The Evolution of the Long Distance Pigeon Many Australian fanciers will be familiar with the name Gary Mountjoy. Gary is a very modest flier that consistently performs very well in the long distance races, and has done so for decades. All with a smallish team as well - anything over 120 birds is a big team for Gary. What’s more his birds have done very well, to the extent of producing long distance fed winners in the largest city feds in the country, when gifted to fellow fanciers. Gary has very kindly put some words together, this January, summarizing some of his thoughts about long distance racing and how it seems to be changing. “Long distance racing – some comments by Gary Mountjoy During my journey though pigeon racing since 1978, I have handled countess numbers of winners, across different lofts, and I can say, from what I have seen, there are 2 different structures of pigeons, that have adapted to 2 different disciplines of racing. Sprint-middle type --- Larger, bigger body, strong bone structure, deeper at the front, to support large pectoral muscles. Shorter tail & wings. The sprint type can apply great thrust though the air, with its wide shoulders & muscle mass. I would use the analogy of a man in a rowing boat, using short, wide paddles; this however, would require a large amount of energy. Long distance type Small, perfectly balanced long narrow tapering body, consistent deep though the keel, lightly framed, long tail, long wings often with thinner flight feathers . Similar to a migratory bird, traversing huge distances, just on their own body weight .The disadvantage with this air frame is they would find it hard to stabilize in a strong cross wind. But ideally suited to hours on the wing or a head wind. Getting back to our man in the boat, long paddles would give a longer stroke, using less energy over a long period of time to cover a greater distance; the narrower paddles ( flight feathers ) would reduce drag. There are always exceptions to the rule, but you need to have the rule, before you can find the exception. So what does the future hold? Well, I think an evolution of a type that would take the best features of both of these structures. Long distance racing is getting faster & faster, with nearly all 1000km races won on the day now, with a lot of pigeons, finding darkness no longer a barrier , flying 14-16 hours to home on the day. Pigeons that were winning these races, being clocked at 7am to 9am on the second day 25 years ago, are just too slow for long distance racing going into the 21st century.” Fanciers may recall that in the ARPJ several issues back I discussed the various energy sources that are used to power or race birds flight . In summary , initially ATP already in the bloodstream is used to provide the burst of energy to get pigeons into the sky. After this sugar in the bloodstream is used for the next few hours. Once the sugar in the blood is getting low the level is ‘topped up” by releasing more sugar into the blood by breaking down a complex carbohydrate called glycogen that is stored in the liver and muscle. Once the glycogen is depleted ( usually after about half a day ) body fat starts to be broken down to provide ongoing energy for flight. It is here that the long distance birds come into their own. Research has shown that long distance birds have a different physiology than sprint birds –they have higher levels , and can develop higher levels in response to training, ie hours on the wing , of the enzymes that break down the body fat to release the energy that it contains. This process can occur using very little oxygen meaning that the birds don’t have to breath hard or pant to get enough oxygen into their system for this process to occur. In this way long distance pigeons are like migratory birds – as long as there is body fat to break down they can get “in the groove” and can simply stroke out the race, hour after hour. Sprint birds can’t do that. This is why long distance birds can land at the end of an all- day fly, and although they can look tired, not appear exhausted or distressed. One thing that is worth noting is that although these enzyme- based energy release pathways are there , long distance birds are not inherently born with them. They are however born with the potential to develop them with training. This is why birds need a gradual increase in the amount of time on the wing during training and racing so that these enzyme pathways can develop. Very often the winners of the big races at the end of the season have been the birds that were 4th or 5th birds to the loft in earlier races - not early but not late either , in the process developing the energy release pathways that they will need to be successful later. Long distance birds need to have the right structure. . This is something that we can see. The challenge for us is that there are characteristics that long distance birds also need, that we cannot see, such as the right physiology. One could also argue that long distance pigeons must be a particular type mentally – often finding themselves in small groups or even alone while still quite a distance from home. They must have the presence of mind to “come on”. As Gary has said on a number of occasions it is really only the basket that lets us see the good pigeons. As the birds are bred to win , in the end, it is only really this method of selection that matters.
Racing to eggs Many fanciers in the EU race their birds, particularly in the long distance races, to eggs or youngsters. Not many do this in Australia. Some Australian fanciers report that they have tried it but not only did birds sent in this condition not do well but were actually lost. One thing that is very very important, if this method of racing is to be successful, is to have very good control of wet canker. The canker ( trichomonad ) parasite has adapted and evolved to increase in number during incubation and, in particular, the first 7 days after the eggs have hatched. This is to ensure that it is passed to the next generation. When I had my clinic and we used to do monitoring crop flushes, very predictably the trichomonad count would start to climb during incubation and peak during the chicks first 7 days of life. In otherwise healthy youngsters this canker exposure doesn’t cause disease . Rather this passive exposure enables the growing pigeons to start forming their own natural immunity. Similarly, in stock birds, this elevated trich level only occasionally leads to disease. The situation is different in race birds. Birds sent to races with elevated trich levels are likely to be lost. Trichomonads are primary parasites that take nutrition from the birds and also release toxins that affect the birds internally, in particular ,damaging the kidneys. Just their physical presence can also delay crop emptying. So , essentially, what this means is that birds that are racing to the nest need to be regularly treated for wet canker to give of their best. Although controlling wet canker is another thing to worry about and a bit of a drag it is definitely worthwhile. There are a number of medication choices. The easiest for a team is the ronidasole based water soluble powder ,Turbosole . This works very quickly and at the same time is quickly excreted from the body . This means that it can be given right up to 2 days before release and by the time the birds are let go it is already gone from their system. Sometimes one or two days of medicated water are given but to be safe, and to give a higher chance of getting rid of all the trichs, a three or four day course is better. Alternatively , particularly where a smaller number of birds are involved, individual tablets can be used. There are three choices – a quarter of a 200 mg Flagyl tablet can be given once daily for two or three days, a Spartrix tablet can be given once a day for two or three days or a Ronsec tablet can be given twice separated by a day ie on day one and day three. The other water soluble powder that is available in Australia, Emtril, is a bit tricky to use during racing . It has a narrow safety margin , making birds “giddy’ in overdose and takes longer to be excreted from the body. Unless crop flushes have shown that the other drugs are not working I do not recommend this drug during racing. If you do use it , it would be best to cease medication at least 3 or 4 days before basketing. On a personal note , with my own birds I give the Turbosole for three days finishing two days before the race ie last medication day is Wednesday for Thursday basketing and Saturday race. After treatment it takes about two or three weeks, in most lofts for significant trich numbers to re-establish. This means that in most lofts , repeating the treatment every second or third week, particularly in the long distance races, is best. In my own loft I try to coincide these treatments with the weeks of particularly important races.
Zimbabwe Diet and Cat trouble I have been fortunate enough to travel to Zimbabwe a couple of times and have got to meet some local fanciers while there. At times we, here in Australia, are not happy with the quality or availability of pigeon food . But , we should spare a thought for our Zimbabwe colleagues. The diet I saw there was a blend of crushed dry dog food and maize that was heavily infected with weevils. The irony was that the pigeons looked Ok and the youngsters that they had in the nest seemed to be growing normally. I guess it just shows how tough and adaptable pigeons are. Stray cats hanging around the loft can be the bane of Australian pigeon fanciers but the cats that bother Zimbabwe pigeon fanciers are on another level. One fancier explained to me, that just before my visit, a leopard had killed and dragged away his dog. The signs of the recent attack were still evident and only about 5 meters from the front of the loft. Imagine having to worry about a leopard attack while you are waiting for your birds.
ANRPB and VRPB I think it goes without saying that there is great benefit to our sport to have effective national and state bodies to represent our interests. Unfortunately I am not aware of any VRPB releases over the last 6 months . The only thing that I have become aware of regarding the ANRPB is that they are again running “bird of the year” awards. Hopefully both groups have plans to proceed soon. Potential issues for state and National representatives to address, that immediately come to mind ,include amongst others :- 1/the reclassification of pigeon racing into a special and unique animal husbandry category making it exempt from many of the planning restrictions currently in place , in the process removing the drudgery of each fancier needing to address his own council permit issues when there is a complaint, 2/ universal standard liberation protocols, 3/ a Standard Code of Practice endorsed nationally, 4/ investigating the benefits of OLRs to the sport and addressing the health issues associated with these events and introducing a form of accreditation, 5/ inputs to state and national animal welfare acts , standards and guidelines and ensuring that fanciers understand these, 6/ recommendations for fanciers when they have an outbreak of disease, advice for the organisers of shows and sales together with accreditation schemes 7/ consideration of a levy on fanciers to develop a cash pool that can be effectively used to promote the sport and educate the public about pigeon racing 8/ to estimate the value of pigeon racing to the economy both at a state and national level 9/ grant application 10/ to develop a standard doping protocol 11/ develop standard liberation guidelines 12/ actively represent Australian fanciers in the FCI 13/ ensure fanciers are aware of the benefits of obtaining a PIC 14/ develop a co-operative network with various pigeon clubs and feds around the country 15/ develop a contact list of fanciers both at state and national levels etc 16/ provide accurate timely information to fanciers when issues arise eg on Avian Flu etc etc
The sport of pigeon racing has shown itself to be very ill equipped to deal with broader issues – remember all of the issues and problems with PMV and then Rota . Just last year when Avian flu led to the cancellation of the ANPA national show and threatened racing the amount of misinformation on- line was, I found ,really troubling. Yet, unfortunately no directives, no information release from a representative body and no efficient means of spreading that information in place ,to all fanciers, even if it had been available. There is lots for our state and national body’s to get on with. Let’s hope they can achieve something in 2025.
Young Bird Disease Now is the time of year that we start to see cases of Circo virus infection. Disease caused by Circo virus is often called ‘young bird disease’. Other diseases such as coccidiosis, Adeno-coli syndrome, Chlamydia, Salmonella, E.coli, herpes virus, ‘thrush’, hair worm infection, internal canker, Aspergillus and many other diseases can look similar. As the ways these diseases are caught, transmitted and indeed treated vary they need to be differentiated. The key indicators, however ,that a health problem in the young bird loft is likely to be due to Circo virus are that less than 5% of birds become unwell, those that become unwell usually die , it is usually youngsters that have been weaned several weeks ( often on their second or third flight) that are affected and the symptoms that unwell birds display. Affected birds become quiet, fluffed, lose weight, develop green mucoid diarrhoea, have a decreased appetite with some having a yellow scum in the mouth . There is not the generalised vomiting in the loft that affects pigeons of all ages seen in Rota virus infection or the thirst and large wet patches seen on the floor with PMV infection. . Circo virus is an infectious transmittable virus that spreads from one bird to another. The virus is shed in droppings, tears, saliva and possibly also feather debris. Once in the loft it can be assumed that every pigeon will be exposed to the virus and that the vast majority will actually become infected. Typically, however, only about 5% actually show symptoms, while the other 95%, although infected with the virus, do not develop clinical symptoms (i.e. do not become sick). If tested at this time, they will return a positive result and are infected, but appear completely normal sitting on the perch. Birds that do become sick develop the typical symptoms of weight loss, lethargy, diarrhoea and some will develop yellow scum in the mouth. These birds almost invariably die. The ones that do not become sick after a period of time clear the virus from their system. We do not currently know how long this takes but it is thought that the majority will clear the virus from their system in about four to six months. There is the possibility, however, that some birds will fail to clear the virus and remain as persistent carriers. The significance of Circo virus infection is that while the virus is active in the bird it interferes with the functioning of the immune system. Specifically, it targets a particular type of white blood cell called the T lymphocyte. This means that the pigeon’s ability to resist other infections is compromised while the virus is active. For this reason, in some parts of the world, pigeon Circo virus is called pigeon AIDS. Often, vets are alerted to a Circo virus infection by an increased incidence of these secondary diseases. If your birds are experiencing a higher level of canker or ‘eye colds’ than normal, or if the problem quickly comes back after treatment, it may be that Circo virus is the underlying cause. When disease proves difficult to control or behaves in an unpredictable manner it is always worthwhile asking your vet to check for a concurrent Circo virus infection.
Two waves of loss Typically, when Circo virus gets into a loft there are two waves of loss. The first of these occurs when the virus first enters the loft. The virus is very infectious and is transmitted from bird to bird. Typically every bird becomes infected, including the stock birds. About 5% of the birds will develop clinical disease and the majority of birds that become unwell die. Clinical disease is usually restricted to the young birds. The other birds, although they may look quite normal, are infected with the virus. The significance of this is that, in these apparently normal birds, the virus compromises the function of the immune system by interfering with the function of a particular white blood cell called a T lymphocyte. The majority of infected birds will clear the virus over the following months. Until this happens, however, they will have an increased vulnerability to disease and the younger pigeons in particular will take longer to form their natural immunity to the common diseases. As the weeks roll by after the last death it is easy for the fancier to think that the problem has passed. Typically, however, fanciers report an increased incidence of canker and Chlamydia (respiratory infection) in the birds. Young pigeons rely on exposure to a range of potential disease-causing organisms, including these two, during growth to develop a good natural immunity. If Circo virus is active in a group of young pigeons immunity develops, but takes much longer. This is where the second wave of loss occurs. Typically, fanciers in Australia start tossing about ten weeks before racing starts, during the Australian winter, when the pigeons are about six to eight months old. In a loft where Circo virus has been present, many will have not cleared the virus and many will still be struggling to form a natural immunity to the common diseases such as respiratory infection and canker. If these factors are then combined with an overly vigorous training regime and cold weather the result can be disastrous. Fanciers who fail to identify, manage and treat these secondary problems and make adjustments to their training can lose a lot of pigeons during tossing and in the early races. It is not that the pigeons are no good; it is just that too much is being asked of them. If they were ‘nursed’ along until a bit older and any secondary diseases monitored and treated as required, many of these young birds would go on to make good race birds. Fanciers who are too demanding of their youngsters, who work them too vigorously and fail to offer sufficient support by failing to treat the secondary diseases, run the risk of losing good pigeons.
How does the disease enter the loft? Often the virus enters with a young bird coming from another loft where Circo virus is active. Remember that 95% of young birds in an infected loft do not show any symptoms, and so this introduced youngster may not look sick or in fact ever get sick. It will, however, introduce the virus to the loft where it then passes from bird to bird. The introduced bird will shed the virus for several months until it, like the majority of birds, clears the virus from its system. Birds from squeaker sales are potential sources of infection to a loft
How is the disease diagnosed? It is very easy. The disease can be diagnosed from a single drop of blood. In Australia, test kits are mailed to fanciers. All the fancier does is to prick the bird’s toe, just above the claw. When a drop of blood oozes on to the skin it is wiped off with a thin strip of supplied blotting-type paper and placed into a small ‘clip lock’ plastic test tube. This is then mailed to the vet for testing. Once collected, the sample is good for weeks, and so there is no problem if it takes a couple of days for the sample to reach its destination. The test is called a PCR and checks for Circo virus DNA in the bird’s blood. Chlamydia infection can sometimes also be checked from the same sample. The disease can also be diagnosed through microscopic examination of tissues collected during an autopsy. In this case, the tissues are stained so that the virus can actually be seen. In other birds, including parrots, an HI/HA blood test is also available that tests for viral protein and also the amount of immunity already formed by that bird.
What to do if your birds have ‘young bird disease’ (Circo virus infection)? The first thing to do is to accurately establish the diagnosis. This means contacting the vet. If several of your young birds become sick, don’t assume a diagnosis. The problem may be Circo virus or it may be one of the other problems mentioned earlier. Don’t rely on the old guy down at the club or your neighbour who also races pigeons. They don’t have the diagnostic testing abilities available to your vet and this simply wastes time. This is a serious and common disease that needs to be managed properly. Go to a qualified avian vet or a vet with a lot of bird experience. If you are a distance from an avian vet, phone to have a test kit mailed out to you or mail a dead bird for testing or organise to send a live bird via courier. Do bear in mind that antibiotics kill bacteria but not viruses. There is no medication that can be routinely prescribed that directly kills viruses. This means the disease needs to be brought under control by other means. In some areas of the world a vaccine for pigeon Circo virus is being developed. When available, routine vaccination of six-week-old youngsters is likely to be recommended.
What to do if the problem is diagnosed in your loft In the face of an outbreak, the following four-point plan is adopted: • Separate sick birds and treat them with a broad spectrum antibiotic such as Baytril 2.5% (0.4ml once daily orally) and a canker drug such as Spartix (1 tablet daily). Also offer supportive care by placing an electrolyte/ glucose preparation such as Electrolyte P180 in the water. If the birds fail to respond in a few days, they are unlikely ever to recover and, as they serve as a focus of infection, many fanciers prefer to cull them. • Ensure the loft is regularly cleaned and kept clean and dry to minimise viral build up. • Care for the birds as well as you possibly can so that the majority can mount a good immune response to the virus and fight the disease. This means no overcrowding, a good diet, good parasite control and treating any secondary diseases identified through testing. • Give probiotics such as Probac to decrease the impact of the disease. This is not a treatment for sick birds, but if a bird is exposed to Circo virus while it is on probiotics it is much harder for the virus, or at least an overwhelming dose of the virus, to infect that bird. I usually recommend putting Probac in the food for two weeks initially and then for two to three days each week until the virus has worked its way through the birds; that is, until it has been several weeks since a bird became sick. • Treat secondary diseases. A health profile is vital to identify secondary problems so these can be effectively treated. Treating the secondary infections is important because it allows the birds to survive long enough for the damaged immune system to repair or partially repair itself. It seems that a certain number of young birds will be affected, but that, depending on the age of the flock, most birds will develop enough immunity through direct contact with sick birds to survive in good health. To quote the late Dr Gordon Chalmers: Circoviral infections are not likely to disappear in the near future, and as the virus spreads, there will likely be more cases of the secondary diseases mentioned earlier to indicate that Circo virus is active in a number of lofts. Forewarned is forearmed. We can help our own situations by getting accurate laboratory diagnoses of Circoviral infections and the diseases that follow it. Vigorous and rapid treatment of these secondary diseases are likely to be our main defence against losses triggered by infection with Circo virus.
Pseudomonas Bacteria and the Drinker Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a type of bacteria that can infect pigeons. It can potentially cause significant problems but tends to be under- recognized as a problem because many of the infections that it causes are not fully investigated and not diagnosed. Pseudomonas bacteria tend to live and breed in water, soil, and damp areas. The warmer and wetter it is, the better the conditions are for the bacteria to multiply. Infection with Pseudomonas in birds is typically associated with the birds developing respiratory signs and /or diarrhoea. Some birds will die . The bacteria can release toxins in the blood making the birds look generally unwell – quiet, fluffed, less active in the loft and with a reduced food intake. The pathogen has been associated with high mortality in young birds in some lofts and late death in the shell of embryos. Typically in pigeons the infection is associated with poor drinker hygiene. The bacteria survives and multiplies in a dirty drinker. Pigeons become infected by drinking the contaminated water. Once infected some birds will develop diarrhoea but the most common symptoms are those associated with a respiratory infection - swollen sinus, sneezing , dirty ceres and nostril discharge. The condition is easily confused with a One Eye Cold but tends to reoccur after antibiotic treatment due to re-infection from the contaminated source ( which is usually the drinker). The condition highlights the need for a definitive diagnosis. Once Pseudomonas has been identified as the cause of a respiratory infection then replacement or thorough cleaning of the drinker prevents re- infection and the ongoing need for repeat antibiotic courses. Pseudomonas has a thick mucous capsule. This makes it resistant to many antibiotics that are commonly used in pigeons such as doxycycline, amoxycillin and Sulpha AVS. Most strains however are sensitive to Baytril. An outbreak of Pseudomonas during a race season can be catastrophic. By far the best thing is to prevent it - keep the drinkers clean , ideally soaking once weekly in a disinfectant or bleach and if you are not on mains water boil the water before use. If the birds develop a respiratory infection that responds poorly to antibiotics or reoccurs then ask your vet to check for Pseudomonas using the standard tests.
Don Burke- antibiotic Use Don Burke, who many of you will remember from the TV show “ Burkes Backyard” and I have been in recent correspondence. Don is a passionate Budgerigar breeder and has recently written a very informative and comprehensive book on Budgies titled “Budgerigars , the colour revolution”. We ended up exchanging books , he sent me a copy of his book and I sent him a copy of mine . Don writes in a very “down to earth” conversational way that I found easy to understand and quite refreshing. His take on antibiotic use in Budgerigars holds true , I believe, for pigeons as well. With his permission a section of his book titled “Antibiotic Use” is reproduced here. Antibiotic Use By Don Burke “Currently, many exhibition budgerigar breeders use human antibiotics purchased from a vet for budgie disease control or prevention. Recent research on the gut microbiome in humans is showing that antibiotics do much harm as well as good. They basically upset the ecosystem inside the gut, In the guts of all animals there is a gigantic and complex ecosystem thriving, involving billions of organisms of hundreds of thousands of species and forms of species. Each of these gut species is likely to be exclusive to that particular individual animal species. So we humans have this vastly complex soup of special organisms inside us that co-evolved with humans and can only live inside us. There are just as many cells in our gut as there are in the rest of the human body. Thus, the human gut microbiome is by far our biggest organ. Inside the guts of animals are hundreds of thousands of genes belonging to the gut bacteria and other organisms that affect the development and well- being of the host animal. This is true for humans and buggies alike . So, shove some antibiotics down your Budgies throats and you may just do all sorts of damage that may indirectly over time lead to the illness or death of your birds. Using antibiotics as a preventative treatment every so often to “ clean your birds out” is a dangerously bad form of management, yet it is widely practiced by Budgie breeders. You might be unbalancing your budgies’ microbiomes ( a microbiome is sort of like an internal ecosystem) such that all hell breaks loose. Yes, the antibiotic may well kill the one diagnosed diseasebut it will almost certainly kill all sorts of other good or useful organisms as well. New research clearly indicates that it is the balance of species of organisms in animals’ guts that is essential for ongoing health. Even so called “bad” organisms are essential ( in small, balanced numbers ) for good health. While the judicious use of selected antibiotics is often a life saviour for our Budgies, antibiotics kill a wide range of organisms and thus destabilise your gut. Perhaps you could compare this to spraying an ecosystem, the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, with Roundup to control a pasture weed. Doing this would kill the native grasses as well, which would starve the wildebeest, zebras and other herbivores to death which would then cause the lions, hyenas, leopards, vultures and other carnivores to starve…. And on it goes. We humans are equipped to cope with this sort of gut disruption to some extent –but it is my contention that Budgies don’t cope as well. This sort of disruption merely opens your poor Budgies up to more and more problems over time. It also seriously damages the Budgies immune systems as well, since the gut has a powerful effect on all animals’ immune systems. A well balanced gut ecosystem is essential for a healthy animal. A Budgie’s own immune system and isolation for key diseases are the keys to better health, not antibiotics and similar medicines. It is the contention here that Budgerigar health is best maintained with dry aviaries with ultraviolet lighting plus substances that promote balanced natural gut functions. At this stage, these substances are almost exclusively natural substances such as foods and herbs”
VHA modified race program A proposal has been put forward by the Victorian National Pigeon Race Committee that the Melbourne federations transport together in the 2025 season. The Victorian Homing Association (VHA) ,in 2024, made changes to its Line of Flight program so that it would be racing on the same line as the other Melbourne federations. This was done in the hope that one day birds could be transported together, particularly to the longer races. It is pleasing that this is now being seriously considered. A prominent club in the VHA , Diamond Valley, has submitted a revised race program plan for 2025 that makes further changes to the VHA program to bring it into line with the other federations. In this revised program the race season has become two weeks shorter. The race points are the same but there has been some reshuffling. The revised program will be voted on at the VHA AGM in February. If successful this means that all federations will have the exciting option of racing together in 2025. It is anticipated that combining cartage will not only make racing more economical but also provide better racing because of the larger numbers of birds in the releases. Quite apart from everything else it is nice to see the federations co -operating with each other for a shared benefit.
Matthew Ciancio – Melbourne Fancier Western Pigeon Federation ( WPF ) fancier,Matthew Ciancio has developed a reputation as a successful flier in Melbourne , particularly from the longer races. This reputation was further cemented this year in his federation’s 600 mile race in spectacular fashion. Matthew not only won the race but his second bird was placed third and he then had amazing “follow on”. His third and fourth bird could also have been placed third . Six birds arrived in time to be in the top 10 in the fed, 12 in the top 20 and overall 15 arrived in time to be placed in the top 30 in the fed. This from an entry of 24. So how did he do it? What does he feed ? What is the daily loft routine and tossing protocol? The loft day starts at 8am when Matthew opens the loft. The birds are keen to get out with the loft emptying in less than a minute. The loft is cleaned while the birds are exercising and is maintained in spotless condition. The birds fly for an hour and are then called back into the loft at 9.15am. He uses the rattle of grain in a container and fantails to get the birds in . This usually takes less than a minute. The food is not waiting for them but Matthew then goes into the loft once they are in and feeds them. Hesitant /disobedient birds miss out. Matthew maintains a health management program. If being treated, the medicated water is also ready and waiting for them. The birds are flown just once per day, in the morning. The birds are fed into trays or the freshly scrapped floor. The grain is weighed with each bird receiving 30 grams in the morning feed. Matthew feeds his birds based on two commercial grain blends – Ian McKay’s Sprint mix and Ian McKay’s Depurative mix. The sprint mix is 39% peas and a blend of 12 other carbohydrate and oil based grains while the depurative blend contains no peas and is made up of a blend of 6 essentially carbohydrate based grains and one oil grain , safflower. The birds are fed again at 5 pm. Matthew works from home and is very strict about this. For the evening meal, the grain is again weighed with each bird being given 5 grams . Some meals are just the sprint mix while others are just the depurative while at other times the two are mixed .Just how much of each mix is used is affected by the birds condition (as assessed by handling and behaviour in the loft ) , willingness to fly, recent work and the weather. If the birds are a bit light the sprint mix is increased. The depurative is digested quickly and so the crop empties sooner if this is fed. If the birds appear hungry they are not given more by weight but the proportion of sprint mix is increased. If more grain is to be fed then it is the evening meal at 5pm that is increased. Matthew weans approximately 140 youngsters into the race loft each year. During the race season birds are tossed three times per week, every week right from the very first race and for several weeks before the season starts . The birds are taken to a release point 75km south west of the loft (which is off line) on Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday. At the 400 mile stage or sometimes at the 350 mile stage, if the cocks are becoming overly interested in the hens, the sexes are separated. The birds are not used to being in any one particular section so this is not a problem. The sexes are flown together and then separated when back in the loft after each training session or toss . The cocks learn to go back into their section when Matthew opens a door and guides them through. Sometimes individual cocks have to be caught. Problem cocks that don’t want to fly are just tossed or doubled back to races. Matthew rationalises that there is no point in letting these problem cocks out because they won’t fly anyway. By the 400 mile races in a typical season about 33% of the birds in the loft are cocks and 66% are hens . Matthew does not worry too much about the cocks for the 500 and 600 mile races but often keeps them for 2 year olds. The birds are primarily Silver Shadow Van Loons, Janssens, some birds from well- known and very successful fancier Michael Portelli and those of Matthew’s father’s old Australian family. In particular Matthew has found that his father’s birds cross in well with the Euro pigeons. Matthew knows all of his birds as individuals and indeed believes that this is essential for success. He states that at times he feels like the “crazy old man in the loft talking to his birds”. Obviously though Matthew is not crazy but is rather a very successful fancier who knows his birds well, is prepared to put the work in, thinks about what he is doing and has developed a system that works very well for him and his birds.
Greyhound Racing Banned in New Zealand The New Zealand government has decided to ban greyhound racing. New Zealand's ban becomes effective on the 1st August 2026. The new law has universal political support. The government has allowed the activity to continue until August 2026 to allow the 2,900 racing dogs to be rehomed and more than 1,000 people employed in the industry to find other work. The government decided to ban greyhound racing because too many dogs were being hurt or killed during training and racing. There was concern that cruel methods were used to dispose of unwanted dogs and that dogs which did survive in the industry were forced to live in cramped crates, pens or fenced enclosures. Greyhound racing as an activity has become dramatically less popular around the world over the last decades with many members of the public being responsive to the negative press surrounding the activity and now believing that the activity is cruel . Greyhound racing is now only practiced in a few countries around the world. The racing of greyhounds as a betting sport was wildly popular at times last century. Today, greyhound racing is only legal in 7 countries There are 58 active greyhound tracks in Australia. By comparison, the United Kingdom has 21 tracks, Ireland has 17, New Zealand has six ( which will be closed down as the ban approaches ), United States has two and Mexico has one. While there are no operational dog tracks in Vietnam, greyhound racing remains legal there . Pigeon fanciers need to be aware of the changing public attitude to animal welfare and also be familiar with the new state and federal animal welfare laws and the potential that these have to impact our sport. Vet Questions 1/ I have a youngster with a problem that I haven’t seen before. I rung it and its nest mate and they both appeared healthy. The next morning when I checked that their rings hadn’t come off, one of them had a swollen yellow looking head. Down its throat it appeared clean. The following day there was a little bit of sticky yellow stuff coming out of its nostrils and its head was even more swollen. At that stage it was almost dead so I culled it. What could this be?
A pigeon’s head contains two large eyes ( that actually touch in the centre ) and a brain behind the eyes while the rest of the head is essentially hollow being made up of empty cavities called sinuses. These are all lined by a membrane similar to that in our nose and are connected by fine ducts. These ducts drain fluid from the sinuses ( again similar to that from our nose) to eventually come out either at the nostril or down the back of the throat. You can see what you describe, in your question, in severe sinus infections ,where thick pus-like material accumulates in the sinuses. But, I think this bird is a bit young to have developed such a severe infection. It is more likely , I think, that this bird was born with a sinus abnormality that prevented normal drainage. So basically we are looking at a congenital sinus abnormality compromising sinus drainage. If this was the case, humane euthanasia as you have done , was probably the best option
2/ I had a pair of blue chequers which bred a yellow, so obviously its father wasn’t who it was supposed to be. Wondering if the nestmate is off the wrong cock as well? When they mate, does the cock fill both eggs at once, or do they mate again after the first egg.
Nestmates are not necessarily sired by the same cock. Semen can survive for days and maybe weeks in the oviduct. So certainly just one mating prior to the first egg is enough to fertilise both eggs. Mating before the second egg is laid does occur but is not really necessary.
3/ I had someone mention that they mix sulphur in with their grit which is something I hadn’t heard of someone doing in a long time. Would it have any positive or negative effects?
No benefit and possibly harmful. I can’t see that this would have any health benefits while selecting one mineral, such as sulphur, or indeed any nutrient and giving this in high amounts can be potentially harmful. Much better to use a balanced supplement made for the purpose such as the Australian Pigeon Company’s PVM pink mineral powder. In earlier times some fanciers thought that sulphur had some disinfectant type properties that would “clean the birds out “ if taken internally. Sulphur taken internally does not have any “cleansing” benefits
4/ If I use the Salmonella vaccine will this make the birds carriers? The Salmonella strain in the vaccine has been modified so that it can not reproduce. It is not possible for vaccinated birds to become carriers