red. Pigeons are considered the most fleshy breed. The mass of the male can reach up to 900 g, and the females - and the females up to 700-800 g. Strassers - birds are not flying, violent and often arrange fights. Their fertility and productivity indicators are manifested, to a greater extent, with thoroughbred breeding.
Conclusion
As you can see, the breeding, care and maintenance of meat pigeons is not such a difficult process. The choice of birds is not limited to the above list. In fact, there are many more. Poultry farmers distinguish some more of the best varieties. These include: Kuborg lark, Hungarian giants, Polish lynxes and some of the chicken-like individuals. If you like this kind of activity, choose the right breed and get a healthy product.