Carbohydrate Loading System

[Guest]

Carbohydrate Loading System

 

To use carbohydrate loading to improve

racing we must first understand how the

pigeon burns fuel when racing. Pigeons are

athletes, and if you expect them to perform

with success they need to be treated like

athletes. I studied carbohydrate loading in

runners as this form of athletic competition

is very similar to pigeon racing itself. The

pigeon athlete and the distance runner burn

fuel in very much the same way. A 500

mile race would compare with a 26 mile

marathon, and a 100 mile race would equate

to a runner's 5 mile race. There is no such

thing as a sprint race in pigeons. Sprint

means to run at your fastest speed for 50 to

100 yards, pigeons do not sprint. They find

a comfortable speed which they can

maintain for hours, and this is the speed

they fly at. Runners do not sprint 5 miles

and pigeons do not sprint 100 miles. There

is very little difference in the average speed

per mile, between a 26 mile marathon and a

5 mile race, and there is very little

difference in the speeds of a 500 mile race

and a 100 mile race. These are endurance

itself. Yes, purging diets may help to some

extent, but there is no scientific evidence of

this, it is far better not to have built up the

toxins in the first place. This can be

accomplished, to a great extent, by

carbohydrate loading. Some fats and

proteins (amino acids) are burned in this

process and thus some toxic build up will

occur, however far less will occur if the bird

has ample supplies of glycogen, from

carbohydrate loading, available for fuel.

Glycogen stores are vital to any endurance

activity, and several studies have shown that

the contents of diet can influence how much

glycogen your muscles hold. In one study,

ten athletes ran the same 30 kilometre race

twice, three weeks apart, once after

consuming a mixed diet of fats, protein, and

carbohydrates for the three previous weeks

and once after consuming a highcarbohydrate

diet, for the same length of

time. Every athlete performed better after

consuming the high-carbohydrate diet, and

the amount of glycogen stored in the large

thigh muscle was doubled by the

carbohydrate loading.

Another study involved nine men riding an

exer-cycle to the point of exhaustion. After

three days of a normal diet of fats, protein,

and carbohydrates, the thigh muscles

contained an average of 1.75 grams of

glycogen per 100 grams of muscle tissue,

and the men were able to ride for only an

average time of 1 hour and 54 minutes.

Then the diet was changed to only fats and

protein and their performance was decreased

by half. Then a carbohydrate rich diet was

tried and the highest performances were

achieved. The starting level of muscle

glycogen had increased to 3.51 grams per

100 grams of muscle and the men lasted an

average of 2 hours and 47 minutes riding

time. All this after only 3 days of

carbohydrate loading. Research has shown

carbohydrate loading can increase an

athlete's endurance by as much as 300

percent.

Another example is Jill Kennedy of Glen

Ellyn, Illinois. Jill's best time for a 10 k race

was 49min. 50 sec. She changed to a high

carbohydrate diet and her next race was

46min. 43 sec. Two weeks later she

completed a 10 k in 44 min. 42 sec. Jill

didn't change anything except her diet.

One last example of improved performance

with a high carbohydrate diet is Dr. Monroe

Rosenthal. His marathon speed decreased

from 2 hrs 59 min. to 2 hrs 45 min. again all

that was changed was his diet. There are

many more examples of improved

performance with a high carbohydrate diet in

Nathan Pritikin's book "Diet For Runners"

Protein plays a very little part in providing

the muscles with energy. Extra protein

cannot be stored in the body. It is converted

to fats and sugar which can be stored, but is

of no major value for immediate energy. It

is not an efficient source of energy because

of the effort the body must expend to extract

its calories. Use carbohydrates for energy

and employ protein for what it is designed to

do, which is virtually everything other than

supplying energy. Protein is the building

block for all the cells and tissues. Protein is

needed for the growth of muscle tissue, feed

high protein at the beginning of the training

season for muscle development. Once the

muscle development is complete lower the

protein and raise the carbohydrates.

Growing young birds need tons of protein,

load them up until race time, then its

carbohydrates. Injured birds will also need

higher protein for muscle repair.

A small amount of fat is also needed and

will be burned during exercise, sparing

glycogen until it is really needed during the

race. Muscles can only store a small amount

of fat, the rest gets stored in fatty deposits

around the body. If you are like me you'll

find one such deposit around your waist.

This type of fat has no value for flying races,

it hinders it.

The exact mix of fuel used by muscles

depends on how hard they are being worked.

Birds flying around the loft will bum some

free fatty acids as well as glucose from

glycogen because they are not working the

muscles hard enough. It would be

comparable to us going jogging. When the

work is increased to the level required for

racing, the muscles draw upon their own

stores of glycogen, and this is what is burned

until it is depleted. Runners call this point,

"hitting the wall". When the glycogen stores

are depleted it is all over, you just can't go

any further at the previous rate of speed.

Given that all else is equal, muscle glycogen

is the limiting factor in pigeon racing, as it is

in all endurance sports. Think of it like a

gas tank, yours has 2 gals, of gas and mine

has 12 gals, of gas. We start at 50 mph with

a bum rate of 2 gals, per hour, at the end of

100 miles you’re out of fuel. We are

competing in a 400 mile race, it doesn't take

a rocket scientist to figure out who's going to

win this one. Sure you can get out and push

and still complete the race but not at a

competitive speed. The birds are no

different, if one runs out of fuel prior to the

completion of the race, it loses, period.

On the other hand, what if the race is only

100 miles long? I'm loaded with 12 gals, of

extra fuel and have to carry the extra weight.

Glycogen stores will add at least 3 times as

much water in the muscle, and water is not

light. The bird carrying the extra weight is

at a disadvantage. The trick is to load the

bird with just enough fuel to complete the

race without over loading it. Birds do not

require carbohydrate loading for races of

200 miles or less, if fact heavy carbohydrate

loading will decrease performance at short

distances, due to the extra weight.

Carbohydrate loading is like adding a

reserve tank, and the reserve tank doesn't do

any good until the main tank runs out.

However after the race it is necessary to

replace the depleted glycogen stores, refill

the main tank, and this should be

accomplished quickly. Feed high

carbohydrates the first day after a race and

then return to the normal diet. The most

important thing to remember is, when the

bird runs out of fuel, exhaustion sets in and

the race is over.

There is another kind of exhaustion which

comes from muscle cells working

anaerobically (without the benefit of

adequate oxygen). This causes a rapid build

up of lactic acid in the muscles, which in

turn causes fatigue. You will experience this

if you go at an all out sprint for as long as

you can. You will not deplete your glycogen

stores but you will become exhausted. You

need not worry about this in pigeon racing.

Pigeons do not race at their top speed, unless

they are racing with a hawk. Pigeons fly

like marathon runners run, at a comfortable

rate. However this rate is limited by the

bird's ability to provide oxygen to the muscle

tissue. If you have ever flown a team of

birds with pigeon malaria, you know what I

mean. Pigeon malaria decreases the pigeon's

ability to provide oxygen to the muscle

tissue, and so the bird decreases it's speed to

the level for which there is adequate oxygen.

They come home, they look healthy but,

they are always late. You will also notice

they fly with their mouths open while

exercising, even just around the loft, they are

trying to get more oxygen.

In addition to heavy exercise, stress also

depletes a glycogen store, that’s why the

"low key" birds always makes the best

long distance racers. All the hyper active

birds depleted their stores of glycogen in

the shipping crates. The length of time the

birds will spend in the crates should also

be a factor when calculating how much

carbohydrate loading is required for a race.

Vitamins also play a considerable role in

glycogen storage and the ability of blood to

carry oxygen to the muscle tissue. The

vitamins which are required for the

maximum conversion of stored muscle

glycogen to energy-producing glucose are:

Thiamin(Bl)

Riboflavin (B2)

Niacin (B3)

Pyridoxine (B6)

Pantothenic acid

Biotin

The vitamins which are required for

maximum red-cell production, and the

oxygen carrying process are:

E

Pyridoxine (B6)

Cobalamin(B12)

Folic acid

If you are going to do mega-vitamin loading,

which I do not recommend, these are the

ones to load up on. There just isn't enough

evidence to support the theory that vitamin

loading will improve performance. Vitamin

supplements I do recommend but as directed

by the manufacturer. Mix your vitamins

daily as light and time destroys vitamins.

Also chlorine destroys vitamins; especially

vitamin E. Anti-biotics will also destroy

vitamins.

The method for carbohydrate loading is

simple. For the seven days prior to the race

take the amount of protein in the diet from

high to low, take the amount of exercise

from high to low, take the amount of food

given from low to high, and take the amount

of carbohydrates in the diet from low to

high.

For a Saturday race of 250 miles, I would

skip feeding on Thursday night and load the

birds up on carbohydrates Friday morning. I

add a carbohydrate concentrate to the water

in addition to the high carbohydrate diet.

For a race of 350 miles, I would feed high

protein, 3/4 of normal ration, on Tuesday,

normal protein, 3/4 ration, on Wednesday,

all day Thursday and Friday morning I

would load the birds up with carbohydrates.

For every additional 50 miles in distance add

one more feeding of high carbohydrates.

When you start carbohydrate loading stop

the exercise. Ya can't get the wood box full

if n ya' keep putting all the wood in the dern

stove.

High protein is considered 19%, the birds

can handle this with no problem. Be careful

if you go higher than 19% protein content,

you may see some undesirable side effects,

like loose droppings. A protein content of

14% to 16% is normal, and a protein content

of 12% or less is a low protein diet The

grains which are high in carbohydrates are

wheat, corn, milo, safflower, and rice. The

mix should be, corn 25%, milo 25%, white

rice 25%, wheat 20%, and safflower 5%, for

carbohydrate loading. In addition to the

feed, there are now a lot of water soluble

carbohydrates available on the market and

they work great. Use these in the water, as

recommended by the manufacturer, in

conjunction with the high carbohydrate diet.

They should also be added to the water for

birds returning from the race, to replenish

the depleted glycogen stores. Hard training

tosses will deplete glycogen stores also, so

add a little carbohydrates to the water on

return.

There are those who advocate starvation and

a super heavy exercise session prior to the

carbohydrate loading. The logic is to

deplete all the glycogen stores and to set the

body chemistry to the "store all the glycogen

you can" mode. Research has shown there is

no significant advantage in doing this. I feed

3/4 ration to assure there is no fat build up

while feeding the higher protein mix. The

reason for the high protein mix is to assure

there is ample protein for muscle

maintenance. Starving the birds is a risky

business at best. Birds will burn muscle

tissue if they are starving and this will

definitely have a negative effect on race

performance.

For the triple classics carbohydrate loading

is an absolute. It is the only way to get the

kind of performances required in such a

short time span. For a bird to perform well

in 3 events in 10 days it must have adequate

glycogen stores for every race, and

carbohydrate loading is the only way I know

to provide these stores.

That is the basics of carbohydrate loading. I

use it with great success and I hope you can

do the same.

 

[Guest Hjaltland]

Fascinating stuff Speight, thanks for posting this.

[Guest slugmonkey]

I have been doing a form of this I feed a lot of corn before a toss as to not lose any muscle mass and heavy on the protien on return to build muscle I have been laughed at for sending birds with a full craw to races but it seems to lose a little of the humor as they return I feed smaller grains for shorter races and larger for the long ones I also like to add a full feeding of sunflower and safflower 3 days before a race

[Guest CS]

Information,,, for fanciers,,, there is a lot of new members,,,, Welcome to the forum  ;D

[Roland]

http://intl-jap.physiology.org/cgi/content/abstract/88/4/1284

 

Then Acute respiratory failure developed in three patients needing ventilatory support within hours after total parenteral nutrition was started. We postulate that the high carbohydrate load provided in the parenteral solution resulted in the use of glucose as the primary energy source, with the development of substantial increases in the carbon dioxide production and the respiratory quotient. Because these patients had a relatively fixed ventilatory response, hypercapnia ensued. Excessive carbohydrate loading may precipitate respiratory acidosis in patients unable to adequately improve their alveolar ventilation when compensating for increased carbon dioxide production. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=6794409&dopt=Citation

 

http://www.springerlink.com/content/2ff4ebtmxtcye0la/

 

Starch and fibre can be extracted, using wet or dry processes, from a variety of grain legumes and used as ingredients for food. -Galactosides can be isolated during wet processes from the soluble extract. Starch isolates or concentrates are mostly produced from peas, whereas dietary fibre fractions from peas and soyabean are commercially available. The physico-chemical characteristics of fibre fractions very much depend on their origin, outer fibres being very cellulosic whereas inner fibres contain a majority of pectic substances. Inner fibres are often used as texturing agents whereas outer fibres find their main uses in bakery and extruded products, where they can be introduced to increase the fibre content of the food. Most investigations on impacts on health have been performed on soyabean fibres. When positive observations were made on lipaemia, glucose tolerance or faecal excretion, they were unfortunately often obtained after non-realistic daily doses of fibres. Legume starches contain a higher amount of amylose than most cereal or tuber starches. This confers these starches a lower bioavailability than that of most starches, when raw or retrograded. Their low glycaemic index can be considered as beneficial for health and especially for the prevention of diseases related to insulin resistance. When partly retrograded, these starches can provide significant amount of butyrate to the colonic epithelium and may help in colon cancer prevention. -Galactosides are usually considered as responsible for flatus but their apparent prebiotic effects may be an opportunity to valorize these oligosaccharides.

as quoted here

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cabi/bjn/2002/00000088/A00300s3/art00010

 

[ken]

HI SPEIGHT IV FEAD MY BIRDS IN  VERRY MUCH THE SAME WAY.  & ME & MY SON DO VERRY WELL OUT OF THE LONGER RACES FROM 400 UP TP 581 ML ITS WORKET FOR US FOR YEARS FOR THE LONGEST RACE WE START 3 WEEKS BEFORE THE RACE WE BUILED THEM UP SO BY THE TIME THE LAST WEEK COMES THERE ON 75% MAZE + OTHER  CARBOHYDRATE CORN & THEY DO REALY WELL MANY TIMES WE HAVE HAD THE ONLEY BIRDS IN THE CLUB FOR THE 3 DAY RACES

[Guest slugmonkey]

Corn and gas  I have heard that birds that have an ample supply of fat do better on distance races I started with shelled sunflower seeds on basketing day and have noticed improvement this year I have been doing exceptional last week I put 21/23 on the sheet for points the week before I shipped 6 to a race and put all 6 together on the drop and scored them on the sheet as well

[Chatrace]

I only use safflower to carbo load YBs for 200 and 300 mile races and shelled corn for OBs after 300 miles to 600

[Guest slugmonkey]

My usual mix is corn, wheat, milo, and peas I increase the corn for racing and for winter I also add safflower and sunflower in small amounts for the longer races I give shelled sunflower and corn then when the birds are done eating I put out the safflower and give them all they want

[jimmy white]

very interesting article ,,worth the read

[Guest CS]

There you go, Wiley.

[Wiley]

thanks mate

[bluebar99]

Lads,

 

I am curious as to why Speight only feeds 3/4 ration on tuesday and wednesday.  Is he training these days?  Roadwise or around the loft?  When the carbo loading feed days come around are the birds fed all they want?

 

Jan

[Ronnie]

Really good article .But need the training regime with it like bluebar says is he training the day he is on 3/4 rations.

Overall really good info thanks mate.

 

[pigeonscout]

What is a 3/4 ration? as birds come in different sizes. unless you feed separate?

Birds that are lock up and depend on you feeding them get stressed if you miss a feed they do not think like humans they don't say to themselves he is late and will be hear later or this is the day we do without. No when they are hungry and cannot find food they start to stress. this is not my views this has been proved by the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University,.

[pigeonscout]

(Note: This material was published originally in the 1992 year book of the Canadian Racing Pigeon Union, and has undergone several modifications and additions since that time.)

Fat is the major fuel needed by racing pigeons during the racing season, and indeed, by any species of wild bird that flies extended distances, as in Spring and Fall migrations. It has been noted that the capability of birds for storing triglycerides as an energy reserve, exceeds that of other classes of vertebrates (Blem, 1976). The fatty acids of these triglycerides are predominantly of the 16 and 18-carbon variety, and generally, are more unsaturated than those of mammals.

 

The facts about fat as the key fuel for racing were established many years ago, and considerable work on this subject was undertaken in Canada by Dr. John George, his colleagues and graduate students at the University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario. More recently, it seems that some very exciting work by Professor Rothe, who used pigeons in wind tunnels at Saarbrucken, Germany, reaffirmed the fact that, truly, fat is the main fuel involved in the production of energy for racing. Logically then, providing diets containing increased amounts of fat, could be very helpful in providing the highly important fuel reserves needed for racing, right? Well, possibly......

 

Perusal of available literature on the metabolism of protein, carbohydrate and fat in birds in general revealed some interesting information that could be very useful in preparing pigeons for racing. Here are some of the facts taken from pertinent scientific literature on birds.

 

Firstly, in birds, it is known that less than 4% of depot fat, that is, fat found in the body cavity, under the skin, etc., is actually produced in these locations. Where then, is the great majority of fat actually synthesized? Well, not surprisingly, in pigeons the liver is the major organ in which the vast amount of fat is produced.

 

In fact, in birds, about 47% of the fat produced for use in the body is produced in the liver, 44% in the carcass, 7% in the skin, and 2% in the intestines. It is known that when the relative weights of tissues are taken into account, the liver of birds is 20 times as active per unit of weight in the production of fat as is the carcass. However, it is interesting to note as well that bone marrowis another important site for fat production in birds, and that bone marrow itself has about two thirds of the fat-producing activity of liver. After it is produced in the liver, fat is transported in the bloodstream to the body depots for storage, and very importantly, to working muscles where it serves as a ready fuel supply for sustained flight.

 

Fine so far, but there are a couple of interesting points to consider.... Logic would say that the addition of extra fat to the diet of racing pigeons would help the liver with production, and would just add to the amount of fat produced normally by the liver, and subsequently exported to storage sites.

 

In fact, one study several years ago showed that the addition of the vegetable oil, corn oil (a vegetable oil is simply a liquid fat) in the amount of 5% to the diet of racing pigeons, improved performances, especially from beyond 200 miles, whereas birds that were not supplemented with corn oil had poorer performances overall.

 

The addition of extra fat to the diet should assist the body in building fat reserves. My reading around the subject of the energy requirements of birds turned up some very interesting, surprising, and potentially useful information that could be of value in the preparation of pigeons for racing. The following facts need to be pondered, mulled over, and if judged to have some merit, acted upon accordingly:

 

Point #1 -- high levels of fat in the diet of birds will DECREASE the amount of fat produced by the liver (Griminger, 1986).

 

Point #2 -- high levels of protein in the diet of birds will DECREASE the amount of fat produced by the liver!!

 

Point #3 -- high levels of carbohydrate in the diet of birds will INCREASE the amount of fat produced by the liver (Griminger, 1986).

 

In one study in chickens, it was found that the addition of 10% corn oil to the diet of young chicks actually decreased fat production in the liver by a startling 40%! However, it is important to note that when amounts of carbohydrate in the diet are held at a constant level, high levels of dietary fat don't interfere with fat production by the liver! Another important point is that stored fat in the body, including the flight muscles, is obtained not only from production in the liver, but also from fat absorbed from the diet through the wall of the intestines.

Now, let's try to translate some of this information so that it has a bit more meaning for fanciers. Firstly, the great majority of fat in the body of the racing pigeon is produced by the liver, from which it is then transported in the bloodstream to depots (also called storage areas), and to red fibers in the muscles, for direct use as a source of energy during flight.

 

Fat that is present the diet is also absorbed through the intestines and is transported to muscles and depot areas as well. As fat is needed by working muscle, it is mobilized from nearby sources and from these depots, and moved through the bloodstream to the muscles. Preferential use of fat by flight muscles allows for a more efficient liberation of energy during prolonged, strenuous flights such as those of migrating birds, and of racing pigeons.

 

There is some difference of opinion among fanciers as to whether depot fat is really utilized as a source of fuel. The information I have at this point is that experiments on pigeons at the University of Guelph showed that after a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise, the amount of fat in depots decreased by almost 25%, and that, correspondingly, the amount of fat in the breast muscles increased by about the same amount.

 

This work also demonstrated that the amount of fat in the bloodstream increased by about 18%, and in the liver, by about 30%. These investigations indicate to me that fat is indeed mobilized from depot areas, transported in the bloodstream, and taken up by the liver and working muscle.

 

It has been established in other species such as the laboratory rat that depot fat is not static, and that in this species, there is a complete recycling of depot fat every 10 days. Therefore, depot fat seems to be a dynamic system involved in the synthesis, oxidation, storage and release of fats in some species. Despite this general information, it is known that in pigeons, very little synthesis of fat occurs in depot areas. However, in migratory birds, it is known that peritoneal or "migratory" fat is distinguished from subcutaneous fat or "winter" fat. Migratory fat accumulates rapidly in large amounts just prior to migration, and is exhausted at the end of migration (Odum and Perkinson, 1951). It may well be that the fat we build each week in racing pigeons is of the "migratory" type, because of the rapid accumulation of large amounts of "pre- racing" fat in the few days before shipping.

 

Since the amount of glycogen -- a complex sugar which is really the storage form of glucose -- in red fibers is relatively small compared with the amount of fat present, it can't be considered to be a serious contender as a major source of fuel for flying any distance, despite some persisting views that it is.

 

Incidentally, in less than two hours after feeding glucose, either as the sugar given in water, or after the conversion of starch from grains into glucose in the intestines, there is rapid production of glycogen by the liver of birds. Some glycogen is stored by the liver and some is exported in the blood to muscles and other tissues as a source of energy. Glucose is the major source of fuel for the brain.

 

As well, a study by Goodridge and Ball (1967) revealed that significant carbon derived from intravenously injected glucose-U- 14C was incorporated into fatty acids of liver within three minutes in pigeons, and that the content of radioactive fatty acids in liver reached a plateau in 15 minutes.

 

Significant appearance of labelled fatty acids in blood and fat depots was seen first at 15 minutes, and their concentration rose continuously throughout the two-hour experimental period. During this trial, the authors calculated that the liver was converting glucose to fatty acids at a rate 25 times faster than that of the fat depots.

 

This study concluded that depot fat in the pigeon does

not have the capacity for the conversion of glucose to fatty acids, compared with that of liver. It also indicated that the regulation of fat synthesis in the pigeon must occur in the liver.

 

If we try to assist the liver by adding more fat to the diet, say by the use of grains containing high amounts of fat -- grains such as peanuts that contain almost 50% fat (and a high level of protein, -- about 30%, note) -- actually, we may be causing a marked decrease in the amount of fat that the liver is capable of producing for the energy requirements of flight! A decrease of 40% production of fat by the liver in the face of a high level of fat in the diet could be a pretty significant decrease!

 

However -- it is possible that compensation for this decrease may occur, by the presence of fat absorbed by the intestines from the diet. When this dietary fat is mixed with bile in the intestines, it is absorbed directly through the wall of the intestines as a source of fuel. However, it seems that most of the fat in storage depots and in red muscle is produced by the liver.

 

Another important point to re-iterate in this discussion of fat is that fat synthesis by the liver of birds is greatly inhibited when dietary levels of carbohydrate in the ration are concurrently low. By contrast, there appears to be little reduction in the production of fat by the liver when dietary levels of carbohydrate are maintained at a relatively high level.

 

It is quite possible, and indeed, very likely, given these facts, that adding a high amount of fat through the addition of a significant percentage of peanuts, for example, could significantly reduce the amount of fat manufactured by the liver.

When we add peanuts to a significant level of the ration, in effect we have removed a similar weight of one or more of the other grains already in the diet. Regardless of the number or amounts of grains added to the diet, it is obvious that the total weight of all grains used in a particular mix, adds up to 100%.

 

The grains that are likely to be replaced by peanuts are the carbohydrate-rich cereal grains, such as wheat, barley, rice, oats and corn, and this may well be the nub of the issue. Remember that diets high in carbohydrate result in a high production of fat by the liver. Remember too that peanuts are very high in fat content, but they are also very high in protein -- and also importantly, low in carbohydrate.

 

Diets high in fat and high in protein result in decreased fat production by the liver! To offset the effects of diets high in fat, one simple, key method is to maintain a high level of carbohydrate in the diet when the fat-loaded grains are added.

 

Here is another very important point. As noted by Dr. Pawloski (1991) in his very informative article in the R.P. Bulletin, diets high in protein may also cause increased thirst in pigeons, because of the high amounts of uric acid (from the metabolism of the high per centage of protein in peanuts and other high-protein grains) that have to be excreted through the kidneys.

 

This uric acid (also called urates) is concentrated in the white tip seen when droppings are passed. This excretory process requires water to flush the uric acid and its salts out of the kidneys. Result: loss of water from the body which, in turn, results in increased thirst to replace the water lost in the flushing process, something that we want to avoid at almost all costs, especially when birds are due to be sent racing.

 

So the use of diets high in protein, including the use of high amounts of peanuts in the few days just before shipping, probably causes unnecessary thirst on the road and should be avoided, according to Dr. Pawloski. It certainly makes sense.

 

If high-protein grains are to be fed during the racing season for the repair and maintenance of muscles and other tissues for example, it seems logical then that they should be fed earlier rather than later in the week -- say up to mid-week and no later. As well, protein is not really an energy food, although it certainly can be used for this purpose, but likely only when all other fat and carbohydrate sources of energy have been exhausted.

 

For these reasons, and because protein tends to be the most expensive component of a diet, it should be reduced in amount in the ration in the few days prior to shipping, to allow for a build up of fat reserves from carbohydrates, and to avoid problems of increased thirst.

 

What are some methods that we could use to deal with all of these facts?

 

1. One simple, obvious, safe way to build necessary fat reserves would be to revert to a traditional diet of mainly cereal grains, including a high per centage of corn (say, 40% or more), and completely avoid the high-fat grains when birds are racing. This would also mean that the amount of legumes in the ration during the racing season -- peas, beans, lentils, etc. -- should also be reduced from the amounts used for breeding and rearing, because of their high content of protein, and associated thirst, to say nothing of the cost.

2. Another clue that we can use to advantage is this: eating a meal, as opposed to nibbling in a hopper-feeding situation, increases fat production in birds. So, it seems that those who feed pigeons a meal once or twice a day during racing, may actually bring about a greater production of fat to be used for fuel than those who hopper feed. Would hopper feeding be best for short-distance racing, and meal feeding best for long- distance racing?? Just an idea.....

 

3. Another practical approach during racing would be to use peanuts or other high-fat grains or seeds, in moderation -- repeat, in moderation, -- and as well once again, to reduce the protein level by reducing the amount of legumes such as peas, lentils, etc. in the diet. (One enterprising and successful fancier I know uses peanuts only early in the week, but makes good use of the cereal grains from mid-week to late in the week before shipping. This procedure likely avoids the pitfall of thirst later in the week, as pointed out so aptly by Dr. Pawloski.)

 

At the same time, we should be certain that the amount of carbohydrate in the diet is at a high level, ie, by the use of a high proportion of cereal grains, especially grains like corn, wheat, oats and rice, for example. Glucose or table sugar could be added to the drinking water to supply extra carbohydrate if necessary.

 

(Note: Don't put glucose or other sugars in the water day after day. Use these sugars for only a day at a time, to prevent the growth of yeasts and molds in the crops of your birds, since these yeasts, etc. use the sugar as nutrients for their own growth, and can invade the wall of the crop at this time.)

hese measures would take advantage of the fact that when the level of carbohydrate in the ration is at a reasonably high level, increased dietary fat does not seem to interfere with fat production by the liver of birds.

 

Remember to add grains to a ration by weight, not by volume. For example, wheat, peas and beans tend to weigh about the same, ie, if you use say, a coffee can to measure out grain, one can of wheat will weigh almost the same as one coffee can of peas or beans.

 

On the other hand, the same coffee can full of barley or corn will weigh, on the average, about one fifth less than the same amount of wheat, peas or beans -- so the result is that you have to add another one fifth of a can of barley or corn to the mix to be sure that all of the grains mentioned in this example weigh the same.

 

4. One other intriguing but practical method to improve fat production in racing pigeons could be the use of the sugar fructose. Fructose is available here as a powder and can be found in health food stores as well as grocery stores. Compared with table sugar, fructose may be expensive. Speaking of table sugar, it too is a source of fructose, since it is composed of one unit of glucose and one unit of fructose linked together -- two key sugars right in your own home. Another good source of fructose is honey which contains about 40% fructose.

 

Why use fructose, when glucose seems to be the major sugar in the body of birds, the liver of which has a significant ability to convert glucose to fatty acids in a very short period of time (Goodridge and Ball, 1967)? First, some background. Most grains, especially the cereal grains, contain a high per centage of starch, a complex chemical structure composed of many individual units of the sugar, glucose.

 

When the starch in grains is digested by pigeons, it is fractionated by digestive juices in the intestines into glucose, which is then absorbed through the intestinal wall into the bloodstream and transported to the liver.

 

It is known that in birds, the absorption of glucose from the intestine into the bloodstream far outstrips the absorption of fructose. However, if fructose is present, it too will be absorbed from the intestine of birds and transported to the liver where it is metabolized rapidly.

 

It is significant that the liver of birds is able to metabolize fructose very rapidly and efficiently, even if there are also high levels of glucose present as well. The rapid and efficient metabolism of fructose by birds is not hindered by simultaneously high levels of glucose as it seems to be in mammals.

 

Another key fact about fructose is that in birds, fat production from the metabolism of fructose exceeds that of all other carbohydrates collectively! Another highly significant point for us as pigeon flyers is that in birds, the metabolism of fructose and its conversion to fat receive very high metabolic priority -- a key fact!

 

This information offers another practical clue to the process of fueling pigeons for racing--ie, use fructose to build necessary fat reserves, especially for the tougher distance events!

 

It seems to me that the use of fructose could be a major factor in rapidly rebuilding fat reserves in a pigeon as it races, say in a widowhood situation, for several weeks in a row. Maybe the problem of "picky appetite" and the concurrent need to rebuild fat reserves in widowers might be solved very nicely through the use of fructose, honey or table sugar in drinking water.

 

A racing widow/widower may have a capricious appetite at times, but the more dependable need for a drink of water, to which fructose can be added for a day to a day and a half, for example, might provide a partial answer for those birds with the touchy appetites.

 

Fructose could also be valuable in rapidly rebuilding fat reserves in exhausted birds when they return from a gruelling race, looking like shadows of the birds entered originally in the race. It seems to me that, in looking at these facts, it becomes evident that feeding high levels of carbohydrates in general, and that feeding simple sugars such as glucose and fructose specifically, could be highly valuable in rapidly building fat reserves in racing birds, virtually when we want them!!

 

Maybe we don't even need to use so many peanuts or other fat-containing seeds. Certainly, peanuts and other high-fat grains can be a mixed blessing, and unless you are completely sure that you are using high-quality peanuts in the first place, maybe you should reconsider using them. Those used for human use are probably the best, but I have seen some peanuts used by pigeon fanciers and I have shuddered at the thought of any bird being forced to eat them!

 

Rancidity because of the very high fat content is a very real danger, especially in the hot summer months if peanuts are not stored under very cool conditions. Also, certain types of molds, such as those seen on moldy bread, for example, can invade peanuts and produce some nasty poisons that can induce cancers of the liver in some species. Obviously, the use of peanuts requires considerable care, and only those of the very best quality are good enough.

 

As you can see from reading the foregoing material, there is a great deal for all of us as fanciers to learn about the nutritional needs of pigeons! I am fascinated by the number of facts about the physiological and nutritional characteristics of birds in general -- all buried in the scientific literature -- and this article is only a small attempt to expose these facts to the light of day and to the curiosity of the thinking fancier.

 

Obviously, this article only scratches the surface of the vast amount of information and knowledge yet to be discovered and shared about the feeding of pigeons for racing. As I am not a nutritionist, I certainly don't claim to have many, or even anyof the answers, and I would welcome any further input to this fascinating, important subject.

[Guest]

hi guys ive been looking on this & other sites for feeding tips can any of you guys give me any ideas about what when and how much please / or point me in the right direction if this has already been covered on this site many thanks

[Tony C]

Maybe not what your after lplates but well worth getting your head around nonetheless

 

http://www.kjsgroup.com/rprs/aspx/docview.aspx?/rprs/itlasp/March2001/GrainsFuelandPigeonRacing.asp

[jimmy white]

very interesting indeed tony ,,,,,,,,lofts a bit like mine ;D ;D ;D

[Tony C]

very interesting indeed tony ,,,,,,,,lofts a bit like mine ;D ;D ;D

 

:o  :-/ Sometimes it directs you to the main page sometimes not lol If you have a photo of a loft your on the wrong page, if thats the case on the right hand side click articles this will open up another page then click Read all of this article ... 3/1/2001  Grains, Fuel and Pigeon Racing

here's the link again

 

 

http://www.kjsgroup.com/rprs/aspx/docview.aspx?/rprs/itlasp/March2001/GrainsFuelandPigeonRacing.asp

 

 

[jimmy white]

great stuff , excellant article