Effects of Self-Formulated Diets on Reproductive Performance and Economic Efficiency in Vietnamese Local Pigeon Production
Feed cost represents one of the most important factors affecting profitability in pigeon production, particularly under smallholder farming conditions where farmers rely on locally available feed resources. This study evaluated the effects of a self-mixed diet on reproductive performance and economic efficiency of Vietnamese local pigeons. The experiment was conducted using a completely randomized design with two dietary treatments and three replicates per treatment. Each replicate consisted of ten breeding pairs. The control group was fed a commercial complete feed, while the experimental group received a self-mixed diet formulated from maize (50%), soybean meal (30%), brown rice (19%), and mineral premix (1%). The results showed that age at first laying ranged from 162 to 163 days and was not significantly affected by dietary treatments (P>0.05). Laying interval varied between 47.09 and 48.21 days. Egg weight in the commercial feed group was slightly higher than that in the self-mixed diet group (P<0.05). However, clutch size, annual egg production, hatchability, and squab survival rate were similar between treatments. Economic analysis indicated that the self-mixed diet reduced feed cost by approximately 20% compared with commercial feed. Despite similar reproductive performance, the use of the self-mixed diet resulted in higher economic returns due to lower feed expenditure. These findings suggest that locally formulated diets can serve as a cost-effective feeding strategy for breeding Vietnamese local pigeons under smallholder production systems.
