A couple of years ago we wrote about the pigeon business. Then we described a way to make money by renting out wedding favors. Today we will continue talking about these unpretentious birds. But let's go from a completely different perspective. After all, pigeons are a very popular bird, the meat of which is eaten. And this is no accident. Pigeons can be compared to quails. Their meat also has a very pleasant taste characteristics. In addition, it is useful, especially for people who follow strict diets and watch their weight.

Of course, pigeon meat is not the same mass product as chicken, duck or turkey meat. But in recent years, it has become increasingly popular among lovers of delicious and not very exotic delicacies. Looking on the Internet, on some major culinary site, you will surely find many recipes for dishes involving pigeon meat.

The ever-growing popularity of pigeon meat makes the business of raising these birds very promising idea, quite simple to implement and does not require large financial investments. Naturally, this is not for everyone. At a minimum, you must have private house or at least a cottage outside the city. You will not arrange a dovecote on the roof of an apartment building. Although, anything is possible.

How to start a pigeon breeding business?

First of all, you need a dovecote. The ideal place for her is the attic of a house or outbuilding. Of course, no one bothers you to build a free-standing structure for birds. This is a very rational decision if you have plenty of land, and constantly rustling "neighbors from above" do not please you very much. We will not talk about the construction of the dovecote. This is a completely separate issue. In addition, it does not quite fit with the theme of our portal. Those who are interested in the pigeon breeding business can visit the pigeon breeder forums and find detailed schemes for building a dovecote there.

Also, some breeds of pigeons are kept in aviaries or cages. This, most often, applies to more expensive breeds that are not released into free flight.

Let's assume that you already have a room for growing. The next step is buying birds. There are some nuances here. There are breeds of ordinary pigeons, the average weight of which does not exceed half a kilogram. You can buy these birds at the nearest pigeon farm. At a very attractive price. As a rule, birds are sold to the factory for 500-1000 rubles per unit.

Another option is breeding pigeons. meat breeds. One of the most famous is King. These birds are more like chickens than pigeons. And their weight often reaches two kilograms. Naturally, in our case (if we are talking about the pigeon meat business), this is a very interesting option. The only difficulty is that these pigeons are not so easy to find on sale, and the price of one bird reaches several thousand rubles.

As for feeding and caring for pigeons, it’s impossible to talk about it in a nutshell. It is much better to read thematic literature and talk a little with the owners of pigeon farms on agricultural forms. There you will find all the details of keeping, raising and breeding these unpretentious birds.

According to pigeon breeders who have been breeding pigeons for many years, the chicks grow very quickly. Already a month after the birth, they are ready for sale. By the way, you can sell not only carcasses of pigeons, but also live birds. Someone washes to buy a few birds for their own dovecote, and someone as a simple pet. This can become your additional source of income.

Now about the sale of pigeon meat. This product, as we noted above, is quite exotic. If almost everyone eats chickens, then only the most sophisticated gourmets will want to try pigeon meat. Therefore, focus on cooperation with conventional butcher shops or grocery stores probably not worth it.

Your customers are cafes and restaurants in your city. In such places, customers are very fond of delicacies. Therefore, pigeon dishes can become a real calling card for such establishments. Your goal is to convince the owners of restaurants and cafes of this and conclude long-term cooperation agreements.

As for the cost of pigeon meat on the market, it depends on the region and the breed of the pigeon. But, on average, you can count on 800-1200 rubles per kilogram. Naturally, when working with wholesale customers, you will have to make a discount.

So, breeding pigeons is quite simple and very promising business requiring special knowledge, but not requiring large financial investments. In addition, this is a great way to provide yourself and your family with delicious dietary meat. That's all. We wish you successful business!

A couple of years ago we wrote about the pigeon business. Then we described a way to make money by renting wedding white doves. Today we will continue talking about these unpretentious birds. But let's go from a completely different perspective. After all, pigeons are a very popular bird, the meat of which is consumed in. And this is no accident. Pigeons can be compared to quails. Their meat also has a very pleasant taste characteristics. In addition, it is useful, especially for people who follow strict diets and watch their weight.

Of course, pigeon meat is not the same mass product as chicken, duck or turkey meat. But in recent years, it has become increasingly popular among lovers of delicious and not very exotic delicacies. Looking on the Internet, on some major culinary site, you will surely find many recipes for dishes involving pigeon meat.

The ever-growing popularity of pigeon meat makes the business of raising these birds a very promising idea, quite simple to implement and not requiring large financial investments. Naturally, this is not for everyone. At a minimum, you should have a private house or at least a summer cottage outside the city. You will not arrange a dovecote on the roof of an apartment building. Although, anything is possible.

How to start a pigeon breeding business?

First of all, you need a dovecote. The ideal place for her is the attic of a house or outbuilding. Of course, no one bothers you to build a free-standing structure for birds. This is a very rational decision if you have plenty of land, and constantly rustling "neighbors from above" do not please you very much. We will not talk about the construction of the dovecote. This is a completely separate issue. In addition, it does not quite fit with the theme of our portal. Those who are interested in the pigeon breeding business can visit the pigeon breeder forums and find detailed schemes for building a dovecote there.

Also, some breeds of pigeons are kept in aviaries or cages. This, most often, applies to more expensive breeds that are not released into free flight.

Suppose that you already have a room for growing and breeding pigeons. The next step is buying birds. There are some nuances here. There are breeds of ordinary pigeons, the average weight of which does not exceed half a kilogram. You can buy these birds at the nearest pigeon farm. At a very attractive price. As a rule, birds are sold to the factory for 500-1000 rubles per unit.

Another option is breeding pigeons of meat breeds. One of the most famous is King. These birds are more like chickens than pigeons. And their weight often reaches two kilograms. Naturally, in our case (if we are talking about the pigeon meat business), this is a very interesting option. The only difficulty is that these pigeons are not so easy to find on sale, and the price of one bird reaches several thousand rubles.

As for feeding and caring for pigeons, it’s impossible to talk about it in a nutshell. It is much better to read thematic literature and talk a little with the owners of pigeon farms on agricultural forms. There you will find all the details of keeping, raising and breeding these unpretentious birds.

According to pigeon breeders who have been breeding pigeons for many years, the chicks grow very quickly. Already a month after the birth, they are ready for sale. By the way, you can sell not only carcasses of pigeons, but also live birds. Someone washes to buy a few birds for their own dovecote, and someone as a simple pet. This can become your additional source of income.

Now about the sale of pigeon meat. This product, as we noted above, is quite exotic. If almost everyone eats chickens, then only the most sophisticated gourmets will want to try pigeon meat. Therefore, it is probably not worth focusing on cooperation with ordinary butcher shops or grocery stores.

Your customers are your city. In such places, customers are very fond of delicacies. Therefore, pigeon dishes can become a real calling card for such establishments. Your goal is to convince the owners of restaurants and cafes of this and conclude long-term cooperation agreements.

As for the cost of pigeon meat on the market, it depends on the region and the breed of the pigeon. But, on average, you can count on 800-1200 rubles per kilogram. Naturally, when working with wholesale customers, you will have to make a discount.

So, breeding pigeons is a fairly simple and very promising business that requires special knowledge, but does not require large financial investments. In addition, this is a great way to provide yourself and your family with delicious dietary meat. That's all. We wish you successful business!

Main advantage pigeon business the minimum amount of investments for its organization and a quick payback are considered. For an aspiring entrepreneur, a pigeon breeding business is ideal. These are the most common birds in Russia, people have long been accustomed to meeting inconspicuous pigeons on the streets of big cities, but completely different representatives of this genus are kept in pigeon houses.

Sample business plan for breeding pigeons for sale

Before starting any activity, especially a business, it is necessary to work out a plan in detail. In the future, it will help to evaluate successes and failures. The plan should consistently include the stages of business development:

• Every activity starts with an idea future entrepreneur must clearly form it in his head and only after that begin to study the information on his issue;
• The second stage in the development of the dovecote is the choice of the type of birds for breeding;
• After that, it is necessary to organize a poultry house suitable for this particular type of pigeon;
• The next step is the registration of a business and the start of a dovecote (buying birds, feeding them, growing them, selling them).

In addition to the direction of development, the business plan indicates a list necessary equipment, the number of people to care for the birds, their cost, the estimated number of sales. All this will help to read the payback period and profitability of your own dovecote. If the figures suit the businessman, then the project can be started.

What breeds of pigeons to breed for sale

And first of all, you need to choose a breed for breeding. On large pigeon houses, several types of pigeons can be grown at once, but for a small private house it is better to choose only one of the breeds.

Pigeons are divided into several types depending on their purpose:

• Meat pigeons can be eaten, they are characterized by rapid weight gain and good reproduction. Representatives: King, Roman pigeon, Strasser.
• Sports high-flying birds are purchased by breeders to participate in exhibitions. Representatives of such breeds can be in flight for up to 7 hours. Representatives: Uzbek fighting, Tula pigeon, Viennese tumblers, hryvnias;
• The most popular pigeons today are decorative. They are distinguished by an unusual color and aesthetically pleasing fluffy paws, collars or tails, birds often have a large goiter. Representatives: bantas, peacock pigeons, Jacobins, pouts.

If it is possible to breed several breeds, you can settle in a poultry house different types birds and make a profit simultaneously from all activities of the dovecote.

pigeon selection

Experienced breeders do their own breeding to get only the best offspring from their pigeons, but it is best to start by acquiring birds in a special market. Criteria for choosing birds:

It is unprofitable and dangerous to constantly buy birds on the market, because you can always buy a pigeon infected with diseases, therefore, for the safety of the entire business and obtaining the most viable offspring, you should breed pigeons.

Features and types of crossing

There are several ways to get offspring from a pigeon pair:

• Natural. This method involves the independent formation of pairs among the inhabitants of the dovecote of different sexes. Males can independently cope with the search for females after the onset of the mating season. When breeding in this way, the participation of people is not required, therefore it can be considered the least troublesome, but with such offspring, too weak birds may be born, or due to the formation of an unsuccessful pair, the birth of unpurebred offspring often occurs.
• Inbreeding improves the purity of the breed by mating members of the same family.
• The appearance of children from parents with a similar appearance also leads to the purification of the breed and the birth of chicks with previously known signs.
• Line mating is the most difficult way to get offspring. The breeder will have to accurately trace the pedigree of pigeons, identify recessive and dominant traits and, based on the knowledge gained, accurately determine appearance pigeons.

Pigeons become capable of procreation as early as six months after birth, but birds from one to two years old are chosen for crossing, they are able to reproduce stronger chicks. After reaching the reproductive age, the ability to give offspring begins to increase evenly up to 5 years, after reaching this age, the birds gradually lose the ability to breed.

The readiness of a bird for breeding is determined by the wax, after reaching the age of six months it begins to brighten, this indicates the puberty of the bird.

Matchmaking

To reproduce offspring, the best birds should be selected. They should be distinguished by beautiful plumage, good flying qualities or a large mass, depending on the type of pigeon. Crossing can be forced, but the process of laying eggs may slow down somewhat, the fertility of eggs will decrease. But all this is offset by the possibility of obtaining high-quality offspring.

Overweight birds should not be chosen for breeding, they lay unfertilized eggs too often. To normalize the condition of pigeons, corn, wheat, peas are excluded from their diet and the birds are forced to fly. A year later, such birds will also be able to lay eggs and reproduce viable offspring.

Egg laying and chicks

Egg-laying begins on the 8th day after fertilization, before that, the dove begins to periodically sit on the nest, crush it and warm it. About 40 hours pass between the laying of the first and second eggs; the bird begins to incubate the offspring only after the appearance of all the eggs. The normal number of eggs in a clutch does not exceed two.

When laying in weakened or old doves, egg retention may occur, in which case the bird may die if it is not provided with veterinary care.

Chicks are born 4 weeks after laying eggs, and after 5-6 months the birds are already becoming adults.

Pigeons are unpretentious in keeping, but for the successful keeping of pigeons, the breeder must provide the birds with everything the necessary conditions. For keeping birds, it is necessary to prepare special cages where they can rest, breed and eat. Dovecote requirements:

• Location on sandy ground;
• Remoteness from electric lines;
• The windows are predominantly facing south;
• It is recommended to choose brick or wood as a material for building walls, the main thing is the absence of cracks;
• It is recommended to locate the building at the edge of the forest, so that there is always clean air around the dovecote;
• Ventilation is required.

For laying eggs in cages, soft nests lined with straw are located, there should also be a separate box for each pair of pigeons. To save space inside the dovecote, all these structures are placed one above the other in several tiers.

Inside the house there must be a bath with water. Birds need it to regulate their body temperature and during the molting process.

The bedding can be made of peat, oak bark or sand. The selected material is evenly distributed over the entire area of ​​the house.

It is important to monitor the correct nutrition of birds. Their diet consists of grass and grains, most of the food is barley or pearl barley (40%), millet (10%), the rest can be equally divided into corn, green grass and seeds.

How to earn income from breeding pigeons

Ways to generate income are chosen based on the type of birds bred:

• Meat pigeons are sold to lovers of this delicacy and to restaurants. The meat of these birds is distinguished by many useful properties, connoisseurs note an interesting taste. The cost of birds is quite high, so the breeding business is very profitable.
• Decorative birds are rented for weddings and other holidays. Before renting the birds, they must be trained so that they return home and fly in the right direction.
• Sports birds are sold to exhibition lovers or rented out to participate in competitions.

Pigeon diseases

Pigeon breeding as a business

In the section of the site "Pigeons" you will learn a lot useful information about breeding individuals at home. Videos, photos, tips from successful farmers, their reviews - small part what you find on the pages of the site. If you decide to keep them in your backyard, then you need to consider the features of the diet of pigeons, as well as issues related to the construction of a dovecote, sanitary standards and other subtleties.

* Calculations use average data for Russia

Perhaps one of the most common birds in the world is pigeons. We meet them at every turn, and most of us do not even realize that you can earn money by breeding and selling these birds.

Pigeons were once used for postal communication. Due to their ability to navigate perfectly even in unfamiliar terrain and accurately find their way home, these birds are perfect for the role of postmen. Of course, they cannot carry heavy parcels and parcels, but they are quite able to deliver small notes and letters to the addressee. However, pigeon mail has long lost its relevance. And although good orientation in the area allows the use of pigeons for other purposes (for example, for wedding photo shoots when newlyweds symbolically release snow-white birds into the sky), yet this is not the main “field of application” of birds. The most relevant now is the breeding of pigeons ... for meat, unless, of course, you consider pigeon breeding as a business, and not as a hobby.

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It is widely believed that only the homeless eat pigeons. However, pigeon meat is a delicacy and is served in the most expensive restaurants. Back in the Middle Ages, the famous physician Avicenna recommended that patients include pigeon meat in their diet, which is dietary, contains a large number of proteins and consists of small fibers, so its taste and nutritional value is much higher than that of the meat of other types of poultry.

But, of course, ordinary "city" pigeons are not suitable for eating. There are various meat breeds of birds (for example, Strasser, Monden, King, etc.), which are bred on special "pigeon farms" for slaughter. Pigeon meat with all necessary documents then implemented as in retail and directly to institutions Catering. One average carcass of a pigeon in retail costs about 250-300 rubles. One kilogram of meat at purchase prices will cost 1000-1500 rubles. (Here it is necessary to clarify that the weight of a processed pigeon carcass is on average two times less than an unprocessed one, so manufacturers set the price for their product both per kilogram and per whole carcass).

On the one hand, it seems that pigeons are too small birds, so these prices are quite justified and the profitability of the business for breeding them under big question. On the other hand, it must be taken into account that one pair of pigeons of meat breed can produce up to 7 kg of meat per year! Breeders are constantly working to improve meat breeds. The weight of one pigeon of this species reaches 1 kg, but there are breeds (King), whose representatives weigh up to 2 kg (see below).

So, the meat pigeon breeding business can be very profitable and promising. However, as in any other business, there are subtleties and nuances here. Let's try to figure them out.

Meat breeds of pigeons

The weight of meat pigeons directly depends on the breed. Among the most famous is the breed king which was released in the USA. Representatives of this breed are very prolific, quickly gaining weight (with proper maintenance and a balanced diet, the King pigeon can be fattened in 45 days to an average weight of 700 g). For a year, a female can bring up to 18 well-fed chicks. Adult birds weigh 650-800 g. However, exhibition representatives of this breed can weigh up to 1.5-2 kg. True, they are much more expensive. The slaughter weight of such pigeons is 60-68%. This indicator directly depends on the growing conditions of the king. For example, with a cellular content, the weight of a bird will be much lower than with a limited-range method of growing, or, moreover, an aviary. Beginning pigeon breeders prefer the cage content, which allows you to significantly increase the number of heads in the house. However, the benefit in this case is rather doubtful. Gutted pigeon carcass, which was kept in a cage, weighs up to 350-370 g, and the slaughter weight does not exceed 55-56%. However, no matter what conditions the representatives of this breed are kept in, “at the output” you will receive the following indicators - 50% meat, 16% fat and 5% offal. Everything else is recycled.

Pigeons are also large breeds. strasser. The weight of the male of this breed, bred in Western Europe from the Moravian pshtros and other local breeds of pigeons in Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic, can reach 1200 g. Although, on average, representatives of this variety of meat pigeons weigh about 1 kg. Unlike the Moravian pstros, which belongs to the productive types of pigeons, has a larger than average figure, but at the same time is mobile and has good flying qualities, the strassers are stocky and inactive. Already at the age of 30 days, the weight of a bird can reach 700 g. However, the Strassers themselves are significantly smaller than males and weigh up to 800 g in adulthood. It is noticed that the mass of offspring directly depends on the age of the parent pair. Therefore, in order to avoid weight loss of chicks, experts advise removing birds older than five years from the dovecote.

The body of the Strassers is large, massive (the length of the birds is 36-40 cm). The head is large, with a wide and convex forehead. The beak is medium, strong, the cere is whitish, small. The eyes are dark orange, the eyelids are narrow, light, but there are varieties of birds with red eyelids. The neck is of medium length, thick, slightly arched. The chest is wide, rounded, strongly protruding. The back is relatively short, wide, straight. The wings are medium, wide, cover the back and lie with their ends on the tail. Legs of medium length, featherless, strong, widely spaced, bright scarlet. The tail is of medium length, consists of twelve feathers, collected, narrow. There are pigeons with white or black scaly wing coverts, as well as white-belted pigeons with white tails and Bavarian pigeons with white wingtips.

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Strasser meat is thin-fibered. These birds are highly productive - from one pair to ten chicks can be obtained per season. As mentioned above, in a month the chicks gain a live weight of 600-700 g, so the slaughter yield of birds of this breed is on average 60%.

Roman pigeons, as the name of the breed implies, were bred in Italy, and then further breeding work was carried out in France. These birds are also among the largest representatives of their species and are successfully used as breeding material for the creation of other meat species. Representatives of the Roman breed have a large body, strong, oblong shape, plumage is thick, dense, flight feathers of the wing and tail are long. The head is large, roundly elongated, smooth, and the forehead is relatively high. The beak is long, powerful, slightly curved, dark in black and gray birds, light in other colored lines. The cere is long, white, smooth, heart-shaped, divided in the middle. The eyes are small, all colored - pearl, white - dark. The width of the eyelids is 2-4 mm, they are finely warty, red or dark in color, in young pigeons they are smooth and narrow. The neck is relatively short, thick, the throat is well defined, in some the throat fold is noticeable. The head is large, rounded, with a high forehead. The eyes are small, pearly, dark in birds with white plumage. The eyelids are red or dark, finely warty, 2-4 mm wide. The beak is large, slightly curved, dark in gray pigeons, light in other species. The neck is thick, short, with a well-defined throat. The chest is convex, wide, with a straight long keel. The back is relatively broad, oval and tapers towards the tail. The wings are large, with long flight feathers. Shields are missing. The belts of silver and gray individuals are black, those of beige and brown are gray. The limbs are strong, short, bright scarlet with long fingers and light claws. Birds of black and gray color have dark claws. There is no feathering on the legs. The tail is rather long, wide and rounded. Body weight is 1-1.3 kg, doves - 0.9-1.1 kg. Representatives of this breed do not fly very well. The plumage of such birds is silvery or gray, there are transverse black belts on the wings or a transverse stripe at the end of the tail, while the lower back is light in color. The plumage of Roman pigeons has a silvery or bluish hue with transverse black belts on the wings and a transverse stripe at the end of the tail. Their lower back is light. Roman pigeons of black color have white speckles on their heads, beige ones have dark (brown or gray) belts on the wings and the same stripe on the tail. There are birds and pure red, fawn, white. The neck of colored pigeons is darker, with a brilliant sheen. The largest representatives of this breed are gray-gray birds, the smallest are red-colored pigeons. The length of the bird from the beak to the end of the tail is 50-56 cm, the wingspan is 100-105 cm. The live weight of an adult pigeon is 1-1.3 kg, and doves - 0.9-1.1 kg. Individual specimens weigh 1.7 kg. The weight of young animals at the age of four weeks is 620-650 g.

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Roman pigeons are quite easy to keep: they move little, fly poorly and are trustful of people. Although it can’t do without flaws - they are pugnacious and not the best hens. Unfortunately, representatives of this breed are not distinguished by high fecundity - they bring up to 8 chicks per year, but they have good disease resistance. Representatives of this breed are used in breeding work when breeding meat breeds of high productivity. For this purpose, Roman pigeons are crossed with more prolific breeds bred by Russian breeders (for example, drummers).

Mondenskaya the pigeon breed was bred in the French city of Monde-Marsan. The weight of adult males of this breed is up to 1.1 kg. The smallest weight of its representatives is 850 g. In 30 days, a chick can be fattened up to a weight of 700 g. At the same time, the lethal meat yield of Monden pigeons is 61%. Representatives of this breed have the largest index of massiveness among other meat breeds. It is estimated at 28.7%. This indicator is primarily used in assessing the fleshiness of the bird. The main advantage of this breed is that its representatives can be eaten almost entirely, since Monden pigeons have the highest index of edible parts: in males it is estimated at 82.6%, and in females at 81.3%. Among gourmets, the meat of French and Swiss Monden chicks is most valued, weighing 550 and 600 g, respectively.

One of the earliest maturing breeds is the French breed. carnot, which is aviary. The weight of an adult pigeon of this breed ranges from 550 to 700 g. In a month, a pigeon can be fattened to a weight of 330-340 g. However, weight in this case is not a priority. The main thing is the taste of pigeon meat, which in representatives of this breed (at least at a young age) is much higher than a week in other meat breeds of pigeons. Although purely from the point of view of decorative breeding of pigeons, Monden birds are not the most attractive, due to their palatability, they are in the lead among meat breeds.

In general, there are not so many meat breeds of pigeons when compared, for example, with the number of breeds of chickens and other poultry. The main problem faced by domestic pigeon breeders is the difficulty in buying good producers. Although the business of raising pigeons for meat is profitable and promising (there is no doubt about this), nevertheless, there are very few farms in Russia that offer quality producers for sale. Pigeon breeders have to buy birds of rare breeds in our country in the countries of near and far abroad. Someone carries representatives of the most common breeds from Ukraine, someone from Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Germany. True, the prices for a pair are not at all humane - from 8,000 to 15,000 rubles. Not all farmers can afford this luxury. The issue of transportation is also very complicated. The road to Russia by train takes more than one week. It is highly likely that one of the pigeon couple simply will not live to see their destination.

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More simple and common breeds are sold at various exhibitions. If you're planning on getting one, it's worth a visit. thematic exhibitions in the Crimea, where the price for one bird is now from 500 rubles.

When breeding pigeons, it should be borne in mind that one female pigeon of a not very productive breed lays one or two eggs up to three times a year. Thus, in a year you can get from one bird to six chicks. Hatching masonry takes about a month. Moreover, unlike chickens, a pigeon pair incubates eggs alternately. In a month the young animals reach their maximum weight and are ready for sale. The weight of a pigeon of meat breed is, on average, 1 kg. In this case, we do not take into account show birds, which can weigh up to 2 kg. True, the weight of the processed (gutted) carcass in any case will be two times less than the weight of a live bird. But to process (gut) a pigeon is not so simple. It is for this reason that each producer decides for himself how it is more profitable for him to set prices - per kilogram or per carcass.

The age of a pigeon is determined by its legs and wax. When the bird is five months old, the cere gradually acquires White color indicating the onset of puberty. In the future, the cere grows in size and becomes larger and larger over time, which makes it possible to determine the age of the bird up to three or four years. After that, it becomes difficult to accurately determine the age of the bird. Pigeons are long-lived. They live up to fifteen or twenty years, but are used for breeding (at least in meat breeds) only up to five or six years. Old individuals are not suitable as producers: they are not productive and bring very weak offspring. Therefore, only purebred and healthy birds are mated.

But even with these recommendations, it is far from always possible to determine the presence of problems “by eye”, especially if you have not had experience in keeping and breeding birds before. In this case, it is better for beginners to seek help from a more experienced pigeon breeder or read special literature in advance. Determining the presence of diseases in a bird is not so difficult. Do not forget to take contacts from the seller (an honest seller will definitely give them) in order to contact you in the future regarding the purchase of birds, their maintenance and breeding. Of course, you should not abuse the kindness of the seller, but rare calls once or twice a month are unlikely to cause him trouble.

Pigeons are extremely unpretentious birds in terms of keeping. If you have ever lived in private areas of a city (or, moreover, in a village), then most likely you have seen dovecotes more than once. Unlike chicken coops, a dovecote does not require a lot of space to equip. Someone uses their attic for this, where unnecessary rubbish was previously stored. Someone equips a separate superstructure on the roof for a dovecote. Ideally, of course, it is worth acquiring a separate room where pigeons will be kept. big investments its arrangement is not required. It can be either an aviary with a stretched chain-link mesh, or a “typical” dovecote house, where birds can hide from the rain and rest.

However, regardless of your financial capabilities, the main thing is that cats and various small predatory animals (from foxes to rats) cannot enter the territory of the dovecote. It is for this reason that dovecotes are often raised above the ground (although this also saves space). As for the area, then proceed from their calculation that a dovecote with an area of ​​​​12 square meters. meters can accommodate up to 50 pigeons. But with a limited area, the question of choosing breeds of pigeons becomes relevant. For example, representatives of the king breed are very bloodthirsty. As pigeon breeders themselves say, kings destroy other people's nests, throw other people's eggs out of the nest and kill chicks. Although doves are a universally recognized symbol of peace, these birds, regardless of breed, are not at all so friendly. Males often fight each other to the death, and females drive other members of the bird species from their nests. You can avoid conflicts between females if you provide them with a sufficient number of nests for incubating eggs.

The bottom of the dovecote is sprinkled with sand, which will make cleaning easier in the future. You can also use old newspapers, but this method is more expensive. Perches are made along the walls of the house. At the same time, special care for the dovecote is not required: regular cleaning of the premises is sufficient. Once a year (after winter period) experts advise to arrange a general cleaning and repair of the premises.

Birds also do not require special supervision. But when feeding, it is necessary to inspect all the inhabitants of the house and remove sick individuals. Pigeons are fed, as a rule, at the same time. The optimal frequency of feeding is twice a day. Accordingly, feeding is divided into morning and evening. Pigeons are fed with a grain mixture of cereals. This includes millet, millet, lentils, peas, barley, as well as seeds of oil plants (for example, sunflower, flax, etc.). It is also necessary to regularly give various vitamins. They are quite inexpensive, and you can buy them even in the most ordinary pet store. Chalk, sand, red clay and even ordinary crushed red brick are suitable as top dressing. Birds need pebbles: they grind food that enters the stomach, contributing to its better absorption. If you breed pigeons on an “industrial” scale, it is more profitable to purchase various vitamin supplements at wholesale bases.

One pigeon requires an average of 55 g of feed per day. It is also important to provide birds with access to fresh water. High-quality and balanced feed, fresh water and the absence of drafts are the main conditions for the success of your "pigeon" business.

Sales organization

Pigeon meat is especially in demand among the establishments of the HoReCa sector. If you can find a regular customer for your products among expensive restaurants or cafes, then you will not have a problem with selling the main volume. Of course, you will have to conclude all the necessary contracts with the veterinary service and obtain the relevant certificates. This applies to the sale of any bird, but especially pigeons, because they are carriers of various dangerous infections. Therefore, your customers must be confident in the complete safety of the products you offer.

Another area of ​​work is selective breeding of meat pigeons and selling them both to amateur poultry farmers (there are, however, not as many of them in Russia as we would like), and to breeders-farmers. Recall that pigeon breeding is a set of measures to improve the qualities of a particular breed or to breed a new breed with improved hereditary traits. The latter option seems to be very promising, but it requires considerable costs both for training and for the purchase of birds for breeding. On the other hand, with the almost complete absence of competition in some regions of our country, this line of work can bring good profits.

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