Breeding pigeons as a business: how much you can earn

* The calculations use the average data for the World

Perhaps one of the most common birds in the world is pigeons. We meet them at every step, and most of us do not even realize that you can make money from raising and selling these birds.

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

It is widely believed that only homeless people eat pigeons. Nevertheless, pigeon meat is a delicacy, and dishes from it are served in the most expensive restaurants. Back in the Middle Ages, the famous doctor Avicenna recommended that patients include pigeon meat in their diet, which is dietary, contains a large amount of protein and consists of small fibers, so its taste and nutritional value are much higher than that of other poultry meat.

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

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

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

Meat breeds of pigeons

The weight of meat pigeons directly depends on the breed. Among the most famous is the breed of king, which was bred in the United States. Representatives of this breed are very prolific, gain weight quickly (with the right content and balanced nutrition, King Pigeon can be fed 45 days before the average weight of 700 g). A female can bring up to 18 well-fed chicks per year. Adult birds weigh 650-800 g. However, exhibition representatives of this breed can weigh up to 1.5-2 kg. True, they cost a lot more. The slaughter weight of such pigeons is 60-68%. This indicator directly depends on the growing conditions of king. For example, with a cellular content, the weight of the bird will be much lower than with a limited-walked method of growing or, especially, an aviary. Beginning pigeon breeders prefer cellular content, which can significantly increase the number of goals in the house. However, the benefit in this case is rather doubtful. The gutted pigeon carcass, which was contained in the cage, weighs up to 350-370 g, and the slaughter weight does not exceed 55-56%. However, in whatever conditions the representatives of this breed are kept, “at the exit” you will receive the following indicators - 50% meat, 16% fat and 5% offal. Everything else is disposed of.

Large breeds include Strasser pigeons. The weight of the male of this breed, bred in Western Europe from the Moravian pshtros and other local breeds of pigeons of Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic, can reach 1200 g. Although on average representatives of this variety of meat pigeons weigh about 1 kg. Unlike the Moravian pshtros, which belongs to the productive types of pigeons, it has a figure larger than average, but at the same time mobile and has good flying qualities, the strassers are stocky and sedentary. Already at the age of 30 days, the weight of the bird can reach 700 g. True, the strassers themselves are significantly less than males and weigh up to 800 g in adulthood. It is noted that the mass of offspring directly depends on the age of the parental couple. Therefore, in order to avoid weight loss of chicks, experts advise to remove birds over five years old from dovecote.

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

Thin-fiber strasser meat. These birds are characterized by high productivity - from one pair to ten chicks per season can be obtained. As mentioned above, in a month the chicks gain live weight of 600-700 g, thus, the slaughter yield of a bird of this breed is on average 60%.

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

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

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

One of the most precocious breeds is the French Carnot breed, which is an aviary. The weight of an adult pigeon of this breed is from 550 to 700 g. For a month, a dovecock can be fed up to a weight of 330-340 g. However, the weight in this case is not a priority. The main thing is the palatability of pigeon meat, which is much higher among representatives of this breed (at least at a young age), and weeks of other pigeon meat breeds. Although pure from the point of view of decorative breeding of pigeons, monden birds are not the most attractive, thanks to their taste qualities they are leading among meat breeds.

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

Simpler and more common breeds are sold at various exhibitions. If you plan to get these, it is worth visiting themed exhibitions in Crimea, where the price for one bird is now starting at 500 rubles.

Keeping and breeding pigeons

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

If you decide not to spend time and money on breeding work and buy birds at the local bird market, then when choosing pairs, pay attention to their condition and appearance. The main selection criteria are the absence of diseases and parasites (lice, lice, and cannibals). At first glance, the bird should be clean and active. At a more detailed examination, a healthy pigeon will be slender, fit, not lethargic and not aggressive. The feathers of a healthy individual are shiny, not plucked, and the eyes are clear and not watery. To determine the condition of the feather cut, open the wing of the bird and examine it in the light. If there are small bald spots or holes, then this means that the bird is infected with parasites (those same poohoedy and peroids). The presence or absence of lice in a bird is not so simple. To do this, examine the beak and the feathered anus. Other characteristics of the acquired individuals for breeding for meat are not so important, but the main thing is the compatibility of the pigeon pair. To obtain offspring in the future, birds are bought in pairs. Do not distinguish between females and males? This is not difficult: in a pair that has already formed, one pigeon will coo (this is a male), and the other will fluff feathers spectacularly and bow their heads (respectively, this is a female). If the birds are constantly fighting each other, they are almost certainly representatives of the same sex.

The age of the pigeon is determined by its legs and wax. When the feathered bird is five months old, the waxworm gradually acquires a white color, which indicates the onset of puberty. Subsequently, the wax wax increases in size and over time becomes more and more, which allows determining the age of the bird up to three to four years. After that, determining the age of the bird exactly becomes difficult. Pigeons are centenarians. They live up to fifteen to twenty years, but are used for breeding (at least in meat breeds) only up to five to six years. Old individuals are not suitable as producers: they are not productive and bring very weak offspring. Therefore, only purebred and healthy birds mate.

But even with these recommendations, it is far from always possible to determine the presence of problems “by eye”, especially if you had no previous experience in keeping and breeding birds. In this case, it is better for beginners to turn to a more experienced pigeon breeder for help or to read special literature in advance. Determining the presence of disease in birds is not so difficult. Do not forget to take the contacts from the seller (an honest seller will definitely give them) in order to continue to contact you regarding the purchase of birds, their maintenance and breeding. Of course, you should not abuse the kindness of the seller, but rare calls once or twice a month are unlikely to cause him any trouble.

Pigeons are extremely unpretentious birds in terms of maintenance. If you have ever lived in private areas of the city (or, especially, in a village), then, most likely, you have often seen dovecote. Unlike chicken coops, dovecote doesn’t need a lot of space to equip a dovecote. Someone uses his attic for this, where previously unnecessary trash was stored for anyone. Someone is equipping a separate superstructure on the roof under a dovecote. Ideally, of course, it is worth getting a separate room where pigeons will be kept. Big investments in its arrangement are not required. This can be either an aviary with a stretched net-netting, or a “typical” lodge, where birds can hide from the rain and relax.

However, regardless of your financial capabilities, the main thing is that cats and various small predatory animals (from foxes to rats) cannot penetrate the territory of the dovecote. For this reason, dovecotes are often raised above the ground (although this also saves space). As for the area, proceed from their calculation, that the pigeon is 12 square meters. метров может вместить до 50 голубей. Но при ограниченной площади актуальным становится вопрос выбора пород голубей. Так, например, представители породы кинг очень кровожадные. Как говорят сами голубеводы, кинги разоряют чужие гнезда, выкидывают чужие яйца из гнезда и убивают птенцов. Хотя голуби являются общепризнанным символом мира, эти птицы, независимо от породы, совсем не столь дружелюбны. Самцы зачастую бьются друг с другом насмерть, а самки выгоняют других представителей птичьего вида с гнезд. Избежать конфликтов между самками можно, если обеспечить им достаточное количество гнезд для насиживания яиц.

Дно голубятни посыпают песком, что позволит в дальнейшем облегчить уборку. Можно также использовать и старые газеты, но этот способ более дорогостоящий. Вдоль стен птичника делают жердочки. При этом особого ухода за голубятней не требуется: достаточно проведение регулярной уборки помещения. Раз в год (после зимнего периода) специалисты советуют устраивать генеральную чистку и ремонт помещения.

Специального надзора птицы также не требуют. Но при кормлении необходимо осматривать всех обитателей птичника и отсаживать больных особей. Кормят голубей, как правило, в одном и то же время. Оптимальная периодичность кормления – два раза в день. Соответственно кормежка разбивается на утро и вечер. Кормят голубей зерновой смесью злаковых культур. Сюда входит пшено, просо, чечевица, горох, ячмень, а также семена масляных растений (например, подсолнух, лен и пр.). Необходимо также регулярно давать различные витамины. Стоят они совсем недорого, и приобрести их можно даже в самом обычном зоомагазине. В качестве подкормки подойдут мел, песок, красная глина и даже обычный измельченный красный кирпич. Камешки птицам необходимы: они перетирают пищу, попадающую в желудок, способствуя ее лучшему усваиванию. Если же вы разводите голубей в «промышленном» масштабе различные витаминные подкормки выгоднее приобретать на оптовых базах.

На одного голубя ежедневно требуется в среднем 55 г корма. Также важно обеспечить птицам доступ к свежей воде. Качественный и сбалансированный корм, свежая вода и отсутствие сквозняков – вот главные условия успеха вашего «голубиного» бизнеса.

Организация сбыта

Голубиное мясо особенно востребовано среди заведений сектора HoReCa. Если вы сможете найти постоянного клиента на свою продукцию среди дорогих ресторанов или кафе, то проблемы со сбытом основного объема у вас не будет. Безусловно, вам придется заключить все необходимые договоры с ветеринарной службой и получить соответствующие справки. Это касается сбыта любой птицы, но голубей особенно, ведь они являются переносчиками различных опасных инфекций. Поэтому ваши клиенты должны быть уверены в полной безопасности предлагаемой вами продукции.

Другое направление работы – селекционное разведение мясных пород голубей и продажа их как любителям-птицеводам (таких, правда, не столь много в России, как хотелось бы), так и заводчикам-фермерам. Напомним, что селекция голубей – это комплекс мер по улучшению качеств определенной породы или же выведению новой породы с улучшенными наследственными признаками. Последний вариант представляется весьма перспективным, но требует немалых затрат как на обучение, так и на закупку птиц для разведения. С другой стороны, при почти полном отсутствии конкуренции в некоторых регионах нашей страны это направление работы может принести хорошую прибыль.

Sysoeva Lilia

(c) www.clogicsecure.com - a portal to small business business plans and guides

08/18/2019


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