always learning

[Guest Vic]

Tony C.  I started feeding hulled sunflower a few years back ater consultation with Steve Patrick, and I am certain he would disagree with you, on the"airing" side. It's the other "erring" side  that I'm concerned about. Cheers, Vic.

[Guest Vic]

Bruno.   The idea of this thread was to seek advice and possible guidance from "Them up There" but as always, they part with nothing  but a fart, unless approached to make videos etc.  Regarding your query re the birds feet?Very few winning  birds return with  sickly, dirty  soiled feet and rubbers. I have had birds win with shavings still enwrapped with their rubber rings after  13 to 15 hours on the wing. And over the years, I have learnt what to expect, and respect, on arrival, the sheer  pure beauty and endeauver of my best pigeons. Vic

 

[mosslands1]

hiya vic as soon as i read that you took the peanuts of them i knew what it was fungal infection caused by the nuts toxic you can microwave them for a very short time depending on you microwave power its seconds not mins or they  roast the nuts that it lol

[Guest]

Bruno.   The idea of this thread was to seek advice and possible guidance from "Them up There" but as always, they part with nothing  but a fart, unless approached to make videos etc.  Regarding your query re the birds feet?Very few winning  birds return with  sickly, dirty  soiled feet and rubbers. I have had birds win with shavings still enwrapped with their rubber rings after  13 to 15 hours on the wing. And over the years, I have learnt what to expect, and respect, on arrival, the sheer  pure beauty and endeauver of my best pigeons. Vic

 

That's one of the few benefits of being way down here   amongst the baskets and shavings,    I see what comes out of them on a regular basis.  

 

So how do you know for sure the soiling was the work of your bird, and not another, and picked up in the basket?

 

[Guest]

Vic it was the peanuts as i think you allready know it hapened to a good friend of nine last year he timed a good yearling from france 400+ mls in a very unfaverable loft pos the best result he has ever got 4th open SNRPC and the bird died 2/3months later along with another couple he got the proper tests done and it came back a kind of fungy cand rember the full name of it but he had fed bad peanuts just like you and by the way he is very clued up on feeding but i think we all make mistakes and sometimes we even know we are doing it but somehow we dont stop maybe we think we know better who knows but one thing for sure you wont make that one again (learning curve) even for experienced guys like you

[Beanz]

I used to use peanuts but now don't as there is so much that can be wrong with them, also I once did a write up on a top classic and specialist winning loft who also said the same thing, they had not fed them for quite a number of years and had not noticed any difference in their performances, and they were 2nd, 3rd & 4th National open in 2006.

[Guest Vic]

Thanks Guys for your replies, re- the peanut situation. I will, without doubt, be more wary in the future. Perhaps hemp AND  fewer  peanuts may result in a more happier medium. Cheers, Vic.

 

[Guest Vic]

Vic, I haven't posted much here, but on this one I am in sympathy with you. Although it is hard to know for sure, I would suspect the peanuts. Most of the fanciers who have difficulty from peanuts use the ones they have purchased in large bulk. If you can get one of those "black lights" (ultraviolet) the kids use with posters on their walls and shine it on the peanuts in a dark room, you will see the moulds and fungi if they are there. I also learned the hard way that it is better to purchase the small packets of raw peanuts for human consumption and put them in the freezer section of the refridgerator until needed. Raw peanuts go bad quickly when not roasted -- especially those large bags. The country of origin is also a consideration as some countries standards for these things will not be the same as the UK.

  I have noted well, the above reply concerning "black lights" but have failed (so far) to attain this simple gadget, which apparently is a kids toy in the States,  but , if a fungal finder, would alter the very aspect of pigeon racing in these damp isles of ours. Vic.

 

 

[Guest Vic]

P.S. may I add, that FUNGAL INFECTIONS have become, a major problem, with our birds these days. Always has been there! but with modern day veterinary advancement, should present lesser  problems in the future.  

[Guest j v ward]

  i have been told to put peanuts in microwave for 80 seconds befor feeding them to the birds  this kills any bugs  

[Guest Vic]

But by doing so, aren't we extracting the goodness of what we seek?

[Larry Lucas]

  I have noted well, the above reply concerning "black lights" but have failed (so far) to attain this simple gadget, which apparently is a kids toy in the States,  but , if a fungal finder, would alter the very aspect of pigeon racing in these damp isles of ours. Vic.

 

 

Vic, it is possible something like this UV torch on ebay might work, if it is bright enough.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/21-UV-LED-Ultra-Violet-Black-light-Flashlight-395-nM_W0QQitemZ220078734092QQihZ012QQcategoryZ66954QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

Quite a few items on this website also:

 

http://www.blacklight.com/

 

When our boxer pup was young, the wife wanted her to stay in the house, so I bought one of those small 6 inch battery operated uv tube black lights at the pet store to detect the stains from the pup -- but it was too weak for that purpose and far to weak to illuminate the corn. My son had a 12" flourscent fixture with a black light tube in it that had to be plugged into a regular power source. That one worked like a charm for revealing the molds and fungi on the pigeon feed -- and for finding pet stains. If you see one in a store, make sure it shines brightly or it is worthless.

 

Larry

[jimmy white]

yes i would tend to agree with that vic,my own opinion is buying them in small quantities from the health shop,, ,,,i suspect frank doomans post regarding" mould" and these birds dying would be aspergilliosis, which could come from mould in peanuts which you cant even see ,off course more commonly by mould in straw, i allways used peanuts for the distance [among other feeds ]

this was in answer to the microwaving

[Guest speckled]

ah i dont wont to sound offish here but please Vic every time someone trys to give ya some good imfo mate   ya bit back with, a anti answer for them ,shesh mate ya the one with the problem ,as ya would of not asked :-/ others have given good addvice, so i think alittle more studying, on ya own knowledge of pigeons.may get the right result ya looking for. what ever that may be :-/ :-/ sozz if this sounds un pleasent mate not meant to be,  ow before y ask i buy my peanuts from the health shop (redskins) dont need to microwave them if thay arnt fir for humans thay arnt fit for my pigeons,as a treat not a full feed  :X :X :X :X Speck never run before ya can walk lol

[Guest Vic]

Thanks Larry, I have coppied your text,  which will be presented to the appropiate hands on Monday. Cheers, VIc

[pigeonscout]

The detection of infected corn or feed is also a problem. Since we are talking about mycotoxin here, the inability to isolate the causal agent, F. graminearum, is not evidence that the mycotoxin is absent. Long after a fungus has died off, mycotoxin secreted into the substrate, will still be present.

 

you can read the full report here

http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/wong/BOT135/lect11.htm

[Guest Vic]

I enquired locally regarding the "blackights" that Dr. Larry mentioned and it seems  that we are light years behind the USA. The electonic  shop I went to, could not help out, but were using one to check against counterfeit notes. ;D Looks like a city centre job now. Vic.