Pigeon Rearing

Pigeon farming is very interesting, profitable and it is a very familiar domestic bird. It is considered as the symbol of peace. Almost all types of people, who have facilities, raise some pigeon in their home. Pigeon rearing requires low labor and investment and also can be raised in leisure time. The meat of baby pigeon (squab) is very tasty, nutritious and restorative. On the other hand pigeon rearing can be a great source of some extra income. Raising pigeon in modern method is very profitable than traditional way. So, to be successful in pigeon rearing modern farming method is a must.

Benefits of Pigeon Rearing:

Pigeon rearing has some great benefits which are described below.

• Pigeon become domestic very easily.
• From their six month of age they produce two baby pigeon per month on an average.
• Pigeon can be raised easily in the home yard and roof of the house.
• It takes 18 days to come out the baby pigeon from the egg.
• Baby pigeon become suitable for eating within 3-4 weeks.
• Pigeon house can be built in a small place with little investment.
• Food cost of pigeon is very low. Most time they collect food by themselves.
• Pigeon meat is very tasty, nutritious and has a great demand in the market.
• Pigeon rearing is very pleasing.
• By investing small capital and labor we can get profit form them.
• Diseases are comparatively low in pigeon.
• Closet of pigeon is good manure for crop cultivation.
• Different types of toys can be made by the feather of pigeon.
• Pigeon keeps the environment by eating different types of insects.
• The squab has a great demand in the market as the patient's diet.
• Pigeon starts laying egg at the age of 5-6 month.
• Pigeon rearing can be a great income source to people of some poor country like Bangladesh, India, Nigeria, Pakistan etc.

Life cycle:

Generally pigeons are raised in pair. One pair of male and female pigeon stay together for their whole life. They can survive for 12-15 years. Male and female both collect straw together and build a small nest for them to live. Female pigeon start laying egg at the age of 5-6 month. They lays two eggs every time and their breeding power stays fro 5 years. Both male and female incubate the eggs. It takes 17-18 days to come out the baby chicken from egg. The stomach of baby pigeon contains crop milk, which they eat for 4 days. Female pigeon feed their baby for ten days by their lips. After that they starts taking supplementary food by their own. At the age of 26 day they become adult and suitable for eating.

Breeds:
There are about three hundred breeds of pigeon around the world. Pigeon breeds are of two types which are described below.

Meat Productive:

White king, texona, silver king, gola, lokha, etc. are meat productive pigeons.

Entertaining:
Moyurponkhi, shirazi, lohore, fantail, jacobin, frillback, modena, trumpeter, trubit, mukhi, giribaz, templar, lotal etc. are most popular entertaining pigeons.
Generally, the main purpose of pigeon farming is their meat. The meat of baby pigeon is soft and tasty than the adult one. Weight of some fleshy squab productive pigeon breeds are described below.

Breeds Name	Adult	Squab
White King	755	500
Carneau	700	450
Homer	730	400
French Mondain	750	550
Swiss Mondain	800	600

Housing:
Housing is very important factor for pigeon farming. Keep in mind the following rules before making house for pigeon.

• Built the house in high place. This will keep the pigeons free from dog, cat, mouse and other harmful animals.
• Ensure huge flow of air and light.
• Prevent the entrance of rain water.
• The house can be built by thin wood or tin, bamboo or with packing boxes.
• Every pigeon needs 30 cm long, 30 cm height and 30 cm wide space.
• Every rood of the pigeon house has to have the facilities of staying two pigeon.
• The house will be adjoining to each other and polyhedral.
• Keep a door on every room of 10x10 cm.
• Always keep the house clean and dry.
• Clean the house once or twice per month.
• Keep the food and water pot near the house.
• Keep some straw near the house so that the pigeons can make bed for them.
• Keep water and sand near the house as they clean their body by water and dust.

Feed:
Pigeons generally eats wheat, maize, paddy, rice, enamel, legume, triticum aestivus mustard, gram etc. Keep feed in front of their house and they will take it by themselves. They should serve balanced feed for proper growing, healthy and for proper production. They can be served balanced feed prepared for chicken. Pigeon feed should contain 15-16 % protein. Every pigeon consume 35-50 grams of grainy feed daily. For fast growing of baby pigeon and for nutrition of adult, feed them oyster dust, lime stone, bone dust, salt, greet mixture, mineral mixture etc. with their regular feed. Along with this, feed them some green vegetables daily. A chart of balanced feed for pigeon mentioned below.

Feed Ingredients	Amount (kg)
Broken Wheat	2.8 kg
Broken Maize	2.2 kg
Mustard	1.0 kg
Broken Gram	1.0 kg
Soyabean Cake	0.8 kg
Rice Dust	1.8 kg
Salt	0.4 kg
Total	10 kg

Baby Pigeon Feed:

Baby pigeon (squab) don't need extra feed for 5-7 days. They take crop milk from their parents stomach. Which is known as pigeon milk. Male and female pigeon feed their baby in this way for 10 days. After that they become able to fly and feed themselves by their own. Keep fresh feed and clean water near their house.

Water:
Keep water pot near pigeon house. They will drink and take bath from that water pot. Clean the water pot daily. Try to serve the pigeon clean water always.

Egg production:

Generally male and female pigeon stay in pairs. During laying period they collect straw and make a small nest. Female pigeon start laying eggs when they reach 5-6 month of age. They lays a pair of egg after every one month. Both male and female pigeon incubate the egg in turn. It takes about 17-18 days to come out the baby from the egg. If artificial nest needed make it. As the eggs are very small in size, so baby production is very profitable than consuming it.

Diseases:
Diseases in pigeon is comparatively lower than other poultry birds. They suffers by TB, paratyphoid, cholera, pox, Newcastle, influenza etc. Besides this they also suffers by various louse and malnutritious diseases. Remedy methods of pigeon diseases are described below.

• Follow the advice of trained veterinarian.
• Keep the pigeon house clean and germ free.
• Separate the disease affected bird from healthy birds.
• Vaccinate them timely.
• Keep them free from worms.
• Feed them balanced food to prevent malnutritious diseases.
• Use medicine for removing louse from their body