The Melbourne Race Season 2024 – a summary This year all Melbourne federations were racing on the north east line. This line is regarded as our hardest. This season however proved particularly challenging ,not only for race officials but also for competing fanciers and indeed the pigeons themselves. Right from the first race, unexpectedly high losses were experienced. By the middle of the season only about half of fanciers were still racing each week and the number of birds entered each week had dropped from thousands to hundreds. In some races the returns for fanciers, including experienced, successful flyers were 10% to 20%. In many races returns of 50 to 75% were regarded as good. The Melbourne federations each have clubrooms and transport capabilities that were developed in the later part of the 20th century when membership was more than twice what it is today. These facilities in some instances now represent an over capitalisation and cater for a larger membership and higher bird numbers that no longer exist. Because of this, in order to reduce costs, as much as anything, the trend is to combine and co -operate. The WPF and VPU achieved this quite well throughout 2024 by sharing race transport and having combined releases. This is a good thing because if the downward trend continues it may be logical or even necessary for these two organisations to merge in the future. This year the VHA broke from a long standing tradition. Although the VHA was due to fly the north west route it changed to race the north east line , a track it had raced only 2 years earlier, specifically aiming to have combined releases with the other three federations. Unfortunately this did not work out . Each year there is one planned combined release in a 400 mile race open to all metro feds and some regional flyers called the “National”. Apart from this race, VHA race birds were never released with any other feds. The need for co- operation is probably the most urgent for the VHA. The VHA has an older membership profile with many members being in their seventies and eighties. Even so , in the other feds, someone who is sixty is regarded as young. In 2024 a significant number of VHA members were also members of the GMPF and visa versa. Some fanciers flew races in both federations on the same weekend while others raced alternating races in the two federations. Australia seems to be following the same path as the UK and EU fanciers where fanciers belong to a number of clubs and federations. It is up to the various organisations to conduct races that are appealing to fanciers and attract there participation. Even so it appears hard for some members to see the bigger picture. In November a VHA club proposed a Notice of Motion for a rule change that a VHA member could not also be a member of another federation – a suggestion , I believe, is shockingly out of step with the current trend and need for cooperation and sharing. I resigned from the VRPB in February. Since that time there has been no news update from the VRPB. There is a lot to be done at a state level to help fanciers and the sport in Victoria. Victoria needs a body such as the VRPB. Hopefully the VRPB reps will have more time now that racing has finished to attend to these issues. Despite the unusually high losses and the frustration and disappointment that comes with these there were, as usual, some exciting times. In the GMPF’s 600 mile race, Daryl Kloprogge clocked the only bird on the day well after dark. The WPF and VPU combined 600 mile race was very fast with the winner being clocked just around 5 pm and some fanciers reporting 75% of their entries on the day. In one federation, a bird , that can only be described as a champion, owned by a modest fancier, gained 5 federation positions and landed with a sixth. The “National” , although hard ,proved to be a good race with significant numbers of birds on the day and fanciers from all competing federations listed in the prize result. By seasons end some good birds had been lost but others had been identified and as always there were lots of stories to tell and experiences to re- live. Next year the Melbourne metro feds are racing various west lines which tend to be easier. After a break, fanciers will once again be keen to race particularly with a sense of anticipation of better returns with the birds coming from the west.
Supplementation of a diet based on grain to provide a more complete diet. Knowledge regarding the nutrition of pigeons is advancing every year. Fifty years ago, when I started racing, it was not unusual for many fanciers just to feed peas and grit with maybe some wheat. It now seems incredible to us that fanciers would think that a diet made up of one, two or even three seeds would provide a complete diet. We now know that it is virtually impossible to supply all of the nutrients that pigeons require if fed only a dry seed diet, even if the variety of grains given is quite large. Poor nutrition will suppress the birds’ ability to resist disease, compromise growth, prolong recovery from exertion or illness and decrease reproductive performance. However, what fanciers are aiming for is not simply to avoid any obvious health problem but, rather, they want the best diet possible so that their birds are at their best competitively. Seeds can form the basis of a balanced diet and supply protein, carbohydrates and fats. However, all seeds are deficient in some essential nutrients. For example, vitamin B12 is low or absent in almost all plant materials. Fanciers should realise that a dry seed diet cannot provide the optimal nutrition for their pigeons and then provide appropriate supplements to create a balanced diet. There are a lot of backyard potions that have, unfortunately, crept into use that achieve very little. However, some of the older supplements are still useful. The choice of supplements is particularly challenging, because it is important that they not only add to the diet but also that they are in a form that the pigeon will readily eat. A race bird is hardly going to race home or eat with relish a meal that is really good for it but is unpalatable. As mentioned above, although vitamin B12 is low or absent in almost all grain, it is found in baker’s and brewer’s yeast (along with many other micronutrients). Yeasts are a good example of an old supplement that is still of use. Feed yeasts are rich in vitamin B, high in protein (up to 45%) and also pigeons like the taste of them. There are also a number of excellent inactivated sterile yeast supplements that contain none of the contaminants found in other yeasts. Pigeons love the taste of yeast and so this has become a useful supplement. In the grains used in most seed mixes, in addition to vitamin B12, the following vitamins are usually limited: vitamin A, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, vitamin K and vitamin E. The most limiting amino acids in most seeds are lysine, methionine and tryptophan, while the minerals likely to be limited are calcium, manganese, sodium and, in some cases, copper, zinc, iodine and selenium. Beneficial natural supplements Listed below are some practical food sources of the nutrients that are low in seeds, for pigeons. Vitamin A. Found in greens such as silver beet and spinach and also carrot. Pigeons love a plate of mixed chopped greens and some will eat diced carrots. Dilute carrot juice can also be placed in the drinker. There is no risk of overdose here as the vitamin A is only found in its precursor form, and the body will not absorb this and convert it to vitamin A if it is not needed. It should be noted that cod liver oil also contains good levels of vitamin A. Cod liver oil, however, also contains gizzerine, which is associated with stomach ulcers. This oil can also lead to vitamin E deficiency if allowed to go rancid, which it does quickly if exposed to sunlight; for example, if it is mixed earlier in the day rather than being fed immediately. Riboflavin. Found in yeast. Inactivated (sterile) dry yeast (for example, ID Yeast) can be added to the seed after pre-moistening with a seed oil. Niacin. Also found in yeast products. However, one seed that does contain good levels of niacin is sunflower. Do, however, be careful both sourcing and storing sunflower seed as it is very prone to fungal contamination. Folic acid. Found in yeast products but also in wheat germ. Wheat germ oil is excellent to use as a moistening oil on grain, usually added at the rate of 0.5–1 ml per kilogram of grain. This oil can be used to make a yeast powder adhere to the grain. The result is an especially nutritious meal. I know my own pigeons recognise the sound of this blend being mixed in their feeding bucket and start to act like kids waiting for sweets. Many of the better conditioning oils are based on wheat germ oil. Vitamin B12. As mentioned, also found in yeast products. Vitamin K. There are two sorts of vitamin K produced naturally, vitamin K1, which is found in green leafy vegetables, and vitamin K2, which is produced by the normal bacteria in the bowel. Vitamin K2 levels can become low after antibiotics if probiotics are not used, or if pigeons are not allowed to eat their own droppings. Vitamin E. Found in vegetable oils. Lysine, methionine and tryptophan. All found in yeast products and wheat germ oil. Lysine is also found in legumes, such as peas. In grain mixes containing 30% or more peas, deficiency is not a concern. Calcium. Found in a range of soft grits; that is, grits that are dissolved in the gizzard, such as cuttlefish, sea shells and calcite. A blended grit plus or minus pink mineral should always be available. Sodium. Found in salt, and available in some grits and pink minerals. If fed only grain, pigeons will become voracious for salt and, when a supplement is provided, will eat it with gusto. This can lead to dehydration unless water is freely available. The recommendation is that salt form approximately 0.1% of the birds’ diet. The better brands of pink mineral on the market will contain this level (for example, the Australian Pigeon Company’s PVM powder) which contains 11g per kg. Such supplements should be available continuously to avoid deficiency. Manganese, copper, zinc and selenium. All found in yeast products. Iodine. The level of iodine in seed relates directly to the levels of iodine in the soil in which the seed was grown. The level of iodine in many soils in Australia is quite low. Iodine is found in yeasts or can be supplemented in the water. To do this, dilute 2ml of Lugol’s iodine (available from the pharmacist) into 30ml of water to make a concentrated solution. Then add four drops of this concentrated solution to each litre of drinking water. It goes without saying that a good quality blend of grits should always be available to the birds to avoid not only these but other mineral deficiencies.
Annual harvest An important consideration in the feeding of grain is the annual harvest. Seeds grow in spring and are harvested once a year, leading to a cycle of progressively older seeds until the next harvest. At some time during the year, at least a portion of the seeds are one year old or older. The nutrients that are most affected by aging are the vitamins, which lose activity owing to oxidation, and fats, which become rancid. This aging process can lead to a reduced nutrient concentration. In this way, the level of many other micronutrients becomes reduced with time. This reduction can be limited by reducing temperature and oxygen in the storage environment. This can be achieved by filling bins to the brim with grain before sealing the lids with tape and storing the whole drum in a cool place. Often, despite these measures, micronutrient levels become low. As mentioned earlier, to guard against deficiency, a complete water-soluble multivitamin drink should be made available to the birds periodically, and pink minerals and grits should always be available. It is not only vital for the achievement of race form that the diet provide the birds with all the nutrients that they require, but that it also supplies protein and fat at the correct levels. Many seed diets tend to be high in fat but low in protein. This can result in obesity as the birds eat to meet both their energy and protein requirements. The recommended level of protein in the diet of a racing pigeon during the racing season is approximately 12–14% and the correct level of fat is approximately 5–7%. There are many varied diets recommended, and some of these provide significantly different levels of fat and protein. These appear fine in the short term but for long-term health the average level in the diet should approximate the above. If the protein level in the diet is too low, normal enzyme and hormone activity cannot occur, healing and recovery are delayed, and muscle, bone and feather growth cannot occur normally. If the diet is too high in protein, this places an increased workload on the kidneys, which can be fatal. In one case at my clinic, stock pigeons started dying. Investigation revealed that they had died of kidney failure. The fancier had fed turkey pellets only (30% protein) for over six months. The normal protein-based grain used is peas. Peas contain 20–25% protein and if they are the only protein grain used, and make up 35–40% of the diet, they will provide protein level in the recommended range. Excess fat in the diet leads to obesity while, because fats are needed as an energy source, excessively low levels of fat lead to weight loss, poor growth and reduced disease resistance. The balancing of various grains in the mix to provide correct levels of protein and fat, not only for health, but also to match the amount of work the pigeons are having so that their weight and fitness are correct to win, is challenging. Many successful fanciers will already recognise certain supplements as being beneficial. When using a diet based on grain, the following supplements are of benefit. 1. Complete multivitamin/trace element drink made specifically for pigeons at least one day per week in the drinking water eg Multiboost , Multivite Plus 2. Pink mineral and balanced grit (containing both hard and soft grits) or mineral block always available. eg PVM powder 3. Wheat-germ-oil-based supplements together with a feed yeast on seed for two or more feeds weekly. eg Polyboost oil, ID Yeast 4. Chopped green vegetables with diced carrot weekly (or carrot juice diluted in water one day weekly). Consider commercial supplements such as Wild Forage 5. Teas. Some of the teas commercially available not only contain micronutrients but also naturally occurring acids that help to protect the bowel from disease.
All Pea Diet I watched an interesting video last week which featured the internationally famous UK fancier, the late Geoff Kirkland. He explained how in years gone by, fanciers based their race birds diet on beans , peas and tares. This diet was what was advised by the experts and was fed by most fanciers. He went onto explain that in those days , Lerwick, a 350 mile race point would take on average 9 to 10 hours for the birds to complete and that when the birds arrived, fanciers would get perhaps, 2 or 3 birds on the day. He explained that now , with the progression of time and the advancement in understanding and knowledge, that fanciers now realise that what they were doing, diet wise, was completely wrong. We now know that pigeons use fats and carbohydrates as their energy sources during races and so diets based on grains rich in these are now fed by most fanciers before racing. Geoff explained that with this change in dietary practice, birds now complete Lerwick races at speeds not thought possible years ago and when the birds do arrive, they come in increased numbers. I find it interesting that still today some fanciers who have won a race are keen to let it be known that they feed their birds a diet that is either just peas or contains a high proportion of peas. Quite apart from failing to provide the recommended energy ( fat and carbohydrate ) and protein profiles for optimal racing performance, peas , either lack or are low in a number of nutrients that are key for optimal health. Although high in protein and rich in some nutrients such as lysine , tryptophan, calcium, iron , zinc and vitamin E they are low in methionine and vitamin B1. We know that any grain blend , even one that contains many different grains, cannot provide all the nutrients that pigeons require. This is why they forage and why we need to provide grits and other supplements to create the super health that is necessary for optimal racing performance . Feeding a diet based on any grain mix containing a limited number of grains or a single grain , be it just peas or otherwise, will lead with time to nutritional deficiencies, the symptoms of which will vary depending on the actual nutrients involved. Legumes such as peas also have their own intrinsic problems. Some substances contained in grain actually inhibit the release of nutrients to the bird. Some of these act by interfering with the action of digestive enzymes. A common one here inhibits the digestive enzyme trypsin, which digests protein. Although found in many grains, it is particularly high in legumes and, in particular, maple and dun peas. Ingestion of a diet high in grains containing this enzyme inhibitor results in poor protein digestion because the trypsin is blocked. Peas also contains tannin. Tannin makes peas brown and is bitter. This is why pigeons prefer not to eat brown peas, eating the greener ones first . Tannin also blocks the action of digestive enzymes and, incidentally, also reduces the availability of iron and vitamin B12. It is also worth remembering that vitamins are also affected by the levels of protein and fat in the diet and other dietary components. For example, a high-protein diet such as that based on peas ,leads to increased requirements for some vitamins in the B group, while a low fat/high starch diet leads to an increased demand for thiamine. So summing up, peas have too high a level of protein for optimal racing, they lack some essential nutrients for pigeons, contain anti nutrient factors and their high protein levels can interfere with vitamin absorption. It is also worth noting that the recommended level of protein in the diet is 12 to 14%. Peas are 20 to 25%. This therefore means that if peas are fed exclusively the diet will contain 20 to 25% protein – about twice the recommended level. If the diet is too high in protein, this places an increased workload on the kidneys. This is particularly relevant today where birds may have had a PMV exposure because the PMV virus specifically targets and damages the kidneys. In its mildest form this compromises general health and race performance. In its most severe form this can be fatal. The combination of PMV exposure and a high protein diet has been identified as a cause of a compromised entire season in race lofts. Pigeons that win on a high pea diet do so despite this rather than because of it. Successful fanciers need to be mindful that newer members to the sport may be influenced by what they say. They should try and ensure that if they are doing something that is not consistent with the practices of fanciers generally that new fanciers are aware of this.
Diet Related Disease A fellow avian vet forwarded some X rays to me for a second opinion. The pigeon had a respiratory wheeze that had been progressive over 8 months. A lump could be felt over both shoulders where the leading edge of the wing attached to the body. The bird was otherwise bright, alert, active and had a normal appetite. Looking at the xrays, I could see two masses, one on each side of the windpipe that extended towards each shoulder. Further tests confirmed both of our suspicions that the bird had goitre. A goitre is a large thyroid gland . The thyroid gland is quite small in pigeons normally – about half the size of a pea. It has 2 lobes one of each sits on either side of the windpipe. The thyroid gland secretes hormones that regulate many metabolic processes. These hormones are essential for normal growth and the development and function of the brain, nerves and bones. To make these hormones the thyroid needs iodine. If the diet is deficient in iodine the thyroid gland has to work harder and harder to get the same job done using a reduced amount of iodine . In the process it enlarges in a process call thyroid hyperplasia. As it gets bigger it starts to squash the windpipe leading to a wheeze and can be felt under the skin. If the condition is diagnosed and an iodine supplement given the thyroid reduces back to its normal size. Seeds and grains are low in iodine . Years ago goitre was very common in other birds particularly pet budgerigars that were fed an all-seed diet. It is uncommon however in pigeons simply because most fancier do provide supplements to their birds that contain iodine. The iodine deficiency has to be pretty severe for the thyroid to actually enlarge so I just wonder how many teams do in fact have marginal deficiency – something that may only present as compromised race performance. Typically with mild iodine deficiency the birds are just quiet with reduced vigour and a reluctance to fly. To an experienced eye they just lack the sparkle of really “in form” birds. Prevention , can however be as simple as providing grit, a good quality pink mineral and a once a week treatment in the drinker of a veterinary multivitamin, mineral supplement made specifically for pigeons.
Public ignorance regarding pigeon racing remains high The most common misconception by members of the public is that racing pigeons are the same as feral pigeons. I had a particularly bad experience that illustrated this during the season. I was tossing about 50 birds in a carpark by a lawn bowls green. A man interrupted his game and walked to the pigeon unit to verbally accost me. He said that I could not let the birds go as his members did not want pigeons hanging around. When I told him that they would be gone in minutes he clearly thought that I was lying and went on to describe that he did not want the “filthy things” hanging around and pooing on everything. He was an older white Australian guy. It is an unfortunate feature of this demographic that if they have had a successful career and made a bit of money then they think they are right about virtually everything. It is very hard to change their opinion. I let the pigeons go. They were gone in minutes as predicted. I drove off. He , I presume, went back to his game, probably still thinking he was right. As I discussed in last month’s ARPJ one of the tasks facing the VRPB is public education.
Collins Street Falcons in Melbourne Collins street is located in Melbourne. It is lined by a number of high rise buildings . On one of these, on the windowsill of the 22nd floor a pair of Peregrine falcons lay their eggs and attempt to raise their chicks each year. The nesting site is under continuous video surveillance. Anyone can log on by simply searching for “Collins Street falcons” on facebook. I find the site interesting for two reasons. Firstly it shows the stage of the falcons breeding cycle and therefore allows a prediction of hunting activity. At the time of writing ( early November ), the pair have 3 large chicks in the nest. Hunting has increased in order to meet the demands of these growing chicks. The parents are bringing 2 prey items on average to the chicks daily. 90% of the prey items are feral and racing pigeons. One would expect that observations at the nest would correlates very well with the experiences of fanciers. This is certainly the case . The level of falcon hunting activity in Melbourne seems to increase during training for our long distance racing each year in October and November when the parents have big chicks in the nest. Also it is February that the recently weaned , clumsy juvenile falcons with poor hunting skills start to harass our young pigeons. Peregrine falcons breed for about 15 years. Established pairs raise 2 to 3 chicks per year. At weaning the chicks are actively chased by the parents out of their territory to establish territories of their own. In an ecological sense all a breeding pair has to do is replace itself so with each falcon pair producing 20 to 25 chicks during their lives this means that 18 to 23 of these chicks die before breeding themselves. Research confirms this with as many as 90% of young peregrines not reaching their first birthday. The second interesting reason for visiting the facebook site is to follow the “watchers” comments. Words such as magnificent , magic and truly beautiful are extremely common in the comments. There is a fascination , an emotional bond and a fondness for the falcons displayed by many viewers.. The Peregrine parents are regarded as magnificent creatures. The chicks are given baby names and if anything appears amiss there is a great flurry of comments and concern. There is no thought that the pigeons with rings might be owned and cared for by someone. It very quickly becomes apparent that with the average member of the public, when it comes down to falcons versus pigeons that falcons are the “good guys”.
Race entry numbers An interesting statistic -- In the last race of the VHA program , the 600 mile race , in 1990, a total of 5700 birds were entered in a combined federation release with about half of these , 2850, being from the VHA. This year in the first VHA federation race there were 2870 entries. So , we have now got to the stage where there are almost less birds in the first race of the season than there have been in the last race of the season. It is now the belief of some Melbourne fanciers that without inter-federation co- operation the sport in Melbourne will cease to exist within 10 years.
Two Types of Winners ? Food for thought ---An experienced and successful fancier told me that there are 2 types of winners. There are the ones with good homing and orientation ability who despite adverse conditions and low velocities can find their way home and there are those who can get “their line” and fly fast and direct to the loft. He believed that it is not reasonable to expect those in the second group to give their fancier owners consistently good returns.
Turbosole is no good I have heard fanciers say things like this, It makes no sense. What they are really saying is that “my birds were not right, I gave them Turbosole and it made no difference”. Without testing who knows if the problem was in fact wet canker and therefore actually capable of responding to the Turbosole. Even if the problem was wet canker there is no guarantee that a particular trichomonad ( canker ) strain is sensitive to a particular canker medication. Trichomonad populations in lofts change with time, race exposure and drug use so that drugs that used to work may no longer work and visa versa. The advice has always been to, ideally,get the birds tested regularly throughout the race season irregardless but particularly so if you suspect a problem. If this is not possible then regularly swap canker medications to head off resistance developing. Australian fanciers are spoilt for choice . They have the choice of 3 water based medications – ronidazole ( eg Turbosole ), dimetridazole ( eg Emtril ) and metronidazole (eg Flagyl Liquid ) and three individual pigeon tablet treatments—secnidazole/ronidazole ( eg Ronsec ), carnidazole (eg Spartrix ), and metronidazole ( eg Flagyl tabs). All canker medications , like other registered prescription drugs , are predictable pharmacological agents while pigeons, like other living things, are predictable physiological beings. The response to treatment is therefore predictable.Turbosole is a safe, potent and effective canker medication
Vet Questions 1/Well, Just a quick question, I recently picked up some of My Birds that recently competed in a OLR After the Final race. When I got them home I noticed they felt Dry in the Feather and thought I would worm them I done this and I also gave them a Spartrix tablet each just to clear them out after the race I done this a couple of days apart. They are Both eating and Drinking well but one hen seems to be holding Water/Fluid in her crop that is noticeable to me and Today I drained it out it did not smell it was just what I had in the waterer by the looks of it ,I put Multivite Plus in there yesterday for a pickup for them if they were lacking some Minerals or Vitamins and it just looked like the colouring of the minerals that come out and it did not smell like Sour Crop.The hen that has the Fluid in the crop came back to the OLR loft hawked so I am not sure if she might have bumped her crop in the Attack. Any advise on what I might be able to fix this problem would be a Great help This may be a quick question but the answer is potentially very very long. The symptoms you describe can be due to a health problem that leads to a thirst where the crop is working OK but is full of water through excess water intake (– there are many many causes here – a common one is kidney damage due to an earlier PMV exposure) through to problems that lead to delayed crop emptying where the water intake is normal but the crop is not emptying( – this includes primary problems of the crop wall such as wet canker ) as well as generalised health issues that slow the digestive tract (– this includes nutritional deficiencies, liver damage due to earlier Rota exposure , any of the common parasitic diseases etc etc.) Only testing would give you a definitive answer. I think what you have done is good – treat for parasites, treat for wet canker, provide ongoing good care and a complete diet and monitor. More info can be found in my book and on the APC website in the causes of slow crop section
2/ I have a hen to go to a 600miles race. Basketing is tomorrow night ( Thursday for a Sunday release. She will lay her second egg on Friday in the unit. Would this be enough time to recover? My experience is that if they are raced within 3 days of laying the second egg that they are unlikely to do well and more likely to be lost. I am sure that there are exceptions but this has been my experience.