A kind of auxiliary feed prepared by mixing several mineral feeds together is health sand, commonly known as salt soil in the north. Because it is crucial to the nutritional health of pigeons, it is a must-have for raising pigeons. The function of health sand is to supplement the nutritional deficiencies in pigeons’ staple and non-staple food, especially minerals and trace elements, which mainly come from health sand. It is very important for improving the digestive function of pigeons, promoting metabolism and preventing diseases. It plays a positive role in promoting the balance of nutrition and promoting the growth and development of the pigeon body. Especially as the modern way of raising pigeons changes from small group breeding to factory-based intensive breeding, health care sand is even more essential. The raw materials used in preparing health sand and their functions are introduced as follows:
(1) Oyster shell slices are made from oyster shells crushed by a crusher, with a diameter of about 0.50.8 cm. Some people process oyster shells into powder, which pigeons don’t like to eat. The flaky oyster shells are helpful to the digestive function of the pigeon's stomach. The ingredients contained in oyster shell slices are: calcium 38.1, phosphorus 0.07, magnesium 0.3, potassium 0.1, sodium 0.29, and chlorine 0.01. The rich calcium is the main source of calcium in health sand.
(2) Bone meal is made from animal bones that have been sterilized at high temperatures and then crushed. Its main ingredients: calcium 30.7%, phosphorus 12.8%, sodium 5.69%, magnesium 0.33, potassium 0.19, sulfur 2.51, iron 2.67, copper 1.15, zinc 1.30, chlorine 0.01, fluorine 0.05, etc. The main source of calcium, phosphorus and iron in bone meal health sand is a raw material with high phosphorus content. When purchasing bone meal, you should be aware that raw animal bone meal that has not been steamed and sterilized, bone meal used in fertilizer fields, and bone meal ground from processing plants often contain pathogens and impurities and cannot be used as ingredients, otherwise it will cause disease in pigeons.
(3) When eggshell powder is lacking in oyster shells or bone meal, use eggshell powder instead. When using, fry the eggshells first, then crush them and use them. Main ingredients: calcium 34.8, phosphorus 2.3. It works similarly to oyster shells or bone meal.
(4) Lime contains 38% of calcium, which is used to supplement calcium and a small amount of trace elements. Hydrated lime is highly alkaline, so it is not easy to use too much. The general dosage is about 5.
(5) Chen gypsum is not used much. The dosage is generally around 5, which contains more calcium. Its function is to supplement calcium, cool and detoxify. According to some data, gypsum has a good effect on promoting the moulting of pigeons in August and October. During this period, it can be appropriately rationed in the health-care sand.
(6) Coarse sand is best from the sand of streams and rivers. The selected medium particles must be rinsed. The main function of coarse sand is to help the gizzard to mechanically digest feed, and to grind the eaten particles under the pressure of the gizzard to facilitate intestinal digestion and absorption. The sand grains will also be slowly ground in the gizzard, and some of the trace elements in them will be absorbed and utilized by the body. The absence of particles in the health-care sand can easily cause indigestion in pigeons and reduce the utilization value of the feed.
(7) The use of stone rice in some pigeon farms shows that stone rice is better than sand. In recent years, people often use it to replace sand. Because stone rice is easy to source, uniform in size, clean and easy to use, and contains no impurities. Stone rice is harder than sand grains and is not easy to grind in the gizzard. However, you don’t have to worry about eating too much and it will accumulate in the gizzard. The pigeons themselves can peck at the stone rice as needed, and can use the body’s regulation and digestion functions to remove some of the finer particles. Stone rice is excreted in the feces.
(8) Yellow mud is also called red soil or loess. The loess should be pure soil three feet below the ground and should not contain bacteria or impurities. The yellow mud is dug out, dried in the sun, and then put into bags for later use. Yellow mud contains iron, zinc, cobalt, manganese, selenium and other trace elements. Its function is to serve as the raw material of health sand and provide a small amount of trace elements.
(9) Charcoal powder The surface of charcoal powder has a strong adsorption effect, which can absorb harmful gases produced in the intestines, eliminate harmful chemicals and bacteria and other pathogens, and also has astringent and anti-dysentery effects. It can adhere to the mucosal surface of the digestive tract in the intestine and protect the intestinal mucosa from adverse stimulation. But at the same time, it will also absorb nutrients and affect the digestion and absorption function of the intestines. Therefore, the dosage should not be too large when used, and is generally controlled within 5.
(10) The chemical name of red iron oxidation is iron oxide. Its function is to supplement iron. 0.51 is appropriate.
In addition, when preparing health sand, the following additives are often used:
Auxin: Auxin mainly supplements the macroelements, trace elements and other nutrients needed for the growth and development of pigeons. substance. The dosage is generally 12.
Multivitamins: Contains vitamins A, B, C, E, K, etc. to supplement certain vitamins needed by the body but usually lacking in feed.
Trace elements: Commercially available trace elements for poultry contain 124 grams of manganese chloride, 100 grams of iron oxide, 70 grams of zinc oxide, 3750 mg of copper sulfate, 1400 mg of potassium iodide, and 450 mg of cobalt carbonate per kilogram. , Selenium 200 mg.
Amino acids: Mainly provide essential amino acids that cannot be synthesized by the body and are insufficient in feed, such as lysine, methionine and cystine. Appropriate supplementation of essential amino acids can promote the mutual utilization of amino acids in feed and improve the utilization value of feed and feed return.
Chinese herbal medicine powder: Adding certain Chinese herbal medicine powder to the health care sand is more conducive to the health and disease prevention of pigeons. For example, gentian powder has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiseptic and appetite-increasing effects; licorice powder can lubricate and quench thirst, stimulate gastric juice secretion and help digestion; andrographis powder has antibacterial, heat-clearing and detoxifying functions.
Commonly used health sand formula
Commonly used health sand formula for Kunming pigeons
Red loam soil 20, river sand 20, bone meal 20, eggshell powder 10, salt 10, charcoal powder 10, brick powder 10.
Recipe from Guangdong Poultry Science Research Institute
Recipe 1: oyster shell slices 35, bone meal 1.5, stone rice 36, charcoal powder 5, salt 5, red iron oxygen 1, auxin 2. Andrographis paniculata 0.5, gentian 0.7, licorice 0.3.
Recipe 2: oyster shell slices 25, bone meal 8, old lime 5.5, medium coarse sand 35, red mud 15, charcoal powder 5, salt 4, red iron oxygen 1.5, gentian 0.5, andrographis paniculata 0.3 , licorice 0.2.
(3) Health sand formula of the original Guangzhou Pigeon Association
Oyster shell powder 40, yellow mud 20, lime 20, fine sand 10, salt 5, charcoal powder 3, red Iron Oxygen 2.
(4) Health sand formula commonly used in some pigeon farms in Guangdong Province
Formula 1: yellow mud 30, fine sand 25, oyster shell powder 15, old gypsum 5, old lime 5 , charcoal powder 5, bone meal 10, salt 5.
Recipe 2: 5 kilograms of yellow mud, 5 kilograms of fine sand, 2 kilograms of bone meal, 7.5 kilograms of oyster shell powder, 3 kilograms of old lime, 1.5 kilograms of charcoal powder, 0.15 kilograms of gentian powder, and 0.75 kilograms of salt. , 0.1 kg of licorice powder.
Recipe 3: 35% medium sand, 10% yellow mud, 25% oyster shell slices, 5% old gypsum, 5% old lime, 5% charcoal powder, 10% bone meal, 4% table salt, and 1% red iron oxygen.
Recipe 4: 35 stone rice, 30 oyster shell slices, 8 bone meal, 10 red mud, 5 old lime, 6 charcoal powder, 4 salt, 0.6 gentian powder, 0.4 licorice powder, red iron oxygen 1.
(5) Taiwan Pigeon Farm Recipe
40 shell powder, 35 red clay, 10 charcoal, 5 bone meal, 5 salt.
(6) Formula for pigeon farm in Kowloon, Hong Kong
60 fine sand, 31 shell powder, 3.3 table salt, 1.4 beef bone powder, 1.5 charcoal powder, 1 gypsum, 0.5 alum, and licorice 0.5, gentian 0.5, iron dioxide 0.3.
(7) The formula introduced by the United States Department of Agriculture
Oyster shell powder 40, coarse sand 35, charcoal powder 6, bone meal 8, limestone 6, salt 4, red soil 1.
(8) Formula introduced by Japanese pigeon expert Kunichiro Komahara
Loess 40, brick dust 30, oyster powder 20, gypsum 6, salt 4
Precautions for preparing and using health-care sand
When preparing health-care sand, you must first check whether the various ingredients used are pure or not, and whether there are impurities and mold deterioration.
When mixing ingredients, mix from less to more, with more sand. For ingredients that use a small amount, you can first take a small amount of health care sand and mix it evenly, and then mix it into all the health care sand.
After mixing the ingredients, the time of use and storage should not be too long, otherwise it will become stale and prone to deterioration. Generally, the main ingredients of the health sand, such as oyster shell powder, bone meal, coarse sand, red mud, auxin, etc., can be mixed first. The amount can be eaten by the pigeons for 34 days, and then the ingredients that are used in small amounts and are easy to deliquesce are added. Mix the sand before giving it every day to ensure the quality and effectiveness of the sand.
Health care sand should be prepared and used immediately to ensure freshness and prevent certain substances from being oxidized and decomposed or undergoing adverse chemical changes, which will affect the function of health care sand.
It should be supplied regularly and quantitatively every day. Generally, health sand can be fed after feeding in the morning. Feed more pigeons during the brooding period and less during the non-brooding period. Usually, each pair of pigeons is fed 15-20 grams at a time.
The remaining health sand should be thoroughly cleaned once a week and replaced with newly prepared health sand to ensure quality and prevent spoilage.
The formula of health care sand should change according to the pigeon's condition, production performance, body needs, season, etc., and cannot be static.
The prepared health sand should be packed in a health sand box and placed in a place where pigeons can peck freely. You can also mix evenly and add an appropriate amount of water to form a ball shape, then dry it for later use and crush it slightly when feeding. Or put the ball of health sand into the pigeon cage or pigeon house and let the pigeons feed freely.