Effect of different dietary energy/protein ratios on growth performance, reproductive performance of breeding pigeons and slaughter performance, meat quality of squabs in summer

Optimal dietary energy and protein levels for breeding pigeons in the winter "2 + 3" lactation pattern

“…Thus, given that feed costs generally account for 60 to 70% of total production costs ( Singh et al, 2015 ), formulating an optimal ME and CP levels diet for breeding pigeons is a crucial aspect of efficient farming. We found that raising CP levels resulted in a shortened laying interval during a reproductive cycle and improved breeding efficiency, consistent with prior findings ( Gao et al, 2016a ; Peng et al, 2023 ). It is noteworthy that increasing the CP level of the diet in this experiment reduced the eggshell weight during the first laying cycle.…”

“…Even after the end of the feeding trial, we found that the effect of diet CP levels on the breeding pigeons remained, with the groups fed 16.5 and 18% CP showing significantly improved hatchability of breeding eggs during the second laying cycle. Throughout the experimental cycle, different ME and CP levels did not result in statistically significant differences in the egg shape index, eggshell strength, or other egg quality indicators, nor did it affect the weight loss of breeding pigeons during lactation, unlike the results of Chen et al (2016) and Peng et al (2023) . This may be due to the "2 + 3" breeding pattern adopted in winter which helps relieve the nutritional burden on breeding pigeons during lactation.…”

“…Unfortunately, there are few studies on the nutritional requirements of breeding pigeons during winter in the corresponding breeding pattern. Therefore, based on previous experiments that explored the energy/protein ratio of diets in the high production pattern during summer ( Peng et al, 2023 ), we assessed the effects of feeding diets with different ME and CP levels on the reproductive performance, egg quality, and plasma biochemical indices of breeding pigeons, as well as the growth performance, slaughter performance, and jejunal mucosa histomorphology of squabs during winter. In turn, the optimal ME and CP requirements of pigeon diets in the winter "2 + 3" breeding pattern were defined to provide theoretical references for the precise feeding of lactating breeding pigeons.…”

Effects of dietary metabolizable energy level on hepatic lipid metabolism and cecal microbiota in aged laying hens

“…Appropriate levels of ME in the diet are necessary to promote healthy growth in poultry ( Chang et al,2023 ). Dietary energy affects growth performance, reproductive capacity, and production costs of poultry ( Peng et al,2023 ). Energy feed, led by corn and supplemented with grease, is an important source of energy for poultry and is a major component of poultry feeds ( Selaledi et al, 2020 ).…”

Characteristics of glucolipid metabolism and oxidative stress in breeding pigeons (Columba livia) during lactation

“…Normally, a pair of breeding pigeons feeding two young squabs in the wild at a time. Recently, artificial hatching methods have been developed where a pair of breeding pigeons feed three‐five squabs in lactation, leading to more energetic breeding pigeons (Jiang et al, 2019; Peng et al, 2023; Zhang et al, 2022). This is especially beneficial for female pigeons, which undergo two egg‐laying cycles in lactation.…”