Just How Prevalent Is Y/b/s

Tony C · December 21, 2015

Is it as rife as its made out to be?

Novice · December 21, 2015

I have an occasional youngster going off colour but I have always had that since I started with pigeons many years ago.

I can remember in my youth even disinfecting gutters on my parents home as I was so fanatical about it.

About 20 years ago I went through a phase whereby I had youngsters developing the "spongey crop" you spoke about in an earlier thread.

At that time I did loads of homework and discarded the information which I felt was irrevelant.

I did learn that , although we cannot kill a virus we can block it if sufficient antibodies are present.

Now I still have an occasional youngster going off. I never quarantine them but I feed lightly for a couple of days by the end of which they either improve or they don't. The light feed would be rapeseed as that's about the smallest grain I can find with good nutritional value.

The only time I really had a problem was about 3 years ago when my entire club developed a problem which we later blamed on one individual contaminating the communal training trailer. This caused me to cancel my entry to the Clermont National race with old birds that year.

This may be a long winded way of saying it but YBS has not been a big problem for me up till now and yes at this point in time I am really bored.

Kyleakin Lofts · December 21, 2015

Only ever had the occasional YB "under the weather", but not to the extent indicated by others.

Dmurray · December 21, 2015

I have had the odd young bird going light so was dealt with accordingly ( put in the bin) due to me being in a panic more than anything weither it's been ybs I don't know , but I have not had birds physical being sick or passing food in there droppings for over 3 season now

paddymac · December 21, 2015

I have had the odd Yb take a bit of a set back but nothing too serious to worry about, thankfully I've be lucky enough up to now not having YBS in my lofts.

philg50 · December 21, 2015

Had it 2014 ,took it just days before 1st young bird race ,they were ok one day or i thought they were, next day food all spewed up on perches birds looking ill lost only 2 out of 27 ,god knows where it came from but it took 3 weeks to get them back up and flying like normal.