Montu Mia lives in Mirpur in the capital. Inspired by an elder brother figure, he started keeping rabbits and pigeons and has been rearing them for about five years. Although he began as a hobby, he has commercial plans in mind and intends to rear pigeons and rabbits commercially in future.

He has been keeping rabbits for three years. A rabbit gives birth to five or six young every one to two months. Rabbits are mainly herbivores, eating cabbage, carrots, cucumber, grass and leafy greens, so feed costs are very low. Rabbits rarely fall ill.

He started with six pigeons five years ago and now has 35. Pigeons suffer from many diseases, including Ranikhet, colds and feather problems. When they fall ill he treats them himself, using some common methods or medicines.

Because the veterinary hospital is far from his home, he cannot take the pigeons there, so he also gets treatment advice from a vet over the mobile phone.

Montu Mia said he will rear pigeons commercially in future. There are pigeon markets in many parts of the country, including about seven or eight in the capital.

He now has several valuable, improved breeds of pigeon in his collection. He believes pigeon rearing has a bright future in Bangladesh.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.