pj1001 Posted November 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 11, 2008 One of the fanciers who I talked to is one of the top racers in his area over the past 3-4 years and he said that his results have improved since he started using well water. He said that is is very important that the well water that is used must be water that is used for human consumption and not just water from any old well. In the area where he lives he tests water daily and pinpointed the particular well that he uses as being the one which has the best range of reading in the area. After speaking to the farmer who owned this well; he was given permission to use this water for his pigeons. I think alot of this perhaps depends on the area each of us live in and also the particular state of the reservoir or water catchment area at any given time. He told me that at certain time of the year they would find dead animals that have fallen into reservoirs and if in these cases staff are instructed to administer higher levels of chlorine into the water to neutralise any additional bacteria etc created by the presence of the dead animal. Also at times of heavy rainfall they use greater amounts of cholrine, due to greater amounts than normal of soil and other debris being washed into the reservoirs from the surrounding area. He told me that he has left water out for 24 hours and also boiling it, and then retested it and still found fairly high levels of chlorine present at times. Personally I use normal tap water left for 24 hours before administering it in the drinkers, but I would be curious to find out if the chlorine in the water would neutralise or weaken the strength of any medication that we are occassionally using. If it does then is medicating the pigeons actually helping them or just introducing them to weaker levels of the medication and thus increasing the immunity of bacteria etc inside our birds thus making the medications of little or no value to the birds. I can understand some of the comments on us drinking tap water and our families driinking it also, but at the same time we aren't really administrating medication in the drinking water, so the situation is slightly different. As far as I am concerned the jury is still out on this, but I might try and medicate the birds using filtered tap water just to see if there is any noticeable difference. PJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rooster Posted November 11, 2008 Report Share Posted November 11, 2008 when medicating pigeons it is best to use distilled water , Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 11, 2008 Report Share Posted November 11, 2008 the point is when you medicate with any thing then give clean tap water the clorine in it can stop it from doing what it is intended to do i fill 2 watering cans and let them stand for a day to disapate thats long enough go pour a glass of water from the tap and look at it clear at bottom cloudy at top tap water wont harm them its just going to kill every thing in it thats what its for Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmy white Posted November 11, 2008 Report Share Posted November 11, 2008 i have used tapolene ;D ;D for years now , i know its supposed to be better if left , but this has never did my birds any harm,,, the thing is we do have top class water in scotland ,well it does for the whisky ;D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony C Posted November 11, 2008 Report Share Posted November 11, 2008 A way of finding out if the water is chlorine free http://www.splashspas.co.uk/spa-accessories/chlorine-testing.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony C Posted November 11, 2008 Report Share Posted November 11, 2008 The tapwater in London is said to have gone through 8 people, wont be long before it starts glowing in the dark 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PigeonTracker Posted November 12, 2008 Report Share Posted November 12, 2008 We've got very different digestive tracts and tolerance levels. One of the reasons we get things like Spanish tummy on holiday and why they say don't drink the water. Not because its not clean but because its harder and contains different chemicals our stomaches can't cope with. The reason to boil as a precaution is the water boards of this world don't always get it right and also put in chemicals that belong in toothpaste. Last time I looked my birds never had teeth so had no need for fluoride. Can i just mntion that most of you guys use one method or another to filter or purify your water, to reduce either clorine or waterever else you feel is in it... for the sole purpose i think for your pigeons. Which is commendable in truth. but may i ask what each of you drink or where you get your water from if thirsty, ? what water supply have you been giving your children ..... do you get their drinking water from a barrel or let their water stand for 24 hours or even boil every drop of their drinking water...... what i am saying is if water from the tap is good enough to give your children or drink yourselves... then yopur pigeons should be ok on it too........ Yes ? oh days of days gone by happy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Novice Posted November 12, 2008 Report Share Posted November 12, 2008 One immediate method of chlorine removal is to fill the drinkers through a spray nozzle. This is recommended for changing water in fish ponds. Tap water also contains Chloramines which is not so easily removed. My water usually stands overnight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johno Posted November 12, 2008 Report Share Posted November 12, 2008 is it not tap water we use to wash down any medicines we are prescribed. it must be that our doctors and chemists are thick as according to the theory being piushed here the water destroys the medication before it gets a chance to do its work. its a no brainer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest IB Posted November 12, 2008 Report Share Posted November 12, 2008 is it not tap water we use to wash down any medicines we are prescribed. it must be that our doctors and chemists are thick as according to the theory being piushed here the water destroys the medication before it gets a chance to do its work. its a no brainer. I think members are talking about a specific type of medication - antibiotics / antimicrobials. I don't know of any antibiotic treatment given to humans that is 'washed down' or adminstered via a cup of drinking water. Any time I was prescribed antibiotics by my doctor it always came in a bottle, and taken direct from the bottle into a teaspoon, x-times a day. The probiotic I use, Flightpath, can be given via the drinker, but leaflet states 'add sachet to 1 pint of dechlorinated water e.g. tap water left overnight in an open container' .... so as thread infers, chlorine does affect at least this pigeon product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pj1001 Posted November 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2008 is it not tap water we use to wash down any medicines we are prescribed. it must be that our doctors and chemists are thick as according to the theory being piushed here the water destroys the medication before it gets a chance to do its work. its a no brainer. No disrespect johno, but their is no theory being pushed as far as I am aware here. I have just put this thread up, to see what fanciers views are on using medication in chlorinated tap water. I am keeping an open mind on the topic and am not suggesting that anyone who has used normal tap water for years is right or wrong, I put the thread up to basically seek others opinions on the subject and open up some form of discussion on the topic, which in turn could help all of us. If someone can come in with scientific proof to indicate that chlorinated tap water does or doesn't affect the performance of medication we spend good hard earned money to purchase, then I feel that this new knowledge would be useful information for us all. PJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johno Posted November 12, 2008 Report Share Posted November 12, 2008 i am trying to point out that it is unlikely that either liquid or tablet / powder form medication is highly unlikely to be affected or the effect nullified by tap water. if tap water did any damage to the medication i am sure that hopspitals all over europe would not be allow tap water to be used. ib i know of many people who take a glass of tap water with any medication thay take. most people that i know are prescribed the greatest proportion of medication they are prescribed in tablet form. but you are not most people are you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony C Posted November 12, 2008 Report Share Posted November 12, 2008 Johno the way I see it is tablets get dissolved in out stomach by gastric juices not by the water we wash them down with. Pigeon medicine on the other hand get dissolved in water which in turn can remain in their crops for up to 10 hours, perhaps longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Posted November 12, 2008 Report Share Posted November 12, 2008 A well, but when in form, I use to collect direct from a spring, 3 miles away. Yes ran through the minerals and gravel etc. etc. Always is fressh and cool. Any benefit? Wel; for me yes lol, and for the birds too I believe, but in any regards IT made me feel better that I was doing something worthwhile for the birds. Likewise I use to bring home a carry bag full of mole hills. Spread it a bit and leave the birds out with it. Next time sweep it back up and change it. They loved it. Now as to whether the minerals did them any real good I suppose is open to debate. BUT for the contentment value of picking around the loft .... Invaluable! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 12, 2008 Report Share Posted November 12, 2008 I always leave the water to stand the day before I need it ever since I was told that the chlorine reduced the effectiveness of a canker treatment I was using just before I was pairing up,then someone said it affects everything you put in the water,even garlic or orego stym so I always leave it to stand now,having said that though if it was really true then why when we are given anti biotics or even when we take our daily multi vit then why doesnt the doctor tell us to take them with dechlorinated water?. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 12, 2008 Report Share Posted November 12, 2008 i think you are spot on tony the water only washes it down where as the medication we put in the drinker is attacked by the chemicals put there to do just that it cant tell the diferance between good and bad it just does what its meant to do just my thoughts or is it 1 of thease pigeon fanciers secerets!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the pigeon_milker Posted November 12, 2008 Report Share Posted November 12, 2008 chlorine Kills bacteria which can give room for the fungus to grow [Q] so am i right in saying canker is a fungi like thrush is to us Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest IB Posted November 12, 2008 Report Share Posted November 12, 2008 i am trying to point out that it is unlikely that either liquid or tablet / powder form medication is highly unlikely to be affected or the effect nullified by tap water. if tap water did any damage to the medication i am sure that hopspitals all over europe would not be allow tap water to be used. ib i know of many people who take a glass of tap water with any medication thay take. most people that i know are prescribed the greatest proportion of medication they are prescribed in tablet form. but you are not most people are you? I agree that tablets are normally downed with a glass of water, including my own 5-a-day, I also agree that this is also the most common form of medication and unlikely to be affected by chlorine in that glass of water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest IB Posted November 12, 2008 Report Share Posted November 12, 2008 chlorine Kills bacteria which can give room for the fungus to grow [Q] so am i right in saying canker is a fungi like thrush is to us I think this is an interesting question, and a good one to check our understanding. My understanding is (1) that all disinfectants (including chlorine) have no 'cleansing' action against anything inside any animal. What it does do is kill anything nasty in the animal's drinking water, and in overdose it has harmful affects on the animal. and (2) that the canker bug trichomonas (an animal) is tolerated / kept at low levels by the pigeon's immune system. Anything acidic will reduce their numbers and garlic has proved effective in treating human STD caused by trichomonas, so I'd expect it to reduce numbers in pigeons too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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