VRPB news.
The VRPB had a Microsoft teams meeting on Wednesday 5th October. The primary purpose of the meeting was to discuss the new animal welfare act – “A Plan for Victoria’s New Animal Care and Protection Laws” that is being introduced in Victoria. After the meeting an explanatory summary of the new act and how it will effect pigeon racing was prepared by the VRPB. It is hoped that this will help Victorian fanciers understand the new act and its ramifications for them. This is now being sent to Victorian Clubs and federations. If you did not receive this correspondence, and would like to, please contact VRPB secretary Marc Tenaglia at [email protected]. It is suggested that federations make their members aware of these changes and that fanciers take note of their new legal requirements under the act.
On a different matter, the hosting of the VRPB’s domain name, www.vrpb.org.au by Crazy domains attracts an annual fee of $212 . This has generously been paid this year by our editor and Northern Districts Invitation Combine (NDIC ) VRPB rep Jeff Howell. Without ongoing support, financial and otherwise, by the fanciers of Victoria the VRPB would not exist. Many thanks Jeff.
A Plan for Victoria’s New Animal Care and Protection Laws
Summary and overview
A new plan for Victoria’s animal care and protection laws is being developed by the Minister of Agriculture , Gayle Tierney. The plan will take the form of a new act supported by various regulations. The new plan will replace the existing Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Act ( POCTA Act ). Pigeon racing will be affected. The VRPB has reviewed the proposed act and associated regulations.
Under the new act various “classes of conduct”( ie activities) that are acknowledged to cause some harm ,pain or distress to animals will be exempt from attracting care or cruelty offences and therefore permitted, provided they are conducted in a certain way. Pigeon racing is one of these activities. A framework of regulations will prescribe controls for such activities so that risks to animals of harm, pain or distress are appropriately managed and that these interactions with animals have clear authority to continue under the new laws. These activities include fishing, rodeos, hunting and animal racing ( including pigeon racing ).
Under the new regulations some activities that could be associated with pigeon racing now attract care and cruelty offences. These are discussed in more detail in the following text. Fanciers, clubs and federations need to familiarize themselves with these.
For pigeon racing to be self- regulating it is important that clubs and federations accept the responsibility of doing everything possible to minimize harm , pain or distress to pigeons. Part of this responsibility is to ensure that their members are both informed about their obligations under the new act and are made aware of activities that may now attract care or cruelty convictions. It then becomes the fanciers responsibility to comply.
The VRPB’s role is explained more fully in the following text however as part of its role, the VRPB, will keep federations and clubs informed of developments and at the same time make suggestions that will help maintain the excellent care and standards that currently operate throughout the sport in Victoria.
A new act and plan governing animal welfare in Victoria and its effect on pigeon racing
Since 1986 laws relating to the care and welfare of animals in Victoria have been covered by the “Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act’ (POCTA Act )
In 2020 a new act was proposed. The policy proposals were developed following consultation with over 50 animal –based industries and community organizations. The proposals were released for public comment. More than 1200 responses were received. There was no input from pigeon racing. The ANRPB did not become involved. The VRPB did not exist.
The current plan , titled, a “Plan for Victoria’s New Animal Care and Protection Laws” provides another opportunity for feedback. With the VRPB now in existence we have the opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way. The main aim of the new laws is to help protect animals from cruelty while enabling Victorians to continue to interact responsibly with animals.
The office of the Minister of Agriculture, Gayle Tierney, is seeking feedback on any concerns about the policy positions in the plan. This includes where greater clarity may be needed, or where unintended consequences are identified.
What would not change under the new act?
Current legal and legitimate activities such as hunting, fishing, farming, racing and pest control would be able to continue under the new laws. Pigeon racing is not specifically mentioned but is included in these activities under “racing”.
What would change under the new act?
1/ Sentience.
The new laws would recognise that animals have the capacity to feel, perceive their environment and to have positive and negative experiences like pleasure and pain ie that they are sentient. This is the first time that animal sentience will be explicitly recognised in Victoria.. This recognition underpins the approach to the new laws and includes setting basic care requirements for animals and the regulation of legal activities , such as pigeon racing, which have a risk of causing animals harm, pain or distress. All vertebrate animals and decapods ( crabs etc ) and cephalopods ( eg octopus’ ) are covered by the new act
2/ Regulations
The new act will outline the basic principles of animal care and welfare and provide supporting regulations that will set out various requirements in more detail. These regulations will be grouped by species or the general activity that the animals are used for eg research, farming, companion etc. One group is “Animal in Entertainment”. Pigeon racing falls into this group. The regulations that will be developed will cover any additional provisions that relate specifically to the use of animals in each group. In the Animal in Entertainment group these will cover animals used for sport, competition, events, exhibition and recreational activities.
Matters more suited to being detailed in the regulations, rather than the Act, are those that are specific to a certain species or activity (including more detail about the care requirements and what constitutes cruelty for that species or activity). This is particularly relevant to pigeon racing and would potentially itemise race release criteria , acceptable risk of loss or injury etc . The VRPB will address this.
Much of the detail in the regulations to support the new Act will be based on the existing POCTA Regulations and Codes of Practice, as well as the Australian Code for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes, and the Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines (which the VRPB and ANRPB have reviewed and are on the VRPB website )
3/ Offences
In the new act, unlike in POCTA ,offences are listed and therefore the regulations are enforceable. The new laws would introduce an enforceable care requirement for animals under a person’s care and control. Care requirements would cover nutrition, environment, health and other needs. Care requirements will be set in Victorian law for the first time. These requirements will be enforceable and subject to penalty. In addition new laws would introduce 3 escalating cruelty offences from general cruelty ,aggravated cruelty and a new indictable offence , intentional or reckless cruelty.
Offences under the new laws are itemised. It is worth noting that under the new laws :-
1/ Failing to provide sufficient food and drink to a confined animal would be defined as an act of cruelty, and would not require proof of harm, pain or distress.
2/ Failing to provide veterinary treatment to a sick or injured animal would be defined as an act of cruelty and would not require proof of harm, pain or distress.
3/ Any action conducted in a way that causes or would likely cause unreasonable harm, pain or distress to an animal would be a general cruelty offence. It is a cruelty offence to carry out a prohibited procedure on an animal. These would include veterinary-only procedures where the default approach would be for these to be conducted by a registered veterinarian such as performing surgery and where a procedure would ordinarily be done using local or general anaesthesia.
4/ The new laws would prohibit baiting and luring. High penalties would apply of up to $90,870 (at 30 June 2022) or imprisonment of up to two years. Fanciers are reminded that all Australian birds of prey are protected species . It is illegal to trap, confine or injure them.
5/ Culling. When indicated, although euthanasia by a veterinarian is the preferred option, cervical dislocation ( ie “breaking the neck”) is regarded as a humane method of euthanasia in experienced hands. Fanciers need to ensure that birds are culled for appropriate reasons. Culling of an aged unwell bird or a younger seriously injured bird ,particularly after veterinary advice, is likely to be appropriate. The killing of young healthy birds purely on the basis that they are poor quality racers is not.
The new laws will provide a consistent approach to activities that would simply not be regarded as acceptable by the average member of society , with appropriate high penalties.
How would the new act affect pigeon racing ?
The new act will set out a framework outlining how specific activities or “classes of conduct”, such as pigeon racing ,will be conducted
This framework will provide regulations that may prescribe controls for some types of conduct so that risks to animals of harm, pain or distress are appropriately managed and that legal and legitimate interactions with animals have clear authority to continue under the new laws. Specific classes of conduct include “Organising an event in which animals are used in sport, competition or recreation” and would therefore cover pigeon racing.
Undertaking an activity allowed by the regulations would provide an exception to the care and cruelty offences. The plan outlines that “Making detailed regulations about some activities that fall within specified classes of conduct would make it explicit that they are permitted provided they are performed in a certain way. This would give certainty to people undertaking those activities while ensuring associated risks and impacts to animals were managed or minimised”
Currently requirements for specific industries and animal uses with risks to animal care and protection are inconsistent. A single framework for specified classes of conduct in the new laws would provide a consistent approach. The new Act would not change current requirements for specific activities. Any changes would be made when developing the new regulations, which must include stakeholder and community consultation, as well as impact assessments. If there are no regulations for how a particular activity must be done, then the activity would be allowed, unless it causes a care or cruelty offence.
The plan specifies various matters regarding compliance and enforcement such as who are authorised officers, what are their powers, the seizure and disposal of animals ,various administrative concerns and the acts relationship to other regulatory guides as well as specific information for various people involved directly with animals such as farmers, recreational fishers and veterinarians.
VRPB Role
The VRPB’s role is to act as a conduit between the government and fanciers . As such it needs to keep fanciers abreast of current developments and make them aware of parts of the act that specifically relate to them . Also as the representative body for pigeon racing in Victoria the VRPB needs to be available to liaise and advise government about pigeon racing and ensure, that in doing so, it effectively relays the wishes of Victorian fanciers to the government .
More specifically the aims of the VRPB in this matter are : -
1/ Not to change the existing legislation. This is outlined in POCTA and the Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines
2/ Inform Victorian fanciers of parts of the legislation that may affect them
3/ As one of the aims of the current plan is to clarify the situation regarding various animal related activities, it is important to ensure that standard activities associated with pigeon racing are deemed appropriate. An understanding would be developed that despite every effort being made to care for the birds ,both in home lofts and during a race, that there are inherent risks associated with releasing birds to fly and race. Once the birds are free in the sky they are beyond direct control and that this inevitably leads to some birds being injured or lost. It is acknowledged that some activities do cause some harm and distress to animals but if conducted in a particular way are legal eg rodeos and fishing.
4/ Be available to advise the minister if it is thought that changes to the regulatory framework covering pigeon racing need to be made. As outlined this would only be done after stakeholder and community consultation.
5/As mentioned at the beginning of this piece the VRPB is keen to provide input to help feds, clubs and fanciers aiming to assist them to maintain a high and uniform standard of care for racing pigeons. Although this piece covers the broader changes to animal welfare in Victoria and its effect on pigeon racing it is not inappropriate to list some examples. Matters to consider currently include :-
a/ Collection of lost birds – injured or lost birds should be collected promptly. Many of these birds are found by members of the public or are taken to the RSPCA. A failure to promptly collect these birds risks exposing these birds to unnecessary discomfort and tarnishes the sports reputation. Various feds have penalties in place for delayed or non-collection. Local fanciers can be contacted to collect. Couriers can be organised by feds with the birds owners to pay costs.
b/ Training ( tossing ) of birds that may be injured or unwell – fanciers need to ensure that birds sent for training are not unwell or injured. Commercial trainers sometimes report finding visibly injured birds in their units or discovering, on release ,that some birds are not able to fly properly
c/ Social media – fanciers need to remind themselves that anything placed on social media can be viewed by many and reproduced. Criticising pigeon racing on line risks bringing pigeon racing, a sport they presumably care about and want to support generally, into disrepute. Criticism in the public domain also serves no purpose. If a fancier genuinely has a grievance he should raise his concern at his next club or fed meeting or alternatively contact his VRPB rep so that the matter can be properly addressed and something be done. To my mind , fanciers that really want to get something done, do not spend much time on social media
What happens if there is delay in getting the pigeon pox vaccine to me?
With the pigeon pox vaccine now being available, fanciers are placing orders and the APC is sending the vaccine out. Sometimes, despite using express post or couriers the vaccine can take 3 or even 4 days to reach fanciers. A common question is “will the vaccine still be OK?”
For long term storage the pox vaccine is best kept frozen. However, the pox vaccine is very stable. The APC has been sending the vaccine out for over 25 years now and it is not uncommon for the vaccine to take several days to reach its destination. Despite this, fanciers report that the vaccine has been used with 100% uptake. This is consistent with the manufacturer’s advice that freeze dried vaccines like the pox vaccine, can be viable anywhere between 5-7 days outside of a refrigerated environment. Despite this we suggest ordering vaccines while it is cool so that if there are any delays the vaccine is less likely to be exposed to prolonged or extreme heat and still be viable when it arrives. The vaccine is sent out in small eskies that are filled with ice packs either by express post or direct courier when cool weather is forecast . With all these factors in our favour, a delay is not currently a cause for concern. Having said all that , the vaccine should be placed in the freezer on arrival . Please don’t forget to fill in the supplied questionnaire that comes with the vaccine. As explained earlier this information is vital to register the vaccine and maintain supply.
The Changing Face of Pigeon Racing
In 1991, the VHA had on its program a 400ml (700 km ) race into Melbourne with about 300 fanciers and 2500 birds competing. It was a steady fly and after a 7am release the birds started arriving in Melbourne around 6pm. I clocked at about 6.15pm and was 13th with my first one. Three minutes later I got 2 together and these were 29th. After a 11 hour fly in only 3 minutes, 16 VHA positions had been taken. By 7pm it was pitch black yet before then out of the 40 birds that I had sent , I had another 6 birds. My experience was typical of competing fanciers. The next year in 1992, in the statewide 700 mile ( 1150 km ) race, I clocked 2 birds 15 minutes apart at 11 am and 11.15 am on the second day . Despite being only 15 minutes apart from 700 miles they were placed 4th and 20th. Sixteen places had been filled in just 15 minutes on the second day from 700 miles. I got 9 of my 30 entries on the winning day. Fast forward to 2022 and the style of racing that we see, at least in Melbourne has dramatically changed. After clocking there is a “window of opportunity” for birds to return where birds arrive fairly steadily for about 1 ½ hours . The “ window” then closes and there are suddenly long periods between arrivals. Overall, less birds arrive and a significant number of late ones are injured. As the race gets longer, the “ window” seems to close earlier and earlier. Many fanciers put this phenomenon purely down to increased numbers of falcons and although this is certainly likely to be a significant factor , altered Australian pigeon population genetics, moving away from the Australian long distance blood lines in favour of the Euro sprint types, and decreased birdage due to declining membership and race entries are also likely to be factors. Anecdotally there do seem to be more falcons. This year for the first time I had 2 race birds grabbed by falcons from different races as they came to the loft – after 300 miles only 20 meters to go and grabbed -- and also a bird killed by a falcon on a Sunday morning after flying a 250 mile race the day before.
In 1990 the Melbourne federations had a combined 600 mile (1000km ) race from Collarenebri. It had an entry of 5,700 birds. About half of these birds came from VHA members. I won this race clocking at 11.20 am the next day. In 1992 the Langwell national, a distance of 400miles ( 700 km) , another combined race , attracted an entry of 9300 birds. I was also lucky enough to win this race. It would be a great shame, but it seems likely, that races from these distances with these entries, will never occur in Australia again. Yet, it is these type of races that stimulate the excitement that maintains fanciers keenness for the sport. Many fanciers that I have spoken to find it hard to maintain motivation with consistent significant losses . As mentioned above the VHA entry in the annual 600mile race was about 2850 birds ( ie half of the 5700 birds sent ) in 1990. This year it is likely to be about 300 birds. This represents a reduction of 90% in 30 years. I believe that increasing bird loss is something that needs to be seriously addressed if we are to maintain our membership. If this cannot be addressed then all other matters regarding pigeon racing will potentially become trivial. Essentially, if we can’t get birds home , how can the sport continue? The matter will be raised at the next VRPB meeting
Public Awareness.
I live and race in an open countryside situation. Our home is surrounded on 3 sides by market gardens. After we had been living here for several months and I had a kit of young race birds flying, I had a complaint from my market gardener neighbors asking me to stop letting my pigeons out. A group of pigeons had apparently taken up residence in one of their tool sheds and were pooing over everything. I went over and found that the pigeons were, of course, a group of ferals. I pointed out, to my neighbors, the difference between feral and racing pigeons and explained the sport to them. In the years that have passed since then, occasionally feral pigeons go into their sheds and sometimes come into my lofts but with some knowledge and understanding everyone is happy. Indeed my neighbors were fascinated by the whole racing process and now when seeing my team exercising almost admire them.
In a “one on one” situation it was easy for me as a neighbor to sort out the situation. Recently however, I understand, that federations have been asked by councils in both Mildura and Broken Hill not to release race birds. This is the same situation that I had with my neighbors but on a larger scale. Whose responsibility is it to resolve this misunderstanding and educate the councils involved? Now that we have the ANRPB and VRPB , organisations whose charter is to promote pigeon racing, incidents like these should be reported to these bodies. To do nothing does not advance the sport or improve its reputation. Ignorance spreads, but so does knowledge. So , if you encounter a situation like this , no need to just shrug your shoulders and move on. If you are in Victoria contact the VRPB. If you are anywhere else contact the ANRPB.
The Effect of Genetics
It’s obvious to anyone who has raced pigeon for any time that genetics has a big impact on race results. I had a particularly stunning example of this effect this season. A very good friend of mine is a very successful long distance pigeon racer. He has a reputation of getting high positions in the long distance races and good returns in all races. In fact, several years ago he won our federations long distance averages, with over 140 members competing, with a very small team of pigeons. Although his main focus is the long races , he recently decided that it would be nice to be more competitive in the shorter races. To this end, he swapped some of his long distance birds for an older pair of Herman Ceusters with a Sydney fancier. The pair had already produced good birds in Sydney and he was advised not to race the birds past 350 miles (500k). Being an older pair, each of the first 3 rounds only contained one youngster. When he was splitting the birds up , he noticed however that both of the fourth round eggs were filled and so he decided to let the pair raise these babies as well. This gave him a total of 5 youngsters off the pair to race. Months later and seven races into our program we came to our last short/middle distance race of 350 miles. By this stage he had gained 3 fed positions ( birds in the top 30 ) and they were all gained by birds bred off the “Sydney” pair. In the final 350 mile race, because it was the last short / middle distance race, he sent all 5 birds. One was his clockbird , again gaining a fed position, and all 5 were in the first 8 birds to the loft. This gave him a total of 4 fed positions . Very respectable, but if he had not had that one pair, he would have had no fed positions in the shorter races. These “Sydney” birds were in the same loft , fed the same way , trained the same way, medicated the same way — the only difference was their genetics.
Herpes Virus in Western Australia
A recent investigation of the cause of persistent yellow spots in the pharyngeal tonsil ( above the “fringe” ) in some race birds in Western Australia has found the cause to be Herpes virus. Testing ruled out other possible causes, notably wet canker, a bacterial infection, a respiratory infection and vitamin A deficiency. Herpes virus appears to be being diagnosed with increasing frequency . Fanciers should consider this as a potential cause of ill health in youngsters and a failure to come into race form in race birds
Doping Update
Last year I summarised the current information available on doping in an update that appeared in this journal. This information has now also been placed on the VRPB website, www.vrpb.org.au. More recently more information has become available. The IVPA, ( International Association of Pigeon Veterinarians , of which I am the Australian rep ) in early 2022, released a document addressing several concerns regarding testing for doping.
Following on from the earlier update ,the main concern is the difficulty in interpreting the results of doping tests. Frustratingly, there is very little scientific research available in racing pigeons to fall back on when assessing and interpreting the results of studies done on droppings. In Belgium, the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC ) studies the results and, on the basis of available scientific data and information, gives advice to the NRB (National Board of Directors) of the KBDB/RFCB about a concentration of a prohibited substance that has been found. This advice helps the NRB to decide if further action needs to be taken against a fancier whose birds have returned a positive result. The SAC’s advice is vital because some prohibited substances are found quite normally at certain levels in the body . It is a matter of deciding if the detected level is sufficiently elevated to possibly be due to a malicious intent.
Particular concerns are
1/ A relatively high number of positive A samples yield different results than the B sample. This raises questions about the composition, collecting, processing and storage of the dropping samples. The IVPA has contacted several experts who have given several possible reasons for this :
a/ the sample is a collection of droppings from throughout the loft. It is vital that the sample is truly homogeneously mixed. For example if only one pigeon of 12 in a loft section is positive then if the droppings from that birds are not evenly mixed with the others this will skew the results . It has been suggested that testing individual birds is more reliable.
b/ Uniformly collected and stable samples are essential for accurate testing. Temperature fluctuations can lead to degradation Ongoing bacterial activity in the sample can alter substance levels and persistent moisture in the sample can also affect the results. It is therefore suggested that all samples are immediately frozen after collection.
c/The tests are very sensitive. Detected levels can be very low. Sample contamination through human error can occur. The people collecting and handling the samples must be aware of this.
d/ There are also concerns over substances that occur naturally in plant products that might be fed to pigeons such as cereals, seeds and herbal mixtures. For example, poppy seeds may be fed. These contain opiates that can break down to morphine which is a prohibited substance. Further complicating matters is that opiates are quite quickly metabolised so that the time from ingestion until the time of testing very much influences the result.
e/ Some prohibited substances , in particular cortisols , are naturally produced within the body. Not only are these substances present but their level naturally fluctuates as part of the pigeons normal physiology. This makes interpretation of a positive result very challenging. Anecdotally ,prednisolone ( a cortisol ) use is very common in Belgium . Cortisol and corticosterone can be produced by pigeons under stress and cortisol can be converted to prednisolone by some bacterial enzymes further compounding interpretation. Zero tolerance is therefore inappropriate . Currently a residue concentration of 0.5 micrograms of prednisolone per kg of droppings ie 0.0000000005 grams of prednisolone per gram of droppings is regarded as positive for doping.
The debate regarding doping continues. Doping affects the pigeon fancier, the producers of feed and food supplements, the veterinarian and the sport itself. The IVPA is organising a discussion for veterinarians in conjunction with the KBDB later this year to bring more clarity to the sampling and testing of samples.
ANRPB Grand National Race
Fanciers may recall that the ANRPB was organising a race open to fanciers in NSW, Vic, SA and Qland from Cobar to be conducted on the 8th October. Letters, emails and entrance forms were distributed. Birds from each state were to be released separately based on the weather and distance to be flown. Apparently the idea was to bring the pigeon fanciers of Australia together. At the time of writing, 15th October, it is now a week since the proposed race. It is unclear what actually happened. I am not aware of any results and nothing is on the ANRPB website. All I know is that 4 of the Melbourne federations, all of which had a scheduled race from Cobar on the same day and whose birds were transported on the one truck, decided several weeks before the event to release their birds about 40 km short ( ie south ) of Cobar to minimise the risk of any clashing. Four days before the proposed grand national, Melbourne fanciers were still enquiring about the availability of entrance forms and about race details. So , I don’t know if any Victorian birds or birds from other states actually competed. Hopefully I will have some information in the next Journal which will be out in December.
Organising such a race is not easy and very time consuming. Fanciers may recall that about 20 years ago in an earlier attempt to form a national body, the late Tom Wills organised a very similar event. Difficulties led to the race only being conducted once and unfortunately soon afterwards this initial national body ceased to operate.
Within the sport there are many organisations that can organise a race. There are however many issues regarding pigeon racing that only national and state pigeon racing bodies can address. Last year, as discussed in this Journal, the VRPB decided that it would be best to use its time to deal with these.
Vet Questions
1/ I have a pigeon which has a very overgrown top beak. I have trimmed it back so that it can eat. What would cause this to occur?
This is surprisingly common Some pigeons are born with long beaks and this is normal for them. However when a bird’s
beak starts to suddenly increase in length when it is an adult this is usually associated with disease. The visible part of the upper beak is called the rhinotheca. It grows like a human fingernail with the area at the top of the beak gradually moving towards the beak tip. The beak is totally replaced every 3-6 months. Usually the rate of growth matched the rate of wear and so the beak always appears the same length. Abnormally long beaks will develop in only 2 situations
1/ if there is disease or injury involving the growth area at the base of the beak near the cere or
2/ if there is internal disease, particularly involving the liver.
Trimming the beak will temporarily help an affected bird eat its food but the long term answer is to identify and correct the underlying problem so that normal beak growth can again occur.
Investigating beak base problems involves taking a tissue sample and examining this under a microscope. Internal disease, particularly of the liver, is assessed by running a blood panel. An avian vet can do this work for you. Diagnostic work can be expensive and so how you proceed will to some extent depend on the value that you place on the bird.
2/ One of my stock birds has a yellow lump next to its keel(refer to photo). It is quite hard but I am able to move it around. What might it be and what should I do it treat it? ( photo attached)
A lump like this under the skin could potentially be either a malignant tumour, a benign tumour, a cyst or a bacterial infection that has caused an abscess to form. Malignant tumours invade the tissue that surrounds them as they increase in size and are therefore firmly attached to it. Benign tumours are locally expansile . This means that, as they increase in size, they literally expand like a balloon in the process pushing normal tissue ahead of them . This means that they are not firmly attached to surrounding tissue and are able to be moved around. Cysts are benign sac- like structures that are made up of an outer membrane filled with either fluid or other material. Normally skin cells move to the surface, die and are shed.But these cells sometimes move deeper into the skin and multiply, forming a sac that is called a skin cyst. If this lump is an infection it is important to remember that pus in birds is not like that in mammals. Birds lack the enzymes in their lysosomes ( a type of white blood cell ) to produce a liquid pus like that of mammals. Pigeon pus is solid and yellow and looks just like the material that forms with a canker infection. If the lump is an abscess then “lancing” and expressing the material followed by a course of antibiotics may resolve the problem. If a cyst is “lanced” and expressed it will come back because the abnormal membrane is still there. Cysts need to be surgically removed to prevent re-occurence. Often though if cysts are small they are just left. They are painless and provided they are not interfering with the pigeon moving around this is reasonable. All tumours including benign ones are best removed surgically. Malignant tumours can spread and benign tumours tend to get bigger and bigger with time which means their size can start to interfere with the pigeons function. The birds can also knock them which can lead to bleeding. Allowing tumours to get bigger also means that it becomes more involved to eventually remove them.
All in all , it is best to have your local avian vet examine the bird. If the lump is an abscess then lancing and antibiotics are worth a try. If, however, this is a bird that you particularly value then it is best to have the lump surgically removed.
3/ Many years ago I was quite paranoid about wet canker. As such, when basketing my race birds I would give them a flagyl tablet to ensure wet canker was not a problem for those going to the race. Would this approach cause any problems.
Giving canker tablets to race birds as they go to races has been done by various fanciers for many many years now and does not seem to cause any problems, In Australia there are 4 different canker drugs available in tablet form -- metronidazole ( available as Flagyl ), carnidazole ( available as Spartrix ) and secnidazole and ronidazole ( available in a combined tablet called Ronsec S ). Metronidazole is available in tablets that go under different names such as Canker R tabs etc but these are just repackaged Flagyl tabs. The other canker drug available in Australia, dimetridazole, only comes as a water soluble powder. Birds are given a whole Spartix or Ronsec tab. The dose of Flagyl is 25mg /pigeon. Flagyl tablets are 200 mg so this works out to be 1/8th tablet per bird. Most fanciers give ¼ without problem. Is this practice worthwhile – in some situations yes—the practice is likely to decrease trichomonad pickup in race units. It is important however to remember that with an established canker infection that time must be allowed for the birds to recover after treatment. In an established wet canker infection, treatment needs to be given for several days and it is not until several days after the completion of treatment and eradication of the canker that the birds start to visibly improve.
4/ Where are the PMV RAT tests available from and how much do they cost?
The PMV Rat tests are imported by the Australian Pigeon Company under licence. The likely cost to fanciers will be between $15 and $20. They are in stock now but before supplying they need to be validated in Australia. This means that they need to be shown to accurate and so we are looking to run them on birds that have been confirmed as having PMV through other methods such as PCR and histopathology. To this end,we have supplied some to fanciers in high risk situations such as the managers of OLRs to test. They work well overseas so it is extremely likely that they will work well here too but obviously we need to be 100% sure before we supply them. Once validated they will be fantastically useful to fanciers. Any fancier whose birds have pools of urine in the dropping or other signs that could be due to PMV can do the test at home in less than 3 minutes. With PMV PCRs currently costing $140 and tissue testing $200 upwards PMV RATs are not only quick and easy but also cheap. We hope to have them validated during this year’s breeding season and once done will let fanciers know in this Journal that they are available.
The VRPB had a Microsoft teams meeting on Wednesday 5th October. The primary purpose of the meeting was to discuss the new animal welfare act – “A Plan for Victoria’s New Animal Care and Protection Laws” that is being introduced in Victoria. After the meeting an explanatory summary of the new act and how it will effect pigeon racing was prepared by the VRPB. It is hoped that this will help Victorian fanciers understand the new act and its ramifications for them. This is now being sent to Victorian Clubs and federations. If you did not receive this correspondence, and would like to, please contact VRPB secretary Marc Tenaglia at [email protected]. It is suggested that federations make their members aware of these changes and that fanciers take note of their new legal requirements under the act.
On a different matter, the hosting of the VRPB’s domain name, www.vrpb.org.au by Crazy domains attracts an annual fee of $212 . This has generously been paid this year by our editor and Northern Districts Invitation Combine (NDIC ) VRPB rep Jeff Howell. Without ongoing support, financial and otherwise, by the fanciers of Victoria the VRPB would not exist. Many thanks Jeff.
A Plan for Victoria’s New Animal Care and Protection Laws
Summary and overview
A new plan for Victoria’s animal care and protection laws is being developed by the Minister of Agriculture , Gayle Tierney. The plan will take the form of a new act supported by various regulations. The new plan will replace the existing Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Act ( POCTA Act ). Pigeon racing will be affected. The VRPB has reviewed the proposed act and associated regulations.
Under the new act various “classes of conduct”( ie activities) that are acknowledged to cause some harm ,pain or distress to animals will be exempt from attracting care or cruelty offences and therefore permitted, provided they are conducted in a certain way. Pigeon racing is one of these activities. A framework of regulations will prescribe controls for such activities so that risks to animals of harm, pain or distress are appropriately managed and that these interactions with animals have clear authority to continue under the new laws. These activities include fishing, rodeos, hunting and animal racing ( including pigeon racing ).
Under the new regulations some activities that could be associated with pigeon racing now attract care and cruelty offences. These are discussed in more detail in the following text. Fanciers, clubs and federations need to familiarize themselves with these.
For pigeon racing to be self- regulating it is important that clubs and federations accept the responsibility of doing everything possible to minimize harm , pain or distress to pigeons. Part of this responsibility is to ensure that their members are both informed about their obligations under the new act and are made aware of activities that may now attract care or cruelty convictions. It then becomes the fanciers responsibility to comply.
The VRPB’s role is explained more fully in the following text however as part of its role, the VRPB, will keep federations and clubs informed of developments and at the same time make suggestions that will help maintain the excellent care and standards that currently operate throughout the sport in Victoria.
A new act and plan governing animal welfare in Victoria and its effect on pigeon racing
Since 1986 laws relating to the care and welfare of animals in Victoria have been covered by the “Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act’ (POCTA Act )
In 2020 a new act was proposed. The policy proposals were developed following consultation with over 50 animal –based industries and community organizations. The proposals were released for public comment. More than 1200 responses were received. There was no input from pigeon racing. The ANRPB did not become involved. The VRPB did not exist.
The current plan , titled, a “Plan for Victoria’s New Animal Care and Protection Laws” provides another opportunity for feedback. With the VRPB now in existence we have the opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way. The main aim of the new laws is to help protect animals from cruelty while enabling Victorians to continue to interact responsibly with animals.
The office of the Minister of Agriculture, Gayle Tierney, is seeking feedback on any concerns about the policy positions in the plan. This includes where greater clarity may be needed, or where unintended consequences are identified.
What would not change under the new act?
Current legal and legitimate activities such as hunting, fishing, farming, racing and pest control would be able to continue under the new laws. Pigeon racing is not specifically mentioned but is included in these activities under “racing”.
What would change under the new act?
1/ Sentience.
The new laws would recognise that animals have the capacity to feel, perceive their environment and to have positive and negative experiences like pleasure and pain ie that they are sentient. This is the first time that animal sentience will be explicitly recognised in Victoria.. This recognition underpins the approach to the new laws and includes setting basic care requirements for animals and the regulation of legal activities , such as pigeon racing, which have a risk of causing animals harm, pain or distress. All vertebrate animals and decapods ( crabs etc ) and cephalopods ( eg octopus’ ) are covered by the new act
2/ Regulations
The new act will outline the basic principles of animal care and welfare and provide supporting regulations that will set out various requirements in more detail. These regulations will be grouped by species or the general activity that the animals are used for eg research, farming, companion etc. One group is “Animal in Entertainment”. Pigeon racing falls into this group. The regulations that will be developed will cover any additional provisions that relate specifically to the use of animals in each group. In the Animal in Entertainment group these will cover animals used for sport, competition, events, exhibition and recreational activities.
Matters more suited to being detailed in the regulations, rather than the Act, are those that are specific to a certain species or activity (including more detail about the care requirements and what constitutes cruelty for that species or activity). This is particularly relevant to pigeon racing and would potentially itemise race release criteria , acceptable risk of loss or injury etc . The VRPB will address this.
Much of the detail in the regulations to support the new Act will be based on the existing POCTA Regulations and Codes of Practice, as well as the Australian Code for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes, and the Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines (which the VRPB and ANRPB have reviewed and are on the VRPB website )
3/ Offences
In the new act, unlike in POCTA ,offences are listed and therefore the regulations are enforceable. The new laws would introduce an enforceable care requirement for animals under a person’s care and control. Care requirements would cover nutrition, environment, health and other needs. Care requirements will be set in Victorian law for the first time. These requirements will be enforceable and subject to penalty. In addition new laws would introduce 3 escalating cruelty offences from general cruelty ,aggravated cruelty and a new indictable offence , intentional or reckless cruelty.
Offences under the new laws are itemised. It is worth noting that under the new laws :-
1/ Failing to provide sufficient food and drink to a confined animal would be defined as an act of cruelty, and would not require proof of harm, pain or distress.
2/ Failing to provide veterinary treatment to a sick or injured animal would be defined as an act of cruelty and would not require proof of harm, pain or distress.
3/ Any action conducted in a way that causes or would likely cause unreasonable harm, pain or distress to an animal would be a general cruelty offence. It is a cruelty offence to carry out a prohibited procedure on an animal. These would include veterinary-only procedures where the default approach would be for these to be conducted by a registered veterinarian such as performing surgery and where a procedure would ordinarily be done using local or general anaesthesia.
4/ The new laws would prohibit baiting and luring. High penalties would apply of up to $90,870 (at 30 June 2022) or imprisonment of up to two years. Fanciers are reminded that all Australian birds of prey are protected species . It is illegal to trap, confine or injure them.
5/ Culling. When indicated, although euthanasia by a veterinarian is the preferred option, cervical dislocation ( ie “breaking the neck”) is regarded as a humane method of euthanasia in experienced hands. Fanciers need to ensure that birds are culled for appropriate reasons. Culling of an aged unwell bird or a younger seriously injured bird ,particularly after veterinary advice, is likely to be appropriate. The killing of young healthy birds purely on the basis that they are poor quality racers is not.
The new laws will provide a consistent approach to activities that would simply not be regarded as acceptable by the average member of society , with appropriate high penalties.
How would the new act affect pigeon racing ?
The new act will set out a framework outlining how specific activities or “classes of conduct”, such as pigeon racing ,will be conducted
This framework will provide regulations that may prescribe controls for some types of conduct so that risks to animals of harm, pain or distress are appropriately managed and that legal and legitimate interactions with animals have clear authority to continue under the new laws. Specific classes of conduct include “Organising an event in which animals are used in sport, competition or recreation” and would therefore cover pigeon racing.
Undertaking an activity allowed by the regulations would provide an exception to the care and cruelty offences. The plan outlines that “Making detailed regulations about some activities that fall within specified classes of conduct would make it explicit that they are permitted provided they are performed in a certain way. This would give certainty to people undertaking those activities while ensuring associated risks and impacts to animals were managed or minimised”
Currently requirements for specific industries and animal uses with risks to animal care and protection are inconsistent. A single framework for specified classes of conduct in the new laws would provide a consistent approach. The new Act would not change current requirements for specific activities. Any changes would be made when developing the new regulations, which must include stakeholder and community consultation, as well as impact assessments. If there are no regulations for how a particular activity must be done, then the activity would be allowed, unless it causes a care or cruelty offence.
The plan specifies various matters regarding compliance and enforcement such as who are authorised officers, what are their powers, the seizure and disposal of animals ,various administrative concerns and the acts relationship to other regulatory guides as well as specific information for various people involved directly with animals such as farmers, recreational fishers and veterinarians.
VRPB Role
The VRPB’s role is to act as a conduit between the government and fanciers . As such it needs to keep fanciers abreast of current developments and make them aware of parts of the act that specifically relate to them . Also as the representative body for pigeon racing in Victoria the VRPB needs to be available to liaise and advise government about pigeon racing and ensure, that in doing so, it effectively relays the wishes of Victorian fanciers to the government .
More specifically the aims of the VRPB in this matter are : -
1/ Not to change the existing legislation. This is outlined in POCTA and the Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines
2/ Inform Victorian fanciers of parts of the legislation that may affect them
3/ As one of the aims of the current plan is to clarify the situation regarding various animal related activities, it is important to ensure that standard activities associated with pigeon racing are deemed appropriate. An understanding would be developed that despite every effort being made to care for the birds ,both in home lofts and during a race, that there are inherent risks associated with releasing birds to fly and race. Once the birds are free in the sky they are beyond direct control and that this inevitably leads to some birds being injured or lost. It is acknowledged that some activities do cause some harm and distress to animals but if conducted in a particular way are legal eg rodeos and fishing.
4/ Be available to advise the minister if it is thought that changes to the regulatory framework covering pigeon racing need to be made. As outlined this would only be done after stakeholder and community consultation.
5/As mentioned at the beginning of this piece the VRPB is keen to provide input to help feds, clubs and fanciers aiming to assist them to maintain a high and uniform standard of care for racing pigeons. Although this piece covers the broader changes to animal welfare in Victoria and its effect on pigeon racing it is not inappropriate to list some examples. Matters to consider currently include :-
a/ Collection of lost birds – injured or lost birds should be collected promptly. Many of these birds are found by members of the public or are taken to the RSPCA. A failure to promptly collect these birds risks exposing these birds to unnecessary discomfort and tarnishes the sports reputation. Various feds have penalties in place for delayed or non-collection. Local fanciers can be contacted to collect. Couriers can be organised by feds with the birds owners to pay costs.
b/ Training ( tossing ) of birds that may be injured or unwell – fanciers need to ensure that birds sent for training are not unwell or injured. Commercial trainers sometimes report finding visibly injured birds in their units or discovering, on release ,that some birds are not able to fly properly
c/ Social media – fanciers need to remind themselves that anything placed on social media can be viewed by many and reproduced. Criticising pigeon racing on line risks bringing pigeon racing, a sport they presumably care about and want to support generally, into disrepute. Criticism in the public domain also serves no purpose. If a fancier genuinely has a grievance he should raise his concern at his next club or fed meeting or alternatively contact his VRPB rep so that the matter can be properly addressed and something be done. To my mind , fanciers that really want to get something done, do not spend much time on social media
What happens if there is delay in getting the pigeon pox vaccine to me?
With the pigeon pox vaccine now being available, fanciers are placing orders and the APC is sending the vaccine out. Sometimes, despite using express post or couriers the vaccine can take 3 or even 4 days to reach fanciers. A common question is “will the vaccine still be OK?”
For long term storage the pox vaccine is best kept frozen. However, the pox vaccine is very stable. The APC has been sending the vaccine out for over 25 years now and it is not uncommon for the vaccine to take several days to reach its destination. Despite this, fanciers report that the vaccine has been used with 100% uptake. This is consistent with the manufacturer’s advice that freeze dried vaccines like the pox vaccine, can be viable anywhere between 5-7 days outside of a refrigerated environment. Despite this we suggest ordering vaccines while it is cool so that if there are any delays the vaccine is less likely to be exposed to prolonged or extreme heat and still be viable when it arrives. The vaccine is sent out in small eskies that are filled with ice packs either by express post or direct courier when cool weather is forecast . With all these factors in our favour, a delay is not currently a cause for concern. Having said all that , the vaccine should be placed in the freezer on arrival . Please don’t forget to fill in the supplied questionnaire that comes with the vaccine. As explained earlier this information is vital to register the vaccine and maintain supply.
The Changing Face of Pigeon Racing
In 1991, the VHA had on its program a 400ml (700 km ) race into Melbourne with about 300 fanciers and 2500 birds competing. It was a steady fly and after a 7am release the birds started arriving in Melbourne around 6pm. I clocked at about 6.15pm and was 13th with my first one. Three minutes later I got 2 together and these were 29th. After a 11 hour fly in only 3 minutes, 16 VHA positions had been taken. By 7pm it was pitch black yet before then out of the 40 birds that I had sent , I had another 6 birds. My experience was typical of competing fanciers. The next year in 1992, in the statewide 700 mile ( 1150 km ) race, I clocked 2 birds 15 minutes apart at 11 am and 11.15 am on the second day . Despite being only 15 minutes apart from 700 miles they were placed 4th and 20th. Sixteen places had been filled in just 15 minutes on the second day from 700 miles. I got 9 of my 30 entries on the winning day. Fast forward to 2022 and the style of racing that we see, at least in Melbourne has dramatically changed. After clocking there is a “window of opportunity” for birds to return where birds arrive fairly steadily for about 1 ½ hours . The “ window” then closes and there are suddenly long periods between arrivals. Overall, less birds arrive and a significant number of late ones are injured. As the race gets longer, the “ window” seems to close earlier and earlier. Many fanciers put this phenomenon purely down to increased numbers of falcons and although this is certainly likely to be a significant factor , altered Australian pigeon population genetics, moving away from the Australian long distance blood lines in favour of the Euro sprint types, and decreased birdage due to declining membership and race entries are also likely to be factors. Anecdotally there do seem to be more falcons. This year for the first time I had 2 race birds grabbed by falcons from different races as they came to the loft – after 300 miles only 20 meters to go and grabbed -- and also a bird killed by a falcon on a Sunday morning after flying a 250 mile race the day before.
In 1990 the Melbourne federations had a combined 600 mile (1000km ) race from Collarenebri. It had an entry of 5,700 birds. About half of these birds came from VHA members. I won this race clocking at 11.20 am the next day. In 1992 the Langwell national, a distance of 400miles ( 700 km) , another combined race , attracted an entry of 9300 birds. I was also lucky enough to win this race. It would be a great shame, but it seems likely, that races from these distances with these entries, will never occur in Australia again. Yet, it is these type of races that stimulate the excitement that maintains fanciers keenness for the sport. Many fanciers that I have spoken to find it hard to maintain motivation with consistent significant losses . As mentioned above the VHA entry in the annual 600mile race was about 2850 birds ( ie half of the 5700 birds sent ) in 1990. This year it is likely to be about 300 birds. This represents a reduction of 90% in 30 years. I believe that increasing bird loss is something that needs to be seriously addressed if we are to maintain our membership. If this cannot be addressed then all other matters regarding pigeon racing will potentially become trivial. Essentially, if we can’t get birds home , how can the sport continue? The matter will be raised at the next VRPB meeting
Public Awareness.
I live and race in an open countryside situation. Our home is surrounded on 3 sides by market gardens. After we had been living here for several months and I had a kit of young race birds flying, I had a complaint from my market gardener neighbors asking me to stop letting my pigeons out. A group of pigeons had apparently taken up residence in one of their tool sheds and were pooing over everything. I went over and found that the pigeons were, of course, a group of ferals. I pointed out, to my neighbors, the difference between feral and racing pigeons and explained the sport to them. In the years that have passed since then, occasionally feral pigeons go into their sheds and sometimes come into my lofts but with some knowledge and understanding everyone is happy. Indeed my neighbors were fascinated by the whole racing process and now when seeing my team exercising almost admire them.
In a “one on one” situation it was easy for me as a neighbor to sort out the situation. Recently however, I understand, that federations have been asked by councils in both Mildura and Broken Hill not to release race birds. This is the same situation that I had with my neighbors but on a larger scale. Whose responsibility is it to resolve this misunderstanding and educate the councils involved? Now that we have the ANRPB and VRPB , organisations whose charter is to promote pigeon racing, incidents like these should be reported to these bodies. To do nothing does not advance the sport or improve its reputation. Ignorance spreads, but so does knowledge. So , if you encounter a situation like this , no need to just shrug your shoulders and move on. If you are in Victoria contact the VRPB. If you are anywhere else contact the ANRPB.
The Effect of Genetics
It’s obvious to anyone who has raced pigeon for any time that genetics has a big impact on race results. I had a particularly stunning example of this effect this season. A very good friend of mine is a very successful long distance pigeon racer. He has a reputation of getting high positions in the long distance races and good returns in all races. In fact, several years ago he won our federations long distance averages, with over 140 members competing, with a very small team of pigeons. Although his main focus is the long races , he recently decided that it would be nice to be more competitive in the shorter races. To this end, he swapped some of his long distance birds for an older pair of Herman Ceusters with a Sydney fancier. The pair had already produced good birds in Sydney and he was advised not to race the birds past 350 miles (500k). Being an older pair, each of the first 3 rounds only contained one youngster. When he was splitting the birds up , he noticed however that both of the fourth round eggs were filled and so he decided to let the pair raise these babies as well. This gave him a total of 5 youngsters off the pair to race. Months later and seven races into our program we came to our last short/middle distance race of 350 miles. By this stage he had gained 3 fed positions ( birds in the top 30 ) and they were all gained by birds bred off the “Sydney” pair. In the final 350 mile race, because it was the last short / middle distance race, he sent all 5 birds. One was his clockbird , again gaining a fed position, and all 5 were in the first 8 birds to the loft. This gave him a total of 4 fed positions . Very respectable, but if he had not had that one pair, he would have had no fed positions in the shorter races. These “Sydney” birds were in the same loft , fed the same way , trained the same way, medicated the same way — the only difference was their genetics.
Herpes Virus in Western Australia
A recent investigation of the cause of persistent yellow spots in the pharyngeal tonsil ( above the “fringe” ) in some race birds in Western Australia has found the cause to be Herpes virus. Testing ruled out other possible causes, notably wet canker, a bacterial infection, a respiratory infection and vitamin A deficiency. Herpes virus appears to be being diagnosed with increasing frequency . Fanciers should consider this as a potential cause of ill health in youngsters and a failure to come into race form in race birds
Doping Update
Last year I summarised the current information available on doping in an update that appeared in this journal. This information has now also been placed on the VRPB website, www.vrpb.org.au. More recently more information has become available. The IVPA, ( International Association of Pigeon Veterinarians , of which I am the Australian rep ) in early 2022, released a document addressing several concerns regarding testing for doping.
Following on from the earlier update ,the main concern is the difficulty in interpreting the results of doping tests. Frustratingly, there is very little scientific research available in racing pigeons to fall back on when assessing and interpreting the results of studies done on droppings. In Belgium, the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC ) studies the results and, on the basis of available scientific data and information, gives advice to the NRB (National Board of Directors) of the KBDB/RFCB about a concentration of a prohibited substance that has been found. This advice helps the NRB to decide if further action needs to be taken against a fancier whose birds have returned a positive result. The SAC’s advice is vital because some prohibited substances are found quite normally at certain levels in the body . It is a matter of deciding if the detected level is sufficiently elevated to possibly be due to a malicious intent.
Particular concerns are
1/ A relatively high number of positive A samples yield different results than the B sample. This raises questions about the composition, collecting, processing and storage of the dropping samples. The IVPA has contacted several experts who have given several possible reasons for this :
a/ the sample is a collection of droppings from throughout the loft. It is vital that the sample is truly homogeneously mixed. For example if only one pigeon of 12 in a loft section is positive then if the droppings from that birds are not evenly mixed with the others this will skew the results . It has been suggested that testing individual birds is more reliable.
b/ Uniformly collected and stable samples are essential for accurate testing. Temperature fluctuations can lead to degradation Ongoing bacterial activity in the sample can alter substance levels and persistent moisture in the sample can also affect the results. It is therefore suggested that all samples are immediately frozen after collection.
c/The tests are very sensitive. Detected levels can be very low. Sample contamination through human error can occur. The people collecting and handling the samples must be aware of this.
d/ There are also concerns over substances that occur naturally in plant products that might be fed to pigeons such as cereals, seeds and herbal mixtures. For example, poppy seeds may be fed. These contain opiates that can break down to morphine which is a prohibited substance. Further complicating matters is that opiates are quite quickly metabolised so that the time from ingestion until the time of testing very much influences the result.
e/ Some prohibited substances , in particular cortisols , are naturally produced within the body. Not only are these substances present but their level naturally fluctuates as part of the pigeons normal physiology. This makes interpretation of a positive result very challenging. Anecdotally ,prednisolone ( a cortisol ) use is very common in Belgium . Cortisol and corticosterone can be produced by pigeons under stress and cortisol can be converted to prednisolone by some bacterial enzymes further compounding interpretation. Zero tolerance is therefore inappropriate . Currently a residue concentration of 0.5 micrograms of prednisolone per kg of droppings ie 0.0000000005 grams of prednisolone per gram of droppings is regarded as positive for doping.
The debate regarding doping continues. Doping affects the pigeon fancier, the producers of feed and food supplements, the veterinarian and the sport itself. The IVPA is organising a discussion for veterinarians in conjunction with the KBDB later this year to bring more clarity to the sampling and testing of samples.
ANRPB Grand National Race
Fanciers may recall that the ANRPB was organising a race open to fanciers in NSW, Vic, SA and Qland from Cobar to be conducted on the 8th October. Letters, emails and entrance forms were distributed. Birds from each state were to be released separately based on the weather and distance to be flown. Apparently the idea was to bring the pigeon fanciers of Australia together. At the time of writing, 15th October, it is now a week since the proposed race. It is unclear what actually happened. I am not aware of any results and nothing is on the ANRPB website. All I know is that 4 of the Melbourne federations, all of which had a scheduled race from Cobar on the same day and whose birds were transported on the one truck, decided several weeks before the event to release their birds about 40 km short ( ie south ) of Cobar to minimise the risk of any clashing. Four days before the proposed grand national, Melbourne fanciers were still enquiring about the availability of entrance forms and about race details. So , I don’t know if any Victorian birds or birds from other states actually competed. Hopefully I will have some information in the next Journal which will be out in December.
Organising such a race is not easy and very time consuming. Fanciers may recall that about 20 years ago in an earlier attempt to form a national body, the late Tom Wills organised a very similar event. Difficulties led to the race only being conducted once and unfortunately soon afterwards this initial national body ceased to operate.
Within the sport there are many organisations that can organise a race. There are however many issues regarding pigeon racing that only national and state pigeon racing bodies can address. Last year, as discussed in this Journal, the VRPB decided that it would be best to use its time to deal with these.
Vet Questions
1/ I have a pigeon which has a very overgrown top beak. I have trimmed it back so that it can eat. What would cause this to occur?
This is surprisingly common Some pigeons are born with long beaks and this is normal for them. However when a bird’s
beak starts to suddenly increase in length when it is an adult this is usually associated with disease. The visible part of the upper beak is called the rhinotheca. It grows like a human fingernail with the area at the top of the beak gradually moving towards the beak tip. The beak is totally replaced every 3-6 months. Usually the rate of growth matched the rate of wear and so the beak always appears the same length. Abnormally long beaks will develop in only 2 situations
1/ if there is disease or injury involving the growth area at the base of the beak near the cere or
2/ if there is internal disease, particularly involving the liver.
Trimming the beak will temporarily help an affected bird eat its food but the long term answer is to identify and correct the underlying problem so that normal beak growth can again occur.
Investigating beak base problems involves taking a tissue sample and examining this under a microscope. Internal disease, particularly of the liver, is assessed by running a blood panel. An avian vet can do this work for you. Diagnostic work can be expensive and so how you proceed will to some extent depend on the value that you place on the bird.
2/ One of my stock birds has a yellow lump next to its keel(refer to photo). It is quite hard but I am able to move it around. What might it be and what should I do it treat it? ( photo attached)
A lump like this under the skin could potentially be either a malignant tumour, a benign tumour, a cyst or a bacterial infection that has caused an abscess to form. Malignant tumours invade the tissue that surrounds them as they increase in size and are therefore firmly attached to it. Benign tumours are locally expansile . This means that, as they increase in size, they literally expand like a balloon in the process pushing normal tissue ahead of them . This means that they are not firmly attached to surrounding tissue and are able to be moved around. Cysts are benign sac- like structures that are made up of an outer membrane filled with either fluid or other material. Normally skin cells move to the surface, die and are shed.But these cells sometimes move deeper into the skin and multiply, forming a sac that is called a skin cyst. If this lump is an infection it is important to remember that pus in birds is not like that in mammals. Birds lack the enzymes in their lysosomes ( a type of white blood cell ) to produce a liquid pus like that of mammals. Pigeon pus is solid and yellow and looks just like the material that forms with a canker infection. If the lump is an abscess then “lancing” and expressing the material followed by a course of antibiotics may resolve the problem. If a cyst is “lanced” and expressed it will come back because the abnormal membrane is still there. Cysts need to be surgically removed to prevent re-occurence. Often though if cysts are small they are just left. They are painless and provided they are not interfering with the pigeon moving around this is reasonable. All tumours including benign ones are best removed surgically. Malignant tumours can spread and benign tumours tend to get bigger and bigger with time which means their size can start to interfere with the pigeons function. The birds can also knock them which can lead to bleeding. Allowing tumours to get bigger also means that it becomes more involved to eventually remove them.
All in all , it is best to have your local avian vet examine the bird. If the lump is an abscess then lancing and antibiotics are worth a try. If, however, this is a bird that you particularly value then it is best to have the lump surgically removed.
3/ Many years ago I was quite paranoid about wet canker. As such, when basketing my race birds I would give them a flagyl tablet to ensure wet canker was not a problem for those going to the race. Would this approach cause any problems.
Giving canker tablets to race birds as they go to races has been done by various fanciers for many many years now and does not seem to cause any problems, In Australia there are 4 different canker drugs available in tablet form -- metronidazole ( available as Flagyl ), carnidazole ( available as Spartrix ) and secnidazole and ronidazole ( available in a combined tablet called Ronsec S ). Metronidazole is available in tablets that go under different names such as Canker R tabs etc but these are just repackaged Flagyl tabs. The other canker drug available in Australia, dimetridazole, only comes as a water soluble powder. Birds are given a whole Spartix or Ronsec tab. The dose of Flagyl is 25mg /pigeon. Flagyl tablets are 200 mg so this works out to be 1/8th tablet per bird. Most fanciers give ¼ without problem. Is this practice worthwhile – in some situations yes—the practice is likely to decrease trichomonad pickup in race units. It is important however to remember that with an established canker infection that time must be allowed for the birds to recover after treatment. In an established wet canker infection, treatment needs to be given for several days and it is not until several days after the completion of treatment and eradication of the canker that the birds start to visibly improve.
4/ Where are the PMV RAT tests available from and how much do they cost?
The PMV Rat tests are imported by the Australian Pigeon Company under licence. The likely cost to fanciers will be between $15 and $20. They are in stock now but before supplying they need to be validated in Australia. This means that they need to be shown to accurate and so we are looking to run them on birds that have been confirmed as having PMV through other methods such as PCR and histopathology. To this end,we have supplied some to fanciers in high risk situations such as the managers of OLRs to test. They work well overseas so it is extremely likely that they will work well here too but obviously we need to be 100% sure before we supply them. Once validated they will be fantastically useful to fanciers. Any fancier whose birds have pools of urine in the dropping or other signs that could be due to PMV can do the test at home in less than 3 minutes. With PMV PCRs currently costing $140 and tissue testing $200 upwards PMV RATs are not only quick and easy but also cheap. We hope to have them validated during this year’s breeding season and once done will let fanciers know in this Journal that they are available.
5/ I have a 2 year old stock cock that I have recently purchased. He is in excellent condition but his tongue is dramatically curled up at the end. What would cause his? ( photo attached )
It is likely that this bird has in some way damaged its tongue and the tongue has healed this way. In older birds tumours can occur in the mouth that can lead to tongue deformity but in a younger bird of this age it is likely that there has either been an infection or injury to the tongue. If the cause was an infection, then canker, pox virus or a bacteria would be the most likely organisms involved. In chickens, tongue deformities have been associated with nutritional deficiencies , in particular niacin. This, however is unlikely in a pigeon, given the care and diet that most pigeons receive and also the fact that the bird is in good condition. The problem with the tongue is unlikely to be genetic and if this cock is a good bird otherwise I would still breed with him.
6/ My birds appear to have an upper respiratory infection of some kind. Symptoms are "raw or pink" wattles, some have darker spots or off color wattles. What I have treated with:
a/ canker cocci and worms.
b/ Two weeks with Doxy Vet, then two weeks with Doxycycline; contiguous and using distilled water. Currently, a total of four (4) weeks.
Results have been slow to non-existent. I expected to see results quickly, not the case.My local vet has advised to make sure all the basics are addressed, I am confident they are ie: loft clean, ventilation, nutrition (as much as I can during treatment,) good grain etc. I related to my local vet that there has not been much resolution with the current treatment given. I am unsure if this is a chronic and stubborn issue that would need to be addressed longer under the current antibiotic, or should I pivot to another medication? Dr. Walker, I am asking should I stick with Doxycycline longer, because we are dealing with a stubborn germ and this is the process or should I change the treatment up.I am an experienced pigeon flyer and have some medical background. I have had pigeons for over thirty years I am thinking about sending some samples to a lab, if possible. I am investigating how to make that so.
It is quite reasonable , if you thought that your birds had a respiratory infection to try a 5 to 7 day course of doxycycline and monitor the response. Giving a 4 week course in the absence of a diagnosis is a bit unusual. Whether we are dealing with a resistant infection is impossible to say. At the moment, it is not known if the birds do, in fact. have a respiratory tract infection, or if they do, whether it is due to a bacteria and if it is a bacteria what antibiotics are effective against it.
I think your overriding objective should be to get a diagnosis. To this end I would :-
a/ stop all medications – these will confound subsequent test results
b/ Once the birds have been off medication for at least a week take some birds with typical symptoms to an avian vet – these can be found by googling “avian vets – Florida” or simply “avian vets near me”
c/ I would not recommend attempting to collect swabs for diagnosis yourself – swabs may be needed for bacterial culture or Chlamydia, Mycoplasmal or viral PCRs. These are best collected by experienced trained hands.
d/ the symptoms you describe may or may not be associated with a respiratory infection. If there is a respiratory infection present something will have precipitated this . This will need to be identified to prevent reoccurrence of the problem. Common tests to identify these things are blood profiles, faecal tests etc. An avian vet is the best person to do this. You may find the “For veterinarians” section at www.vrpb.org.au of value. It summarises the usual way that persistent pigeon health problems are investigated. This diagnostic pathway is modified as the need dictates. I am happy to review any veterinary results for you as they become available
7/ I have had a very good hen return absolutely flown down from long race. She is just skin and bone. I am concerned that she may be damaged internally but would like to give her a chance. What should I offer her?
It would be good to save such an honest hen. Small diameter grain and seeds with high protein and energy content are the way to go. Small seeds have a higher surface area for their volume and therefore are digested more quickly. Things such as hemp ( free of THC ), vetch , canola and canary seed are excellent in this situation. I would be concerned however, as you say , that she might be damaged inside. If she has flown very hard, her muscle tissue can start to break down. This releases a protein from the muscle called myoglobin. The myoglobin is excreted from the body through the kidneys .If it passes through the kidneys in a concentrated form it can damage the kidneys, sometimes irreparably and lead to a fatal outcome. One way of decreasing the chance of this happening is to give her 20 mls of warm water via crop tube directly into her crop 2 or 3 times daily ( as well as providing water all the time ).
It is likely that this bird has in some way damaged its tongue and the tongue has healed this way. In older birds tumours can occur in the mouth that can lead to tongue deformity but in a younger bird of this age it is likely that there has either been an infection or injury to the tongue. If the cause was an infection, then canker, pox virus or a bacteria would be the most likely organisms involved. In chickens, tongue deformities have been associated with nutritional deficiencies , in particular niacin. This, however is unlikely in a pigeon, given the care and diet that most pigeons receive and also the fact that the bird is in good condition. The problem with the tongue is unlikely to be genetic and if this cock is a good bird otherwise I would still breed with him.
6/ My birds appear to have an upper respiratory infection of some kind. Symptoms are "raw or pink" wattles, some have darker spots or off color wattles. What I have treated with:
a/ canker cocci and worms.
b/ Two weeks with Doxy Vet, then two weeks with Doxycycline; contiguous and using distilled water. Currently, a total of four (4) weeks.
Results have been slow to non-existent. I expected to see results quickly, not the case.My local vet has advised to make sure all the basics are addressed, I am confident they are ie: loft clean, ventilation, nutrition (as much as I can during treatment,) good grain etc. I related to my local vet that there has not been much resolution with the current treatment given. I am unsure if this is a chronic and stubborn issue that would need to be addressed longer under the current antibiotic, or should I pivot to another medication? Dr. Walker, I am asking should I stick with Doxycycline longer, because we are dealing with a stubborn germ and this is the process or should I change the treatment up.I am an experienced pigeon flyer and have some medical background. I have had pigeons for over thirty years I am thinking about sending some samples to a lab, if possible. I am investigating how to make that so.
It is quite reasonable , if you thought that your birds had a respiratory infection to try a 5 to 7 day course of doxycycline and monitor the response. Giving a 4 week course in the absence of a diagnosis is a bit unusual. Whether we are dealing with a resistant infection is impossible to say. At the moment, it is not known if the birds do, in fact. have a respiratory tract infection, or if they do, whether it is due to a bacteria and if it is a bacteria what antibiotics are effective against it.
I think your overriding objective should be to get a diagnosis. To this end I would :-
a/ stop all medications – these will confound subsequent test results
b/ Once the birds have been off medication for at least a week take some birds with typical symptoms to an avian vet – these can be found by googling “avian vets – Florida” or simply “avian vets near me”
c/ I would not recommend attempting to collect swabs for diagnosis yourself – swabs may be needed for bacterial culture or Chlamydia, Mycoplasmal or viral PCRs. These are best collected by experienced trained hands.
d/ the symptoms you describe may or may not be associated with a respiratory infection. If there is a respiratory infection present something will have precipitated this . This will need to be identified to prevent reoccurrence of the problem. Common tests to identify these things are blood profiles, faecal tests etc. An avian vet is the best person to do this. You may find the “For veterinarians” section at www.vrpb.org.au of value. It summarises the usual way that persistent pigeon health problems are investigated. This diagnostic pathway is modified as the need dictates. I am happy to review any veterinary results for you as they become available
7/ I have had a very good hen return absolutely flown down from long race. She is just skin and bone. I am concerned that she may be damaged internally but would like to give her a chance. What should I offer her?
It would be good to save such an honest hen. Small diameter grain and seeds with high protein and energy content are the way to go. Small seeds have a higher surface area for their volume and therefore are digested more quickly. Things such as hemp ( free of THC ), vetch , canola and canary seed are excellent in this situation. I would be concerned however, as you say , that she might be damaged inside. If she has flown very hard, her muscle tissue can start to break down. This releases a protein from the muscle called myoglobin. The myoglobin is excreted from the body through the kidneys .If it passes through the kidneys in a concentrated form it can damage the kidneys, sometimes irreparably and lead to a fatal outcome. One way of decreasing the chance of this happening is to give her 20 mls of warm water via crop tube directly into her crop 2 or 3 times daily ( as well as providing water all the time ).