Features of various meat breeds of pigeons. Meat pigeons How to lengthen the breed of Roman long pigeons

Meat pigeons are a type of domestic pigeon breed that is bred and raised for food. Even in ancient Greece and Egypt, people served dishes from the meat of pigeons to the table. To date, more than fifty different breeds of meat pigeons have been bred by pigeon breeders, and in the USA, France, Hungary, Germany, and Italy there are industrial farms that specialize in breeding these birds. We will talk about the most popular breeds of meat pigeons and the features of their content in this article.

Pigeon meat is considered a dietary delicacy, it is rich in protein, easy to digest, and tastes very similar to the meat of wild birds.

Giant pigeons or giants

Giants are heavy, powerful, large, stocky birds that are practically unable to fly. The most popular representatives of the group: Texans, Kings, Roman pigeons, Hungarian giants.

king

Pigeons of the king breed (from the English - king) were bred in the state of California in the USA as a result of complex breeding work by American pigeon breeders. This is one of the most popular breeds of domestic pigeons, not only on farms in America, but also in many other countries. It is worth noting that individuals of the king breed are grown not only for the purpose of obtaining dietary meat, but also as decorative birds.

The live weight of an average pigeon varies from 750 to 900 grams.

Kings are excellent parents and have a high rate of productivity, in one year a pair is able to reproduce up to 12-16 chicks.

Video - Meat pigeons of the king breed in the aviary

Texan

The second most popular breed of meat pigeons, the Texan, originated in the state of Texas in the United States.

Texans have a number of features, the first of which is autosex plumage. In other words, by the color of the feathers of newborn chicks, you can accurately determine the sex of the bird.

The second hallmark of the Texan breed is their high reproductive capacity. When creating a comfortable habitat and a good diet, the Texan dove can hatch up to 20-22 chicks per year.

The average live weight of a bird is about 700-950 grams.

Texans are unpretentious in care and have a reputation for non-confrontational calm birds.

Hungarian gigantic

Despite their name, Turkey is considered the birthplace of these birds, from where they were brought to Hungary and already there, in Europe, they were recognized by pigeon breeders.

Giants are quite large birds, their average weight is from 850 to 1200 grams.

For a year, a female Hungarian giant pigeon hatches offspring of 8-10 chicks.

But, despite this, most breeders grow giants as an ornamental bird, and only individuals that are rejected by external signs are eaten.

Carnot

The history of this breed began in the north of France, but today Carnot pigeons are widely known outside of it. The main feature of carnot is that this breed was created and grown in a limited space - an aviary.

Carnot pigeons are not the largest and fleshy, their average live weight is only 500-700 grams. But they gain weight quite quickly and bring up to 12-16 chicks per year, thanks to these qualities, carnos have become popular for growing in large automated farms.

Chicken pigeons or chicken pigeons

Chicken pigeons are distinguished by their fertility, large dimensions and large live weight. And outwardly they resemble chickens: a wide body, an elongated neck, a small tail, strong massive legs.

The most popular representatives of the chicken subgroup are English modens, Florentine and Maltese pigeons.

This breed of pigeons got its name in honor of the Italian city of Modena, where the history of its appearance began.

A distinctive feature of the breed is the diversity of the color palette of the plumage of birds. Pigeon breeders suggest that there are more than two hundred combinations of different patterns and colors on the body of these pigeons.

To date, there are two main varieties of pigeons descended from the Italian Modena: English and German.

English modena or Shitti (from Italian Schietti - simple) is a large massive bird, the average weight of which varies from 700 to 950 grams. The color of the Shitti is usually monochromatic with small color patches on the wings and head.

The German modena or Gazzi (from the Italian Gazzi - magpies) differ from the English Shitti in their smaller size and unusual color: the feathers on the wings, head and tail are decorated with patterns, and the body of the bird is white. Often, pigeon breeders grow German fashion not for cooking culinary delights, but as decorative birds.

meat pigeons

Among meat pigeons, a separate group of birds is distinguished - decorative pigeons, which have reached a sufficient mass to be served at the table. As a rule, such pigeons gain about 600-700 grams. In other words, any pigeon that is healthy, of sufficient weight for slaughter, and of no value for further breeding can be cooked. But, despite this, it is better to use the meat of chicken or giant pigeons for eating.

The most popular meat pigeon breeds are Strasser, Polish lynx, Benešov pigeon and others.

Strasser

The country of origin of the Strasser breed is Germany. Due to the different pattern on the body and the color of the plumage, they distinguish: German, Czech and Austrian Strassers.

The birds are large in size and have a high live weight: 750-1200 grams.

Usually a pair of pigeons brings about 10-12 chicks per year.

Birds of this breed can be both meat and decorative.

The main methods of rearing and keeping meat pigeons

Intensive growing method

The intensive method of rearing pigeons involves regular feeding, aimed at a quick and high-quality increase in the weight of an individual up to 0.6-0.8 kg and above. To do this, choose young representatives of highly productive breeds, such as kings or texans, who are able to increase their weight to the desired level in just 30-38 days. In addition, these birds are highly prolific and, subject to the necessary rules for care and feeding, are able to reproduce up to 5-10 times a year, which is 10-20 chicks.

Three-week-old chicks are chosen for fattening for slaughter, because the meat of young animals has the best taste.

Selected individuals are placed in a dark room, where, using special equipment or a syringe without a needle, but with a soft rubber nozzle at the end, they are force-fed with a porridge-like mixture. The process of eating is carried out at a certain time, regularly, about 4 times a day.

To fatten the bird, breeders boil a mixture of cereals and grains with the addition of legumes and a small amount of mineral elements. Each individual eats about 50-60 grams of such porridge per day, which is washed down with warm water, respectively, 15-20 grams of the mixture is allocated for each meal.

It takes no more than two weeks to fatten young pigeons, and during this time the birds gain weight up to 800 grams.

Extensive method or free growing method

This method of cultivation does not require much effort and expense from the breeder, provided that you live in a favorable climate zone and have a spacious green area. Extensively bred birds forage for their own food during the warm season, and the breeder feeds the pigeons no more than once a day. It would seem that the free growing method is quite practical, it will help save the breeder's budget, because the amount of feed consumed by pigeons is minimal, and you do not need to spend a lot of money on arranging a dovecote, but this is not so. The extensive approach is convenient only in theory, but in reality it is quite difficult to organize a safe walking area for birds with a self-replenishing supply of natural food. There is a high probability of contact with wild birds and animals that can be carriers of dangerous diseases. Pigeons also need 100% protection from predators, because even for a domestic cat, a well-fed bird without flight skills will become easy prey. In addition, there is no guarantee that the birds will have time to gain weight in the allotted amount of time.

Combined growing method or economic and decorative

The combined method is a combination of extensive and intensive approaches. It is especially popular with domestic ornamental pigeon breeders.

Features of keeping meat pigeons

Habitat

In order to keep, breed and grow meat pigeons, it is necessary to equip a separate spacious room.

The air temperature in the dovecote should not fall below +5 and not rise above +20 degrees. To maintain a comfortable temperature in the room, it is recommended to carry out thermal insulation, especially if there are large metal structures in the building, for example, sheets that line the roof. The metal has a high thermal conductivity, which is why it will be unbearably stuffy in the dovecote in the warm season and too cold in winter. To avoid hypothermia, it is advisable to install an electric heater and additionally insulate the floor by spreading straw and large sawdust on it. Pigeons will carry away some of the materials for arranging their nests. As it gets dirty, the old straw on the floor of the dovecote should be replaced with a new batch of dry grass and shavings.

General cleaning of the dovecote should be carried out at least once, and preferably twice a year. While the process of disinfecting and cleaning the premises from dirt and debris is underway, relocate the birds to a quieter place or let them go for a walk in the aviary.

In the process of breeding pigeons, daylight hours play an important role. Thirteen to fourteen hours is the optimal amount for daylight hours in an artificial habitat. To do this, when building a dovecote, breeders glaze a part of the wall opposite the steam boxes and future pigeon nests, and also install additional sources of lighting. In addition, the sun's rays have a beneficial effect on the growing pigeons.

Domestic pigeons do not tolerate dampness, and besides, bacteria and dangerous viruses quickly develop in conditions of high humidity, so ventilation in the habitat of birds is simply necessary.

Prices for a chain-link mesh for fencing an aviary

Rabitz

The presence of an aviary for walking in the fresh air will have a positive effect on both young and adult birds.

Despite the fact that pigeons live in flocks, each couple needs to have their own personal space. That is why pigeon breeders do not advise placing more than two pairs of pigeons on one square meter.

Due to their size and structural features, meat pigeons have lost the ability to fly, so these birds often build and build nests on the floor. This nuance must be taken into account when planning the dovecote and, when placing steam boxes, cages, places for perches, you need to take care of bridges with which the bird can climb to a height.

Another important device for a comfortable life for birds will be a shallow container with high sides and water at room temperature. Pigeons love to swim, especially in the warm season.

The box for taking water procedures should be located at a sufficient distance from the perch, nests and feeders, the aviary will be the best solution in choosing a place. The breeder should regularly change the water in the font.

Video - Bathing domestic pigeons

Vaccination

In order for meat pigeons to be completely healthy and have strong immunity, it is necessary to vaccinate all individuals twice a year. For more information about the timing and preparation of birds for the procedure, contact the veterinary clinic in your city.

The diet of meat pigeons

One of the main roles in the development of domestic meat pigeons is played by their diet. The composition of the balanced complex for fattening pigeons and its detailed description are presented in the table below.

Feeding ration for meat pigeons, recommended percentage of intake	Compound
Cereal crops, 50-70%	Barley, wheat, millet, corn, rice, oatmeal, buckwheat.
Legumes, 20-40%	Green peas, beans, lentils, vetch.
Green feed, 10%-25%	Spinach, cabbage, clover, nettle, lettuce, sprouted oats or barley.
Oilseeds, 1-5%	Sunflower seed, linseed, rapeseed, aniseed.
Mineral mixtures, 1-5%	Shell fragments, river sand, clay, fine grains of slaked lime, table salt, eggshells, charcoal, fine gravel.
Vitamin supplements, 1-5%	Glucose, fish oil, vitamins A, B, C, E and other groups.
Tubers and root crops, 1-5%	Potato, carrot

When compiling a diet for pigeons, it is necessary to take into account the season, age and breed of the bird, as well as its life processes for a given period of time (change of plumage, preparation for mating, laying eggs, hatching chicks). Table with the basis of the diet for meat pigeons

Meat pigeons consume about 50-55 grams of grain mixture per day, large grains are best suited for their diet.

Approximate diet of a young bird: corn (35%), peas (20%), barley (20%), oatmeal (15%), greens (5%) and mineral and vitamin supplements (5%).

If your yard has a green meadow for walking birds, then the pigeons will find some of the necessary food on their own.

The bird feeder should be fenced with sides so that they cannot step on food with their paws, but at the same time the height should be comfortable for eating. And also, such a design does not allow various debris to enter the diet of birds.

Domestic pigeons should always have free access to drinking water. It is recommended to install bird drinkers with a tray to prevent excessive moisture and dampness in the dovecote. It is necessary to change the water daily, in summer or in hot weather it is imperative to change the water at least twice a day.

Breeding meat pigeons

The breeding process of meat pigeons is similar to the breeding process of other domestic breeds of pigeons: mating dances, pairing, mating, nest arrangement, egg laying, incubation, hatching of chicks, feeding and caring for pigeons up to 30 days.

But there are slight differences for each individual breed. So, you can mate meat pigeons starting from the age of eight months, when for other breeds one or two years is considered the best reproductive age.

The terms of parental care also differ: meat pigeon chicks become completely independent already upon reaching the age of one month, and the offspring of domestic pigeons only on the fortieth - forty-fifth day.

And also the Texan meat birds have a unique feature - the color of their plumage can accurately determine the sex of an individual. Males hatch either completely “naked” or with light white down, while females have long yellow feathers.

Slaughter of meat pigeons

The optimal age for slaughtering poultry is 29-37 days. By this time, young individuals already, as a rule, have a carcass weight of 600-750 grams.

In order to give pigeon dishes a special flavor, three days before the end of fattening, fragrant seeds of various crops, a small amount of spices or berries are mixed into the food. Also, a day before slaughter, it is recommended to give the birds warm milk with salt to drink, then the poultry meat will be whiter and juicier. But pigeons should not be fed on the last day before slaughter, which made it easier to gut the carcass.

Table with indicators of the mass of meat pigeons during cutting

First of all, you need to get more information about the birds, since pigeon breeding has its own nuances that should be taken into account. Some elite breeds, in their habits and living conditions, differ significantly from ordinary pigeons. Let's pay attention to the general characteristics of birds:

The dove is an independent bird, loves to fly and in the summer is able to provide itself with food.
The unpretentiousness of meat breeds frees the poultry breeder from unnecessary troubles when arranging a home for them.
The digestive system of pigeons is designed in such a way that their glands, located in the goiter, are able to secrete the so-called bird's milk, which the birds feed their chicks with. Interestingly, not only females have this property, but also males.
Individuals are distinguished by fidelity towards each other, therefore they create monogamous pairs. The bird does not leave its partner until the moment of his death.

Individuals that are sources of dietary meat need separate mating boxes and a competent approach to feeding. In this regard, a novice pigeon breeder faces a number of mandatory tasks:

Prepare the room and stock up on material for the construction of future boxes.
Choosing the right 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.

Breed types

There are a considerable number of species of pigeons, but only a few individual breeds are suitable for raising them for meat. Among them are gigantic, chicken and meat. Each of them has its own characteristics. Giant birds cannot fly and have a lot of weight. 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 slightly larger. Meat pigeons are expected to have the following characteristics:

rapid development and growth,
good fertility,
high endurance,
propensity to accelerate feeding.

Perhaps the description of meat pigeons presented in our article will help you make your choice. However, before acquiring productive birds, you need to prepare a comfortable home for them to live.

Arrangement of the premises

For the maintenance of pigeons of meat breeds, special nurseries, outbuildings or attic rooms are used. There are no special requirements for the design of the dovecote. The main thing is that in winter there should be no sub-zero 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 per 1 m 2.

Pigeons are clean birds, so you should take care of the litter. For these purposes, straw, sawdust or shavings are used. They need to be changed depending on the degree of contamination. General cleaning of the premises is carried out twice a year.

It is obligatory to have an aviary with feeders and drinkers installed in it.

It is desirable that there is enough space in the room 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 the mating process is completed, the boxes can be used for nesting birds.

Although the maintenance and care of pigeons of meat breeds do not cause much trouble, they still have their own preferences in the diet. In order for the birds to bring the maximum amount of valuable product, they need to provide constant feeding and adjust the correct balance. Pigeons mainly feed on oats, millet, peas, corn, barley and sunflower seeds. Potatoes should be mixed into the feed, as they contain the necessary substances that are useful for birds. To insure pigeons against 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.

Poultry farmers who raise pigeons for meat are always interested in quickly sending birds to 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 farmer with a return 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 evisceration process, feeding must be stopped 24 hours before slaughter. It will also improve the taste of the meat. Experienced pigeon breeders recommend feeding pigeons with herbs for several days to give the product a piquant flavor.

The total period of keeping birds, in particular, depends on their variety. Elite individuals grow differently 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 seek to fly. The body is powerful, large, oblong (total length up to 50 cm). Impressive variety of colors. Giants are white, black, gray-blue, red, fawn and with a brownish coating. According to their size and habits, birds need a low aviary and large nests. Due to their inherent sluggishness, they have a predisposition to obesity. Birds are distinguished by strong immunity to infections. By their nature, they are too trusting, for this reason they should be protected from predators.

Representatives of chicken breeds bred in America. The advantage of king pigeons is their productivity and impressive mass. Unlike other meat pigeons, they grow more slowly. The time of keeping these individuals is at least 45 days. By this period, the birds weigh almost 800 g. Kings love freedom, so they must be periodically released from the cage, and the room for their maintenance should be built more spaciously. The speed of their weight gain will depend on the walking of the birds.

A female individual is able to reproduce up to 17 chicks per year. Since pigeons love to roam free and live in large buildings, they are more suitable for large farms. However, if the birds create optimal conditions, it will be possible to receive a considerable income from the sale of valuable dietary meat.

The breeding of meat pigeons of this species began during the progress of mechanized pigeon breeding. Breeding the Carnot breed involved keeping the birds in an aviary. For this reason, pigeons are not adapted to forage on their own. Karno is easier to keep in automated facilities. They do not need to be spacious, as pigeons respond well to crowding. Individuals are small, but productive and very rapidly gaining a certain mass (no more than 600 g). Plumage is different: black, yellow, white. There are no feathers on the legs.

The downside of the breed is that pigeons have an unprepossessing appearance and a disproportionate structure. They have an overly convex chest and a thickened neck. Against the background of a rounded body, the head looks too small. At the same time, it should be noted that these characteristics do not affect the value of the dietary product. Their meat is juicy and quite tender.

A distinctive feature of this breed is the rich plumage. The general background of the entire body of the bird casts in a variety of colors, and the wings may have a different color. Each individual feather on the wing is edged with a contrasting outline. There are two varieties: German and English modena. The first is medium-sized, 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 up to 900 g. The article provides photos of pigeons of meat breeds. On them you can see the exterior differences of birds.

Pretty foldable birds of a powerful build, with a broad back and a vertically located 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 individual under good conditions is able to hatch more than 20 chicks. Texans have a calm disposition and are picky about food. They grow quickly, the average weight of an adult bird is 750 g. Since birds are not particularly demanding on the conditions of existence, they are suitable for busy people who cannot devote too much time to keeping birds.

The bird has a solid appearance. She has a rounded, proudly protruding chest, a large head and forehead. Broad, short back, fully covered by wings. The color varies from white and gray to black and white. Legs set wide apart, without plumage, red. Pigeons are considered the most fleshy breed. The mass of a male can reach up to 900 g, and females - and females up to 700-800 g. Strassers are non-flying birds, violent and often fight. Indicators of fertility and productivity in them are manifested, to a greater extent, with purebred breeding.

Conclusion

As you can see, breeding, caring for and keeping pigeons of meat breed is not such a complicated process. The choice of birds is not limited to the above list. In fact, there are many more. Poultry farmers distinguish a few more of the best varieties. These include: the Kuborg lark, the Hungarian giants, the Polish lynx and some of the chicken-like individuals. If you like this kind of activity, choose the right breed and get a useful product.

Roman giant (Giant Runt)

The breed appeared on the territory of present-day Italy in the days of Ancient Rome. Some historians of pigeon breeding believe that this particular bird was mentioned by the erudite writer Pliny in the first century AD. The scientist described a very large pigeon he saw in Campagna, a region of modern Italy.

In addition, giant pigeons were bred in Spain and southern France, and today it is impossible to establish with certainty which lines are combined in their current form.

Roman pigeons are famous in Italy because the image of this bird is carved on the interior columns of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. In France the breed is known as the Roman Pigeon, in England as the Runt and in the United States as the Giant Runt.

The Roman pigeon is a large and heavy bird, reaching a weight of more than 1.3 kg. Huge individuals are also known, so in 1906 a pigeon weighing exactly 1.8 kg was presented in the American club of lovers of this breed.

The average length of a bird is about 50 cm, with a wingspan of up to 100 cm. Although size plays an important role in choosing meat breeds for breeding, it is equally important to consider the overall physique.

This is a bulky, massive bird, confidently standing on its legs wide apart, like a weightlifter. American representatives of the breed differ in appearance from their European counterparts. American Giant Runt birds are shorter and fatter, with short wings and tail, while European representatives are characterized by a small head, with a longer and more slender neck and body.

Despite their impressive size, Roman pigeons are distinguished by a calm and peaceful character. They rarely sort things out, are quickly tamed and are practically unable to fly. Their fecundity is low - up to 4-5 chicks per season, which is the reason why ancient giant pigeons are kept in smaller numbers than modern productive meat breeds - Strassers or Texans.

There are many different colors available including red, yellow, silver, white, black, blue, red and ash solid or belted, blue belted and others. While body type is considered the most important feature, a breeder wishing to purchase a pedigreed bird must pay the utmost attention to conformity to color standards.

Meat breed King (King)

The breed of meat pigeons, obtained in the USA, is kept in its homeland as a dual-purpose bird - for meat production and as an exhibition. The Kings were bred in the 1890s by crossing four species, including the Roman Giants, from which the breed took its power and meat qualities.

Kingi is a large bird with a dense, cast physique. A tall stately figure and a proud landing of the head add to the impressiveness of the dove, for which, probably, King was awarded his royal name. It is difficult to distinguish individuals by gender. But still, the male looks more stocky, the female looks feminine and slender. After observing the pair for some time, you can accurately determine the male by characteristic behavior.

Adult birds reach a maximum weight of 1 kg 100 g, according to show standards, the weight should be in the range of 850 g - 1 kg, however, the average weight of an individual at the productive age of obtaining a carcass fluctuates around 570 g. 7-8 chicks.

The plumage of the Kings is distinguished by a variety of colors, according to the exhibition standard, there are one-color pigeons - white, black, yellow, red, ashy (Dun) and brown. In addition, beautiful variations with belts are common - brown, blue, silver, ash-red, ash-yellow. At the same time, snow-white remains the most common color of Kings.

Pigeons Strasser

The Strasser is an excellent breed created in Austria as a result of many years of selection by crossing Modena and Florentine pigeons, as well as infusion of the blood of some other breeds. As a meat breed, the German variation of Strassers is most often used, with an average weight of an adult bird of 700-900 g and a maximum weight of males up to 1 kg.

The pigeon is massive, stocky, up to 40 cm long. The head is large, round with a developed forehead. Strong beak of medium length, small cere. The chest is developed, convex, the back is wide, the wings are rounded, covering the back.

The bird flies badly, it is pugnacious and restless. The undoubted advantages of the breed is good fertility - up to 12 chicks per breeding season. This figure and rapid growth make Strassers very popular with European pigeon breeders. By the age of one month, the chick weighs about 550-700 g, and a pair of pigeons can bring up to 5-6 kg of dietary meat per season.

The main color of the birds is white, and the colored parts of the body can be black, blue, red, yellow, gray with belts and transverse stripes on the tail. Strassers are usually colored in the throat, wings, tail, undertail and rump, while the rest of the body is pure white. Such an expressive contrasting color scheme is the visiting card of the breed.

Texans (Texan Pioneer)

Another great American meat pigeon breed, developed in Texas in the 1950s. The main difference between Teksans is high fecundity, a pair of birds can bring up to 16-20 chicks per season. Another advantage of the breed is the ability to distinguish the sex of chicks at a very early age.

Peace-loving, unpretentious bird quickly gains weight and on average grows up to 700-900 g, and sometimes more. The mass of a monthly chick is 600-750 g, which, with high fecundity, makes Teksan one of the best productive meat breeds.

After hatching, the male chicks are naked, and the females are dressed in a long yellowish fluff; after a few days, a brown spot appears on their beak. Adult males are painted in light colors, females are darker with brown or cream wings with bands, blue or gray-smoky or brown chest.

The physique is harmonious, cast, with a powerful, fleshy chest and a wide back. The wings are neat, tightly pressed to the back and go on a small straight tail, which reaches a length of up to 15 cm.

The legs are not feathered, strong, not very long, widely spaced, which is a general sign of a good beef breed. The bird flies well, but reluctantly, preferring to move on the ground.

French pigeons Monden (French Mondain)

French pigeon Monden is one of the best modern meat breeds. It is a large bird with an imposing, well-rounded, wide and deep body. The head is small, round with a short massive beak. The neck is short, full, powerful. The chest is expressive, full, protruding like a wheel forward. The wings are rounded, pressed to the body, the tail is narrow and short.

Mondena males weigh between 0.9-1.3 kg, females are lighter and weigh 0.85-1.2 kg. Young animals in the productive period of a month of age (squabs) reach an average weight of 450-500 g. These are excellent weight indicators in pigeon breeding, besides, the breed has an excellent yield, the carcasses are round, the meat is tasty, tender, juicy.

Monden colors are varied, the most common are black, gray, silver, yellow, ash, ash red.

Modena or Modena pigeon

Modena or Modena pigeon is an exceptionally beautiful large bird, bred in Italy. This name comes from the Italian city of Modena, where the breed was bred many centuries ago. Its history begins at the beginning of the 1300s, written evidence of the existence of Modena is dated 1327, and it is considered almost the only truly European breed.

Today, this bird is a little smaller and more graceful than in past centuries and belongs to the category of chicken breeds - with a more slender body and longer legs than the giant bulky breeds of pigeons.

Modena is a medium-sized bird, up to 23 cm high and about 18 cm long. The weight of individuals is about 350-500 g. The chest is convex, wide, fleshy, the back is short and wide, the tail is short, narrow, raised up, being at neck level. The wings are short and slightly raised.

There is an incredible number of plumage colors of the Modena pigeon, more than two hundred variations in total. The most common are blue, bronze, black, silver, red, cream, yellow colors and all kinds of marching variations and combinations of these colors. Colors are recognized as monophonic, and multi-color, scaly and with belts.

Farm keeping of meat breeds of pigeons

It should be noted that pigeons of this breed are more suitable for growing in warm climates. So, they are actively bred in Europe, the southern and central regions of Russia, including the Krasnodar Territory and the Rostov Region.

The breed is also of American origin - bred in the last century in Texas. The main difference between Texan is its high fertility. Under favorable conditions, one pair per year can bring up to 22 chicks. On average, this indicator is in the range of 16-20 chicks.

The external characteristics of Texan are as follows:

medium sized head
the neck is short, located vertically,
powerful body with a small belly,
the chest is fleshy, broad and protruding forward,
wings of medium length and tightly pressed to the body,
the tail is short (up to 15 cm) and raised up,
legs are short, strong and widely spaced, which is a common feature of all meat pigeons.

It should be noted that it is possible to distinguish the sex of the chicks of this breed even at a very early age. The fact is that the male chicks are naked after hatching, and the females are covered with long yellowish fluff, and after a few days a brown spot appears on their beak. Adult males are light in color, while females are darker, and their wings are brown or cream with belts, and their breasts are blue, gray-smoky or brown.

Texans digest food well, grow quickly and gain weight. On average, their weight is 700-900 g, and at the age of one month they already weigh about 600-750 g. They can fly well, but more often they prefer to move on the ground.

Texans are characterized by a calm temperament and unpretentiousness to the conditions of detention, so they are often chosen by poultry farmers who want to give their livestock a minimum of attention, but want to get a good meat yield at the same time.

Prachensky canic

Czech ancient breed of pigeons, which can also be found in the Crimea. It was bred by crossing several types of individuals - the Czech Lapwing and chicken pigeons (Home, Florentine and Vienna). Outwardly, it resembles a blue Kanika, which is why it is also called a "buzzard". The characteristics of the Prachensky Kanik are as follows:

small head,
orange eyes,
the beak is strong and orange-red in color,
medium neck,
the body is small, graceful,
the chest is convex and wide,
wings well developed
paws of medium size, without feathers,
tail pointing up and continuing the line of the back.

Representatives of this breed grow rapidly, gain weight and show resistance to many diseases. Unlike other meat pigeons, they fly well. The live weight of a male averages 550-750 g, and females - up to 600 g. Quite a lot of chicks of this breed can be bred during the year, and they will be plump and fleshy.

polish lynx

The breed is of Polish origin and is often grown on an industrial scale to obtain excellent quality meat. It cannot be crossed with other species, since in this case there is a high risk of loss of meat quality.

Unlike many of its counterparts, such a dove has a large head and a long beak. Its legs are not short, but of medium length and traditionally widely spaced. As a rule, such individuals are of the same color - black, white, gray, brown or blue, but there are also individuals that have stripes or specks of a different color on the neck, wings and tail.

The Polish lynx is easy to care for and grows quickly. The average weight of an adult is 800 g. The fecundity of the bird is relatively low - it breeds about 8 chicks per year. They are calm and can fly.

Modena or Modena pigeon

The breed was bred in Italy at the beginning of 1327 and named after the city of Modena. It is considered almost the only truly European breed. Its external characteristics are as follows:

small head,
the neck is large and practically does not stand out,
the chest is convex, wide and fleshy,
the back is short and wide,
wings are short and slightly raised,
the tail is short, narrow and raised up (located at the level of the neck).

The plumage of the Modena pigeon can have a different color, and more than 200 variations have been established by poultry farmers. The most popular colors are blue, bronze, black, silver, red, cream or yellow. In addition, hiking options and combinations of these colors are possible. The dove is both single-colored and multi-colored, scaly and with belts.

Modena has an average size: height - up to 23 cm, length - about 18 cm. The weight of individuals is relatively small - about 350-500 g.

Features of keeping meat pigeons

Many poultry farmers keep pigeons in the attics of country houses or build separate poultry houses for them. In any case, the room should be under a canopy, protected from temperature changes, suitable for summer and winter maintenance. It is equally important to carry out good ventilation and heating.

To ensure acceptable conditions for keeping birds, it is worth equipping the dovecote as follows:

make windows that should face south,
place nests on the floor or on a slight elevation, since most meat breeds fly very poorly,
to provide nests with paths along which individuals can climb,
lay the floor and constantly monitor its cleanliness (at least 2 times a year you need to disinfect the bedding),
install drinkers and feeders that need to be refilled on time.

In the dovecote it is necessary to maintain the air temperature always above 0°C.

Pigeons checked by a veterinarian can be launched into a prepared house. Basically, they need to be fed with cereals, but rye, oats and lupins should be completely excluded from the diet. Feed mixture can be prepared from the following ingredients:

Be sure to include vitamin and mineral supplements (5%) in the diet, which can be added to the feed:

lime,
river sand,
red brick crumb
clay,
charcoal,
eggshell.

Individuals of meat breeds should consume about 50-55 g of grain mixture per day. Of course, they should not be given spoiled or moldy food, as it will be difficult to digest.

It is equally important to ensure that there is always fresh water at room temperature in the house, because without life-giving moisture the birds will not be able to live even a day. If feathers, bird droppings or small debris get into the water, then it must be immediately poured out, and new water should be poured into the drinkers.

In order for pigeons to be completely healthy and have strong immunity, it is necessary to vaccinate them 2 times a year using the services of a certified veterinarian.

Breeding

For breeding pigeons in a poultry house, an equal number of males and females must be left so that each individual can find a mate. Under natural conditions, doves make 3 clutches of 2-3 eggs each year. With proper lighting and heating, this figure can grow by more than 6 times.

Females can participate in breeding from 8 months, but individuals at the age of 1-1.5 years are considered the most prolific. Mating occurs naturally when pigeons live together in the same enclosure. At the same time, you can resort to forced mating if you want to get specific qualities from the chicks. In this case, a couple of pigeons should be temporarily placed in a separate enclosure.

It is quite simple to understand that mating has already taken place, and the birds are ready to return to the common aviary, since the pigeons will constantly sit nearby and carefully sort out each other's feathers.

After 11-16 days, eggs are laid. To make sure that embryos are developing in them, on the 6th day you can put them on spoons and look at the light. If a speck is visible, there will probably be offspring. In addition, with the development of the embryo, the color of the shell changes - on the 8th day, the egg acquires a matte gray tint.

Pigeons alternately plant eggs for 16-19 days, but for some breeds this period can last up to 29 days. The chicks will be born helpless and blind, but after a few hours they will be able to take food from their parents. During the first 2 weeks, they should eat only goiter milk, and after that, goiter gruel can already be introduced into their diet, which is softened in the goiter by the parents. Only a month later, a good diet is acceptable.

Extensive

It does not require special costs or efforts from the breeder, since in this case the birds themselves get their own food, and the poultry farmer gives them food once a day so that they can gain weight in the allotted time period.

This method has a number of disadvantages. For example, when looking for food, pigeons may encounter wild birds or animals that may be carriers of dangerous diseases. In addition, individuals need to guarantee complete protection from predators. Of course, a well-fed bird that cannot or does not want to fly will be a quick prey even for a domestic cat.

Intensive

It involves forced feeding of birds so that they gain 600-800 g and more in weight in a short time. For such purposes, it is better to choose highly productive breeds like King or Texan, since they can increase their mass to a given mark in just 30-38 days. In addition, these birds, due to their high fecundity, can reproduce offspring 5-10 times a year, which will bring 10-20 chicks to the farm.

Individuals at the age of 3 weeks are suitable for fattening for slaughter, since the meat of young animals has the best taste. Selected chicks must be placed in a dark room. They need to be force-fed every day up to 4 times a day with a porridge-like mixture, using special equipment or a syringe without a needle, but with a soft rubber nozzle on the end.

As a feed, it is necessary to prepare a mixture of cereals, cereals and legumes. It is recommended to throw mineral supplements in a small amount. Each bird should eat 50-60 g of this mixture per day and drink it with warm water. The optimal volume of a single serving is 15-20 g. If you feed young pigeons for about 2 weeks, you can get pigeons weighing about 800 g at the exit.

There is also a combined or economic and decorative method, but it is mainly popular among poultry farmers of domestic decorative pigeons.

Slaughter of meat pigeons

Birds aged 29-37 days are slaughtered. As a rule, their weight already reaches 600-750 g. During the last 3 days of fattening, fragrant seeds of various crops, spices or berries should be mixed into the feed of pigeons in small quantities. With the help of such a trick, you can give the pigeon a piquant taste.

In addition, the day before slaughter, it is worth giving the bird warm milk with salt to drink so that the meat becomes juicier and whiter. On the same day, it is necessary to interrupt feeding, so that after that it would be easier to gut the carcass.

Subject to all aspects of the care and maintenance of pigeons, poultry farmers can grow an excellent meat breed. As a result, birds can be put on meat, from which the most delicate dishes and delicacies are prepared. There are various breeds of meat pigeons, so when choosing a particular individual, you should familiarize yourself with their main parameters and features.

History of occurrence

The Roman pigeon, which was nicknamed the Roman giant for its impressive size and weight, appeared on the territory of modern Italy approximately 2 thousand years before our era. It is not known exactly under what conditions it was selected and what breeds were used for this.

The predecessors of the Roman giants were the breeds of Carthaginian birds, which were a dwarf and Spanish subspecies. The creation of new breeds of local residents provoked a huge demand for pigeon meat: those who kept pigeon farms always had a consistently high income.
Over time, Roman pigeons began to be grown in ancient Greece, Egypt and Rome, since the favorite dish of the locals was pigeon meat, which they ate just like that and prepared unusual dishes from it. There are many old manuscripts that describe farms of those times that specialized in breeding these birds.

The Roman giant has long been an excellent breeding material and has been used to create new breeds. Despite the fact that this breed was bred in Ancient Rome, a huge selection work using Roman giants was carried out in France, where the breeds of the English Pout and the Old German Pigeon were created.

Appearance and physique

Representatives of the Roman giant breed are characterized by:

large elongated body
slightly rounded head with a high forehead,
large powerful beak of a curved shape, light grayish in color,
heart-shaped wax, divided in half,
pearly eyes,
finely warty eyelids,
a small powerful neck with a noticeable neck fold,
slightly convex, broad chest,
big wings,
dense and dense plumage of ash-blue, reddish, gray-brown, white color,
long and wide tail,
short paws.

Characteristics

The Roman giant has the following characteristics:

The weight of young individuals at the age of 6 months. is 600 g for males and 500 g for females.
The weight of adults is 1400 g for males and 1200 g for females.
The body length of adults reaches 55 cm.
The wingspan of adults is 100 cm.

Other features

This breed is sedentary, as it was created for eating and had to move little in order to better build mass. Pigeons are not susceptible to infection by common pigeon diseases, so they are often chosen for keeping for decorative purposes. The nature of the bird is trustful and friendly to humans.

Between themselves, pigeons very often have conflicts, which often end in fights. In order to avoid them, the birds are kept in spacious enclosures, where everyone should have enough space, and they are provided with the necessary number of feeders. Enclosures are recommended to be placed at a low height, as there have been cases when fattened birds fell and were severely injured.

Due to the fact that the bird is inactive, it has a low fecundity. This indicator is also affected by an overly aggressive nature - females hatch eggs poorly, often forgetting about them in the process of sorting out relations with their neighbors. In a year, one female can bring from 6 to 12 chicks.

The Roman giant, due to its inactive lifestyle, is prone to obesity, and every second adult bird suffers from this disease. Pigeons are accustomed to eating a lot and plentifully, therefore they are prone to rapid weight gain. Given this fact, when keeping birds at home, you should carefully select the diet and monitor the amount of food offered.

Thus, the Roman giant pigeon, despite the antiquity of the breed, does not cease to be popular and continues to be used now for decorative maintenance, as well as as a good breeding material for creating new species.

Pigeons of the Strasser breed

These pigeons are created from local breeds of the Czech Republic, Austria and Germany. They differ in decorativeness and good meat qualities. Strassers have a squat body, a wide rounded chest, an elongated neck, a medium-sized tail and wings, and short unfeathered legs.

The wings, head, tail and upper part of the neck are black, gray, fawn, and the body is white. Adult males weigh 600-800 g, females - 500-600 g.

Strasser pigeons reach a live weight of 600-650 g by the age of one month, a clean carcass - 450-480 g. For a year, 10-12 pigeons can be obtained from one pair. Strassers are temperamental, but do not fly well, are more shy and pugnacious than others.

Pigeons of breed King

Kings - a breed of meat birds created by US pigeon breeders in 1890 through interbreeding and long-term selection. Kings differ from pigeons of other breeds in their elongated, widely spaced legs, high shortened body, raised and deep chest, shortened and raised tail.

The exterior of the kings resembles a chicken, and therefore they were assigned to the group of gallon pigeons. Their plumage is short and dense, it is red, black, gray, beige or yellow, but white is more valued.

Adult males weigh 800-900 g, females - 500-700 g, but among males there are specimens with a live weight of more than 1 kg. The mass of chicks at the age of one month reaches 650 g. Kings hatch well and feed chicks, they are quite prolific and, under good conditions of keeping and feeding, 6-7 pairs of young animals can be obtained from them per year.

Pigeons Texana

Texans are one of the most productive breeds of pigeons. It was bred in the USA (Texas) in the fifties. These pigeons digest food well and grow quickly. Their weight is 700-900 g. A characteristic feature of texans is the ability to determine the sex of chicks immediately after hatching. Males have a light beak, a short fluff or none at all, females are covered with long yellow fluff, on the second day of life a dark pink or brown spot appears on their beak.

Adult pigeons also differ: males are almost white, only on the neck and chest it is slightly brown, sometimes yellow, with completely white plumage on the neck and chest there may be colored specks, females are darker in color, their wings are beige, brown or beige with brown belts on wings, chest darker, sometimes gray or blue.

Pigeons at the age of one month weigh 650 g and are distinguished by the best ratio of meat and bone. Pigeons of the Texan breed are very prolific. For a year from one pair you can get 14-16 chicks. Pigeons are mated at 5-6 months of age. They have a calm demeanor.

Roman giants

Roman giants are bred in Italy. The plumage of Roman pigeons, ash-blue, red, black, fawn with brown bloom and white. Their body is large, strong, oblong. The length of the birds from the beak to the end of the tail is 50-60 cm, the wingspan is 100-105 cm. The live weight is 1.3-1.4 kg, as a result of which they do not fly well.

For these birds, the dovecote should be no higher than 2 meters from the ground. And nests need to be made larger - 30x30x10cm.

Roman goluoi are inactive and prone to obesity, which negatively affects their fertility. They are trusting, resistant to disease, but pugnacious.

Meat pigeons can be kept in the attic of houses and outbuildings, as well as in special pigeon nurseries. The design and dimensions of the premises can be any, but it is desirable to follow certain rules. So, windows and enclosures should be placed to the south or southeast, and the air temperature in the room in winter should not fall below 0 degrees.

It is desirable to equip the premises with ventilation and electric lighting. It is better to make nests removable (for ease of cleaning) and place them at a low height, because. most breeds of meat pigeons do not fly well. Drinking bowls and feeders can be placed both in the dovecote and in the aviary. Windows should be at least 1/10 of the floor area, which allows you to maintain sufficient lighting. When designing a building, it should be remembered that no more than 3 pairs of adult pigeons can be placed on one square meter of the floor. Pigeon care is easy.

To maintain cleanliness, a litter of shavings, sawdust, straw, etc. is laid in the nests and on the floor, which is changed as it gets dirty. Complete cleaning and disinfection of the premises and equipment should be carried out twice a year - in spring and autumn.

Pigeon breeding of the meat direction is characterized by extensive, intensive and economic and decorative breeding of birds.

With extensive breeding pigeons in the summer (almost six months) take care of the food themselves. Birds are fed only in winter.

Any flying pigeons are suitable for extensive breeding. Sometimes sports pigeons are used for meat (usually they weigh 400-500 g), but the best results will be from crossing male kings with sports (mail) doves.

Intensive way rearing pigeons consists in fattening young birds to a weight of 500 g or more (after plucking and gutting). Such large pigeons for 28-35 days of rearing are obtained only from the above special meat breeds. For intensive economic breeding, it is advisable to acquire pigeons with simpler external signs, but with a highly developed chest part of the body.

Feeding regime for meat pigeons

The diet of meat pigeons includes:

Pigeons can choose foods that provide them with the necessary nutrients to maintain their physiological state and growth, so it is necessary to provide them with the maximum opportunity for this choice.

The composition of the grain mixture does not have a specific recipe, it depends on the possibility of a pigeon breeder, but it is advisable to maintain an approximate percentage of the diet:

45% - grains of cereals,
45% - grains of legumes,
10% - oilseeds.

corn - 20,
vetch - 20,
wheat - 15,
peas - 15,
millet - 10,
barley - 10,
oilseeds - 10.

Peas and vetch (seasoned for a year) are necessary in the diet as a source of vegetable protein, because its lack negatively affects the growth of young animals. Rye, lupine, oats are cereals that are harmful to pigeons and should not be fed.

In the spring-summer period of the year, pigeons should be given greens, and in the autumn-winter period - sprouted grain. As a mineral top dressing, crushed slaked lime, shell rock, charcoal, egg shells, and clay are used. An adult pigeon consumes an average of 50 g of grain mixture per day.

Of the numerous breeds of pigeons, meat pigeons, in addition to the joy of breeding them, can bring tangible benefits, giving delicious dietary meat, rich soups and broths to the family table. Therefore, I strongly recommend that owners of household, summer cottage and garden plots, who for some reason cannot keep other poultry in their plots, take up meat pigeon breeding. It is enough to have 5 pairs of meat pigeons or their crosses with sports pigeons, and each pair gives an average of up to 10 pigeons per year, and you will get up to 20 kg of high quality meat at no special cost.

Roman pigeons

The breed is very old and has undergone significant selection over several centuries.

This bird has poor flying qualities. She is sedentary, but violent temperament. Fights among the "Romans" are not uncommon.

The bird has a low fecundity, but thanks to good immunity, the population remains at a stable level.

The Roman pigeon has a large massive oblong body. The wing and tail are long. The live weight of the male reaches 1.3 kg, and the females up to 1.1 kg. The head of the bird seems large due to the size of the forehead. The beak is large. Curved neck. The chest is rounded, and the back is shaped like a wide oval. The limbs are low, bare, scarlet.

By color, Roman pigeons can be of all colors.

"Romans" are willingly used to improve pigeons of other breeds.

Created through a process of careful selection in the USA. Kings are used both as an industrial bird for fattening for meat, and as an exhibition bird.

This breed is very prolific. The live weight of the bird reaches 850 g. Their body is large. The chest is wide, with a bulge. The wings are short and straight, pressed against the body. The tail is short, and the legs are medium, unfeathered. The plumage is smooth, well fitting. The most valuable are light-colored birds, especially white ones.

The bird for exhibitions reaches a weight of up to 1.7 kg and is similar to galliformes. The head and short neck of this bird seem to merge, and then follows a huge fleshy chest. But the lower part of the bird is small. The neck, broad back and upturned tail give the impression of a semicircle. Short wings lie on the tail. The limbs are scarlet and widely spaced. Feathers are white, silver, fawn, mottled.

Kings are good parents. On average, they can give 6-8 pairs of offspring per season.

A bird with original plumage and weighing up to a kilogram. A large body with a large head and a large forehead, a medium dense curved neck. The protruding round chest is an ornament of this bird, but the back is short but wide. The wings completely cover the dorsal part and end at the tail. The medium-sized unfeathered legs are scarlet and widely spaced.

Strasser pigeons come in all sorts of colors, some with bands on their wings and tails. There are white-winged and white-tailed among the Strassers.

Strassers have a violent temper, they often fight, but fly poorly. The fecundity of the breed is high, and the genetic potential has made it possible to breed industrially. An adult female weighs about 700 g, and a male up to 1000 g.

With purebred breeding, the indicators are much higher than when paired with other breeds. To prevent a drop in productivity, females no older than six years of age are allowed to breed.

Grow mainly in cells. The mass of a pigeon is up to 650 g, but they grow at a rapid pace, for which they are popular. The color can be varied, but the meat is always tender and juicy.

The productivity and multiplicity of pigeons of the meat breed, bred in the USA, is appreciated. If favorable conditions are created, up to 22 cubs can be raised per year.

The bird grows quickly, with a calm temperament, well gets used to the conditions of detention and new feed.

You can determine the sex of this bird immediately after hatching: “girls” - with long yellow down and a pink spot on the edge of the beak, “boys” - without down or with very short. Adults are also easily distinguishable. Males have a white color, and only the neck and chest with colored occurrences. Doves are darker, in places with a belt.

The physique is powerful, harmonious. The back is wide, tapering towards the caudal region. The ends of the wings fit on the tail of medium length. The quality of the breed is determined by the width of the legs apart - the wider, the better.

Polish lynxes

All these pigeons are distinguished from the rest by white belts on the wings. But the plumage itself can be of different shades.

Their average weight is within 700 g, and they give no more than 8 broods. Pigeons are calm, unpretentious, capable of medium flight and independent foraging, which earned the attention of pigeon breeders in the countryside.

Galliformes

These birds are slightly reminiscent of domestic chickens, which is why they got such a name. Their body and tail are shortened, and their legs are long. This group includes: Viennese, Modena, Florentine, Maltese, Hungarian pigeons. Galliformes are rarely found in our territory. This group has not received industrial breeding.

Hungarian giants

Among the galliformes, these birds are especially attractive. It is easy to recognize them by their abundantly feathered short legs. The male during the season can gain up to 1200 g of weight, the female up to 900 g. The plumage color is from black to the lightest.

The meat breeds of pigeons are similar to domestic pigeons, but their live weight reaches 750 g. The meat breeds included the Beneshov pigeon, the Moravian pshpros, the Kuborg lark, and the Prachensky canik.

Features of maintenance and reproduction

Meat pigeons have short wings and a fairly heavy body, so they cannot fly or fly poorly.

The diet of such pigeons needs to be more carefully balanced in terms of nutrition. Uniformity is unacceptable.

Breeding pigeons for meat is no more difficult than ordinary pigeons, they are prolific and hardy. However, nests for them need to be adapted on the floor or just above the floor. At the same time, the main thing is that the bird must be able to independently and safely enter its nests. Multi-storey nesting sites for this bird are inappropriate. The upper floors will remain unclaimed, and the bird will fight for the lower nests.

It is better to attract purebred individuals to breeding pigeons of meat breeds. The yield of meat in this case will be much higher, and the funds spent on feed will be covered by profit.

The breeding of meat pigeons still remains unclaimed by a wide mass of pigeon breeders, and this direction can make an invaluable contribution and add a high-quality protein product to the human diet. Having considered the breeds of pigeons, weighing all the advantages of meat pigeon breeding, you can safely proceed to breeding and keeping this bird.

Watch the video: Kings - meat breed of pigeons or not. . (March 2020).

Meat pigeons are bred and raised for food. Unlike other breeds of domestic pigeons, they are larger, and their body weight reaches an average of 650 g. More than 50 breeds belong to this group of birds, and many of them are bred on an industrial scale in the USA, Hungary, France and Italy. What kind of breeds are they, how they need to be bred and maintained, we will consider further.

Popular breeds

Breeds of meat pigeons differ in weight, plumage and fertility, so you should read their description in more detail.

Strasser

The breed was bred in the 19th century in the province of Mahrischer Strasser, which is the reason for its name. The external characteristics of the Strassers are as follows:

the head is large with a convex wide forehead;
the neck is medium in length and slightly arched;
the beak is strong, medium in size and with a small cere;
the body is strong and massive, about 40 cm long;
the back is straight and wide;
wings are wide and of medium length;
paws are bright scarlet;
the tail is narrow, of medium size.

Separately, it is worth noting the original coloring of the pigeons of this breed: their hips, lower body and neck are white, but the rest of the parts are colored, that is, the color can be blue, gray, yellow, red or black.

Some poultry farmers characterize Strassers as fat: the weight of males can reach 1.2 kg, and females - 800 g. As a rule, on day 30, the weight of chicks is 600-700 g. During the season, a pair of pigeons can bring up to 12 pigeons, which will give up to 7 kg of fine-fibred meat. So, the yield of this bird is lethal - 58-62% (the indicator may vary and depends on the conditions of detention).

To get the maximum mass of offspring, it is worth removing birds from the dovecote whose age has exceeded 5 years.

king

The breed was bred in the USA by Californian poultry farmers in 1890 by crossing several species - the Maltese and Roman pigeons, the Roman giant, from which it received its meat qualities. The goal of poultry farmers was to obtain a large pigeon that grows quickly and has a high fecundity. So, this bird is dual-purpose, as it is used both for the production of meat and for participation in exhibitions.

King has a dense and slender physique with the following external characteristics:

the figure is tall and stately;
the head is large with a proud landing (adds doves of impressiveness, due to which she got her royal name);
the neck is thick with an almost vertical arrangement;
the beak is medium in size, powerful and strong;
the chest is wide and voluminous, somewhat falling forward;
the back is flat;
wings are short and straight;
the tail is small and raised (looking up).

The plumage of the Kings can have a variety of colors. In the classic manifestation, these doves are of the same color - white, black, red or brown. In more original versions, the birds have belts of various colors - brown, blue, silver, ash-red, ash-yellow. At the same time, the most popular is the snow-white color. In this case, pigeons often have black eyes. If the plumage is colored, then the eyes are more often yellow.

These birds have a lively and lively character, so they often show aggressiveness. They are able to fly, but have a poorly developed ability to climb up.

The weight of adult show Kings can reach 1.5 kg. If the bird is raised for meat, then it can weigh about 700 g at 45 days of age. Under the right conditions of detention and a complete diet, the female will bring up to 18 chicks per year.

You can clearly see the Kings of different colors in the following video:

It should be noted that pigeons of this breed are more suitable for growing in warm climates. So, they are actively bred in Europe, the southern and central regions of Russia, including the Krasnodar Territory and the Rostov Region.

Texan

The external characteristics of Texan are as follows:

medium sized head;
the neck is short, located vertically;
the body is powerful with a small belly;
the chest is fleshy, broad and protruding forward;
wings of medium length and tightly pressed to the body;
the tail is short (up to 15 cm) and raised up;
legs are short, strong and widely spaced, which is a common feature of all meat pigeons.

Roman giant

The birthplace of the breed is the territory of present-day Italy, since it appeared during ancient Rome. It is believed that the image of the Roman giant is carved on the internal columns of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. The breed is actively bred in Spain, in the south of France and in the USA.

The Roman pigeon is a large bird - in weight it can reach 1.3 kg. Larger specimens are also known. So, in 1906, in the American club of lovers of this breed, a bird weighing exactly 1.8 kg was presented. As for the length of the dove, on average it is 50 cm, but the length of the wings can reach 100 cm.

These pigeons are similar in physique to regular pigeons, but they are twice as large, hence the nickname "giant". American representatives of this breed have some external differences from their European counterparts. They are somewhat shorter and fatter, have shorter wings and tail. European representatives have a small head, a longer neck and a slender body. The color of the Roman giant can be different:

red;
yellow;
silvery;
white;
black;
blue
red-ash;
with or without a belt.

Roman pigeons have a calm and peaceful nature, despite their impressive size. So, they rarely arrange fights and are easily tamed. Such individuals practically do not fly. Among the shortcomings, low fertility can be noted - up to 4-5 chicks per season. It is for this reason that this breed is kept in smaller numbers than the more productive modern breeds like the Strassers.

Carnot

France is considered the birthplace of this breed, and in the 60s of the last century it was brought to the USSR from the USA. Karno were bred at a time when the enclosure of pigeon meat breeds became popular with the maximum mechanization of all processes, since it allowed breeders to reduce the cost of meat. So, Carnot are most suitable for captive content.

The external characteristics of the individual are as follows:

the head is small, not corresponding to the proportions of the body;
the beak is long, pink in color, somewhat curved down;
the neck is thick, short;
the thoracic region is excessively convex;
paws without feathers, small;
feathers are thick and wide;
the tail is short, lowered to the floor.

Coloring Carnot can be one-color (brown, white, black) or variegated (white with bluish, red feathers, or brown with white feathers). In any case, these pigeons are relatively small - their weight is about 600-650 g. At the same time, this breed is the most precocious of meat pigeons - gaining weight in two months. Poultry farmers prefer young individuals, because their meat is more tender.

Monden

The breed was bred by French breeders in the city of Mont-de-Marsan, which explains its name. Monden pigeons differ in the following characteristics:

high yield of meat, which averages 60%;
high index of massiveness - about 28.7%;
a high index of edible parts (for males - 82.6%, for females - 81.3%), so almost the entire bird can be eaten.

Visually Monden looks like this:

the head is small;
the eyes are small and brown;
the beak is medium and reaches 0.3 cm;
the neck is thick and short, almost imperceptible;
the body is powerful with a wide and convex thoracic region;
wings are small and tightly pressed to the body, practically do not stand out;
silver feathers;
legs are short, dark red, almost black;
the tail is short and upturned.

Monden pigeons can be fed as much as possible up to 1.1 kg, and at the age of one month they weigh an average of 500-700 g. The minimum weight of adults is 700 g. Meat yield with rapid weight gain is 60%, and most of the carcass can be eaten .

These birds are resistant to various diseases, grow quickly and gain weight, so they are often used for crossing and breeding highly productive hybrids.

Prachensky canic

the head is small;
orange eyes;
the beak is strong and orange-red in color;
neck of medium size;
the body is small, graceful;
the chest is convex and wide;
wings well developed;
paws of medium size, without feathers;
tail pointing up and continuing the line of the back.

polish lynx

The breed was bred in Italy at the beginning of 1327 and named after the city of Modena. It is considered almost the only truly European breed. Its external characteristics are as follows:

small head;
the neck is large and practically does not stand out;
the chest is convex, wide and fleshy;
the back is short and wide;
wings are short and slightly raised;
the tail is short, narrow and raised up (located at the level of the neck).

Modena has an average size: height - up to 23 cm, length - about 18 cm. The weight of individuals is relatively small - about 350-500 g.

Features of keeping meat pigeons

To ensure acceptable conditions for keeping birds, it is worth equipping the dovecote as follows:

make windows that should face the south side;
place nests on the floor or on a slight elevation, since most meat breeds fly very poorly;
provide nests with paths along which individuals can climb;
lay the floor and constantly monitor its cleanliness (at least 2 times a year, you need to disinfect the bedding);
install drinkers and feeders that need to be refilled on time.

In the dovecote it is necessary to maintain the air temperature always above 0°C.

corn (35%);
barley (20%);
peas (20%);
oatmeal (15%);
greens (5%).

Be sure to include vitamin and mineral supplements (5%) in the diet, which can be added to the feed:

lime;
river sand;
crumb of red brick;
clay;
charcoal;
eggshell.

Individuals of meat breeds should consume about 50-55 g of grain mixture per day. Of course, they should not be given spoiled or moldy food, as it will be difficult to digest.

In order for pigeons to be completely healthy and have strong immunity, it is necessary to vaccinate them 2 times a year using the services of a certified veterinarian.

Breeding

It is quite simple to understand that mating has already taken place, and the birds are ready to return to the common aviary, since the pigeons will constantly sit nearby and carefully sort out each other's feathers.

Growing methods

There are several of them, and the choice depends on what goals the poultry farmer pursues.

Extensive

Intensive

There is also a combined or economic and decorative method, but it is mainly popular among poultry farmers of domestic decorative pigeons.

Slaughter of meat pigeons

Masha Popova

City: Tomsk

Publications: 102

Pigeon breeding is mainly a form of leisure, and not a way to obtain material wealth. But with rational breeding, pigeons can become "suppliers" of dietary gourmet meat. An intensive way to grow them is to fatten young birds up to 600-800 g. After plucking and gutting, a pigeon carcass weighs 450 g or more. Such large pigeons are grown in 28-35 days from birds of special meat breeds.

Meat pigeon breeding originated and developed in the countries of the Mediterranean coast. The Greeks, Romans, Egyptians used pigeons for food. In Europe and the USA meat pigeon breeding began to develop at the beginning of the 20th century.

pigeon meat regarded as a delicacy or dietary food. Some time later, in France, a direction appeared to improve the quality of pigeon meat in consumer areas. in the future, this form of economic maintenance of pigeons began to bring economic profit, and therefore began to develop successfully in the USA, where up to 40 thousand pigeons were bred on farms at once, and then in France, Italy, Hungary and other countries.

If an amateur pigeon farm is equipped with a highly productive livestock of meat breeds, then 6-8 broods, that is, 11-14 chicks, can be obtained from one pair of pigeons per year. With a feed cost of 5-6 kg per month, 1-1.5 kg of meat is obtained. The meat breeds of pigeons are early maturing: the young, bred in March, already give offspring in September-October. On average, one pair of pigeons can make 9 clutches and feed up to 18 chicks per year, with a total weight of 8.5 kg of marketable products.

Pigeons intended for breeding for meat should have the highest productivity, therefore, special attention is paid to the growth rate and the ability to reproduce. In addition, when growing meat breeds, high digestibility of feed, unpretentiousness to the conditions of detention, calm behavior, peacefulness, as well as the quality of plumage are of great importance, since feathers are also commercial products.

For intensive economic breeding, it is advisable to acquire pigeons with simpler external signs, but with a highly developed chest part of the body.

More than 30 breeds of meat pigeons are used to obtain delicacy poultry meat. The most common of them are King, Strasser, Roman, Polish lynx, Mondain, Florentine, Coburg lark and others. The live weight of males is 700-1110 g, females - 600-700 g. The head of the birds is large, rounded; the neck is short, thick; the body is horizontally set, short and wide. Pigeons are monogamous birds, they live in pairs. The resulting pairs are used in farms for 5-8 years. Pigeons become sexually mature at 6-7 months.

Under natural light and temperature and humidity conditions, the stocking density of pigeons should not exceed one pair per 1 m2. Pigeons begin egg-laying 10-20 days after mating. Usually they lay 2 eggs, with an interval between clutches of 40-45 hours, after which they begin to incubate them alternately with the male for 17-18 days. Up to 4 weeks of age, parents feed the chicks with "goiter milk". From 4-5 weeks old, the chicks begin to eat food on their own. The incubation instinct is well manifested with a 12-hour light day.

When the chicks reach 30 days of age, the dove again lays 2 eggs. Thus, by adjusting the light and temperature conditions, 20 or more chicks can be obtained from one pair. In the room where pigeons are kept, the floor is sprinkled with sand. Bedding material is placed only in the nests.

Typically, nesting nests of a storey type of 2-5 floors are used. In each nesting place, 2 nests of various sizes are placed. They clean the nests after the chicks leave them. The diet consists of grains of cereals, legumes and oilseeds. It is believed that it is more appropriate to use this type of feeding, in which pigeons have free access to each type of food.

Meat pigeons - meat quality

Pigeon meat is easily digestible, fine-fibered, rich in amino acids. It resembles the meat of wild birds in taste and appearance. Especially useful is the meat of young pigeons, which tastes like game meat. This is due to the fact that pigeons feed on the remnants of grain and peck seeds of quarantine plants in large quantities - dodder, loach, couch grass, colza, etc. This is another of their useful features. Meat pigeons are an early maturing bird.

Young growth at the age of 28 days reaches 600-800 g, and adults - up to 1300 g. Dove lays 12-16 eggs weighing 17-19 g per year. Chicks appear after 17-18 days, their weight is 12-13 g. In our country meat pigeons grown by amateur pigeon breeders. Due to its origin, it is a large bird with poor flight data.

In Europe and Russia, the Strasser breed is widespread. The live weight of adults reaches 1.1 kg. The young growth is well fed and by the age of 28 days its weight is 600-670 g. Poultry meat is very tender and tasty. From one pair of strassers per year, you can get 10-16 meat pigeons. The plumage is the most diverse in color: motley, white, black, blue, red, yellow, with various patterns on the body, tail, head and wings.

King males have the best meat forms. At the age of 5 weeks, all indicators of meat quality in kings and texans worsen. Strassers do not have such changes, and in 5-week-old females, the slaughter yield even slightly increases. The deterioration of the meat qualities of pigeons by the age of 5 weeks is due to the fact that at 24-28 days they leave the nest and move on to an independent life. Pigeons of the Strasser breed tolerate this period more easily.

The King breed was bred in America by complex reproductive crossbreeding of pigeons of large local breeds with those imported from Italy, England and other countries (see color inc.). The live weight of adult kings reaches 1 kg or more. The young are precocious. It is fattened to a live weight of 600-700 g (in 28-30 days). The female lays 12-16 eggs. From one pair of kings per year, you can get 8-14 meat pigeons. According to the color of the pen, kings are white, yellow, lilac, motley, white with dark patches and a dark head and tail, etc. In Russia and other countries, this is the most common breed of meat pigeons. The largest meat pigeons are the Roman giants.

The breed has been known since ancient Rome. The average weight of adult males is 1.45 kg (individuals 1.75 kg), females - 1.1 square meters. Young animals are fattened to a live weight of 550-650 g. There is a group of American meat breeds - homers, Californian, Texas, or Texans; French - Coshua, Monde-ny, Montauban, Carnot; Italian - Modena, Florentine, Sottobanks, as well as Hungarian, Austrian, Czech, Polish, Indian, Spanish. The names are assigned according to the place where the breeds were created!

Breeders face the challenge of increasing productivity meat pigeons by interbreeding of the best genotypes with a contrasting direction of productivity and frames of personal geographical origin. Hybrids obtained from these crosses will have heterosis on the main indicators.

Increasing construction of individual residential houses and estates in villages and cities, garden plots of citizens and constantly rising prices and demand for food products contribute to an increase in the interest of both rural and urban populations in breeding domestic animals and, above all, poultry. A country house with its remoteness from the whole world and huge free spaces is an excellent place for breeding pigeons. Meat pigeons have tender juicy delicacy meat, which contains the optimal balance of protein and fat. Pigeon meat is easily digestible and is recommended as a dietary product.

All the original breeds of meat pigeons came to us from the Mediterranean countries. Pigeon breeding for food appeared and became widespread in many states of the Mediterranean coast. The Egyptians, Romans, and then the Greeks, bred these breeds not only for beauty, but also for food. Even the ancient Roman philosopher Varro, who lived in the 1st century BC, described pigeon farms in his writings, where they raised from 5 thousand birds or more, fattened them for meat, which, like a delicacy, was served at the table of the most famous and wealthy residents. The famous oriental scientist Avicenna highly appreciated the dietary properties of gourmet meat and recommended that his patients consume it. Over time, the cultivation of pigeons for meat began to be practiced in many states. As modern studies have shown, they have not only juicy and tasty meat, but also very healthy - it contains about 22% protein and only 9 to 18% fat, depending on the breed. The meat of these birds is easily and completely absorbed by the body and is recommended as an excellent dietary product.

In countries such as the USA, Italy and France, this industry has long passed to a modern industrial basis. In Hungary, every year there are more and more farms and farms that specialize in the cultivation of meat pigeons. The Hungarian Pigeon Breeders' Society provides members of such farms with purebred broodstock and feed, and the farmers donate their reared birds to the Pigeon Breeders' Society.

In the USA, mass meat pigeon breeding began at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1901, the first "Guide to Growing Squabs According to the Robinson Method" was published (young meat pigeons are called squabs in America). On industrial pigeon farms in the United States, watering, feeding, and cleaning of the premises are often completely mechanized. There were even machines for artificial feeding of chicks.

To date, there are already approximately 65 meat breeds and their crossbreeds in the world, which stand out among the rest with a large live weight. They are divided into 3 main groups: meat, chicken and giant pigeons.

Chicken breed Monden.

In the CIS countries, this industry is not widespread. The main reason for this is that representatives of meat breeds do not fly well or do not fly at all, and racing pigeon breeding traditionally developed in the USSR, where the beauty of bird flight was appreciated. However, in some dovecotes pigeons of various meat breeds are kept, mostly decorative birds or rare breeds. At the very end of the 70s, experimental pigeon workshops were opened in the Odessa region at the Dzerzhinsky and Bolshevik collective farms, but they eventually closed.
There are several main directions for growing and breeding meat pigeons - extensive, intensive and combined.

With extensive cultivation, pigeons feed themselves in the warm season (and this is almost 3/4 of the year), and the owners feed them only once a day, or even do not feed them at all. Birds are fed 2-3 times a day only in the cold winter season, when there are no grasses and grains. These "semi-wild" pets live under a simple shelter, but which various predators cannot get into. But the owner must have free access to the nest for periodic cleaning and or catching for slaughter. For extensive breeding of pigeons for meat, any flying outbred individuals are suitable.

An intensive way of growing consists in fattening young birds to a weight of 650 g or more. Such massive individuals can be grown in 30-37 days from special meat breeds. They are kept in spacious enclosures. If a pigeon farm has purchased highly productive producers of meat breeds, then under optimal conditions, from 6 to 9 ovipositions can be obtained per year, that is, from 14 to 22 chicks from one pair. For 2 adults and 2 pigeons, 4.5 to 6 kg of different feeds are consumed for 1 month.
For intensive industrial breeding, it makes sense to buy pigeons with a simple color of a discreet appearance, but a well-developed chest part of the body.

Combined, or it is also called economic and decorative, pigeon breeding is used very often. At the same time, they pay great attention to external breed characteristics: plumage pattern, body shape and color. Carcass weight or fleshiness is often not taken into account and mostly rejected for varietal and breed indicators are used for food.

As already mentioned, birds are usually allowed for meat at the age of 30-38 days. At this age, they do not yet fly, and their meat is tender. The carcass weight of a young bird reaches from 600 to 900 g, depending on the diet, breed and conditions of detention. The live weight of adult pigeons at the age of two to three months ranges from 800 to 1450 g, depending on the breed. Poultry meat is fine-fibered with a high content of easily digestible proteins (20-22%) and in terms of dietary parameters it surpasses the best chicken meat, in which the protein is only 17.5%.
In appearance and taste, pigeon meat is very similar to the meat of wild birds. To get whiter meat, experts advise giving salted milk to pigeons 8-10 hours before slaughtering a bird. Sometimes gourmets, in order to give it a certain flavor, 4-5 days before slaughter, begin to add rowan or viburnum berries, dill, anise or caraway seeds to the birds' diet.

The diet of meat pigeons mainly includes barley, corn, wheat, peas, sunflower seeds, millet, vetch, oatmeal, hemp, usually in the proportion: 10% oilseeds, 45% cereal grains and 45% legume grains. During the feeding period, experts recommend the following diet: corn - 20%, wheat - 15%, vetch - 20%, barley - 10%, peas - 15%, millet - 10% and sunflower seeds - 10%. Mineral supplements must also be included in the diet: crushed slaked lime, coarse river sand, shell rock, red brick, charcoal, clay, egg shells, table salt, as well as vitamins A, B, E or fish oil, trivitamin. Also, special granular feed is used for fattening meat pigeons.
It is worth noting that due to the large weight of the carcass of the breeding stock and their poor flying qualities of birds, it is not advised to place nesting sites at a height. It should be arranged so that the pigeons can get into it without any flight.

Reproduction of meat pigeons.

When breeding males and females should be equally divided. They are allowed to mate at 8 months of age. Usually, the dove lays 2-3 eggs and during the year usually lays 3 oviposition, in natural conditions. With sufficient heating and lighting of enclosures in winter with an artificial day length of about 14 hours, 6-9 clutches can be obtained per year, depending on the breed. It is advisable to start mating at the end of March - beginning of April, in the southern regions - at the beginning of March. The best egg carriers are birds aged 1-2 years.

Mating occurs in a natural way, when the male himself chooses a female for himself, and in a forced way, when the poultry breeder selects producers with the qualities he needs. With forced mating, pigeons are placed in steam boxes for a certain period, and when mating occurs, they are released into a common aviary. In healthy birds, mating relations are quickly established. They sit next to each other, cooing, gently touching their partner's feathers with their beaks - they “kiss”. This is an exact sign of affection for each other, and such a pair can already be released into a common aviary, they will not disperse.

11-16 days after the first mating, the female lays one egg, then one or two more. Around the sixth day of incubation, it is advisable to check whether the embryo develops in the egg or not. You need to touch the testicle carefully so as not to crush its thin shell. Raised on a dessert or a teaspoon, the testicle is examined in the light. Looking closely at the translucence of a fertilized egg, a small dark spot is visible, from which burgundy streaks diverge in all directions. In addition, in a healthy egg, on about the eighth day of incubation, the shell takes on a pale matte color, and then gradually a lead-gray hue. The unfertilized does not change its original transparency.

Domestic meat pigeons sit on eggs well, constantly replacing each other. Chicks hatch mainly on the 16-19th day after the start of incubation, and in some breeds - on the 24-29th day. They appear completely helpless and blind, covered with rare fluff. The chick, completely freed from the shell, is heated by the parents for several hours, after which it is able to take food. Parents feed them with goiter milk for 11-14 days, then they slowly switch to food from grains softened in the goiter. The longer the period when parents feed their chicks with goiter gruel, the faster they grow and develop better. Around the seventh day, the chick's eyes begin to open. In 30 days, they switch to a full-fledged independent diet.

Meat breeds of pigeons.

Giants - heavy, large, stocky, fly poorly. Most of them are known breeds: King, Montauban, Tesan, Strasser, Carnot, Coshua, Monden, Viburnum, Roman, Sottobank, Hungarian gigantic.

A group of chicken breeds of meat pigeons (they are very similar to chickens) - a wide short torso, short tail, long neck and legs. These pigeons are prolific and heavy. The group includes the following breeds: Hungarian, Florentine, Maltese, Viennese, Modena.

Simple meat breeds, unlike the first 2 groups, are very similar to ordinary pigeons, but noticeably larger, the average weight reaches about 600 - 700 g. This subgroup includes: Beneshov pigeon, Polish lynx, Prachensky canik, Coburg lark, Moravian pshtras.

On the territory of the CIS, the following meat breeds are most common: Roman, Strassers, Kings, Texans. Much less common are the Sottobank, Polish lynx, Carno, Coburg lark, Hungarian giant, Maltese.

Pigeons have been popular since ancient times. It is worth noting that they were bred not only to send messages, but also to obtain high-quality and tasty meat, which has a number of advantages. High criteria are set for the breeding of meat pigeon breeds. Thus, meat pigeons must be hardy, fast growing, and also must quickly fatten and gain the desired mass. In addition, this species should have a high productivity for reproduction. In general, in nature there are about 40 types of meat breeds. But not everyone meets the above requirements, so you should consider the most popular meat breeds of pigeons that can be grown for meat.

Common breeds for meat

There are several types of similar birds that have the necessary characteristics:

Breeding for meat and process features

Meat pigeons can be bred even at home, for example, in the attic. In addition, meat pigeons will feel great in nurseries that will first need to be equipped. There are no special requirements for the size of the room and its design, but still breeders will need to know some important rules:

Windows in the room are best installed on the south side;
To maintain a healthy lifestyle, it is recommended to keep the temperature in winter not lower than 0 degrees. Otherwise, pigeons may get sick or die.
It is better to equip the poultry house with an additional ventilation system and additional light.
Nests are recommended to create a removable type, as this will greatly simplify the cleaning process.
As a rule, meat pigeons fly very poorly, which means that their nests should not be set too high.
The calculation of the area is taken as per 1 sq. meter for 3 pairs of birds.
Be sure to monitor cleanliness and hygiene, which means using bedding on the floor. Wood shavings, straw or sawdust will do. Once the bedding is dirty, it will need to be replaced.
In spring and autumn, minor cosmetic repairs and, accordingly, disinfection should be carried out.

More details about breeding meat breeds can be found on the video.

As for the diet, there is nothing difficult here. But there are some features specifically for meat pigeons:

Birds should be fed a variety of grains such as barley, wheat, sunflower seeds, and more.
Pigeons prefer to choose food for themselves, in this regard, they themselves determine what exactly their body needs in a certain period of time to maintain health. In order for the selection of food from birds to be successful, it is better to give them a rich assortment of cereals, and each bird will choose what to eat for itself.
One adult bird should eat about 50 grams of different grains per day.
Also, the food is completely dependent on the time of year. For example, in warm weather, namely in summer and spring, it is better to feed grass or greens, and in autumn and winter, you can give grain that has already sprouted.

Information on how to breed meat breeds in winter is presented in the video.

For rapid growth, it is recommended to feed protein, which is found in many grains. For example, you can give peas, where there is a lot of vegetable protein. In order for the diet to be balanced, you will need to add minerals. In this regard, feeding should also be carried out with lime, crushed shells, clay, and crushed egg shells can also be given.

You should also remember about the presence of water in the drinkers. It helps to maintain a normal level of vital activity, as well as proper metabolism. It is water that is half the mass of meat breeds. If there is no water for even a few hours, then this can affect the productivity of pigeons. You also need to know very much: pigeons can live without food for a couple of weeks, but water is needed. Because without it, the bird will die in a matter of days.

Mating in birds occurs almost always by natural methods. To do this, you will need to contain the same number of different sexes. Individuals that are already 8 months old are allowed to mate. As a rule, one female during the mating period will be able to produce about 3 eggs, but during the year the eggs themselves can be from 3 to 7. If the keeping room is warm and the farmer extends daylight hours in winter to 14 hours, then the number of eggs and clutches will be many times more. Naturally, a lot depends on the breed of bird. It is better to start mating pigeons in March or April. The best females are those who are already 1-2 years old. They will be able to bring the maximum number of eggs, and as a result, chicks. If the maternal instincts of a certain breed are poorly developed, then the chicks will need to be fed on their own. How to do this, you can see the information on the video.

Meat pigeons are quite easy to breed even without much experience and at home. In addition, they will be an excellent dish on the table as a second.

All original meat pigeon breeds came to us from the Mediterranean countries. Pigeon breeding for food appeared and became widespread in many states of the Mediterranean coast. The Egyptians, Romans, and then the Greeks, bred these breeds not only for beauty, but also for food. Even the ancient Roman philosopher Varro, who lived in the 1st century BC, described pigeon farms in his writings, where they raised from 5 thousand birds or more, fattened them for meat, which, like a delicacy, was served at the table of the most famous and wealthy residents. The famous oriental scientist Avicenna highly appreciated the dietary properties of gourmet meat and recommended that his patients consume it. Over time, the cultivation of pigeons for meat began to be practiced in many states. As modern studies have shown, they have not only juicy and tasty meat, but also very healthy - it contains about 22% protein and only 9 to 18% fat, depending on the breed. The meat of these birds is easily and completely absorbed by the body and is recommended as an excellent dietary product.

In countries such as the USA, Italy and France, this industry has long passed to a modern industrial basis. In Hungary, every year there are more and more farms and agricultural enterprises that specialize in rearing meat pigeons th. The Hungarian Pigeon Breeders' Society provides members of such farms with purebred broodstock and feed, and the farmers donate their reared birds to the Pigeon Breeders' Society.

Chicken breed Monden.

There are several main directions for growing and breeding meat pigeons - extensive, intensive and combined.

For intensive industrial breeding, it makes sense to buy pigeons with a simple color of a discreet appearance, but a well-developed chest part of the body.

In appearance and taste, pigeon meat is very similar to the meat of wild birds. To get whiter meat, experts advise giving salted milk to pigeons 8-10 hours before slaughtering a bird. Sometimes gourmets, in order to give it a certain flavor, 4-5 days before slaughter, begin to add rowan or viburnum berries, dill, anise or caraway seeds to the birds' diet.

It is worth noting that due to the large weight of the carcass of the breeding stock and their poor flying qualities of birds, it is not advised to place nesting sites at a height. It should be arranged so that the pigeons can get into it without any flight.

Reproduction of meat pigeons.

When breeding males and females should be equally divided. They are allowed to mate at 8 months of age. Usually, the dove lays 2-3 eggs and during the year usually lays 3 oviposition, in natural conditions. With sufficient heating and lighting of enclosures in winter with an artificial day length of about 14 hours, 6-9 clutches can be obtained per year, depending on the breed. It is advisable to start mating in late March - early April, in the southern regions - in early March. The best egg carriers are birds aged 1-2 years.

Domestic meat pigeons sit on eggs well, constantly replacing each other. Chicks hatch mainly on the 16th-19th day after the start of incubation, and in some breeds - on the 24th-29th day. They appear completely helpless and blind, covered with rare fluff. The chick, completely freed from the shell, is heated by the parents for several hours, after which it is able to take food. Parents feed them with goiter milk for 11-14 days, then they slowly switch to food from grains softened in the goiter. The longer the period when parents feed their chicks with goiter gruel, the faster they grow and develop better. Around the seventh day, the chick's eyes begin to open. In 30 days, they switch to a full-fledged independent diet.

Meat breeds of pigeons.

Giants - heavy, large, stocky, fly poorly. Most of them are known breeds: King, Montauban, Tesan, Strasser, Carnot, Coshua, Monden, Viburnum, Roman, Sottobank, Hungarian gigantic.

On the territory of the CIS, the following meat breeds are most common: Roman, Strassers, Kings, Texans. Much less common are the Sottobank, Polish lynx, Carno, Coburg lark, Hungarian giant, Maltese.