Feed and then Yogurt

[Roland]

This was sent to me by a world renowned Vet... One very much into pigeons of course. Make of it as ypou wish.

 

Feed of the week

 

Carbohydrates are as important to the pigeon as protein, fat, minerals, vitamins, and water.  In fact, in most cases the fat built up as fuel for flight is derived mainly from carbohydrates such as those found in maize, wheat, oats, rice, etc. Studies in the USA found that when glucose, the sugar stored as starch in cereal grains, was injected intravenously into hungry pigeons, it was converted to fat by the liver within in three minutes - which indicates that the liver is the main organ for the production of fat from carbohydrates.  The fat produced is located and stored in the body cavity among the intestines and is mobilised as cruising flight gets underway in a toss or a race.

Many roads lead to Rome, and I think we have to look at the principle of first repairing any damaged muscle, followed later by refuelling.  This means maybe a light feed when birds home on Saturday.  (A friend who is a highly successful fancier in the USA feeds peanuts on the day the birds return, and he says that the next day you wouldn't know they had been away racing because of the shot of energy provided by the peanuts - which are also high in protein to begin any repairs.)  In the next few days, we can begin refuelling by increasing the cereal grains such as maize, rice, etc. and late in the week, maybe some high-fat grains if the upcoming race is a long one or judged to be tough because of the weather.  

I'm not crazy about using electrolytes, as I don't think they are helpful and may even make a dehydrated bird worse off.  I think there are better sources of protein than peas and beans - flax, safflower, sunflower seeds and I don't think they need high protein diet as you suggest - at least not once the repairs have been done.  They need fuel and a small amount of high quality protein to provide the amino acids that are readily converted in the body to glucose to fuel the brain, which can use only glucose as fuel - and also to maintain and restore the components of the energy cycle that metabolises the fat during flight.  Hope this helps a bit.

I agree with you - I'm not happy with the idea of needling birds or even pouring things down the throat at any time (other than vaccination) especially during the racing season.  Better to let the bird’s eat/drink these things added to the grain or water.

High carbohydrate grains/seeds - maize, popcorn, rice, wheat, kafir, Milo, hulled oats, rye grain.  You can also add powdered glucose to the drinkers as a great carbohydrate.  Fructose is another good sugar for pigeons - it's well absorbed into the system and is the best sugar of all to begin the process of re-fuelling.  I wouldn't use, either, sugar on shipping day, to avoid thirst - plain water only.  Hope this helps a bit.  .

 

Then.

Roly:  Yoghurt as a probiotic for pigeons - it's my understanding that the

organisms in yoghurt are meant for the human digestive tract, and as such,

they don't colonise the intestines of pigeons very well.  The second point

is that, according to a human pediatric gastro-enterologist whose seminar I

attended not long ago, 90% of the organisms (if not ALL) in commercial

yoghurt are dead when the product is purchased.  So the product would not

appear to be as useful for the digestive tract of either humans or pigeons

as we'd like to think.  (Home-made yoghurt might be an viable alternative.

Preparation kits are often available in specialty shops and may reduce costs

substantially.) This specialist recommended (for humans) to purchase

acidophilus capsules from the refrigerator case in food or specialty stores,

and NOT to buy the same product sitting on a shelf at room temperature. For

pigeons, I think an avian-source probiotic would be best. Have you ever tried FlightPath?  Let me know what you think of it.

 

That was when I asked if anyone used etc. Flightpath etc.

 

 

[LISTER]

Very interesting and informative thank you Roland

[Guest IB]

Waited a while for you posting your info on yoghurt Roland.

 

Think we have had similar posts on here about shelf-life of bacteria, there has got to be some die-off from the moment they go into the bioproduct? Start with trillions maybe so that there are still millions available at end of shelf-life?

 

Flightpath bacteria are freeze-dried? (I think) and the sachets must be kept in the fridge. Reckon that has to do with preservation / prevent die-off?

 

Yoghurt is also kept in the fridge. Reckon that has to do with preservation / prevent die-off?

 

Saw Acidodolphus? on the shelf in Holland & Barrett - capsules - and can't understand how these bacteria survive any length of time at room temperature. Micro-climate in the capsule maybes?

 

I have done a few searches on lactobacteria over the years, and from what I understand, they are very similar. Mammals, humans and birds share at least some of the same strains e.g. L. acidolphus (spelling). If you read up on yoghurt, you'll see that L. acidolphus turns milk to yoghurt, and all the yoghurts in the shop are shown to contain it. We know pigeons can't digest milk because they don't have the enzyme to digest lactose, the milk sugar. L. acidolphus digests milk sugar and converts it to lactic acid. So yoghurt  contains at least one other substance the bird (and fancier) can make use of.

 

FlightPath is sold in sachets, for 50 birds. If you have only a few birds (as I had, when I started-up) then bioyoghurt at around £1 pot is a lot cheaper, and does much the same job. Bit messier, and given over 3 days rather than Flightpath's 1 day. Been on Flightpath for 2 years now.

 

 

[Roland]

Yes I remember now IB ... Something must have happened / come o way lay it.

[Guest]

Very interesting from a scientific basis and I appreciate it is important to give prodcts that are condusive to our birds. However cost tends to be the prohibitive factor in all these products. I use far cheaper alternatives, diarroeah / rehydration powder from the supermarket instead of 'electrolytes' and pro biotics for horses at a fraction of the cost of pigeon probiotics. The good vet is not convinced about electrolytes; they have been very important to my management the past two seasons not only for recovery but performance too!

[Roland]

Yes Allbear, and I know you will remember Billy 'Let's Race' Taylor spouting often, just read the small stuff and get up the supermarket. I too tend to get 70% /80% from there too.