Elvan Willgrass

That has cheered me up wilkins, the birds are nothing like dying in fact all look in top form eating well, not drinking to much and if anything a bit to fat. I had this problem last season but the birds still flew the distance I had the only ones back in the club, third fed and well up in the Amal from 580 plus but I must say my known better birds all have good droppings and again maybe they have the better immunity. I have never treated the birds for anything but worms and young bird sickness for years, I have seen coci and canker present in them but never give them treatment as it never looked bad and the next time I would check them it would be all different.

You could be right, I have had a microscope for more than twelve years but I believe and maybe I am wrong that only the basics like coci, canker and worms can be found with the type of microscope on sale to pigeon people. This time I had a detailed check of my birds done by a vet as I had 70% of the birds with very good droppings and the rest with very loose droppings with all birds housed together and with all types of feed. The test is not yet complete although no coci, worms or canker but they do have chlamydia and I'm told this will course loose droppings. So I was at Blackpool show and spoke to the Brunel people and was told I should detect it with the gear I have as it looks like the cancer thing but more mobile so it could be what you say and in the gut but hexamita was never mentioned. The test still has to check for salmonella etc. so next time I speak to the vets I will ask if it is in the droppings.

Has anyone got shots of chlamydia if that is how it is spelt. I think they are like the the canker but a lot more mobile.

I have a family of Bricxous but all I have given them is just under 600 and they can win but like all breeds only a very few I breed are winners most are homers and not many get lost. With every week inland racing I never see them come but they are there when I go to lock up, mainly reds and mealies.

Change to Linux OS, I did four years ago and no more viruses.

Thanks for the replies, the photo's have given me somthing to go on. Just one more thing has anyone ever used a Noban hopper?

Has anyone come across or made a hopper that the birds can't flick the corn out of even if the corn is a mixture? Any information would be appreciated.

Where I am (NEHU) we have not yet been given the official go ahead for ETS and some are hoping that it will not go ahead and are even saying it will not be allowed in 2008 in any case, but apart from all that and all the other unfounded stories, I have been told that in Scotland every racing week some one has to check every loft that has the ETS to see it is in the place it should be and has not been moved, this must be done every week. Is this correct and is it also correct that ETS has split Scottish pigeon racing in half.

Ivomec does not worlk with quill mite. When doing my birds with it I have thought I would rid them of everything but not so the quill mite always stayed put, in fact I have found the cheapest product Easitox at £4.99 to be the best for feather lice but no good for quill mite. I was able to buy some Chlorcarb at the NEHU show last weekend £5 for 25g, one stall told me it had been off the market for two years so I went to another and they had it.

Thanks for the replies, in all the years I have had pigeons quill mite has been a problem even the drops on the neck etc don’t seem to do the job. Regarding putting the wing in boiling water I would be a bit worried I damaged the feathers especially when they are almost through the moult. I think I will try the CHLORCARB. Good picture of the mite in question, I have had a microscope myself for a lot years and always said I would have a close look at them but I need not bother now.

What is the best thing for quill mite, the ones that attach themselves right on the quill and not the feather lice?

Now that the birds are just about through the moult I took weecunny’s advice and painted the birds legs with a feather, I used paraffin as I had some and thought it would do the same job and it did, no more problems and I did the whole flock just in case.

I have sprayed the effected birds ( three in the whole loft) with garlic makes no difference. Nothing I know of is any good, maybe as Bruno says it might be midges but they must be very small as I have scraped there legs and put sticky tape on the them to try and get a microscope sample but I got nothing.

I have some birds that are pecking themselves here and there including there feet and stamping and kicking. I have ruled out Red Mite, Northern Mite and they have no feather lice as they have been done with the drops, the loft has also been blow torched. I have seen this behaviour over the years but it has mainly been outside the loft and did not last long but this is both and seems to lasting a long time. Any suggestions would be appreciated. PS i dont think they have Leg Mite as the scales on the legs look normal.

It came to my loft. As this is the found section I thought people would no this.

It came to my loft. As this is the found section I thought people would no this.

NL2004 1479206

I am pleased to get information about my problem and having so many suggestions I will have to try them one at a time. I have not yet been able to get some of the stuff like the scabies cure and people in the chemists are stepping away from me when I ask.

How do I give the eqvalan to the birds, dip them in it or what?

Thanks for the replies, how do I give the birds the equlan the horse wormer? I have some Pottasium Permanganate and I have put some in the bath for them now. I will try everything including the Copper Sulphate when I get it.

I lost a youngster a couple of months ago, it turned up again and I noticed it had feathers missing on the breast. I thought it had scraped its self on the wires but it has spread and I think another bird may now be losing breast feathers. I have read the feather rot letters on this website but I am still not sure what is the best thing for a cure. It must be more than forty years since I have seen this problem

Thanks for the positive replies, seems I will have to go into it elsewhere.

Thanks for the reply, have you any idea how I would go about it as I was thinking about doing it next year.

So it applies to cocks only?

I live on the moors, sheep don’t get jealous. Serious stuff please.