Keeping them healthy

[pigeonman007]

Noticed one of my ybs had sicked up his seed this morning. Isolated him and have added cider vinegar to the water. He has eaten a small amount of canary mix but has sicked up again. Looking at other posts I am guessing this is the start of young bird sickness. I had similar with a late bred yb when I first started with pigeons last year.

I dont race my birds, just keep them for fun at the moment. Wondering if there is anymore I can do for the bird or if this will just pass naturally?? He was a slow developing yb in the nest and I guess perhaps I should have removed him at that stage.

 

I dont really want to be giving them medications etc to prop them up

 

[Guest spin cycle]

is the bird looking 'fluffed up' and listless ?

[pigeonman007]

A little fluffed up, but is very active and not slitty eyed at all

[Guest spin cycle]

A little fluffed up, but is very active and not slitty eyed at all

 

what are the droppings like ?

[pigeonman007]

Very watery, the other birds droppings seem all ok though.

[blackdog]

 

He was a slow developing yb in the nest

 

 

 

that tells you all was not well with the youngster, i would have removed it there and then

[pigeonman007]

He was a slow developing yb in the nest

 

 

 

that tells you all was not well with the youngster, i would have removed it there and then

I know, just find it hard to do and being as racing is not important to me I thought I would give him a chance, looks like I just made a problem for myself now though.

 

 

[Guest spin cycle]

JMO but if he is a poor do'er i would 'remove' him (as you put it). he could be just of colour...or it could spread into the rest. i'm not a big 'culler' but i take no fun in  weakly/sick birds...might even be kinder in long run....sorry

[peterpau]

Yes you can do more cider vinegar and honey in the water and natural yogurt on the corn. So had Paula Radcliffe been a pigeon 90% of pigeon fanciers would have culled. The fact is she has been a top runner even if she does look awful when running. I know she has been ill too at times. If my birds get sick I look in the mirror before I blame them. When you know your management has been good then Barcelona is the biggest test for mine. I almost never cull and I never isolate.

[Guest]

I f you aren't racing then why not give him/her a chance if he is still reasonably happy,ie not suffering distress?.Have you ruled out all the usuals like canker,worms,cocci?.Personally I would be tempted to try some pro biotics to help stabalise his gut,beans are also a great addition to the diet for firming up droppings although obviously they shouldnt be used to mask any underlying problem they do improve droppings and will certainly build body.Sometimes I think fanciers find it far easier to just kill,kill,kill rather than go to any time or trouble to actually find out the problem and correct it so sooner or later the same problem occurs again as it was never got to the bottom of in the first instance [just my oppinion],good luck with the bird

[peterpau]

I f you aren't racing then why not give him/her a chance if he is still reasonably happy,ie not suffering distress?.Have you ruled out all the usuals like canker,worms,cocci?.Personally I would be tempted to try some pro biotics to help stabalise his gut,beans are also a great addition to the diet for firming up droppings although obviously they shouldnt be used to mask any underlying problem they do improve droppings and will certainly build body.Sometimes I think fanciers find it far easier to just kill,kill,kill rather than go to any time or trouble to actually find out the problem and correct it so sooner or later the same problem occurs again as it was never got to the bottom of in the first instance [just my oppinion],good luck with the bird

 

Well done you make more sence than most cull merchants.

 

 

[pigeonman007]

Hi Chrissy,

All my stock birds were treated for worms, cocci & canker before pairing. The yb is about 7/8weeks old.  Will get some pro-biotic yoghurt and put a little on his seed. Have also been recommended ground cinnamon which I have just put a little of down his crop. Like you I dont like the idea of kill, kill etc.

 

 

[Guest]

 

Well done you make more sence than most cull merchants.

 

 

First and foremost I am an animal lover and believe everything deserves a chance,look at how many babies get a poor start or how many fanciers have health problems but we don't kill them do we?.You were braver than me posting that some fanciers should look in the mirror but you are right,anyone who feels they have to cull birds for anything other than humane reasons needs to have a serious look at their skills as both a breeder and loft manager and perhaps not give up the day job so to speak.

 

[Guest strapper]

i give birds a chance...how many times have you got up in the morning and had the runs ? and felt off colour.

if you do treat for this with medication dont treat with the strongest medication...treat with a mild medication at 1st....treating with the best(as in baytril) will only leave us in the future with nothing to fight against these bugs/germs etc. because they will get used to these strong medications. and then these antibiotics wont be as affective.

[peterpau]

Chrissy, I didn't suggest other fanciers look in the mirror. I said it's what I do. I look at my management first every time. But I know I can get it right and get 'em 750+ miles. You can't send 'em that distance unless you know you've done your home work. We all make mistakes. When your birds aint right, 99% of the time its your management first.

[Guest]

If your unsure what your treating for, you could always get a test kit. then you can treat on advice from the people who have given you the results.

 

  hope this helps ..........amanda

[Guest IB]

Would agree on your treatment except that it is usual to withhold food for a day, just to let whatever food is in the gut to pass thro, acidify the gut (cider vinegar) then feed a little, smalls or seeds, but not heavy grain (yet) and if the bird is holding the food down increase this in steps over a 72 hour period, also adding heavier stuff, during which the droppings should form up again.

 

Wondered what you meant by 'slow developing' youngster? Wondered too how this youngster has fared since being weaned? Is it feathering up normally, coming to the feeder as quickly as the rest of them when their grub is put down and eating all the grains? Flying?

 

In 'sickness' I try to be fair. But sometimes the parents know something is up physically and stop feeding. If the youngster is not coming along, and the parents are feeding, then that surely should also alert you that something is up. Nothing to do with racing or not, or showing or not: comes a time when you have to ask the question: is this bird a danger to the rest of my birds e.g. is it going under, quickly turning into a factory churning out something that can spread to the rest of my birds?  If the answer is yes, then it must be outed. That's also being fair.

 

 

[Smithy]

IB, you have unbelevable  knowledge in pigeon racing.Could you please instruct us how you would prepare

your pigeons for the  national races. Please tell us how you would keep your birds from disease in the lead up to your nationals and how you would feed and train them. Callum Smith

[Guest bigda]

IB, you have unbelevable  knowledge in pigeon racing.Could you please instruct us how you would prepare

your pigeons for the  national races. Please tell us how you would keep your birds from disease in the lead up to your nationals and how you would feed and train them. Callum Smith

 

its no good asking that question on a Sunday night-Monday morning mate, as all the distance men on here have no stamina ;D its only sprint men on here today 8)

[Guest Owen]

I agree with IB. What is the point of keeping sickly birds? I have found that, whenever I have had to mess about with a bird, it will end in a wasted time. At best, it will be useless as a racer, and at worst it will get lost very quickly. Besides, it would be far better to keep quality birds, regardless of what you want to do with them. Leave the waifs and strays to those funny people who spend their time rescueing creatures that will be weak and useless anyway.

[Guest joshdonlan]

maybe a little young, bird could be worms which have led to stress leading to cocci producing the droppings. You could also try garlic in the water too.

 

Good luck  

[peterpau]

Owen, what's the point keeping sickly pigeons. Your sick bird is telling you your management is wrong. One bird may be very ill but some may be carriers and others less sick. That sick bird is a valuable barrometer of your management. Leave your sick bird with the flock and treat the whole problem not one bird. One of my best hens has a tendency to a high cocci count but she still turns 'em out and is closely related to my Palamos pigeon.

[pigeonpete]

i give birds a chance...how many times have you got up in the morning and had the runs ? and felt off colour.

if you do treat for this with medication dont treat with the strongest medication...treat with a mild medication at 1st....treating with the best(as in baytril) will only leave us in the future with nothing to fight against these bugs/germs etc. because they will get used to these strong medications. and then these antibiotics wont be as affective.

 

agree, could just be a case of sour crop,?

[Guest Owen]

peterpau

years ago, Poultry Farmers would include a small number of easilly recognised birds to run with the main flock. The main flock would receive all the treatments and vaccinations but the half dozen control birds would not. The idea was to have an early warning if there was any disease about. Perhaps, that is what you are advocating now. I thought that the system of controls was wrong with the chicken when I saw it, and I think relying on having very sick pigeons as a warning is wrong now. Surely we are trying to get our birds to a condition of being more than just well. We need them to be super well/fit. Any pigeon that is prone to weakness will not be likely to do what we need them to do, win races. I know it sounds hard, but, the only way forward is to breed from birds that inherit the soundest consitution. If we do not do that we just as well stop competing in races and keep them as pets.

Every year there are strays hanging about and dying slow deaths because they can not get home. I think that is is very cruel and the people who sent them to do what they can not do should be ashamed of themselves. Harbouring the weak and the useless will add to the problem. I believe that it is kinder to kill them kindly so that they are not subjected to the kind of cruelty that goes on where the owners can not see. I hope that answers your question.

Owen  

[Guest IB]

IB, you have unbelevable  knowledge in pigeon racing.Could you please instruct us how you would prepare

your pigeons for the  national races. Please tell us how you would keep your birds from disease in the lead up to your nationals and how you would feed and train them. Callum Smith

 

Callum, I think you have taken things a bit out of context. The information I have passed on relates to pigeon health, not racing. And any threads on National racing that I have been on, it has been me looking for info and advice, never the other way around. But I do intend competing in all SNFC races for the first time this year, first time with them over channel too, so maybe you’ll see the info you’ve asked for in the BHW write-up.  

 

'Young bird sickness' and paramyxo  did not exist when I last kept pigeons. So when I started up again a club mate put me wise to the early signs of YBS (off-flying, food retention & vomiting) and told me how to see the bird through it. Had odd one or two birds show these symptoms way back in the beginning, but I was always watching for it and caught it long before it became a problem or spread through the loft,  that was years ago, and never seen it since.