VCAT Hearing On the 2nd May VHA solicitor , Charles Hider and myself attended a VCAT ( Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal ) hearing on behalf of pigeon fancier, Terry Varelos. Terry had been drawn to council’s attention because his birds were sitting on a neighbour’s roof. Charles and I have been to many of these hearings over the years but this one hoped to be different. It aimed to not only allow Terry to keep racing his pigeons but also address the wider issues associated with fanciers, councils and planning issues. If racing pigeons can be reclassified into a special and unique animal husbandry category it may be that many of the planning restrictions faced by fanciers may not apply. Pigeon racing would become exempt from many of the planning restrictions currently in place .Charles has advised that it is best to wait for the result of the hearing before any detailed comment.
“Fat Eye” Investigation What causes the condition that has come to be called “fat eye” by Australian fanciers. After Rota virus first appeared and was diagnosed in this country fanciers started noticing that some birds in the recovery stage of this infection developed swellings on the side of the head around the eyes. These swellings did look as if the tissues around the eyes had become “fat” . As a result the term “fat eye” started to be used and the name seems now to have stuck. The swelling is actually inflammation in the sinuses in the head. If you imagine a pigeons head , it contains two large eyes,( so large in fact that they touch in the middle )and just behind the eyes is the brain. The brain occupies about a quarter of the space inside the head. Apart from the eyes and the brain the pigeon’s head is essentially hollow. This hollow space is divided by fine boney walls into a series of air filled cavities called sinuses. The sinuses are interconnected by fine ducts and are all lined by fine tissue membranes. The sinuses are designed to warm and clean the air as the pigeon breathes. The sinuses can be damaged if the air that the pigeons breath contains a lot of particulate matter such as dust or alternatively contains irritant gases such as ammonia from wet droppings. The sinuses can also be a site of infection. Chlamydia, Mycoplasmas, fungi, parasites and various bacteria can all infect sinuses. When sinuses become infected the delicate membranes lining them are irritated. The membranes usual response to irritation is to release fluid , in much the same way that our nose would if irritated. As fluid accumulates and the sinuses fill they start to bulge giving the appearance of “fatty” swellings over the head .One of the main sinuses is called the periorbital sinus. It sits around the eye in a shape similar to that of a donut. If fluid forms here a swelling can develop around the eye. In the early stages as fluid starts to form it will move due to gravity to the base of the sinus causing the area below the eye to swell. This is the most common presentation of pigeons with “fat eye” The VRPB has gratefully received donations from fanciers, clubs and federations to establish a Health/ Disease Management Fund. Although these funds are extremely limited the VRPB believes that they there is no point in simply having these funds sitting in a bank account. The VRPB feels that they should be actively accessed for the benefit of fanciers .And so, funded by donations made to the VRPB , I conducted a study into the cause of “fat eye” and its likely effect on our pigeons. The results are new knowledge. The study aimed to identify the cause of fat eye, its short and long term effect on our pigeons and effect , if any , on subsequent racing ability. Like the recently completed, nestling PMV vaccination trial, the aim of conducting the trial was to give Australian fanciers real information that they could use to help manage their birds and keep them healthy.
Before this trial all that was known about “fat eye” was that in this condition the tissues around the eye become swollen , that the condition usually occurs after a Rota virus infection, that the birds appear well otherwise and seem to recover, often without treatment, in a few days. An ideal opportunity to investigate the problem presented itself when a local fancier whose loft had experienced an outbreak of disease now had birds with fat eye. The following samples were collected and forwarded to the appropriate labs. I must thank Dr Madeleine Rowe. Because of the risk to my own birds of me collecting samples I contacted Madeleine . Madeleine worked with me at the Melbourne Bird Veterinary Clinic . She still works there and is a fully qualified avian vet. She was keen to help and has donated all of her time for free .When you are a working vet you have little spare time and Madeleine has literally given hours of this time to the investigation. Her willingness to help and professional expertise are much appreciated. My former clinic submitted all the samples to the various labs for cost price leading to further significant savings. I would also like to thank the fancier involved for making his loft available and for being so willing in helping us collect good quality samples . The samples that were collected and sent to the appropriate labs, together with the results, are listed below :- 1/ A swab from the eye , slot ( choana ) and throat from 2 birds with Fat Eye were collected for a Chlamydia PCR ( DNA ) test. This is a very sensitive test that is used to detect the presence of Chlamydia. The test was done because Chlamydia is an intracellular bacteria that is commonly involved in sinus infections. The tests was negative. I have read on Facebook that some fanciers are spreading information that Fat Eye is caused by Chlamydia. It appears that this is not the case. 2/ A swab from the eye , slot ( choana ) and throat from 2 birds with Fat Eye for a Mycoplasma PCR ( DNA ) test and possibly also Mycoplasma species identification were collected. Mycoplasma is a common cause of sinus , lung and air sac infection. Both swabs were positive for Mycoplasma. With both results being positive for Mycoplasma it then became useful to identify the actual species of Mycoplasma. This is an involved test and can only be done by a small number of labs. The University of Melbourne is doing this testing for us. To speciate the Mycoplasma the University lab needs to sequence the entire genome. It just shows the advances in molecular biology that this can even be done both in a time frame and for a price that is practical. The University has been forwarding regular updates but I am still waiting on the final speciation result. 3/ Blood for a complete biochemistry and haematology profile from a bird with Fat Eye was collected. These blood tests evaluated the general health of a bird with Fat Eye and were used to access whether the condition was affecting any of the internal organs . The results are attached. In summary the bird had mild liver damage ( as indicated by the elevated AST ) and mildly impaired liver function ( as indicated by the elevated GLDH). Utilisation of the body’s white blood cells had led to a reduced count and with that an impaired ability to fight infection generally. The high CK indicates muscle break down and weight loss while the low protein in pigeons usually indicates reduced food intake or loss of protein from the system ( perhaps in this case through the inflamed liver). One interesting thing is that at the time of blood collection, apart from the puffy sinuses the bird looked completely normal. 4/ Droppings were tested for Rota virus and PMV with PCR ( DNA ) tests . Both tests were positive 5/ An unwell bird was euthanised and autopsied. A full set of tissue samples was collected and forwarded to a specialist avian pathologist for microscopic histological examination. In particular the head was decalcified. In this procedure the decapitated head is soaked in a fluid that leaches the calcium out of the bones of the skull and head. The head, brain , eyes and associated structures can then be sliced finely and a more thorough investigation conducted. The principle findings were damage in the pancreas and kidneys consistent with PMV. Damage in the liver associated with a Rota virus infection. Further changes that indicated a likely Circo virus infection. Depletion of white blood cells in the spleen and mixed bacteria with associated inflammation in the throat and upper airway .Mild inflammatory changes were present in the swollen sinuses with the type of inflammation being that typically associated with a Mycoplasmal infection. And so what does all of this mean. Positive Mycoplasmal PCRs and a pattern of inflammation in the sinus consistent with a Mycoplasmal infection indicate Mycoplasma to be the likely cause of the swollen sinuses seen in Fat Eye. This is supported by other tests finding no evidence of the involvement of possible other infectious agents. The Chlamydia tests were negative and there was no evidence of bacterial infection in the sinuses. PMV and Rota virus infections were confirmed by PCRs done on the droppings and supported by microscopic tissue changes associated with these diseases. Although a Circo virus PCR was not done based on the tissue changes it is very likely that this virus was also involved. The blood tests showed multiple changes all consistent with general ill health – weight loss, reduced food intake, depletion of white blood cell reserves, muscle breakdown and other changes more specific to the recent viral infections. The changes in liver values were most likely associated with the Rota virus infection. What is surprising is that the bird at the time of blood collection looked essentially normal. There are many different types of Mycoplasma that occur in the respiratory tract ( including the sinuses) of pigeons. Several are regarded as normal inhabitants of the airways and rarely cause disease. Others are more likely to cause disease and can lead to disease outbreaks spreading from one loft to another. Either way Mycoplasmas usually require some predisposing factor or “trigger” that weakens the birds ability to fight infection before they can cause disease themselves . Different species of Mycoplasmas are associated with different triggers. For the common Mycoplasmas overcrowding, poor air quality, concurrent disease and poor diets particularly those low in protein or vitamin A are common triggers. Identifying the actual specie of Mycoplasma involved in Fat Eye is going to help us identify the actual trigger but all the evidence makes it likely that for this Mycoplasma the predisposing factor is a recent viral infection. It does however seem that the damage caused by the Mycoplasma itself is minimal with only mild inflammatory changes caused by it in the sinus. The concern is that the Fat Eye caused by this Mycoplasma indicates recent viral infection and that even though the pigeons themselves may look Ok testing reveals that inside there are multiple changes that are likely to impair training. Having said that , fanciers report that within about 3 weeks of a Rota infection pigeons are prepared to exercise with vigour . Fanciers should therefore be mindful that even though birds with Fat Eye appear to recover quickly the disease does indicate recent viral infection. Although birds may appear to recover quickly that deeper problems are present . Fanciers should therefore be patient until sufficient time ,which seems to be several weeks, has passed for birds to recover before resuming tossing or racing. The University of Melbourne continues to work on the identification of the species of Mycoplasma that causes Fat Eye. I will report on these results when they are available
Pigeon Fun Facts From “Homing” by Jon Day 1/ The flight or pectoral muscles which power the wings take up half a pigeon’s body mass 2/ Pigeons blood is rich in haemoglobin and their enormous hearts pump it around their body’s at a rate far higher than our own. An exercising human has a heart rate of around 150, a flying pigeons heart beats at an amazing 600 times per minute. 3/ Because pigeons can carry oxygen to their muscles with great efficiency this gives them remarkable powers of recovery and an astonishing capacity to heal . If a bone is broken the two broken ends can reunite in 10 days and heal fully in 20 days – about one third the time of a mammal 4/ Pigeons average body temperature is slightly higher than other warm- blooded animals -- around 41.7C –which makes them resistant to many diseases, being too warm for most pathogens to survive. 5/ More than many other birds, pigeons are made of air: their bones are hollow and light and their bodies contain nine main balloon- like sacs called air sacs. These protect the inner organs from impact damage and enable fresh air to be delivered to the lungs both on inspiration and expiration. 6/ Along with only a few other animals including apes, dolphins and elephants , pigeons are able to recognise themselves in a mirror. They realise that what they are seeing is a reflected image of their own body. 7/ Pigeons can accelerate from 0 to 100km per hour in under 2 seconds 8/ Pigeons, when racing, beat their wings three times every second, 10,800 times an hour and burn around 5 calories - the equivalent of one peanut – per hour of flight. This amounts to only 0.000462962963 calories per wingbeat. But it adds up – during an all- day fly a pigeon might lose a third of it’s bodyweight
Smuggled pigeon eggs at Melbourne Airport Text courtesy of Australian Border Force An Australian man arriving into Melbourne International Airport has been fined more than $6,000 for carrying pigeon eggs and tobacco. Australian Border Force (ABF) officers targeting travellers attempting to bring prohibited goods into Australia, questioned the traveller as he arrived on Tuesday (1 May 2024) and performed a baggage examination. During the examination, ABF officers located 23 pigeon eggs in a metal box wrapped in cotton and aluminium foil. Officers also located 9,750 grams of undeclared Nakhla – a popular type of Shisha tobacco – concealed within various vacuum sealed sunflower seeds in the traveller's baggage. The traveller opted to abandon the undeclared tobacco The pigeon eggs were referred to Biosecurity officers and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) fined the man $6,260. ABF Superintendent Kelly-anne Parish said ABF officers are highly trained and employ sophisticated detection technology at the border to ensure prohibited goods do not make it into the community. “Our message to individuals attempting to bring illicit goods into Australia is simple – do not engage in this activity because we will hold you to account and it will result in significant financial penalties," Superintendent Parish said.
It has been suggested that this Australian Border Force release be forwarded by the ANRPB and VRPB to fanciers advising that they do not condone this behaviour and warn fanciers of the consequences of smuggling eggs. A number of diseases can be passed through the egg but the most important is Newcastle disease. Newcastle disease affects chickens and is caused by a Paramyxovirus that is very similar to the Paramyxovirus that infects our pigeons. The vaccine that we give our pigeons for PMV will protect them from becoming unwell or dying from Newcastle disease but it does not give them enough immunity to prevent them from becoming infected with the virus. In this way , once in the country, pigeons could spread the disease. Because of this , the introduction of Newcastle disease into the country has the potential to curtail all racing activity. My personal thought is that a fine of $6,000 is paltry considering that this act , quite apart from its effect on the poultry industry, could shut racing down. Indeed, this has happened in earlier Newcastle disease outbreaks. My thought is that, as the offence occurred in Victoria , the VRPB should meet with the appropriate authority, make its presence known, express its concern, develop an understanding of the wider issues and also the likely impact on racing if Newcastle disease did gain entry into Australia. The ANRPB could consider a similar federal approach.
Pigeon Politics You can make 2 types of decisions--- ones that are planned and those that are reactionary. Planned decisions are made , as the name suggests, when you are making a plan. You make a plan about what you want to do or where you want to go and make decisions so you reach that point. You decide where you want to end up. A reactionary decision is made in response to matters not necessarily under your control. You become a bit like a “cork on the ocean” making decisions that are simply reactions to changes around you and you almost certainly end up somewhere that is not where you want to be. Unfortunately in the pigeon sport at the moment I think that most of the decisions that are being made are reactionary rather than planned. If we were working to a plan then the over-riding aim should be to increase the popularity of pigeon racing. Everything else becomes irrelevant if the current trend of declining membership continues because the sport will no longer be able to occur in its current form. Quite apart from ensuring the persistence of the sport in Australia a rise in fancier numbers would mean that racing would be better with more cover and winning would be more rewarding with more competitors. Racing would be cheaper and yet pay higher prize money. A good aim would be that a metropolitan federation like the VHA would have 1000 members each sending at least 30 birds a week in 10 years -time. Something like this can never happen without a plan. This would involve planned decisions being made so that aims can be achieved. Without a plan, the sport becomes like that cork in the ocean bobbing about here and there with reactionary decisions being made to modify the hobby and accommodate for declining membership so that in the short term the sport persists but in the longer term it risks disappearing . Over the last 30 years as membership has declined clubs have combined, others have disappeared, races, particularly long races, have been dropped from schedules due to them no longer being affordable. Prize money, after costs have been covered, has dwindled to a pittance or is non existant. I read the minutes of pigeon meetings from 30 or more years ago and the issues discussed have changed little from those discussed today. The sport seems unable to move on. So how does the sport at least maintain its position or hopefully increase its standing in society. The answer is to make it attractive to the young people that in previous generations would have become fanciers. I certainly don’t have all the answers to achieve this but what I do know is that a big help would be increasing the sports level of professionalism. Significantly this becomes the responsibility of the people who take on management positions in clubs, federations and importantly in state body’s like the VRPB and our national body the ANRPB. Too often , I feel, that the representatives in these organisations simply do what pigeon fanciers know how to do. For example they run a race, they have a pigeon sale or perhaps even organise a local convention. Any local club or federation can do this. Although these activities may interest fanciers they don’t address “the elephant in the room” – the issue of declining membership. It should go without saying that state and national bodies need to address themselves with state and national issues . If they don’t do it , no one else will and indeed it must be them that does it. Without this planned, rather than reactionary, approach the sport is always going to lack cohesion ,not have a planned direction for the future and fail to develop a professionalism that may attract a new generation of fanciers. Without the right people, initiatives tend to become confused, stall and disappear. We need representatives that have initiative, imagination and skills to offer beyond that of simply being someone who races pigeons . We don’t just want “bums on seats”. Reps who come unprepared or don’t want to do the work get in the way of others that do. Organisations exist but tend to become , in effect, lifeless Potential issues for state and National representatives to address, that immediately come to mind ,include amongst other :- 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/ a levy on fanciers to develop a cash pool that can be effectively used to promote the sport and educate the public and 8/ to estimate the value of pigeon racing to the economy both at a state and national level
I have decided to leave the VRPB. I feel that the VRPB has to some extent lost its way. The model of regional and metropolitan reps initially worked well but progressively the work involved has fallen to fewer and fewer people . I was the inaugural president and have been vice president since relinquishing that role . I virtually wrote the entire website, organised the logo, have been the online VRPB contact for members of the public, have kept fanciers updated with monthly VRPB reports and have probably done about 90% of the work. I don’t mind but what I have found increasingly recently is that some people are what I describe as “ committee men” – they put their hand up to be on every committee but when it comes time to actually do some work either they are not available or reasons not to proceed are re invented. Other new reps don’t do their homework before offering to represent their organisation and come without knowing what the VRPB is doing or has done and the VRPB’s role and position in the Victorian pigeon racing landscape. A number of recent issues have prompted my decision to leave now. I am going into this detail because people tend to reframe narratives to make themselves look and feel better. I want to set the record straight.If you are not interested, I apologise. Please jump to the next section. Issues that concerned me :- 1/ the VRPB has been requesting funding from Victorian clubs, feds and individuals for years. At a convention in Victoria last year ,organised by a committee of about 8 fanciers which included 2 prominent VRPB committee members the VRPB was not even suggested as a funding alternative. To its credit the committee subsequently agreed to fund a VCAT hearing that became necessary at this time where Charles Hider and myself appeared for the fanciers of Victoria. It was very disappointing after years of trying to gather funds that VRPB funding was not on a Victorian conference agenda particularly seeing that 2 of the organisers were VRPB reps. 2/ The VRPB has accumulated a small Health/ Disease management fund through donation to investigate various veterinary issues. These were well publicised in the ARPJ. I sent an email at the end of last year to other VRPB committee members and reps that as it was the start of the breeding season I would now be starting the first trial . This trial was the investigation of PMV immunity following vaccination of nestlings that ARPJ readers will be well familiar. I was immediately told to stop the trial and get permission! Over a day or two a vote was held and I was then advised that I could proceed. Quite apart from wanting to investigate this work to help fanciers the VRPB had an obligation, I believe, to fanciers who donated money for that purpose. Reps seem to have forgotten or not been aware of what had been arranged and planned. VRPB reps had agreed on the formation of the fund. The fund had been developed for a purpose. Clubs , feds and individuals had made donations. The aims of the fund and its progress had been regularly reported in the ARPJ. When I announced that the first veterinary investigation was starting it was as if everything had been forgotten. 3/ At the VRPB AGM two months ago it was agreed that we should invite Tas Gazis of the PRV to the next VRPB meeting. To me the VRPB was extending a welcome, a hand of friendship to Tas , inviting him to work with us and see if there were aspects of the 2 organisations that could be blended for the benefit of Victorian fanciers . Like the VRPB, the PRV is a trans-federation organisation, and although its members are not elected, it does share one of our aims, namely, to promote pigeon racing in Victoria. I thought that it was logical that we contact Tas and try to work with the PRV. As it turned out Tas declined to come. Other VRPB committee members decided that not only should we not let fanciers know of Tas’s reply but also delete from the meeting record that the VRPB had invited him to come to a meeting. It remains a mystery to me why people think that that that is not a good idea and also why , once done, that we should not report our activities to the fanciers that we are meant to represent. There needs to be transparent governance. 4/ Also at the VRPB AGM 2 months ago it was agreed that the VRPB was to establish a contact list of all fanciers in Victoria to improve the spread of information and guide decisions about the sport in Victoria based on the demographic information provided by the list . Compilation of the list had begun with one metropolitan federation and one rural rep already providing lists of members. Subsequently 2 of the 5 committee members decided that a list should not be compiled. Two other committee members thought it was a good idea. The other did not comment. Ironically one of the committee members who decided against the list was the person who had been suggested to compile the list. It is fairly basic for an activity to have a list of participating members. After all an organisation is really just its members. If you don’t have a good idea of who your members are you don’t have an organisation, you just have an executive. Having a list has many advantages – spreading information, demographics etc. Submitting VRPB correspondence through the Secretaries of each Victorian Racing Pigeon organisation is not working well . Information does not reach many fanciers particularly through the “off” season when there are no meetings. One only has to look at the Vet questions that are received by the ARPJ each month for me to answer to see that information that has been available on the VRPB site literally for years is not reaching many fanciers . A simple example of the need for a list would be if we have another outbreak of avian flu and the VRPB was asked where Victoria’s fanciers are located and the numbers -- we don’t know in any detail. As you may recall this was the information that the government was after last time. We were allowed to continue to race but the line of flight could not be over areas where there were concentrations of lofts. When I more recently spoke to the Minister for Agriculture’s assistant about the new Victorian Animal Welfare Act, I could not even tell her how many fanciers were in the state let alone where they were . I had to guess. It is pretty normal and standard for all organisations to have a contact/ membership list. A list can be tiered with the primary source of contact being the president or secretary. It is obvious that the VRPB would not be routinely emailing directly to all Victorian fanciers but there might be situations when this would be good, such as an outbreak of exotic disease like avian flu ,where notification is time critical. Routine information such as the VRPB minutes could be sent directly to fanciers promoting a feeling of involvement and cohesion. A very recent example of the benefit to fanciers could be making them aware of the recent egg smuggling incident at Melbourne airport discussed elsewhere in this article In addition to the spread of information, be it through secretaries or direct to fanciers, developing a list has many demographic imperatives . I can just imagine a VRPB rep at the next government meeting being asked, “Who are you representing ? The reply could be as silly as – we don’t know exactly how many or where they are but we know they are out there
So there it is , I have aired some “dirty washing.” All trivial I know but these things mount up. The real key to developing and retaining a great working committee is values alignment. Unfortunately the VRPB does not have that. How I see the future of the VRPB and its role has become too divergent from the other committee members for me to remain. To me, the VRPB has become, to some extent, that “cork in the ocean”. Certainly things are being done but there is so much to do if bodies like the VRPB and ANRPB are really to achieve anything. The VRPB’s role is to promote the sport of pigeon racing in Victoria and represent the interests of fanciers at a state level. I wish the VRPB ongoing success with these endeavours but I will no longer be part of that journey.
Ask the Vet 1/A subject has recently come up regarding racing a pigeon when a new flight feather is just starting to grow. The common theory is that if the pigeon is raced it can cause a burst blood quill. What are your thoughts on this please. A growing feather quill that contains blood ( or “blood quill” ) can certainly rupture during racing , tossing or flying around the loft. A bird is pictured in my book "The Pigeon" where this has happened. However a lot of pigeons grow a lot of flight ( primary ) feathers and yet , in my experience, a ruptured blood quill is observed only occasionally. It is worth noting that feather follicles with growing feathers in them, in addition to having a rich blood supply, are also very sensitive. In addition to blood vessels supplying blood to the growing feather there are nerves supplying sensation. So blood quills although only occasionally rupturing are probably invariably potentially painful. Once the feather has fully matured both the blood vessels and the nerves regress. It is also worth noting that although rupture of a growing feather quill that contains blood seems to affect individual birds at random, if a fancier is getting a number of birds that are affected, birds that are deficient in Vitamin A or Vitamin K are predisposed and so the diet should be reviewed
2/ I’ve just started my birds on a doxy vet treatment as I know I have some respiratory problems in the loft, couple of one eyed colds etc and when I treated them last year they went from flying for 5-10 minutes and panting heavily to training well. Couple of questions, 1, I plan on treating with doxy vet for 7-10 days followed by doxy t for a further 5-7 days. Does this sound ok to you? 2, During that treatment is it safe to vaccinate the birds for their 2nd shot of Rota vaccine? 3, If so is it safe to give them an Avitrol tablet as well with the Rota shot concurrently with the doxy vet/ doxy t treatment? Evidence of active respiratory infection is one of the reasons that we consider treating with antibiotics prior to racing. Just how long we treat for depends on the severity of the infection and the response to treatment. I wouldn’t worry about the straight Doxy but rather give Doxy T . Doxy T is doxycycline with added tylosin so it will give you a wider target treatment . I would treat for 7 days and then re -assess. Most birds have sufficient natural immunity levels to be protected from respiratory infection by this time of year. Are you aware of any stresses that might have interfered with the development of this natural immunity? Can we avoid these next year? There is no problem giving the Rota vaccination during treatment. The antibiotics will not interfere with the vaccine. You can also give an Avitrol tablet as well but I must say that this is not a drug I recommend . I find that too many birds vomit. As an alternative you could consider giving 0.25 ml of moxidectin down the throat as you were vaccinating them - just as affective and a bit gentler on the birds -- up to you.
3/ What is the best way to use probiotic preparations like Probac? Probac can go in the drinker but it is best given on the food. I add a seed oil such as our Polyboost oil or Hemp Seed oil to the grain initially and then add the Probac using the dose rates on the label. I do this just before feeding so that it is nice and fresh and also importantly, still viable . The birds get a nice dose of probiotics without knowing. Most seed oils have an aroma so best to add smaller amounts initially so the birds can become accustomed to them.
4/ I am the president of a federation . Our federation have received the below email and "screen shot" from the Secretary of one of our clubs regarding the efficacy of rotavirus vaccine. The Board of our federation made vaccination for PPMV-1 and Rotavirus compulsory for all members for season 2024 with a view of reducing losses on race day due to cross infection in the crates while in transit. My personal experience has been that both vaccines are very effective particularly PPMV-1, while rotavirus vaccine is effective I sometimes experience two or three, out of 140, might vomit on the perch for a day or two, but very quickly get over it without any apparent long-term damage. It is the opinion of the Board of our federation that a lot of members go to a lot of time and expense to prevent these viruses and while the naysayers continue to perpetuate the problem thereby contributing to the unacceptable losses each season. The federation proposes to manage compulsory vaccination through the authority vested in the Board under provisions of our Code of Practice which has been adopted by the Animal Welfare Act 2015. If a pigeon dies in the crate while in transit, or refuses to leave the crate that pigeon will be returned and will be taken to our local Department of Primary Industry and Regional Development for examination and report. If it is found that the pigeon is suffering or had suffered PPMV-1 or Rotavirus the member to who the pigeon belongs will be suspended for a period to be determined by the Board having regard to attendant circumstances. Our question to you is simply, is there any substance to the content of the attached unqualified unidentified "screen shot" . We prefer to act on veterinary advice, in preference to an unqualified "screen shot" taken from somewhere. We look forward to your advice, please.
Email . –“To the board, our club tonight all agreed to write a letter to the board in regards to you forcing flyers to vaccinate there birds for rota. We ask that the board change this immediately as there is zero proof the vaccine does anything for the birds. It clearly states online and through other studies that the Australian based pigeon rota vaccine is not yet known to have any efficiency in preventing or helping to stop the rota virus. Secondly the vaccine isn’t even registered. And thirdly it's only meant to be used on an emergency basis. So how on earth the board can try force flyers to use such a vaccine is ridiculous. I have attached above clear evidence of this. Lastly rota is so weak and such low risk to pigeons. So we ask the board to remove this immediately, and it should be up to the members for starters not a few. Everything I have mentioned above gives you not right to force it upon flyers. PMV we can understand but not rota. Attached above whats been stated “ Screenshot - “There is currently no indication that the PPMV1 vaccine was involved with this Rota virus disease and pigeon owners should continue with their PPMV1 vaccination schedule. Rotavax an unregistered vaccine has been developed in Australia and is currently permitted by registered veterinarian or caged pigeon owners on an emergency basis pending efficacy data. Australia has a vigorous regulatory framework for accessing and approving veterinary vaccines to ensure their safety and efficacy. It is not yet known whether the Australian developed pigeon Rota virus vaccine will prevent Rota virus infection or disease in pigeons” Two studies have been sponsored by Treidlia Biovet and myself and conducted by me on Rotavax :- 1/ In the first study, birds were vaccinated with Rotavax and then sequentially bled at regular intervals to determine their antibody response . It was found that the antibody level produced varied from bird to bird and that the antibodies appeared relatively fragile and were not persistent . 2/ The second study involved two groups of pigeons both of which had been naturally infected with Rota virus. One group had been vaccinated while the other group had not been vaccinated. These birds were bled approximately 4 weeks after exposure. It was found that the blood parameters, particularly those measuring liver function and inflammation, in the vaccinated birds were either within normal range or mildly elevated while the same values in the non- vaccinated birds were significantly elevated and in some birds substantially. It is worth noting that birds in both groups looked quite well at the time of blood collection ( ie 4 weeks after “recovery” ) and yet significant pathology due to the earlier Rotavirus infection was still present in the non-vaccinated group. Following a study conducted by me and sponsored by Zoetis in 2012 that ran for 18 months , we know that following PMV vaccination ( with a killed LaSota vaccine such as Poulvac or Newcavac ) that the antibody levels produced are high enough to block all clinical disease and provide persistent protection for at least 12 months against PMV. Rotavax is not like this but more similar to the Covid vaccines. The level of antibodies produced is not high enough to prevent all clinical disease. It is, however, high enough to modify the symptoms and decrease the severity of the disease. Because the antibodies are not produced in a predictable way and are not as stable as those produced after PMV vaccination more frequent vaccination would be required to maintain a persistent effect. Current advice is that birds should be vaccinated twice , four weeks apart, with both vaccinations being given after 6 weeks of age. If the chance of exposure to Rota virus is high then a third shot should be given in the final 4 weeks before racing. Vaccination against PMV completely protects the pigeons while vaccination against Rota decreases the severity of the disease and has been shown to decrease the amount of internal damage done by the virus. I think the training or racing of birds that have had Rota virus, that may now look normal in the loft but are still carrying internal damage is a cause of losses . I think that anything that can be done to control or decrease the impact of these viruses is a good thing and think that your federation has made the correct decision in making vaccination mandatory. If for no other reason , in the current animal welfare environment , this decision enables those outside the sport to see that the health and welfare of the birds is important to your federation and that as much as possible is being done to keep the birds well . The screenshot references a Tasmanian DPI release. The word “emergency” refers to the type of permit issued. In the face of active disease an emergency permit is issued for a new vaccine or medicine. It does not mean that the vaccine should only be used in an emergency. It is worth noting that the same document states that in the case of an outbreak of Rota, bird movement including racing should cease. Fortunately the wider use of the vaccine has contributed to this advice no longer being followed. 5/ Just reaching out to gain some info on anaerobic gas in Racing Pigeons. Last year, and going into this years race season, I’ve noticed the gas forming in the pigeons crop when handling them. I reach out to my local vet and get put on Metrosole and Megamix, without being told how to prevent it, etc. I do observe the birds sitting on the perch with bottom eye lid coming up, indicating a possible gut ache (from what I’m led to believe). Any info would be appreciated. Gas forms in the crop when crop emptying is delayed. Causes of delayed crop emptying are many and varied but fall into 3 categories: - 1/ primary crop problem 2/ as part of systemic disease or 3/ a problem with the food - food tends to be overrated as a cause. If you have a copy of my book “The Pigeon” further details are on page 318. The issue is also discussed on the Australian Pigeon Company website under "Slow Crop"
6/ Just a question regarding Salmonella vaccination if we do the drinking water method does each pigeon just need to take one drink from the prepared water,I noticed it says all the water must be drunk within 2 hours. No , each pigeon needs to drink 45 mls ( average daily intake ) within 2 hours. The majority don’t which is why we don’t recommend this method. Fanciers with large teams and OLRs will take water away for 24 hours , then feed the birds and then offer the water with the vaccine in it. Doing this, it is more likely that more birds will drink enough but there is still a degree of inaccuracy. With large numbers some fanciers are prepared to accept this as adequate. For a fancier with a normal team it is better to dose each bird directly to the throat.
7/ Is giving the PMV and Rota vaccinations both at the same time, the recommended option? If given separately, how long between them should a person wait? Yes, the PMV and Rota vaccinations can be given at the same time. No need to wait between shots. It is common in many species to give multiple vaccines together. For example, in sheep, combination vaccines containing 6 vaccines are given. Overseas some pigeon vaccinations , including PMV and Rota ,are already blended into the one vaccine. Neither vaccine is alive so we are simply stimulating the immune system with 2 agents. Considering that the immune system is reacting to many things each day this is not a problem. Many fanciers find it easier also from a management point of view to only have to pick up and inject each pigeon once for both shots. More details can be found on the APC and VRPB websites. Go to Pigeon Health then Vaccinations.
8/ If a loft is infected with Herpes, obviously they will lose some birds to it. Are the birds that survive still likely to be capable of racing? And given that the survivors will be carriers and spread it to the next years youngsters, is the loft of birds ruined permanently if infected with Herpes? When Herpes enters a loft all birds become infected. Some birds will die ( up to about 30%) , others show no symptoms while others show non- specific signs of diarrhoea, vomiting, decreased appetite and lethargy. Some birds develop a yellow scum in their mouth. Once a bird is infected with Herpes it is infected for life. When survivors are bred from they pass the virus to their chicks. These chicks don’t get sick, however, because they also get immunity from their parents. These young birds that appear normal but are carrying Herpes are the most source of the infection to further lofts. When birds with Herpes get stressed they shed the virus and infect other birds. This happens most commonly in race baskets, after introducing birds from infected lofts at squeaker sales and in OLRs. Herpes is a disease that is being increasingly diagnosed both in Australia and overseas. I proposed a study to investigate just how prevalent, (and therefore how much of a concern), Herpes was in Australia several years ago but the study never progressed through lack of funding. Some birds that have Herpes are permanently compromised as race birds. Fortunately this number tends to decline each year in an infected loft as the resident immunity increases with each season. More information on Herpes can be found in the “Virus diseases” section of my book “The Pigeon” and on the APC website.
9// Would it be wise to give youngsters a dose of probiotics, or to use it in the stock loft when breeding, to ensure that the youngsters have a good initial bacteria growth? Absolutely. It is a good idea to use probiotics two to three times weekly when the stock birds are feeding youngsters. This helps the birds resist E. coli (often associated with wet nests) and ensures that the birds get the maximum nutrition possible out of their seed at a time that often puts real demands on them. Probiotic use will help the parents produce vigorous robust young. In the post-weaning time , we don’t want to use drugs. We want to develop a strong natural immunity. Probiotics specifically stimulate this.
10/We are three weeks from racing and by birds are in full work, their performance has been fine, but today I was looking at the throats of a few birds and noticed these spots on some young birds (see attached photos).The photos are of the worst bird, and they do make it look a lot "worse" than reality, but is this something to be concerned about? And if so, do you recommend a treatment?I do have cirvovirus problems when breeding (have for the last 3 years since accidentally introducing it with a team of infected YBs). Could this just be a flare up of latent Circo in the YBs now that they are under training stress? The birds are actually flying beautifully, the only reason I had looked at the throats was because I heard a few sneezes and wanted to look for any signs of respiratory. My loft is in a shaded yard so I'm constantly battling with resp and wanted to get on top of it straight away if there was a problem. A photo is attached. Not good to have this problem in the birds now. You are seeing small abscesses in the pharyngeal tonsil. Could be due to a number of things -- wet canker, respiratory infection, bacteria . The tonsil is the visible part of the immune system and something is stimulating it. Birds that are vitamin A deficient are predisposed – ensure plenty of corn in the diet and weekly multivitamin . Treatment wise I would try TripleVet with Turbosole for 5 days. Circo is not usually carried for more than 5 months so could be involved but less likely – only testing (Circo PCR ) would tell. 11/ The fertility has never been great with the Modenas, however they are notorious for this. I was always suspicious that the Modenas had Salmonella and this was impacting on them particularly during breeding, so took your advice and brought some Rapid Tests into the country. I also shared several with fanciers further afield. I have attached some of my results, positive unfortunately. The other two fanciers had similar mixed results. From the information that I have read on your website and in your latest book, we need to treat the birds with Sulfa AVS or similar, clean and disinfect the lofts with Virkon during treatment, then vaccinate preferably. A photo of the Salmonella RATs is attached In lofts with a history of Salmonella every effort must be made to clear the infection from pigeons and prevent reinfection before vaccination. Some birds may be asymptomatic carriers and the loft will be contaminated. Sulpha AVS is given for 10 days. Loft disinfected twice during this time, towards the end of the antibiotic course. To disinfect a loft, birds are moved into other sections, the sections are scraped clean, a diluted disinfectant such as F10 or Virkon is sprayed onto all surfaces and allowed to dry before allowing the birds back in. This is best done on the morning of a warm day so the loft dries quickly. 24 hours after the antibiotics course ends the birds are given their first vaccination. A second shot is given about 4 weeks later. Annual boosters are then required A number of fancy breeds, notably Australian Show Pen Homers, Modenas, Kings and the performing flying breeds such as tipplers, tumblers and doneks, have a genetic susceptibility to Salmonella. In the longer term ,young birds should be vaccinated at six weeks of age, hopefully before the bacteria has had a chance to enter their system. A booster is then required 2 to 4 weeks later and then annually thereafter. Vaccinating young birds each year before they become infected, means that their gonads are less likely to be damaged by Salmonella during growth, thus leading to a lift in fertility in the loft generally. The best time to give annual boosters is after the moult and show season and before breeding ie. July.
12/ How long should I wait before tossing after the birds have had their second Rota jab? Quite a few birds tend to get quite sore and many fanciers report reduced food intake for about one week after Rota vaccination. It would be best to wait a couple of weeks if the time is available. If you are pushed for time and do need to toss I would watch the birds carefully when having their loft exercise and try to identify birds that are “not right”. Avoid tossing these birds.