Wintering Your Birds
Wintering Your Birds
During the cold weather months the normal tendency of most pigeon flyers is to take a “break” from the birds and pretty much forget any health issues until it is time to mate up the breeders for next year. In most of the successful lofts, however, the winter time, though not as busy as the rest of the year, is not a time of neglect. The following should be kept in mind.
Selection:
It has been my experience that most pigeon flyers keep far too many pigeons. I am convinced that most of us could cull ½ to 2/3 of our pigeons and not hurt our performance in the races at all. In many cases our performance would actually increase. In the United States the Marine Corp. ( before they were politically correct) had an advertisement stating that “they were looking for a few good men”. Since I am a widowhood flyer, that statement reflects my goal on my old bird race team. Birds that haven’t measured up, that are chronically late, or are real inconsistent should be culled. I also cull all pigeons that seem to be unthrifty. We have all seen birds that can give a good performance, but it seems that they are no good for 2-3 weeks because they don’t bounce back. These birds lack vitality and should be culled. Lack of vitality is certainly a trait you want to avoid in your loft. Many of us have no trouble in culling inferior pigeons, that’s an easy call. Many of us, however, have a loft full of mediocre to good pigeons that we could do without. The top lofts in Europe, Canada and the United States consistently cull birds the quality of which fills other lofts. Always strive to keep only the BEST and cull the REST. Fewer pigeons simply translates into happier and healthier birds.
Moulting:
Most of our old birds will be moulting in the fall and it is critical that they go through this natural process in excellent health. As our old birds change feathers it puts a tremendous load on their system. If they are full of parasites, receiving inferior food, are trying to raise late hatches, ect. their moult will be inferior. While your birds are moulting try to have them clear of all parasites, sexes separated and on a diet that contains 16-18% protein. Added fat in the diet in the form of wheat germ or cod liver oil, 2-3 days a week is also helpful.
Vaccination:
After young bird season I cull my young bird team and any more old birds I have decided not top keep. I then boost them all for PMV infections. My youngsters have already received 1-2 previous vaccines before the race season and this one is their 2nd or 3rd. For those of you that vaccinate for salmonella, you should vaccinate for it as well. Remember, pox vaccination in old birds is not needed.
Parasite Control:
You can get by being a little lax in the cold months in the area of parasite control since the cold weather really retards most parasites in the loft. However, I would check for and treat if needed, or just treat for coccidia, canker, and worms every month to six weeks during the winter. It is especially critical to have things checked and cleared up before mating.
Winter Feed:
Once the moult is over you can drop the protein level down to 12- 14%, as protein is not a main source of energy. However, it is important to give plenty of fat and carbohydrates, as these nutrients are needed for energy ( to stay warm).
Winter Water:
It is important to make sure the water doesn’t freeze for long periods. Even though our birds don’t drink as much in the cold months they still can get pretty thirsty trying to lick ice cubes.
Rodent Control:
Rodents are the main source of salmonella infection (paratyphoid), they want to go where it is warm and will try to invade your loft. Be sure to keep plenty of rat bait out for them and keep it away from your birds.
Temperature Control:
Our birds can withstand very cold temperatures, but you should keep the wind from blowing into your loft. In severe cold, some sort of heat source would be helpful.
Light Control:
For those of you that want to raise early youngsters hatched out in the dead of winter so you can run away with the young bird races, you must do two things. First you must give you BREEDERS 12-16 hours of light for 3 weeks before mating up. This gets them in the mood for love. BE CAREFULL NOT TO DO THIS WITH YOUR RACE TEAM AND THAN QUIT IN EARLY SPRING. YOU WILL HAVE THEM MOULTING HEAVILY RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF OLD BIRD SEASON. Second, it is very helpful to use a heat source. This too helps in getting them to mate up and decreases the numbers of empty eggs and youngsters that freeze to death. You don’t have to keep the loft at 80 degrees F 40 degrees F is fine.
Miscellaneous:
Winter time is the time to plan for the next year. Figure out matins, pre-mate your birds on the weekends, and decide on what flying system changes you want to make in the coming year.
Wintering Your Birds by: Steve Weir DVM
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Pigeon Medical Formulary
The following medical formulary was compiled and is recommended for use by the Association of Avian Veterinarians,
General Considerations
Purpose: The purpose of this formulary is to provide a concise, accurate description and proper dosage of the common drugs used in pigeons. Experience has shown that various sources provided vastly different dosage levels. Some of which were so high that they were toxic, others so low that they weren’t effective. The dosages and other information in this publication were gathered from multiple knowledgeable sources and are the proper dosages and information to the best off our knowledge. It must be noted, however, that some of this information is based on experience of individuals, not carefully controlled scientific studies. This is especially true for the drugs listed that are not specifically made for or approved for use in pigeons.
Dosage Levels; You will find many of the drugs listed to be given in mg/bird. mg/pound, or mg/gallon, instead of teaspoon or tablespoon per gallon. The reason is that many of the drugs come in various concentrations. Because of that, a teaspoon of one preparation doesn’t equal a teaspoon of another preparation of the same drug. This often results in toxic or ineffective levels being used. This poses no problem for most of the prescription drugs as they are usually listed in milligram equivalents. However, some OTC (over the counter) preparations do not give you the number of milligrams per teaspoon. When this occurs you, must figure that out on your own. The following is an example:
You buy a drug OTC that comes as a powder in a plastic bag. it tells you that there are 10 grams of the drug in that bag. Empty the bag and measure how many teaspoons of powder you have. You find that you have 20 teaspoons. So you have 10 grams/20 teaspoon or .5 gram/tsp. .5 gram=500 mg (see chart) so your drug has 500 mg/teaspoon. Figure how many teaspoons per gallon you need from that. (i.e. If you need 1000 mg/ gallon, you need 2 teaspoons per gallon. You buy a drug OTC that comes in a liquid. You are told that it is a 20% solution. That means there are 20 grams of the drug in every 100 ml of solution. There are 20 teaspoons in 100 ml (see chart), so there is one gram of drug in every teaspoon of liquid in the bottle. One gram is equal to 1000 mg so you have 1000 mg of drug per teaspoon. Figure out what you need from that.
Dosage Range: Many of the drugs give you a dosage range. This is done for two reasons:
1. The lower dose may be used in mild infections but the higher dose may be needed in more severe infections.
2. Since most drugs are given in water, the amount of the drug a pigeon gets varies with how much he drinks. We assumed that in hot weather 30 birds drink a gallon/day and in cold weather 60 birds drink a gallon per day. The low dose is figured on the 30 bird/day consumption level and the high dose on the 60 bird/day consumption level. This is a very important principle to keep in mind with the more toxic drugs such as dimetridazole (emtryl).
Dosage Intervals: It is, important to give the drug for the proper length of time. Failure to do so often results in poor response, relapse of the disease after the drug is stopped, and production of resistant strains of organisms.
Diagnosis: Establishment of a proper diagnosis before treatment begins is extremely important. Shotgun treatment often produces poor results, delays recovery to when the proper drug is finally found, and often produces drug-resistant bacteria and parasites. We can not stress strongly enough, in the case of antibiotics, that a culture and sensitivity be done to make sure the antibiotic used is needed and effective. Just because a drug is noted to be effective against many cases of E. coli doesn’t mean it is effective against all cases. More and more drug-resistant bacteria occur every day and can best be treated when proper diagnosis are used first.
Medications and Associated Items
Some of the Medications and associated items for proper sanitation, especially during a disease outbreak are listed here The most important thing to remember is:
**DON’T MEDICATE UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE MEDICATING FOR!!!!**
FOR COCCIDIOSIS Albon Powder & Liquid Amprol (corid) Sulmet, Pints & Gallons Vetisulid Sulquin 6-50
FOR PARATYPHOID Albon(Agribon) Aureomycin Soluble Aureomycin Concentrate Aureomycin Tablets, 25 mg. Terramycin Soluble Sulfamethazine Vetisulid Sulquin 7-50 Acid Loft Dressing Sal-Bac Paratyphoid Vaccine, 50 or 100 dose Liquimycin LA 200 Feed Mate 68 Germex Nolvasan Sani-Coop
FOR E-COLI Albon Vetisulid Apralan Feed Mate 68 Germex Nolvasan Sani-Coop
RESPIRATORY DISEASE Albon Aureomycin Soluble, Concentrate or Tablets Terramycin Vetaquimycin Tylan Soluble or Injectable Sulmet Gallimycin Soluble LS 50 Ivomec (Air Sack Mites) All Vitamin Products Liquimycin LA 200 Combiotic Tylan 200 Germex Nolvasan Sani-Coop
CANKER Spartix Tablets Emtryl Flagl Ridzol Nolvasan Germex Sani-Coop Copper Sulfate Ren-O-Sal
WORMERS Panacur Telemintic Droncit Ivomec Ivomec Drench Tramisol Tablets Tramisol Powder Piperazine Wormer Loft Scrapers
PMV I Vaccine
Antibiotic/Antimicrobials
Name: Amoxicillin Trihydrate (Amoxil, Amoxi-drops, many others.)
Description: Amoxicillin is a semisynthetic analog of penicillin with a broad range of bacterial activity against many gram + and gram – bacteria. Usage: Amoxicillin can be used with any bacterial infection showing susceptibility to the drug. Adverse reactions: None seen with any frequency. Dosage: 25 – 50 mg/Bird divided daily or 1500 – 3000 mg/gallon of water for 10 – 14 days. Comments: Amoxicillin is very effective, well absorbed, safe, and well tolerated in the pigeon.
Name: Cephalexin (Keflex. many others)
Description: Cephalexin is a member of the cephalosporin group of antibiotics and is effective against a broad range of gram + and gram – bacteria. Usage: Bacterial infections shown to be susceptible to cephalexin. Adverse reactions: None seen with any frequency. Dosage: 25 – 50 mg/bird or 750 – 3000 mg/ gallon of water for 10 – 14 days. Comments: Well tolerated by pigeons and readily accepted in the water. Reported as very affective against streptococcal infections.
Name: Chloramphenicol (Chloromycetin, many others)
Description: Chloramphenicol is a bacteriostatic antibiotic used against a broad range of gram + and gram – bacteria. Usage: Bacterial infections shown to be susceptible to chloramphenicol. Adverse reaction: None seen with any frequency. Dosage: 30 – 50 mg/bird, 2 – 3 times/day intramuscularly. Ophthalmic ointment or drops are useful for conjunctivitis used two times daily. Comments: This drug is broken down so quickly by crop flora, adequate blood levels are hard to attain orally.
Name: Doxycycline (Vibramycin)
Description: Doxycyline is a bacteriostatic antibiotic with a wide range of activity against gram + and gram – bacteria. Usage: Doxycyline can be used in bacterial infections susceptible to the drug. Adverse reactions: None reported as common. Dosage: 10 – 50 mg/ bird once a day. Comments: Preparations require individual bird dosing. Very effective against chlamydia. Remove calcium containing grit during use (oyster shell, health grit), as calcium will bind the drug and decrease absorption.
Name: Enrofloxacin (Baytril)
Description: Enrofloxacin is a synthetic chemotherapeutic agent from the quinolone class of drugs. It has antibactericidal activity against a broad spectrum of gram + and gram – bacteria. It is rapidly absorbed and penetrates all body tissues well. Usage: Enrofloxacin can be used with any bacterial infection showing susceptibility to the drug. Adverse reactions: Enrofloxacin causes increased mortality in the egg when the hen is treated during egg formation. It will cause cartilage abnormalities in growing squabs, especially during the 1st week to 10 days of age. This. however, is not always seen. Dosage: 5 – 10 mg/bird divided daily for 7 – 14 days. 150 – 600 mg/gallon for 7 – 14 days. Comments: Probably the best drug we have for the gram – infections of pigeons. It is the only drug shown to prevent recurrence of shedding in most cases of salmonella infection at 6 mg/pound for 10 days. We assume that this means the carrier state has been eliminated in these birds. The liquid water soluble form is not yet approved for use in the U.S. Because of the base used in the tablets, they are not soluble in water by any means.
Name: Erythromycin (Gallimycin)
Description: Erythromycin is in the macrolide family of antibiotics. It is bacteriostatic and is effective against gram + bacteria and mycoplasmas. Usage: Any bacterial infection shown to susceptible to erythromycin. Adverse reactions: None that are common. Dosage: 50 mg/bird divided twice a day for 7 – 10 days. 1500 – 3000 mg/gallon for 7 10 days. Comments: Erythromycin is broken down quickly by the crop flora and thus levels found on the water for flock treatment are probably not as effective as bolus doses to individual birds.
Name: Lincomycin (Lincocin)
Description: Lincomycin is in the macrolide family of antibiotics and is bacteriostatic against gram + bacteria and mycoplasmas. Adverse reaction: None that are common. Dosage: 50 mg/bird divided twice a day for 7 – 10 days. 1500 – 3000 mg/gallon for 7 10 days. Comments: Lincomycin is broken down quickly by the crop flora and thus levels found in the water for flock treatment are probably not as effective as bolus doses to individual birds.
Name: Lincomucln/SPectlnomvcln (LS 50)
Description: Lincomycin/Spectinomycin is a combination macrolide/aminoglycoside antibiotic that is bacteriostatic against a broad range of gram + and gram – bacteria and mycoplasmas. Usage: Used in a broad range of bacterial infections shown to be susceptible to lincomycin/ spectinomycin. Adverse reactions: None that are common. Dosage: 50 mg/bird (of lincomycin) daily for 7 – 10 days. 1500 – 3000 mg/gallon (of lincomycin) for 7 10 days. Comments: Poor palatability for pigeons. The lincomycin is broken down quickly by crop flora, and thus levels in the water during flock treatment are not as effective as bolus doses. Spectinomycin is not absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. This drug is widely overused and of questionable value in pigeon medicine.
Name: Nitrofurazone (Furacin, many others)
Description: Nitrofurazone is an antimicrobial shown to be effective against a wide range of gram + and gram – bacteria. it is also coccidiostatic. Usage: Bacterial infections shown to be susceptible to nitrofurazone and coccidiosis. Adverse reactions: Nitrofurazone is an intestinal irritant and causes a decrease in vigor when given to pigeons. Dosage: 1 teaspoon/gallon of water soluble powder for 5 – 7 days. Comments: This drug is highly overused in pigeons and is much less effective than other products. Probably has minimal application in pigeon medicine.
Name: Sodium Sulfachlorpyridazine (Vetisulid)
Description: Sodium sulfachlorpyridazine is an antibacterial agent that is bateriostatic against a wide range of gram + and gram – bacteria. It is also coccidiostatic. Usage: Bacterial infections shown to be susceptible to sodium sulfachlorpyridazine and coccidiosis. Adverse reactions: None that are common. Usage: 1200 mg/gallon for 7 – 10 days. 2/3 tsp – 3/4 teaspoon of Vetisulid powder/gallon for 7 – 10 days. Comments: Vetisulid is very effective in many cases of E. coli. It is also a coccidiostat, however, other drugs are more commonly used in coccidiosis.
Name: Spectinomysin (Spectoguard)
Description: Spectinomycin is a bacteriocidal antibiotic that is effective against a broad range of gram + and gram – bacteria. Usage: Any bacterial infection shown to be susceptible to spectinomycin. Adverse reactions: None that are common. Dosage: 1000 mg/gallon for 7 – 10 days. 25 mg/bird , twice a day IM. Comments: As an aminoglycoside spectinomycin is not absorbed from the intestinal tract. It has been used the some success with enteric infections, but is not effective against systemic infections.
Name: Sulfadiazine/trimethoprim (Ditrim)
Description: Ditrim is a synthetic antibacterial combination product that is bacteriostatic against a wide range of gram + and gram – bacteria. Usage: Bacterial infections shown to be susceptible to sulfadiazine/trimethoprim. Adverse reactions: None that are common. Dosage: 30mg/bird once a day for 7 – 14 days. Comments: Only available in pill and injectible form for individual bird dosing.
Name: Sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (Bactrim, many others)
Description: Sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim is a synthetic antibacterial combination product that is bateriostatic against a broad range of gram + and gram – bacteria. Usage: Bacterial infections shown to be susceptible to the drug. Adverse reactions: None that are common. Dosage: 30 mg/bird twice daily for 7 days. 1800-3600 mg/gallon for 7 days. Comments: A good drug in many cases of gram negative bacterial infections. Some preparations dissolve poorly in water.
Name: Tetracyclines Chlortetracycline (Auereomycin) Oxytetracycline (Terramycin)
Description: The tetracyclines are bateriostatics that are effective against various gram + and gram – bacteria. Cross resistance is common. Usage: The tetracyclines can be used in bacterial infections shown to be susceptible to them. Adverse reactions: None that are common. Dosage: 20 – 25 mg/bird three times daily. 600 – 1500 mg/gal[on for 7 14 days. 4 teaspoons/gallon for regular strength preparations and 2 teaspoons per gallon for concentrates. Comments: Binds with calcium so consider pulling grit containing calcium (Oyster shell and health grit during use. Very effective in respiratory infections (ornithose complex) especially when combined with Tylan. Chlamydia is typically very susceptible to tetracycline drugs.
Name: Tylosin (Tylan, Tylocine)
Description: Tylosin is a macrolide antibiotic that is bacteriostatic against many gram + bacteria and mycoplasmas. Usage: Bacterial infections shown to be susceptible to tylosin. Adverse reactions: None that are common. Dosage: 50 mg/bird divided daily. 1500 – 3000 mg/ gallon for 7 – 14 days. Comments: Very effective against mycoplasma and against ornithose complex when combined with tetracyclines.
Coccidiostats
Name: Amprolium (Corid, Amprol)
Description: Amprolium is a chemical that is very similar to thiamine in structure. It is a coccidiostatic by substituting for thiamine during the coccidia life cycle. Usage: As a coccidiostat. Adverse reactions: None that are common. Dosage: 1 teaspoon per gallon (20% powder) for 3 – 5 days. 6 – 12 ml/gallon (9% solution) for 3 – 5 days. Comments: Amprolium is highly effective, can be mixed with other drugs, and doesn’t seem to affect performance. It is considered by many to be the drug of choice for coccidiosis. Vitamins should not be used during treatment, but recommended by many after treatment.
Name: Sulfamethazine (Sulmet)
Description: Sulfamethazine is a sulfa drug that is coccidiostatic. Usage: As a coccidiostat. Adverse reactions: May decrease a birds vigor when used for the full course of treatment. Dosage: 1 tablespoon per gallon for 3 – 5 days. Comments: A popular coccidiostat but no better than amprolium in most cases. Birds typically become listless during treatment (full 5 days of treatment) and therefore it is not recommended for use during racing.
Antiprotozoals
Name:Carnidazol (Spartrix)
Description: Carnidazole is in the 5-nitro-imidazole family of compounds and has been shown to have significant antiprotozoal activity. Usage: Trichomoniasis. Adverse reactions: None reported with proper dosage. Dosage: One 10 mg tablet per pigeon on an empty crop. Comments: Convenient one day dosage, but recurrence is quicker than with water treatments. Only drug labeled for use in pigeons in the U.S.
Name: Dimetridazole (Emtryl)
Description: Dimetridazols is in the 5-nitro-imidazole family of compounds and has been shown to have significant antiprotozoal activity. Usage: Trichomoniasis. Adverse reactions: Central nervous symptoms with overdosage. Fatalities can occur. Dosage: 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon per gallon for 3 – 5 days (American product no longer available). 1/4 to 3/8 teaspoon per gallon for 3 – 5 days. (Canadian or Mexican product.) Comments: Very good for flock treatment. Overdosage with the foreign product is common by individuals using the wrong dosage.
Name: Metronidazole (Flagyl)
Description: Metronidazole is in the 5-nitro-imidazole family of compounds and has been shown to have significant antiprotozoal activity. Usage: Trichomoniasis. Adverse reactions: Over dosage can result in central nervous system signs and death. Dosage: 50 – 100 mg/bird daily for 4 – 6 days. Comments: Not commonly used due to poor solubility in water for flock treatment.
Name: Ronidazol (Ridzol)
Description: Ronidazol is in the 5-nitro-imidazole family of compounds and has been shown to have significant ntiprotozoal activity. Usage: Trichomoniasis. Adverse reactions: None at the proper dosage. Dosage: 1/2 – 3/4 teaspoon per gallon for 3 – 5 days. 400 mg/gallon for 3 – 5 days. Comments: Reported far superior to any drug in the States. Less toxic and more effective. Approved for use only in Europe.
Antimalarials
Name: Primaquine (Aralen)
Description: Primiquine is an 8-aminoquinoline compound having antimalarial activity. Usage: Haemaproteus. Adverse reactions: None will the below dosage. Dosage: 1 – 2 tablets per gallon for 10 – 21 days before the race season. Then 1 – 2 days weekly Comments: Primiquine is available as Aralen which also contains chloroquine. When used at the above dosage, the drug will not cure but only suppress haemoproteus in the pigeon, thus alleviating symptoms.
Name: Quinacrine HCL (Atabrine)
Description: Quinacrine is a bright yellow compound with antimalarial activity. Usage: Haemoproteus. Adverse reactions: None with proper dosage. Dosage: 1 1/2 – 3 tablets per gallon for in – 31 days before the race season. Then 1 – 2 days weekly during the race season. Comments: Quinacrine will not cure haemoproteus, only suppress its numbers in the pigeon, thus alleviating symptoms. It is bitter and not well accepted by the birds.
Anthelmintics
Name: Fenbendazole (Panacur)
Description: Fenbendazole is a member of the benzamidizole class of anthelmintics and is effective against a large variety of intestinal nematodes. Usage: Ascarids, Capillaria, Strongyles, and Tetrameres (stomach worms). Not effective against cestodes (tapeworms). Adverse reactions: Can cause feather abnormalities at the higher dosage, especially in how weather when they are drinking a lot. It should not be used during the moult or with birds feeding youngsters. Dosage: 5 mg/bird daily for three days. Comments: Very effective, but not commonly used.
Name: Ivermectin (Ivomec, Eqvalen)
Description: Ivermectin is derived from the avermectins, a family of highly active, broad spectrum, antiparasitic agents. Usage: Ascarids, Capillaria, Tetrameres, Strongyles, and other internal nematodes. Also used for lice. Adverse reactions: None. Dosage: 500 – 1000 UG (Micrograms), which works out to be .05 – .1 millimeters or cc’s./bird for internal parasites. 1 1/2 – 6 cc per gallon of water for internal parasites. 1 1/2 – 3 cc per gallon of bath water for lice. For internal parasites the higher dosage is needed in many cases of ascarids and tetrameres. Comments: This is a very effective and safe drug. Ivomec, the cattle preparation cannot be mixed well with water, thus birds must be individually dosed. Eqvalen, the horse product is water soluble and may be mixed with water. Wormer of choice for all worm’s except tapeworms.
Name: Levamisole (Tramisol, Rippercol)
Description: Levamisole is an anthelmintic used to treat susceptible nematodes. Usage: Ascarids, Capillaria (poor) Adverse reactions: Some birds will vomit the drug. Dosage: 1500 mg/gallon for three days. Comments: Effectiveness is highly variable, especially with Capillaria. This common wormer is probably highly overused and should be replaced with more effective drugs such as ivermectin and mebendazole.
Name: Mebenazole (Telmintic)
Description: Mebendazole is a member of the benzamidizole class of anthelmintics and is effective against a large variety of intestinal nematodes. Usage: Ascarids, Capillaria, Strongyles, and Tetrameres (stomach worms). Not effective against cestodes (tapeworms). Adverse reactions: Can cause feather abnormalities at higher doses and should not be used during the moult or with birds feeding youngsters. Dosage: 2 1/2 mg/bird for 3 – 5 days. 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon per gallon of Telmintic dog wormer for 3 – 5 days. Comments: Very effective for a lot of parasites. With the advent of water soluble ivermectin (Eqvalen), this drug will probably be used less and less.
Name: Piperazine (many preparations)
Description: Piperazine is an anthelmintic used for ascarids. Usage: Ascarids. Adverse reactions: None. Dosage: 300 mg/gallon for 2 days. 16 mg/bird for 2 days. Comments: Very common narrow spectrum athelmintic. It is not commonly used. Drug only sedates the worm and the bird must pass the worm before the drug is gone or it will remain in the pigeon.
Name: Praziquantal (Droncit)
Description: Praziquantal is a drug shown to have excellent antiparasitic activity against cestodes. Usage: Cestodes (tapeworms). Adverse reactions: None. Dosage: 5 – 12 1/2 mg/bird orally or subcutaneously once. Comments: Most people give 1/4 of a cat sized Droncit tablet per bird. Drug of choice for tapeworms. Very safe and effective.
Miscellaneous
Name: Nystatin (many preparations)
Description: Nystatin is a poiyene antifungal antibiotic. Usage: Crop candida (yeast) overgrowth. Adverse reactions: None reported. Usage: 100,000 units per bird (50,000 youngster) daily until 48 hours after symptoms are gone. Comments: Very good product for candida overgrowth.
Name: Permethrin dust (Insectrin GP)
Description: Permethrin is a synthetic pyrethroid with good effectiveness against external parasites. Usage: Lice, mites, and pigeon flies. Adverse reactions: None. Dosage: Thoroughly dust into the feathers. Comments: Gives up to a two week residual and very effective. By far the best product for pigeon flies. Good to use before basketing for races in areas where pigeon flies are present. It is very important that you get birds posted and checked for the proper medication BEFORE you treat.
Helpful Measurements and Equivalents:
The following table may be helpful in converting various measurements. 1 gram = 1000 milligrams 1 cubic centimeter (cc) = 1 millimeter 5 cc or ml = 1 teaspoon 15 cc or ml-1 tablespoon 30 cc or ml = 1 ounce 1000 cc or ml = 1 liter 3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon 2 tablespoons = 1 ounce 8 oz = 1 cup 2 cups = 1 pint 2 pints = 1 quart 4 quarts = 1 gallon
Pigeon Medical Formulary
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Famous Pigeons Part 2
Famous Pigeons Part 2
KENLEY LASS
KENLEY LASS was dropped into France with an agent codenamed Phillippe who was parachuted behind enemy lines. In October 1040 Kenley Lass flew back to her loft, the first successful receipt of secret communications from an agent working in occupied Europe. She received her Dicken Medal in March 1945.
WHITE VISION
The weather was bad and the search was called off. But White Vision was released from the boat and arrived at her home loft at about 5 pm, having flown over 60 miles of heavy seas against a head wind of 25 mph, in poor visibility, to deliver the coordinates of a stranded Catalina Flying Boat. All 11 crew members were rescued.
WINKIE,
the first ever Dicken Medal recipient.
On Feb 28th 1942 a British Beaufort bomber was forced down in the North Sea. Winkie thrown free of her onboard container, wings clogged by oily water flew to the Scottish coast 129 miles away. Meanwhile the bomber crew huddled in a dinghy shivering from the cold. Shortly before dawn, Winkie arrived in Scotland and a code tied to her leg helped lead the rescue team to the downed plane. The crew later gave a dinner in London to Winkie and her owner in appreciation of her life saving fly.
BLACKIE HALLIGAN
During WWII the delivery of a message that needed to be relayed back to headquarters was entrusted to a member of a special brigade, a homing pigeon named Black Halligan. The journey to headquarters should have taken just 20 minutes, but Blackie was shot down in the Japanese fire. Five hours later the maimed and bloody bird managed to complete its trip bearing the important message.
MARY
She flew during 5 years for the Allied Powers, was wounded 22 times, and killed in action. When her body was found, it was covered with wounds. Mary was decorated with the Dickens Medal, and buried with full military honors.
KAISER
the most famous pigeon prisoner of war, Kaiser, a German bird captured during WWI was born in 1917 and captured in 1918 by American forcs in the battle of the Meuse. He was used in the Signal Corp breeding program and sired over 100 children, during his long life. Kaiser died in 1949, at 33, making him not only the oldest recorded Pigeon on record, but also the only pigeon to have served in both world wars.
Other famous pigeons decorated and buried with military honour:
“Winkie”
“George”
“White Vision”
“Beach Bomber”
“Gustav”
“Paddy”
“Kenly Lass”
“Commando”
“Flying Dutchman”
“Royal Blue”
“Dutch Coast”
“Navy Blue”
“William of Orange”
“Ruhr Express”
“Scotch Lass”
“Billy”
“Cologne”
“Marquis”
“Broad Arrow”
“All Alone”
“Mercury”
“Duke of Normandy”
“Mary”
“Tommy”
“Princess”
“G.I. Joe”
“Lord Adelaid”
“President Wilson”
“Julius Ceasar”
“Lady Astor”
“Jungle Joe”
“Berma Queen”
See also Famous Pigeons Part 1
Famous Pigeons Part 2
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Famous Pigeons
G. I. Joe
G.I Joe is one of the most famous pigeons in history, most noted for saving a thousand soldiers during WWII.
During the month of October 1943, British troops were trying to advance on the German held Italian town of Colvi Veccia. In an effort to weaken the German position, the infantry ordered an aerial bombardment of the town by the allies. On October 18, 1943 the German resistance fell and British soldiers took up positions inside the town. Because the bombing was scheduled to take place within the half-hour, a panicked message was tied to the leg of G.I Joe and sent to the headquarters. A thousand British soldiers held their position, prepared to take whatever came their way. As the bombers were taxiing the runways at headquarters, G.I Joe arrived with the message to cancel the operation. He had flown 20 miles in 20 minutes and his speedy delivery saved 150 British troops from disaster by less than five minutes.
Cher Ami
In October of 1918, the 77th Infantry Division of WWI was stranded behind enemy lines without ammunition or provisions. The commander of the ‘Lost Battalion’ made a number of efforts to communicate with division headquarters. All attempts were unsuccessful. Numerous pigeons carrying messages were released and each was detrimentally wounded or killed during flight. Cher Ami, the last remaining bird, was released with a crucial message contained in a capsule that was attached to his leg. Like the other pigeons released that day, he too was hit by shrapnel, but continued the 25-minute flight to his loft and saved the troops of the ‘Lost Battalion’ from certain death or surrender. The amazing part of his flight was that he was shot in the breast and leg and when he arrived he was missing most of the leg to which the message capsule was attached. Cher Ami was awarded the French palm for heroic service but died the following year from wounds he received in battle.
Mocker
Mocker, the hero pigeon was active during WWI in France. On September 12, 1918 heavy enemy artillery fire was blocking the American advance into the Alsacc-Lorraine sector of France. Mocker carried a message that enabled American artillery to locate the enemy guns and silence them. Mocker lost his left eye and the top of his head was gashed, but he delivered the life saving message. He was awarded the Distinguished service Cross and the French Croix de Guerre Medal.
Commando
Commando was a pigeon used in service with the British armed forces during the Second World War to carry crucial intelligence. The pigeon carried out more than ninety missions during the war, and received the Dickin Medal (the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross) for three particularly notable missions in 1942. The medal was later sold at an auction for £9,200.Commando, a red chequer bird, was bred in Haywards Heath, Sussex in the United Kingdom by Sid Moon. Moon was a pigeon fancier who had served with the Army Pigeon Service during the First World War. With the outbreak of the Second World War, Moon offered the service of his pigeons to the war effort in 1939. Commando was one of the pigeons taken into military service.He was noted for three particular missions carried out in 1942—one in June, another in August, and the third in September—in which he carried crucial intelligence to Britain from agents in France.[5] This vital information included the location of German troops, industrial sites and injured British soldiers.
Paddy
Paddy (Pigeon number NPS.43.9451) was an Irish carrier pigeon awarded the Dickin Medal after being the first pigeon to arrive back in England with news of the success of the D-Day invasion, out of hundreds dispatched. He flew 230 miles across the English Channel in four hours and five minutes, the fastest recorded crossing, and was awarded the medal on 1 September 1944, just under three months after the crossing. Paddy was trained by John McMullan of Carnlough and is the only bird in Ireland to be awarded this medal. The medal citation reads,
“For the best recorded time with a message from the Normandy Operations, while serving with the RAF in June, 1944.”
His medal was sold at auction for almost £7,000 in September 1999
William of Orange
William of Orange was a male pigeon soldier of MI14 (British secret service). He was awarded the 21st Dickin Medal for delivering a message from the Arnhem Airborne Operation. This message saved more than 2000 soldiers combined at the time of the Battle of Arnhem in September 1944. Its official name in military record is NPS.42.NS.15125. He received the medal in May 1945.
Communications in that battle were a problem for the Allied units; German troops had surrounded the airborne forces and the few radio sets present malfunctioned. William of Orange was released by British soldiers at 10:30 on September 19, 1944 and arrived at his nest box in England at 14:55. He flew over 400 km (250 mi) and the message he carried was one of few to make their way back to United Kingdom.
William of Orange was bred by Sir William Proctor Smith of Cheshire and trained by the Army Pigeon Service of the Royal Signals. Smith bought him out of service for £185 and ten years later reported that William was “the grandfather of many outstanding racing pigeons”.
MARY OF EXETER
Also a recipient of the Dickens Medal, she served for five years during the Second World War until 1945, dropped prepeatedly into France and then returning to England. Mary was enlisted in the EXETER GROUP on the National Pigeon Service lines of defensive communication.
Four times she was injured, but each time she recovered to deliver her messages. The first time she was shot. The second time, when she didn’t return, they assumed she had been killed. Four days later she dropped down on her loft covered with blood. She was ripped open from neck to her breast, she had been attacked by a falcon. Injured the third time she once more recovered only to be hit by shrapnel during a bombing raid. The shrapnel damaged her head and neck, but her resourceful owner, Charlie Brewer used skills from his trade as a cobbler to make her a leather collar and she lived for another ten years. She was buried with her collar. She had a total of 22 stitches in her one pound body, the equivalent of 4,000 stitches in the body of a 200 pound man.
Martha, the Last Known Passenger Pigeon
For those of you unaware, Rocky Mountain Adventures’ pigeons are homing pigeons. They are often mistaken for carrier pigeons or passenger pigeons. However, the passenger pigeon became extinct in 1929. Here is a short history of how that came to be.
Prior to its extinction, there were estimates that 3 to 5 billion passenger pigeons flew the skies of America at the time European settlements were beginning. There were so many, that there were reports that the skies would blacken with their passing overhead. Cotton Mather noted that there were so many birds that it would take hours for the flocks to pass and that they would stretch out for the width of a mile or more.
Their extinction is primarily due to over hunting. They provided a source of food and barrels upon barrels of the hunted bird were sent to New York markets. Large numbers of the birds were shot for sport. With the advent of railroad lines, commercial hunting became more prosperous. During this time, the telegraph was even used to inform hunters of the locations of flocks. It was stated that about a quarter-million passenger pigeons were shot in a single day in 1986. The hunters were reportedly aware that they were shooting the last wild flock. Over a decade later in March of 1900, a 14 year-old boy in Ohio shot what was believed to be the last wild passenger pigeon.
After about the mid 1860’s it was apparent that the great flocks were no more. Efforts were made to capture the wild bird but few survived or reproduced in captivity. The clearing of forest land for farming and cities without doubt contributed to the pigeons’ demise. From 1909 to 1912, rewards were offered by the American Ornithologist’s Union to anyone who could find a nest or nesting colony. No one claimed the award.
The last known passenger pigeon, “Martha” died at the Cincinnati Zoological Garden at 1 p.m. on September 1, 1914 at the age of 29. Her corpse was sent packed in ice to the Smithsonian Institution where her mounted body can be viewed today.
PinHead
and last but certainly not least…this guy! I don’t know what his name is and I don’t think he has any medals but he’s definetly a bad ass in my book.
The Dickin Medal
The Dickin Medal was instituted in 1943 by Maria Dickin to honour the work of animals in war. It is a large bronze medallion, bearing the words “For Gallantry” and “We Also Serve” within a laurel wreath, carried on ribbon of striped green, dark brown and pale blue. Traditionally, the medal is presented by the Lord Mayor of the City of London. It has become recognised as “the animals’ Victoria Cross”.
see also Famous Pigeons Part 2
Famous Pigeons
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Helping the Molt (moult)
Helping the Molt (moult)
A good moult is generally seen as being necessary for a successful racing season next year. A smooth moult and perfect new feathers are signs of good health and good management during the moult. The moult heavily taxes the birds the birds organism. In a very short period of time the bird has to renew all of its feathers. The pigeon gets all the raw materials for renewal of its feathering from the food it eats.
An Indicator
The manner in which the pigeon moults will tell us something about the birds make-up. This information can be used to evaluate the pigeons chances of doing well in the upcoming racing season. For example, pigeons who’s performance the past season did not compare with that of previous seasons, or pigeons that were lost and returned in a run down condition. If these birds have a slow moult and/or the quality of the new feathers is not up to expectation, than this could be used as an indicator of what to expect of the birds performance next year. Then this could be used as a reason to replace these birds on the race team. On the other hand if these birds have a quick easy moult and the feathers are of perfect quality, then this is an indicator that the birds organism has recuperated and next years performances should be good. This should increase the birds chance to stay on next years race team.
Every pigeon that does not go through a good moult gets a big minus besides its name. Only if it has been an outstanding pigeon or if there is a good reason for a poor moult and that the reason for it has been bridged does the pigeon get a chance to stay after the selection.
Fret Marks
As I have mentioned above the perfect growth of new feathers depends on health, plenty of rest and a good feed. Through a period of sickness or a shortage of the necessary raw materials while the feathers are renewing, the feathers can show flaws.
The most common flaws are fret marks. During the race season they can be a sign of a hard flight. A pigeon during a hard race can use up all its energy reserves, this can cause a shortage of ingredients necessary for the renewal of the feather. If at the moment the feather is growing and the birds system is taxed heavily this can show up as a line across the new feather. In this instance such a feather is called a “work flight” or a battle scar.
For future performances such a flight has little meaning. Only when the shaft is also weakened and this work flight breaks does it have any consequences on the upcoming races. This consequence is small if it is one of the flights on the inside of the wing. True, there is a small gap in the back wing till the flight moults the following season, but, this is only a disadvantage on a long distance race. If it is one of the flights on the outer wing then there is a definite handicap especially, if the flight on either side has been dropped. It is possible to pull such a flight but don’t do it till the moult has been completed.
Apart from the flights the rest of the feathers can also show signs of hardships. I once had a pigeon that returned home after a long time. Its new feathers were of such a poor quality that I did not recognize the bird at first. Its new feathers were frayed and the colour was faded. Apparently the pigeon was not able to find a balanced diet.
Rest
Pigeons who in September are still racing or raising youngsters will complete the moult later than those that have been relieved of these duties. This tells as the plenty of rest helps the moult go smoothly. For this reason pigeons that are to be mated around the first of December are separated in September. Because, they are no longer chasing hens, laying eggs or feeding youngsters the moult takes place smoothly and quickly. Rust also affects the quality of the feathers positively.
Health
It is very important for the moult that the pigeons are healthy. If you are not sure of the health of your birds than consult a veterinarian. There are drugs that will affect the growth of new feathers in a negative way. If during the moult your pigeons have to be treated, than ask a veterinarian if the drugs used will harm the moult. Sometimes, for this reason it is necessary to wait till the moult is finished to treat the birds. Especially some of the worming preparations can have a bad effect on the moult. Always carefully read the information that comes with the medicine.
Varied Feeding
During the moult we feed by preference a moulting mix. This is understood to be a varied mix with a somewhat higher content of legumes ( thirty percent). Legumes contain a large amount of protein. Proteins are the most important raw material for the forming of new feathers. Oil rich seeds are also useful during the moult. Most of the moulting mixtures are of a good variety and quality.
The variety in a moulting mix is important because it decreases the chance that one of the necessary ingredients for renewing the feathers is missing in the diet. Any deficiency will affect the quality of the new feathers. You can compare the renewing of the feathers with building a wall. To build a wall you need bricks, cement, sand and water. No matter how many bricks or how much sand and water you have if you run out of cement you can no longer build the wall.
Even if we feed a good moulting mix, it wont hurt to increase the variety of the mix some more. We can add a mix of small seeds to the basic mix to increase the variety. There are commercial small seed or what are sometimes called candy mixes available, but, I mix one of these myself. I buy a variety of seeds, usually one kilo of each of the following, canary seed, rape seed, peeled oats, paddy rice, sunflower seeds, millet, buckwheat, hemp and mung beans. To this I add as much flax as all the other seeds weigh in total. Flax has been historically has been know as a seed that contains many ingredients necessary for the moult. It contains among other things the amino acids that are usually missing in a grain mix. This mix is added to my regular mix at the rate of 1 ½ liter to 25 kg.
Minerals are also important for the growth of new feathers. This we can tell by need for the mineral powder during the moult. Pigeons eat it readily when they are feeding youngsters and during the moult. After the moult is done then they ignore the minerals till it is time to feed youngsters again. Greens and pickstone are also necessary at this time.
Baths
When the birds are moulting they love to bathe more than at any other time of the year. It seems that the new feathers supply more scales and flakes and these probably make the birds feel itchy. Moulting pigeons usually pick and preen their feathers more than birds that are not moulting. We notice this also when the birds come home from a race at this time. They tend to sit on the roof longer and pick at their feathers before they are ready to come in. Moulting pigeons should have a bath at least once per week. They will show their thanks by making full use of it.
In Conclusion
The moult is a annual naturally occurring process with which healthy, well fed pigeons have no problems. Fanciers who look at the moult as a type of sickness way of the mark. It is true that the moult seems to lower the birds natural resistance to disease somewhat. There are sicknesses that occur more often during the moult.
Providing all sorts of supplements, regardless of what all the advertisers would suggest, is not necessary. Pigeons are grain eaters. As the product of millions of years of evolution they are suited to find all the necessary ingredients needed to re-grow a perfect new feather covering in their natural food. Vitamins, tea’s and all the other products have not been shown to be necessary, they only make the fancier feel that he has not neglected to provide all that the birds need. If this makes you sleep better than go ahead. Anyone who is using all these byproducts and is looking for a way to lower the cost of his hobby can stop and see the results for himself. Give the products to one half of the birds and none to the other half. After the moult look to see if a difference in the feather quality can be observed. If you don’t trust your own judgment get someone else to give you his opinion. Ask him if he can see a difference.
Every year I’m surprised when the time comes when all the feathers seem to drop at the same time. It is understandable that someone thinks boy oh boy that product I gave the birds sure is making them moult. Without that product they would moult just as fast.
Helping the Molt (moult) by Jos de Zeeuw
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Garlic and Racing Pigeons
Garlic and Racing Pigeons
Now what about the use of garlic in racing pigeons? It is a popular, widely used product, but solid, scientific information on its effects in pigeons seems to be scarce. Everything from cloves of garlic to powders, pills and oils are available in health food stores, grocery stores and by companies selling products for pigeons. Are there any real benefits, or are the “benefits” in the eye of the beholder, i.e. the fancier who uses garlic products? Little scientific information for racing pigeons seems to be readily available, but it should be possible to extrapolate information from work done in humans and laboratory animals to pigeons.
Firstly and foremostly, logic based on a number of studies, says that the best source o the good effects of garlic is fresh cloves of garlic. Manufacturing procedures in the preparation of garlic powders, liquids and oils can vary considerable, and since important, active compounds in garlic can be lost very easily when garlic is processed to produce these liquids and powders, ect,. it seems best to avoid these products as they may contain few, if any, of the useful compounds in garlic. Further, it is best to crush cloves of garlic and add them directly to drinking water for pigeons, rather than heating or boiling them, to avoid losing a number of key chemicals in the cloves. Remember that heating garlic cloves above 60� can cause the loss of odour and medicinal properties.
Secondly, garlic may provide a temporary antibiotic effect on disease-producing bacteria, fungi and yeasts, both in the digestive tract and body tissues, by reducing their numbers during the period that it is in the drinking water. Thirdly, the trace minerals selenium and germanium present in garlic may give a boost to the immune system of pigeons, to increase their ability to fight disease-producing organisms of many kinds. IN domestic livestock, selenium is known to be important in the normal development of the immune system while the animal is growing on the uterus. A deficiency of selenium and Vitamin E has a definite adverse effect, because in such deficiencies, the development of immune system is retarded. As a result, the newborn animal or bird may be completely or severely restricted from protecting itself against invading organisms of all kinds.
Fourthly, although dissolving blood clots (the cause of heart attacks and strokes in humans) or preventing their formation in the arteries of humans is important in human medicine, it is known that racing pigeons are highly resistant to the buildup of fatty substances in their arteries. In human, these fatty substances may clog blood vessels or they may induce the formation of a clot at the point where the vessel is narrowed by the fatty deposits, and result in a heart attack or stroke. In contrast to racing pigeons, some meat- producing breeds of pigeons are very susceptible to a buildup of fatty substances in their vessels. So garlic might be of benefit to meat varieties of pigeons, but as racing pigeons are highly resistant to this type of buildup, the benefit might not be so great in the blood vessels of racing pigeons.
Fifthly, garlic as a de-toxifying agent could have a role as a “blood purifier” or a “tissue purifier,” so to speak—whatever these phrases may mean, since they can and do cloak a great deal of the ignorance we all share on this subject. Both are meaningless expressions that really don’t explain anything, but they are used commonly in the mystique of pigeon racing! That aside, there are indications that chemical compounds in garlic may assist the body to de-toxify, neutralize or eliminate noxious substances. In pigeons, the use of garlic after a race may assist the so-called “depurative” diets—whatever that might mean—in restoring a bird to normal racing condition. Whether lactic acidosis is a real problem in returned racers is still debatable, in my opinion. Because, fat is unquestionably the major fuel for racing, and because the burning of fat for energy by racing birds is an aerobic process in the body, lactic acid—which results when glycogen is used as fuel in an anaerobic process—should not be produced, at least in any great amount. Braking and landing at the end of a race are very likely anaerobic processes, but the amount of lactic acid produced from such rapidly occurring events should be miniscule. In theory, it could be shown that birds actually sprint the last few miles of a race, much as a human marathon runner might sprint the last 100 yards or so, then there could be a good basis for believing that lactic aced—one of the so-called “impurities” in the blood—is produced, and that it needs to be eliminated. Lactic acid is known to be produced in human distance runners who sprint the last leg of a race. However, in most cases, usually a 20 minute “cool-down” walk will effectively “burn off” or eliminate the lactic acid from the system. It is known that pigeons that are not exercised reasonably soon after a long grueling race may develop marked swelling of the breast muscles that become hard and board-like. The birds become “tied up” and have difficulty flying from the floor to the lowest perches or nest boxes. Given this knowledge, it is possible, and indeed likely, that lactic acidosis is involved in such situations and that early workouts after a race would eliminate this problem. It is also possible that the use of crushed garlic cloves in drinking water at this time might add some extra benefit in allowing the liver and other organs to metabolize lactic acid and other compounds, and to help restore the birds to normal racing condition. Dosages of garlic for pigeons are difficult to come by, particularly since there is such variability in the amount of the key chemical alliin, which is converted to the active compound allicin, in garlic cloves.
Garlic in racing pigeons remains quite an enigma, and as fanciers, we use it without really knowing why, but our ignorance is shared by many people, including the human and veterinary medical communities, who have only tantalizing bits of information to suggest that there may be a number of positive effects from the use of garlic. Certainly, as indicated earlier in this article studies in laboratory animals and humans suggest a number of desirable effects from the use of garlic. Whether these effects apply directly to racing pigeons is just not known at this time. However, present evidence from human and laboratory animal work, and the empirical experience of many fanciers, suggest that, when used judiciously, crushed cloves of garlic, used in drinking water, may be a highly useful product in the loft throughout the year, but especially during rearing and the racing season. At present, garlic-based oils, powders and pills are likely much less useful. Possibly newer developments in extracting the active principles of garlic may get around the present problems associated with current methods. Until these problems are solved, fresh cloves of garlic from the grocery store are still the best source of the medicinal properties of garlic. I hope that this sketchy outline of the potential value of garlic, and some of its risks, may stimulate more controlled research on its value (or lack of) in racing pigeons. There is much to learn! This article merely scratches the surface.
Garlic and Racing Pigeons by Dr. A Chalmers, DVM
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Garlic; Some Facts for the Fancier
Garlic; Facts For the Fancier
Garlic, whose scientific name is Allium sativum, is a common plant, used worldwide for food. Since ancient times, garlic has been used for a variety of human ailments and problems, and even magical properties to ward of evil spirits have been attributed to garlic. In fact, it was once considered to be absolutely essential in warding off vampires. In more modern times, the use of garlic has been a topic of research, especially in human medicine. Garlic has been reported to have insecticidal, antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-tumor properties, as well as those of lowering blood sugar and fat levels, and reducing the dangerous plagues that bring about the plugging of blood vessels that lead to heart attacks and strokes in humans. It seems that popular interest is greatest in Germany where garlic preparations for humans account for the largest sales of all over-the-counter drugs. How garlic affects racing pigeons is speculative, but here are some general facts gleaned about this plant from a few medical and nutritional publications.
The principal, active agent of garlic is allicin, a sulfur-containing compound, which, with its breakdown products, produces the characteristic odor. The odor is related to the presence of sulfur. When the cloves are crushed, allicin is formed by the action of enzymes on a precursor chemical known as alliin. Other biologically active compounds related to allicin, such as ajoene may be extracted from garlic as well. The positive effects of fresh cloves of garlic seem fairly certain, whereas information for modern commercial preparations in general is not very convincing. One reason for the difficulty of showing the effectiveness of garlic is that many active chemical compounds in the cloves may be lost during processing. For example, carefully dried sliced cloves retain their potency, but extracts or oils prepared by steam distillation or organic solvents may have little activity. Cold-aged extracts have a reduced odor and may retain more of the activity of garlic. Allicin is known to break down during steam distillation for the production of the volatile oils used in many garlic preparations. As well, the alliin content of natural garlic can vary 10 fold. There is also confusion about the issue of “odorless” garlic preparations. Some of them have no aroma, but neither do they contain any active ingredient. Some active preparations may not have an odor, but if allicin is released when the product is eaten, there is a very good chance that there will be a detectable aroma—and it is the aroma that is one of the problems. Potency of garlic appears to depend on pungency,– that is odor. Once garlic is dried into odor-free powders or pills, it loses some of the properties that may make it useful in health!
Distilling all of the information about garlic to a few simple statements is very difficult to do. However, it seems that, whatever the basis for its use, fresh cloves are the superior source for the important ingredients of garlic. Other commercial preparations such as powders or oils may or may not be useful, since the processing procedures may dilute or eliminate the effective compounds. If you have a choice then—and most of us do—buy cloves of garlic from your grocery store and prepare fresh solutions as you need them. Given the “touchy” nature of the important, active compounds in garlic, it seems likely that heating or boiling crushed cloves above 60� C ( remember water boils at 100� C ), may be enough to cause a major loss of these key substances. On the basis of this information, it is logical that home preparations of solutions of garlic should not be heated, in order to retain the important compounds in the solution. Be aware that allicin is readily converted to a more volatile compound called diallyl disulfide—which means that its effects can be transient.
Allicin is known to have antibacterial properties and has been said to be effective in concentrations as low as 1:125,000 ( that is, one part allicin to 125,000 parts water). When compared with penicillin, allicin is said to have an activity that is about 1% of the activity of penicillin. Garlic inhibits the growth of, or kill, about two dozen kinds of bacteria (including Staphylococcus and Salmonella spp.), and at least 60 types of fungi and yeasts. Allicin appears to be the major chemical responsible for this effect. So if the aroma is destroyed by cooking or processing, and allicin is associated with the odor, garlic may lose its ability to fight bacteria, mold and yeasts. In one recent study, researchers looked at the ability of garlic to kill the organism causing tuberculosis. They added an allicin-rich garlic extract to 30 strains of tuberculosis-causing bacteria growing in test tubes. A month later, the garlic had done critical damage to all 30 cultures.
The trace minerals selenium and germanium are two constituents of Japanese garlic, and these minerals may have some effect by their activity firstly, as antioxidants, that is, substances that protect cells and tissues from the damaging effects of peroxides in the body. Secondly they are important in the normal development of the immune system, and thirdly, they may have good activity as anti-cancer agents. Selenium itself has been shown to have a broad spectrum of anti-cancer activity in rats, for example.
On the other side of the coin, many cases of allergic reactions to garlic are known to occur in humans. Reactions such as dermatitis ( inflammation of the skin) and asthma are reported. One investigator found that the maximum tolerable dose of fresh aqueous extract ( i.e extracted into a water-based solution) in humans to be 25 cc (slightly under one ounce). Amounts greater than this caused severe burning sensations in the esophagus (gullet) and stomach, as well as vomiting. Some compounds extracted from garlic are similarly irritating to tissues in the mouth of humans.
A possible benefit of garlic or its compounds may be its ability to increase mechanisms for eliminating substances such as cancer-producing agents. In some studies, garlic has been shown to have a stimulating effect on certain enzymes that are known to be effective in removing toxic (poisonous) substances from the body. These substances can damage body organs, and even lead to cancerous changes, so garlic may well provide some measure of protection. In a laboratory study for example, mice were fed diallyl sulfide obtained from garlic, prior to being exposed to a cancer causing chemical. Mice fed the garlic derived compound had 74% fewer cancers of the colon (large intestine) than those that did not receive the garlic compound. It has also been shown in animals that the sulfide compounds of garlic can inhibit the development of cancer of the lung, large intestine, and esophagus. Unfortunately, there is no solid evidence that garlic can protect humans from cancer. This may be because it doesn’t protect, or because few good studies have been done in humans.
The question about whether garlic is good for human hearts can’t be answered yet. It is simply too early to tell. However, preliminary studies in humans and animals suggest that garlic may lower levels of artery-clogging fats such as LDL (bad) cholesterol, and raise levels of HDL (good) cholesterol. The catch is that the amounts used were equivalent to 14 to 230 clovers per day for a human! Obviously it would be very difficult to stand too close to such a person! There may be other positive effects for blood vessels. Garlic appears to increase the time it takes blood to clot, and may help to dissolve clots that have already occurred. Obviously one bad effect would be the failure to allow the blood to clot in individuals also on aspirins which are used for the same purpose—in other words, bleeding could occur when the two are used together. Much, much more work has to be done to evaluate the effects of garlic on human and animal health.
Garlic; Some Facts for the Fancier by Dr. A Chalmers, DVM
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Rearing Youngsters Correctly
Rearing Youngsters Correctly
The novice must realize at the outset that young racing pigeons which do not leave the nest properly reared are a waste of time and effort.
There is a lot of truth in the old saying that most of the long hard races are won or lost in the nest, and the beginner should do his best to ensure that his squeakers are a sound and healthy lot.
Youngsters which leave the nest in poor feather and weed body, have either been under nourished or suffered a setback due to illness.
They should not be allowed entry to the racing loft. The feather is probably the best indication that all is not well. Any check suffered in the normal growth is indicated by a mark across the tail and flight feathers.
If the newcomer is not certain what to look for, most old hands will be please to point out the defect. It must also be remembered that all small birds are not weeds. If their feather is good and their body plump, they are in good condition.
To rear sound young, the loft should be free of mites and lice, and the parent birds serene and vigorous. The breeders should have a constant supply of food and water and the food must be high protein content, about 20%.
A mixture of at least 90% peas is ideal for rearing and various small seeds and pellets manufactured for the purpose can be used as a tidbit to advantage. Grit is essential and this can be obtained ready mixed from various grain and fodder stores.
Greens such as silver beet and lettuce or finely chopped young grass fed once weekly will also assist in gaining the desired result.
It is also a good idea to keep the floor covered with fresh shell grit (shell grit is a source of calcium and not true grit, but gravel grit is essential for the gizzard).
The poorly reared youngster may win a short race, but it has no potential as a long distance winner and definitely no place in the breeding loft as a future stud proposition.
FEED BARLEY NOW
Barley should be fed just prior to, and during the moult, if the desired silky plumage is to results in your pigeons.
Amino acid cystine, about 9% as found in feathers, is essential in the diet at this time and barley is the best source of intake of the common grains.
Barley contains about 2.5% cystine, wheat does not provide it at all, maize and oats give less that 2% and peas less that 1%. Barley is a cheap part of the diet, and in most cases it can be obtain free of long tails.
Peas and wheat give and ample supply of the other nine essential amino acids, although maize is richer in threonine, leucine and valine. If the novice feeds a mixture of 50% barley, 25% peas and 25% wheat for the next eight to ten weeks he will be certain his birds are not missing out. The addition of linseed, richer in amino acid tryptophan than wheat and peas, will also assist if used as a tidbit. Linseed is high in protein 24%, and fat 36%, but low in carbohydrates 28% in comparison with other popular grains.
If the beginner takes notice he will find that a good knowledge of the composition of grains will help him to feed the right mixture at the proper time. For instance, youngsters until they leave the nest require a higher protein content diet than they need later in the racing season. 20% to 25% is necessary to build the youngster into the healthy potential winner, but 14% to 18% protein in ample in a racing mixture. Knowing what to feed, when to feed, is a vital part of good management. Protein is a repairer of muscle and the novice will find that the bird which returns from a long, hard race, flown down to the wafer in body weight, will recover much sooner if it is rested and fed all peas than it will if feed all wheat. However, once it has regained its weight and is eager to get back into the air again, the protein intake must be cut down and a diet high in fat should replace the one of all peas. Fat burns into 2.5 times as much energy as either protein or carbohydrate.
The storage capacity in muscle and liver is filled faster if a diet rich in fat is used. A mixture of rapeseed, linseed and hempseed fed for two of three days prior to receiving the usual racing mixture will make certain the birds is back in top racing condition without waste of time. Essential minerals compose 6% of the bird’s body and ample sources of these are found in the common grains and grit mixtures. Calcuim and phosphorus are two which provide no worries. Salt, added in the grit mix, is a source or sodium and chlorine. Potassium is so abundant in ordinary pigeon food that it is of no concern. Iron is found in grains grown in iron rich soils. One drop of iodine to each gallon of drinking water every now and then will be sufficient supply of this necessity needed for thyroid health and normal growth. Sulphur is found in ample quantities in barley, wheat, maize and peas. It is good management if pigeons are fed the correct mixtures.
Rearing Youngsters Correctly by Vin Bladen
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February in the Loft
February in the Loft
Last month I referred to a way to keep our racing birds from molting too soon by pulling a widow hen from her mate after the second egg of the second round is laid. Pigeons will molt a feather for each round that they lay and brood, and in order to delay the process of those all-important wing flights on a racer from molting too fast, we can slow down this process in a widow cock by removing his hen and removing the eggs so that he does not go through the process of setting and raising another round of young. Some fanciers think that taking both the hen and the eggs away at the same time could cause undue stress for the cock bird.
That is why they leave the youngsters (or at least one youngster) with the cock, because at this point in the rearing process he is the main care-giver for the babies, and the idea is that even if his hen and the next round of eggs are missing, he will become so totally aborbed in taking care of his youngsters that he will not become overly distressed by his missing hen and eggs.
Obviously, if there are no youngsters, then a good way to undertake this process would be to remove the hen from the loft while the cock is sitting the nest, and then let him continue to sit the eggs until he quits the nest, which might be two or three days later. But in this way, the stress of separation from his hen and eggs will be much more gradual and less stressful. The idea is to get the cock to develop a strong bond to his nestbox, to identify this as his most sacred place in the world, a place that he will put forth great effort in getting back to as fast as he can, but NOT to wear him out by having him raise too many youngsters or drive his hen too many times, and in the process proceed too far in the molt.
Most experienced racing fanciers do not concern themselves too much with whether the first, second or third (counting from the middle out) flights are missing when a bird goes to the races, but the farther out on the wing that a flight is missing, the more important it becomes to successful flight. Thus, it might be important for you to take note of this during the winter preparation of your race team, and try to make a plan about when you will pair your racers and how many eggs and young you will allow them to raise before the races start.
By February, most fanciers throughout the country have paired their breeders. Many pairs are already sitting their second round of eggs, while some are just being paired for their first. In some parts of the country, fanciers are beginning to train their old-bird race teams for the upcoming season. Because the winning that fanciers do with young birds is entirely tied to the health of the breeders when they were paired, I want to explore what is considered a healthy pigeon as well as to detail what to look for to determine that a pigeon is not in top health for the upcoming breeding and racing seasons.
Before pairing up his breeders, a successful fancier will determine that the birds are in absolute top health. How is this done? First, I like to look at the flock in general. An experienced fancier can tell at a glance if a flock of pigeons is healthy and happy by the way that they act in the loft. Is there great energy in the loft? Do the birds sparkle, and have sheen on their feathers? Are they active and full of life? If so, things in general are good. But what about individual birds? Sometimes, even in a good loft with overall excellent health, a bird or two can slip through the cracks so to speak, and the fancier can miss the fact that a few birds are not up to par.
Many weeks prior to racing and breeding, I like to take each bird in hand and thoroughly inspect it. When I handle a bird, the first thing I consider is the pigeon’s weight. If a bird is light, I want to know why. If a bird is extremely light, I put it in isolation for closer observation. Once I have determined that the particular bird I am handling is within the “window” of weight for proper health, I examine the head, paying particular attention to the nose cere or wattle. I want the cere to be extremely white in color and chalky looking. If it is not, and the pigeon is not feeding young, I will generally remove that bird from the flock because a sure sign of trouble in a pigeon is if the nose cere is gray or brown and wet looking, especially if that bird is not feeding young. Only if a bird is feeding young will I disregard this area being discolored.
If you have birds in your loft that are not feeding young, and who show signs of a discolored nose wattle, you should check these birds immediately. Usually “brown noses” indicate a canker or respiratory problem, but this could also be an indicator of even more problems. If I detect a problem with the “brown nose,” I will usually look inside the beak to see if I can detect mucous in the throat. Almost always (unless feeding young), when a bird has a brown nose, there will be throat mucous present. Of course, if a veterinarian is readily available, a throat smear would be the best first course of action.
Unfortunately, in the United States, experienced vets for pigeons are rather hard to find, so we fanciers have to inform ourselves about the diseases and medications used to treat them. In a situation where I find a bird with a brown nose wattle and throat mucous, I recommend isolating the bird and treating for five days for canker, using either Turbosole, Ridzol, Pegosan, Trichoron Forte or Spartrix. Bear in mind that our Ten-In-One Capsules will attack a wide variety of conditions very effectively, including canker. Generally speaking, where there is smoke there is fire, and I would become extremely suspicious of the entire flock if I found even one bird suffering from such symptoms. If you can be certain that there are only one or two birds in a particular loft that have disease symptoms, then isolating the affected birds and treating only them could be good advice, but I would keep a cautious eye on that flock for several weeks, and if any more pigeons were to become afflicted, immediate flock treatment would be the most prudent action to take.
A single sick bird should always be isolated from the rest of the flock and observed very closely. If things don’t improve rather rapidly once a canker treatment has begun, I would then consider a treatment for respiratory disease.
After evaluating the nose and body weight, I always examine the eyes looking to see if the eyes are brilliant, full of color and not wet or dull. It is necessary to examine both eyes, because I have often found that one eye is slightly more brilliant than the other in what would appear to be an otherwise healthy pigeon. If I find this condition, then I know that the bird either is suffering from a respiratory condition, or did at one time. In some cases, birds that have suffered from a severe respiratory infection in one eye never get the complete color back in that iris ever again.
If there is excessive moisture around the edge of the eyelid where it touches the eye itself, I know immediately that there is presence of respiratory infection. An eye loupe is an excellent tool to use to check this ridge of the eyelid to see if there is moisture around the rim. The only way to know how to recognize an excess of moisture is to examine a great many birds, and especially to look for this when you are looking at birds from a champion fancier’s loft. You will see that birds that are in peak health will have relatively “dry” or normal eyes.
Eventually, you will be able to determine what is considered a healthy looking eye as opposed to one that is too wet. With experience, you’ll be able to determine, even without a loupe, if certain birds have “wet eyes.” If you detect too much moisture here, a repiratory infection is certain to exist. One tip I look for is the presence of trapped air bubbles lining the edge of the eye, this is a sure sign that the pigeon is suffering from a mild respiratory infection. If so, I would strongly recommend checking several other birds in the same loft for this eye condition, because I have rarely seen just one bird in a given loft suffering from “wet eyes.”
If several birds have this “wet eye” symptom, you should check the loft for excessive drafts and/or dust, and immediately start a respiratory treatment program. Also, changes to the loft should be made to eliminate overcrowding or excessive drafts. It would probably be wise to treat that loft of birds with a respiratory medication for a period of up to 14 days. We like to vary the medications we use for respiratory treatment, so we alternate between Tylan with Aureomycin, or Doxyvet with Tylan, and sometimes, if suspect a severe problem, we especially like Doxyvet and Suanovil together. It is helpful to keep in mind that in cases of severe infection, combinations of these respiratory medications, as well as alternating treatments, can be very beneficial. I’d like to offer some advice concerning respiratory medications.
First, it’s important to know that giving other types of drugs at the same time as respiratory drugs is not always recommended. When in doubt, it is always better to give a respiratory drug by itself than to give it in a mixture of other drugs as has become so popular today. Next, distilled water can help to make the drug more effective, because distilled water does not contain any chemicals that could react with the active ingredients in these drugs. Finally, all grit, calcium, and mineral supplements, such as picking stones, should be eliminated from the diet during the time that respiratory drugs are being given. If you follow these guidelines, the birds will get maximum benefit from the use of your respiratory medications.
I check the overall appearance of the feathers once I have finished assessing the condition of a bird’s eyes. I like to see a sheen on the feathers and a feeling of softness and pliability. I know that these are relative terms, but if you are conscious of these things when you are handling pigeons, eventually, with experience, you will be able to determine what “soft and supple” and “silky and pliable” mean. If the feathers appear dry and coarse and don’t have any plume (white powder that looks like talc) on them, then this is a sign of something wrong.
Very often, a vitamin or mineral deficiency is the cause of dull feathers, and one of the things that can cause such deficiencies in pigeons is worm infestation. If I find a bird or two with dull feathers, I immediately separate them from the flock and give them a worm treatment. (Moxidectin, Moxidectin Plus, and Eqvalan are very good ones.) The next day, I check the droppings for the presence of worms in the stool. Very often, fanciers neglect worming their birds, and we have found that it can make a very big difference in their overall health.
Among other things, I open the wing and check the flight feathers. What I am looking for, aside from the shape of the flights, is fret marks and plume on the feathers. If I see a bird that is just done with the molt that has lines across the feathers, like indentations running completely across the feather, then I know that this bird was in stress at the time that that flight was coming out. An infection the bird was fighting, or, for a racer, an overnight or very tough race can cause frets to develop.
If the bird appears in good health otherwise, I just try to figure out what caused the fret to determine whether or not it was something I could have controlled. If I see a large number of these frets, then I will not breed from that particular bird during the upcoming breeding season. Also, I’ll give it a year off to hopefully come back the following year with a better molt, in better health and with more sure signs of being fit enough to breed high-quality youngsters.
Of course, while I have the wing open, I always check for feather lice–either the lice themselves or their eggs embedded along the main quill of the feather. If I see a minor infestation of lice, I’ll use an aerosol spray (Colombine Spray, Natural Spray, Cansafix, or Ecto-Spray, etc.) and douse the feathers of the wing along with the rump and the neck before I put the bird back into the loft.
If I see a more than one or two lice on a bird, or if I see signs of pigeon flies (identified by finding small holes in the feathers), I would then consider dipping the entire flock in a solution of Malathion diluted with water. I’ve been doing this for over thirty years with extremely good results. I use ¼ cup of 57 percent Malathion to two gallons of water. Generally, every bird is dipped at least once a year, and the racers are dipped more often, as they often come into contact with feral pigeons that are infested with external parasites. This dipping will protect the pigeons from lice, mites and pigeon flies for months at a time.
Of course, you want to be extremely careful not to let the Malathion solution come into contact with the birds’ eyes, and prevent any of the solution from being ingested, so we take extra precaution when dipping. We use latex surgical gloves to protect our hands, and we are careful not to let any part of the pigeon’s head go into the solution.
We always pick a sunny, dry day to do this, with temperatures above 50 degrees. We have found that the birds will dry off completely within thiry to forty minutes and seem to show a great deal of enthusiasm and renewed vigor once they have dried. I know that many fanciers around this country have problems with pigeon flies, and I can assure you, if you do, your race results will not be at the very top.
These are among the things that I look for in the overall health of my birds. If any bird does not come up to what I consider top health, I will not breed from that bird–or race it. I have found through experience that it would be a complete waste of time.
Remember: The winning you will do with the young birds that you hatch in the spring is entirely tied to the overall health of the breeders when you paired them. Only the healthiest breeders will produce pigeons good enough to perform in today’s intense competition, and only birds that have been cared for properly before the breeding season begins will be fit enough to produce the kinds of pigeons that will win.
February in the Loft by Ed Minvielle
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Ad Schaerlaeckens
Ad Schaerlaeckens
Ad Schaerlaeckens is known as one of the best pigeon fanciers, authors and pigeon sport advocates of all time. He is world renowned by the pigeon community and has numerous accomplishments in the pigeon sport.
In 1995 when Ad was crowned as the over all Champion of Afdeling M Brabant (cf ‘Provincial’) again, Mr Marinus the chairman said that never ever he had experienced a Champion who was so dominating. The years that followed the race results were even better ! Since 1980 no one won so many championships and 1st prizes in ‘Midden Brabant’ (average 11,000 birds competing) as Ad Schaerlaeckens.
In 1985 when he won again National Orleans it was said in National Magazine NPO:
- ‘Ad Schaerlaeckens is the mayor of Orleans.’
- In the years that followed his results from National Orleans were even better.
- In 1996 he won National Orleans 1st
- In 1997 he won National Orleans 5th and 9th
- In 1998 he won National Orleans 8th, 10th, 13th.
- Nobody in the whole country did better.
Regional he was Over All Champion old birds AND young birds from 1980 till 1999. Due to special circumstances since 1999 no young birds were raced. In 1997 his fellow fanciers got so desperate that Ad was forbidden to pool any money.
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