Fat Eye
Fat Eye is a condition that causes watery eyes and swelling of the tissues around one or both eyes . The condition has been reported in a significant number of Victorian lofts in August. Fat Eye is caused by a particular type of Mycoplasma. Mycoplasmas are intracellular bacteria. They are fragile organisms and do not survive well in the environment. Disinfection of lofts or race baskets is not therefore part of control. However fanciers handling birds within their loft are likely to spread the infection from one bird to another either on their hands or by resting birds on the front of their clothing during handling. Immunity in recovered birds is not persistent so that when the disease gets into a loft, birds of all ages , including 2, 3 and 4 year olds that may have been infected before are equally vulnerable. Within the loft the disease is very contagious with the vast majority of birds ( sometimes greater than 90% ) developing symptoms within 2 weeks of the first cases being noticed. The environment in a race basket where birds come directly in contact with each other and also breath each- others air is ideal for spread. Blood profiles conducted on birds with the disease show that infected birds are not affected internally. However , the affected eyes of birds appear very sore with the birds squinting, producing excess tears and becoming quiet. Presumably this is because of the pain associated with the affected eye(s). The infection runs a natural course of 2 to 4 days in most birds although in some birds the eye swelling can persist for over 10 days. Medications such as doxycycline and tylan ( eg Doxy T and TripleVet ) effectively treat Mycoplasmal infections and can be given, however, many outbreaks of Fat Eye run a natural course of 2 to 4 days and resolve without treatment. Fanciers must realise however that not all cases of red , watery eyes in the race loft are due to Fat Eye. In cases where individual birds take more than 2 to 4 days to recover or the eye discharges take on a dried pus like appearance that sticks to the eyelid then Chlamydia or the more established other types of Mycoplasma that cause the condition termed One Eye Cold, should be suspected as likely causes. In these cases, treatment with TripleVet, 1 teaspoon to 2L of water for 3 to 5 days should be considered. Gentle washing of the eye with warm water on a cloth will soften and remove discharges which will hasten healing. The University of Melbourne continues to sequence the genome of the Mycoplasma that causes Fat Eye. This will hopefully enable speciation of the Mycoplasma. I will report these results when available.
Typically with Mycoplasmal disease in pigeons , the birds need exposure to the organism and usually some “trigger” that makes the bird vulnerable to actual disease. A strong correlation between birds recovering from Rota virus and Fat Eye has been observed. However not all cases of Fat Eye appear linked to Rota. Overseas it has been suggested that concurrent Herpes virus infection may be a trigger. However, so far, Herpes has not been identified in birds with Fat Eye in Australia. As yet the triggers for clinical disease with the Mycoplasma that causes Fat Eye remain unclear. Further testing is required to understand Fat Eye and its relationship to other health factors.
Key points in differentiating Fat Eye from the Chlamydia/Mycoplasma One Eye Cold complex:-
1/ In an outbreak in the loft ,Fat Eye affects birds of all ages while One Eye Cold tends to primarily affect young birds.
2/ Natural immunity to One Eye Cold is persistent and strengthens with age while with Fat Eye immunity is short term with recovered birds developing symptoms again, sometimes within months.
3/ One Eye Cold is often associated with flaws in the birds management or the loft environment that weaken the birds, in the process compromising the function of the birds immune system, making them more vulnerable to disease generally. Correction of these predisposing problems is an important part of control. Fat Eye often occurs in very well managed lofts where the birds appear in otherwise excellent health. The triggers for Fat Eye as yet are unknown
4/ Complete blood profiles and other tests conducted on birds with Fat Eye have shown that the disease does not affect the pigeons internally. By comparison, the Chlamydial and Mycoplasma types that cause One Eye Cold can affect the birds internally damaging the kidneys and liver and inflaming the airsacs
5/Fat Eye runs a short course with most infected birds recovering , often without treatment, in 2 to 4 days. Although birds with One Eye Cold can fix themselves, the process of recovery is more prolonged, and often does not occur, with some birds developing long term disease and even dying.
6/ The percentage of birds affected in the loft differs between the two condition. With an outbreak of Fat Eye virtually every bird will display symptoms at some time although these may vary in severity from one bird to another. With an outbreak of One Eye Cold it is usually less than 10% of birds that show symptoms
7/ Because Fat Eye is caused by a Mycoplasma it should respond well to drugs such as doxycycline , tylosin and others that are known to be effective against Mycoplasmas. In reality , response to medical treatment is poor. Part of the reason may be that the birds fix themselves with Fat Eye often in 2 or 3 days while drugs like doxycycline take about 2 days to start to work. By contrast , when anti Chlamydial drugs such as Doxycycline are used to treat One Eye Cold the effect of their use and benefit to the birds can be seen very quickly
8/ Because Fat Eye is a short term infection, the inflammatory changes that are caused reflect this . The membranes lining the eyelids are very red and “angry looking” . The discharges are clear and watery . Also the birds seem to be acutely irritated and perhaps in pain. There is frequent yawning and scratching at the affected eye(s) . Some affected birds become quiet, fluffed and less active in the loft but tend to maintain a normal food intake and their droppings remain normal to the naked eye. In cases of One Eye Cold ,the eye discharges take on a more pus- like appearance and overflow the eyelid margins becoming air dried and stuck to the feathers around the eye. At the same time , affected birds start to look sick.
9/ Fat Eye only affects the membranes lining the eyelids and soft tissues around the eye while One Eye Cold , in addition to affecting these structures can potentially affect any part of the respiratory tract including the sinuses windpipe, lungs and airsacs as well as some internal organs.
10/ The Mycoplasmas that cause Fat Eye do not survive well in the environment and so cleaning and disinfection of a contaminated area is not important in control. Spread of infection is primarily directly from bird to bird. On the other hand the Chlamydia that causes One Eye Cold can form what are called elementary bodies that are very stable in the environment. A contaminated environment can therefore be a source of infection.
11/ In birds affected with Fat Eye the droppings tend to remain grossly normal. In cases of One Eye Cold the droppings often become watery and green.
As far as treatment goes , in cases of Fat Eye anti- Mycoplasmal drugs can be used however even though they won’t do any harm they may not be of any great benefit. The disease primarily just has to run its course. With One Eye Cold the birds will definitely benefit from treatment ( usually with doxycycline ) and testing is important to identify any concurrent disease . Treating any concurrent diseases while at the same time correcting any management or loft environment problems is vital for a good response to medication.
Why Race Pigeons – don’t forget why you started racing and look to the future
Pigeon racing cannot exist without fanciers and so just by participating you are making a contribution to the sport. Whether you are a beginner or an established fancier you will have dreams that you aim to fulfil. Racing can bring these dreams to life. The annual rhythm of breeding , weaning, training and racing is a renewing cycle – choosing which birds to breed from and how to pair them, weaning youngsters and then training them, sharing birds and information with fancier friends, imparting what you have learned and caring for the birds as best you can, are activities that are all there to be enjoyed . Navigated with care and friendship this cycle helps pigeon racing survive and prosper. With every new season the history of pigeon racing grows. Remember the fascination you felt when you first started to keep pigeons and let them continue to enrich your life. Australia is a big country and at times it can feel as if the sport is fragmented both by different aspects of the sport as well the sheer distances separating the areas where pigeons are kept and raced. But as our birds criss- cross the country in various races, all heading for their home lofts it is important to remember that it is these amazing birds that form the connection between fanciers and this shared interest that will guide the sport into the future .
Property Identification Codes or PICs.
Many Victorian fanciers may not be aware that properties where more than 50 pigeons are kept, which essentially means all racing lofts , should have what is called a Property Identification Number or PIC. The same applies to a property where any livestock , including cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, alpacas, llamas, deer, horses, or camels are kept as well as a property where more than 50 poultry (including domesticated fowl, chickens, ducks, geese, turkey, guinea fowl, quail or pheasants) or pigeons ( which are classed as poultry by the department ) as well as, interestingly, more than 10 emus or ostriches are kept. Fortunately it is easy , quick and free to get a PIC and having one can save fanciers hundreds if not thousands of dollars in veterinary fees.
Having a PIC enables rapid and accurate property identification. One of the main things that a PIC is used for is to trace and control disease. Being able to do this has advantages both for the government and also the pigeon fancier. The advantage to the government is that Australia must satisfy to its international trading partners that it is doing sufficient monitoring and testing to demonstrate that it would detect diseases of concern if they were present. Say for example, Australian beef is being exported to Poland. A nasty viral disease of some animals called Foot and Mouth Disease ( FMD ) does not occur in Poland ( or Australia). In order to import meat from Australia with confidence and avoid the introduction of FMD, Poland needs to be assured that FMD does not occur in Australia. If Poland said to Australia , how many tests for FMD have been done and Australia answered just 10 then it is understandable that Poland would be hesitant to import. If however Australia said that 10,000 tests had been done then it is equally understandable that Poland would feel reasonably comfortable importing meat from Australia. It is therefore vital for Australia to demonstrate to its international trading partners, in order to maintain its export markets, that it has done adequate tests and investigated diseases outbreaks sufficiently that if certain diseases were present that they would be detected.
So what is the advantage for the fancier? The advantage is that if a fancier has an outbreak of disease then the government will work with the fancier to help determine the cause and in some circumstances is prepared to cover the costs involved.
In Victoria, a scheme called the Significant Disease Investigation (SDI ) program exists so that this can occur. In summary, the Significant Disease Investigation (SDI ) program aims to boost Victoria’s capacity for the early detection of significant diseases in livestock, including pigeons, and wildlife by increasing the participation of veterinarians and the awareness of fanciers by subsidising the cost of investigating significant or unusual disease incidents . Of particular concern in pigeons is PMV, Chlamydia and Avian Influenza.
Subsidies are available for initial field investigations, including clinical examination and autopsy, laboratory testing and follow up investigations . To be considered a significant disease, one or more of the following criteria must be met:-
1/ an unusual or atypical manifestation of disease, including a high death rate with many birds affected and /or a rapid rate of spread
2/ an initial investigation fails to establish a diagnosis , including when veterinary treatment does not produce an expected response
3/ there are findings suggesting a possible effect on trade, public health, biodiversity or in the case of a pigeon stud or OLR ,ongoing viability.
Where there is a genuine suspicion of an exotic or emergency animal disease, Agriculture Victoria will lead and cover the cost of the investigation. If disease strikes and it fits into one or more of the above criteria and fanciers wish to take advantage of this program they should contact their local Agriculture Victoria veterinarian.
So, if a fancier has an outbreak of disease where a significant number of his birds have died or have become unwell he can contact his local Agriculture Victoria veterinary officer. If the veterinary officer deems the disease outbreak to be significant then a Significant Disease Investigation (SDI ) will be declared and conducted. Essentially what this means is that the regional government veterinary officer will collect samples and organise testing to be done to find out the cause of the problem. The process is essentially the same as if a local private vet was doing the work. The difference is that if the disease is classed as warranting a SDI then the government covers all costs. Unlike in private veterinary practice where diagnostic work- ups can be limited by the fanciers finances, in a SDI this does not apply. The samples are submitted to government labs where the full capabilities of the governments diagnostic experts can be used to guide the diagnostic process to a conclusion.
As an example I have been breeding sheep for about 25 years and currently keep about 600. Twice I have gone into the paddocks in the morning and found that several sheep had died overnight and others had become unwell. On both occasions I contacted the local Agriculture Victoria ( AgVic ) office .In both cases a SDI was declared and a veterinary officer came out that day and collected the samples necessary for diagnosis. These were submitted to Agribio ( the veterinary diagnostic arm of Agriculture Victoria ) where they were tested and a diagnosis reached. On one occasion the problem was a nutritional one. In the other it was a parasitic problem. One important thing however was that the financial cost to me was absolutely zero. I estimated that had the same diagnostic work been done by a “normal” local private veterinary clinic that the invoice on each occasion would have been well over $1000.
Some fanciers may be hesitant to apply for a PIC and involve the government with their pigeons. Some may feel uncomfortable negotiating authority either through a concern about government interference with what they do or more often through a lack of understanding or awareness of the SDI program. This however is silly .The government is keen to work with fanciers to help them find out what is wrong should their birds become unwell and then offer solutions.
In one recent situation a fancier had a number of his birds die while others were affected by vomiting and diarrhoea. He took some unwell birds to a local vet. As part of the diagnostic workup by the local vet samples were submitted to Agribio for testing for PMV and Rota. When Agribio went to process the results of the testing they noticed that the fancier’s property did not have a PIC. They then contacted him asking him to apply for a PIC. He initially refused to comply! The irony is that had the fancier been aware and had an understanding of the SDI program and had he had a PIC then the diagnostic work could have been done by AgVic and would have cost the fancier nothing.
Having properties accurately identified with a PIC and investigating disease outbreaks therefore not only allows Australia to provide confidence to consumers in domestic and overseas markets that the products they buy are of good quality but also gives fanciers access, when disease outbreaks occur in their birds , to the full diagnostic capabilities of AgVic for no charge. In addition PICs are used to locate properties , contact owners, contact industry reps and to trace and control disease that may be detected more generally.
PICS enable quick and accurate identification of a property’s location. For example, in Victoria, PICs begin with the numeral 3, followed by four letters and three more numerals, for example, 3ABCD123. The first two letters identify the municipality of the property and the final numbers identify the actual property. To an experienced eye just seeing the PIC reveals the state and region in which a property is located.
Quite apart from everything else it is actually a legal requirement that properties that keep more than 50 poultry ( and that includes pigeons) must have a Property Identification Code (PIC), under the Livestock Disease Control Act of 1994. The following link will take fanciers to the AgVic website which further outlines the requirements and explains why a PIC is required; https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/farm-management/property-identification-codes
The application can be completed online, or alternatively, fanciers can complete and send in a paper application form. The process is completely free and should not take more than 10 minutes. Fanciers can apply for a PIC directly on the AgVic website using the following link: https://pic.agriculture.vic.gov.au/. If fanciers need further assistance they can also contact our National Livestock Identification (NLIS) System Hotline on 1800678779 between 9am and 4:30pm Monday to Friday.
Victorian fanciers should also be able to contact their VRPB rep for assistance. I am unsure of the situation in other states. If they haven’t already this would be something that the ANRPB could investigate.
30 Km/hr winds
August throughout south east Australia has been challenging for liberation committees. There have been consistent periods, often of seven days or more where winds of over 30km/hr and sometimes as much as 55km/hr and even more have been recorded. Because of these winds races have been cancelled and others postponed. Race points have been changed so that the birds were less likely, if they went with the wind, to be significantly off course. Liberation committees , in particular, must remember that in the liberation protocols, discussed earlier in the year in this Journal, that are used and recommended by the KBDB ( the Belgian National Homing Union) it states that winds over 30km /hr, be they tail winds , head winds or cross winds are likely to compromise a pigeons ability to return leading to more birds being lost. Andrew Demidowski of the VRPB and presumably members of the ANRPB are reviewing liberation protocols and will need to take into consideration guidelines produced by such a large and influential body as the KBDB. In the meantime liberation committees who allow birds to be released in these conditions need to be aware of the increased risk this poses to the birds.
Problems of the Breeding Season
With breeding now in progress please find below the second instalment in the ongoing discussion dealing with problems that the fancier might incur during the breeding season. This month I discuss lack of vigour in youngsters
Lack of vigour in youngsters
Failure of the youngsters to thrive is usually associated with either a poor diet, dietary deficiency or disease.
Diet
It is obvious that the breeding bird requires better nutrition than a bird that is not breeding. The seed must be clean and fresh. Dirty seed may carry bacteria, which may harm the youngster and retard its development. Old seed may be of lower nutritional value than fresh seed. A good test of food value is to sprout the seed. Good quality seed will be sweet-smelling and 90–100% will sprout after two to four days.
The growing baby requires considerably more energy and protein than the adult and for this reason, a high-protein seed mix, which is also high in energy, is necessary to produce robust babies. Seeds high in protein include peas and beans, and these seeds should make up at least 40% of the breeding mix. Corn is a very high-energy food but is not recommended if canker is a problem in the loft. Corn does not directly give the birds canker but can damage the throat, and the canker organism finds it easier to establish in damaged tissue
Dietary deficiency
Breeding is one of the times of year when supplementation with vitamins and minerals can give definite benefits. Feeding youngsters places a big nutritional drain on the stock birds and, when dietary levels are marginal, deficiency can develop, leading to disease problems. Most commonly, during breeding, this involves the mineral calcium. No matter how much shell grit the birds eat once paired, they cannot assimilate sufficient to compensate for the amount lost in pigeon milk production and in the hens’ egg shell formation. The difference is made up from calcium stored in the skeleton before pairing. This is why it is so important that birds have access to grit for the entire year. The amount that can be mobilised from skeletal stores is limited and when this threshold is passed, a number of problems appear.
Calcium is necessary for normal nerve and muscle activity, and so deficient birds may seem reluctant to walk, appear weak or just have reduced vigour. The oviduct contains a muscle that should enable it to act as a muscular tube pushing the egg down. With a fall in calcium levels, it loses this ability, predisposing to egg binding. Similarly, if there is insufficient calcium to supply the shell gland within the oviduct wall, rough or soft-shelled eggs may be produced. The quality of crop milk may deteriorate with reduced levels of calcium, leading to soft bones in the youngsters. This is often best assessed where the beak attaches to the head.
Similarly, the youngsters are predisposed to ‘splay leg’ , although nest-bowl size and genetic factors are involved here. It may be of benefit not only to provide a continuous source of calcium in the form of grit and pink minerals, but also to supplement with calcium in the water one or two days per week, particularly in the latter part of the breeding season as the stock birds’ calcium reserves are being depleted. Using a water-soluble multivitamin several days per week can also be a good idea. Alternatively, more fanciers are finding the feeding of formulated pigeon pellets an easy way of providing a complete diet.
Disease control
The best way to control disease during the breeding season is to pre-treat the stock birds against the diseases known to be present before pairing. The main problems of the breeding season, which should be controlled before the season, are worms, external parasites, coccidiosis, canker, respiratory infection and Salmonella, in that order, although it will not be necessary to treat for all problems in each loft. The need for treatment depends on problems experienced in the loft in earlier years and how long the loft has been established. These matters are discussed in the chapter’ Health management programs for all stages of the pigeon year’ in my book “The Pigeon” and also on the APC website.
The main reason for treating before pairing is that all birds in the loft must be treated to control disease. During breeding, this obviously includes youngsters in the nest, and there are problems associated with accurate medication of these youngsters. Any medication placed in the drinking water is absorbed by the stock birds to a variable extent. When feeding young nestlings (less than ten days old), by the time the parents have produced milk, any medication ingested by them has long since been absorbed and metabolised. This is why, for example, if canker appears in youngsters in this age group, they must be individually dosed with tablets. In older youngsters (older than 20 days), where the parents are essentially eating and drinking and then pumping the wet grain into the youngsters, these youngsters will receive the medication.
In fact, because the amount of food taken by large, rapidly growing youngsters is much more, on a weight basis, than that taken by adults, there is the potential for overdose. Ten-day-old youngsters eat four times as much as an adult, although they are only a quarter their weight. Therefore, there is the potential for them to receive sixteen times the recommended dose. This becomes progressively less marked as the pigeon matures, but the fancier must be careful. It is important that doses are accurately measured and drugs with wide safety margins are used.
Some problems can only be ‘band-aided’ until the end of the season, when a control program can be instituted. This is usually only possible when all youngsters are over six weeks of age and drinking for themselves. An example here is hairworm infection. Before the stress of breeding, stock birds will often carry these asymptomatically. However, by the third round, particularly in the hens, they can cause severe weight loss, anaemia, diarrhoea and, sometimes, death.
In this situation, because of the heavy environmental contamination, and youngsters re-infecting treated adults, usually only the worst-affected individuals are treated until the pairs are split up. Once all birds are old enough to eat and drink for themselves, and there are no youngsters in the nest boxes, making thorough cleaning possible, it is feasible to eradicate the parasite.
One would expect the odd youngster to be less vigorous than the others for a variety of reasons, including congenital deformities. However, if there is a problem present, it should be investigated, even if it only means that, once identified, the problem can be prevented in the following breeding season. It is good for fanciers to be familiar with, and recognise, the common problems. It is also important for them to know when they need to seek veterinary advice. Most health problems associated with breeding can be identified through straightforward testing involving a throat swab and faecal tests, but sometimes more thorough testing is required.]
Vet Questions
1/ What causes a pigeon’s eye to not constrict in bright light?
The problem is either in the eye where the light is not being detected or in the brain where the images from the eye cannot be interpreted. In race birds the most common cause is trauma that has damaged the eye internally or the brain causing a concussion.
2/ Where I live there is a commercial trainer/tosser who will take birds for a 100 mile toss each Sunday in a purpose built training unit. His service is popular with many fanciers sending their birds with him. I am considering sending my own birds but have been told that pox is “in the unit” . Apparently fanciers are reporting that birds have developed pox after being in the unit. I have been told that it is a nasty strain of fowl pox with most of the vesicles in the mouth and that the pox vaccine does not protect the birds as some fanciers whose birds have caught the disease did vaccinate against pox. What are your thoughts?
Pigeons can catch fowl pox but there is significant genetic overlap between fowl pox and pigeon pox so that the pigeon pox vaccine would protect the pigeons against both of these types of pox. Either fanciers are not being truthful and they are saying that they have vaccinated their birds when in fact they have not or they need to review the way they handle the vaccine and their vaccination technique. Used correctly the pigeon pox vaccine will protect pigeons against fowl pox as well as pigeon pox. If you have vaccinated your birds correctly you can train them quite safely in this unit.
3/ I have a few birds in my race team that seem to fly “stiffly” and struggle to keep up with the rest. What could this be?
This could be many things. These birds may have myoscitis (muscle inflammation) due to them being forced to work beyond their current fitness. They may be injured. A common injury that is often overlooked is a sprain or tear to the ptagial ligament or membrane. When you extend a pigeons wing you will be able to feel a membrane on the leading edge of the wing that binds the wing to the shoulder. This is the patagial membrane . Feeling along this membrane’s front edge you will feel a firm strand. This is the patagial ligament. When a pigeon is flying, if the wing is pushed back hard against the side of the bird, the wing can be overextended causing the ligament to stretch ( ie sprain ) or rupture. In some cases the ligament can actually be torn away from the bone where it attaches ( ie an avulsion). These birds can still fly but with difficulty and sometimes with a noticeable wobble. If a significant number of birds fly stiffly there may be an underlying health problem that is preventing them developing their fitness. In this case a vet check would be a good idea.
4/ I have had a bird return from a race covered in oil. What should I do?
One of the problem with motor oil on feathers is that it is toxic. If the pigeons try to preen it off themselves they ingest it . This poisons them. If it is around the head , they breath in the fumes. This can damage the respiratory tract or also kill them. It is not possible to wash off oil with soapy water. The wash simply beads on top of the oil. One method of cleaning motor oil from a bird is to apply a vegetable oil to the area contaminated by the motor oil. The motor oil will mix into the vegetable oil and the combination can then be stripped away. Done repeatedly most of the motor oil can be removed. In severe cases, or if particularly valuable birds are affected, removal of motor oil is a job best left for an avian veterinarian. Under anaesthetic or sedation strong oil dissolving detergents can be applied with vigour, irrepairable feathers can be plucked and supportive treatment in the form of heat , crop feeding and certain medications can be given.
5/ I have 3 breeder cocks that have excessive water in their crop. They have had this going on a week. How do I cure this. Please note I have experienced this during the breeding season with some of my babies as I wean them.
Possible causes can be divided into 3 groups –
1/ conditions that make a pigeon drink more. Here the crop is emptying normally but the pigeon is drinking so much that there is always water in the crop
2/ conditions affecting the crop itself that make the crop empty more slowly -- anything that inflames the crop wall will interfere with it contracting and emptying , possible causes include infection due to bacteria , canker organisms or yeasts ( called thrush)
3/ generalised health conditions that effect crop function – pigeons that are generally unwell for any reason, can develop a slow crop as a feature of their ill health. Many health issues cause the pigeon to become generally unwell. One of the symptoms of this decrease in health can be delayed crop emptying. In particular lead poisoning due to galvanised drinkers is quite common but generalised viral, bacterial or nutritional problems may be involved.
Have you had any testing done?. In the absence of testing , in stock birds that are breeding and in youngsters with this symptom, wet canker would be the most likely. This is managed as described in the section on canker in my book “The Pigeon” and also on the APC website. Perhaps try these birds on a treatment trial as described. If problems persist testing will need to be done to identify the cause accurately.
Fat Eye is a condition that causes watery eyes and swelling of the tissues around one or both eyes . The condition has been reported in a significant number of Victorian lofts in August. Fat Eye is caused by a particular type of Mycoplasma. Mycoplasmas are intracellular bacteria. They are fragile organisms and do not survive well in the environment. Disinfection of lofts or race baskets is not therefore part of control. However fanciers handling birds within their loft are likely to spread the infection from one bird to another either on their hands or by resting birds on the front of their clothing during handling. Immunity in recovered birds is not persistent so that when the disease gets into a loft, birds of all ages , including 2, 3 and 4 year olds that may have been infected before are equally vulnerable. Within the loft the disease is very contagious with the vast majority of birds ( sometimes greater than 90% ) developing symptoms within 2 weeks of the first cases being noticed. The environment in a race basket where birds come directly in contact with each other and also breath each- others air is ideal for spread. Blood profiles conducted on birds with the disease show that infected birds are not affected internally. However , the affected eyes of birds appear very sore with the birds squinting, producing excess tears and becoming quiet. Presumably this is because of the pain associated with the affected eye(s). The infection runs a natural course of 2 to 4 days in most birds although in some birds the eye swelling can persist for over 10 days. Medications such as doxycycline and tylan ( eg Doxy T and TripleVet ) effectively treat Mycoplasmal infections and can be given, however, many outbreaks of Fat Eye run a natural course of 2 to 4 days and resolve without treatment. Fanciers must realise however that not all cases of red , watery eyes in the race loft are due to Fat Eye. In cases where individual birds take more than 2 to 4 days to recover or the eye discharges take on a dried pus like appearance that sticks to the eyelid then Chlamydia or the more established other types of Mycoplasma that cause the condition termed One Eye Cold, should be suspected as likely causes. In these cases, treatment with TripleVet, 1 teaspoon to 2L of water for 3 to 5 days should be considered. Gentle washing of the eye with warm water on a cloth will soften and remove discharges which will hasten healing. The University of Melbourne continues to sequence the genome of the Mycoplasma that causes Fat Eye. This will hopefully enable speciation of the Mycoplasma. I will report these results when available.
Typically with Mycoplasmal disease in pigeons , the birds need exposure to the organism and usually some “trigger” that makes the bird vulnerable to actual disease. A strong correlation between birds recovering from Rota virus and Fat Eye has been observed. However not all cases of Fat Eye appear linked to Rota. Overseas it has been suggested that concurrent Herpes virus infection may be a trigger. However, so far, Herpes has not been identified in birds with Fat Eye in Australia. As yet the triggers for clinical disease with the Mycoplasma that causes Fat Eye remain unclear. Further testing is required to understand Fat Eye and its relationship to other health factors.
Key points in differentiating Fat Eye from the Chlamydia/Mycoplasma One Eye Cold complex:-
1/ In an outbreak in the loft ,Fat Eye affects birds of all ages while One Eye Cold tends to primarily affect young birds.
2/ Natural immunity to One Eye Cold is persistent and strengthens with age while with Fat Eye immunity is short term with recovered birds developing symptoms again, sometimes within months.
3/ One Eye Cold is often associated with flaws in the birds management or the loft environment that weaken the birds, in the process compromising the function of the birds immune system, making them more vulnerable to disease generally. Correction of these predisposing problems is an important part of control. Fat Eye often occurs in very well managed lofts where the birds appear in otherwise excellent health. The triggers for Fat Eye as yet are unknown
4/ Complete blood profiles and other tests conducted on birds with Fat Eye have shown that the disease does not affect the pigeons internally. By comparison, the Chlamydial and Mycoplasma types that cause One Eye Cold can affect the birds internally damaging the kidneys and liver and inflaming the airsacs
5/Fat Eye runs a short course with most infected birds recovering , often without treatment, in 2 to 4 days. Although birds with One Eye Cold can fix themselves, the process of recovery is more prolonged, and often does not occur, with some birds developing long term disease and even dying.
6/ The percentage of birds affected in the loft differs between the two condition. With an outbreak of Fat Eye virtually every bird will display symptoms at some time although these may vary in severity from one bird to another. With an outbreak of One Eye Cold it is usually less than 10% of birds that show symptoms
7/ Because Fat Eye is caused by a Mycoplasma it should respond well to drugs such as doxycycline , tylosin and others that are known to be effective against Mycoplasmas. In reality , response to medical treatment is poor. Part of the reason may be that the birds fix themselves with Fat Eye often in 2 or 3 days while drugs like doxycycline take about 2 days to start to work. By contrast , when anti Chlamydial drugs such as Doxycycline are used to treat One Eye Cold the effect of their use and benefit to the birds can be seen very quickly
8/ Because Fat Eye is a short term infection, the inflammatory changes that are caused reflect this . The membranes lining the eyelids are very red and “angry looking” . The discharges are clear and watery . Also the birds seem to be acutely irritated and perhaps in pain. There is frequent yawning and scratching at the affected eye(s) . Some affected birds become quiet, fluffed and less active in the loft but tend to maintain a normal food intake and their droppings remain normal to the naked eye. In cases of One Eye Cold ,the eye discharges take on a more pus- like appearance and overflow the eyelid margins becoming air dried and stuck to the feathers around the eye. At the same time , affected birds start to look sick.
9/ Fat Eye only affects the membranes lining the eyelids and soft tissues around the eye while One Eye Cold , in addition to affecting these structures can potentially affect any part of the respiratory tract including the sinuses windpipe, lungs and airsacs as well as some internal organs.
10/ The Mycoplasmas that cause Fat Eye do not survive well in the environment and so cleaning and disinfection of a contaminated area is not important in control. Spread of infection is primarily directly from bird to bird. On the other hand the Chlamydia that causes One Eye Cold can form what are called elementary bodies that are very stable in the environment. A contaminated environment can therefore be a source of infection.
11/ In birds affected with Fat Eye the droppings tend to remain grossly normal. In cases of One Eye Cold the droppings often become watery and green.
As far as treatment goes , in cases of Fat Eye anti- Mycoplasmal drugs can be used however even though they won’t do any harm they may not be of any great benefit. The disease primarily just has to run its course. With One Eye Cold the birds will definitely benefit from treatment ( usually with doxycycline ) and testing is important to identify any concurrent disease . Treating any concurrent diseases while at the same time correcting any management or loft environment problems is vital for a good response to medication.
Why Race Pigeons – don’t forget why you started racing and look to the future
Pigeon racing cannot exist without fanciers and so just by participating you are making a contribution to the sport. Whether you are a beginner or an established fancier you will have dreams that you aim to fulfil. Racing can bring these dreams to life. The annual rhythm of breeding , weaning, training and racing is a renewing cycle – choosing which birds to breed from and how to pair them, weaning youngsters and then training them, sharing birds and information with fancier friends, imparting what you have learned and caring for the birds as best you can, are activities that are all there to be enjoyed . Navigated with care and friendship this cycle helps pigeon racing survive and prosper. With every new season the history of pigeon racing grows. Remember the fascination you felt when you first started to keep pigeons and let them continue to enrich your life. Australia is a big country and at times it can feel as if the sport is fragmented both by different aspects of the sport as well the sheer distances separating the areas where pigeons are kept and raced. But as our birds criss- cross the country in various races, all heading for their home lofts it is important to remember that it is these amazing birds that form the connection between fanciers and this shared interest that will guide the sport into the future .
Property Identification Codes or PICs.
Many Victorian fanciers may not be aware that properties where more than 50 pigeons are kept, which essentially means all racing lofts , should have what is called a Property Identification Number or PIC. The same applies to a property where any livestock , including cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, alpacas, llamas, deer, horses, or camels are kept as well as a property where more than 50 poultry (including domesticated fowl, chickens, ducks, geese, turkey, guinea fowl, quail or pheasants) or pigeons ( which are classed as poultry by the department ) as well as, interestingly, more than 10 emus or ostriches are kept. Fortunately it is easy , quick and free to get a PIC and having one can save fanciers hundreds if not thousands of dollars in veterinary fees.
Having a PIC enables rapid and accurate property identification. One of the main things that a PIC is used for is to trace and control disease. Being able to do this has advantages both for the government and also the pigeon fancier. The advantage to the government is that Australia must satisfy to its international trading partners that it is doing sufficient monitoring and testing to demonstrate that it would detect diseases of concern if they were present. Say for example, Australian beef is being exported to Poland. A nasty viral disease of some animals called Foot and Mouth Disease ( FMD ) does not occur in Poland ( or Australia). In order to import meat from Australia with confidence and avoid the introduction of FMD, Poland needs to be assured that FMD does not occur in Australia. If Poland said to Australia , how many tests for FMD have been done and Australia answered just 10 then it is understandable that Poland would be hesitant to import. If however Australia said that 10,000 tests had been done then it is equally understandable that Poland would feel reasonably comfortable importing meat from Australia. It is therefore vital for Australia to demonstrate to its international trading partners, in order to maintain its export markets, that it has done adequate tests and investigated diseases outbreaks sufficiently that if certain diseases were present that they would be detected.
So what is the advantage for the fancier? The advantage is that if a fancier has an outbreak of disease then the government will work with the fancier to help determine the cause and in some circumstances is prepared to cover the costs involved.
In Victoria, a scheme called the Significant Disease Investigation (SDI ) program exists so that this can occur. In summary, the Significant Disease Investigation (SDI ) program aims to boost Victoria’s capacity for the early detection of significant diseases in livestock, including pigeons, and wildlife by increasing the participation of veterinarians and the awareness of fanciers by subsidising the cost of investigating significant or unusual disease incidents . Of particular concern in pigeons is PMV, Chlamydia and Avian Influenza.
Subsidies are available for initial field investigations, including clinical examination and autopsy, laboratory testing and follow up investigations . To be considered a significant disease, one or more of the following criteria must be met:-
1/ an unusual or atypical manifestation of disease, including a high death rate with many birds affected and /or a rapid rate of spread
2/ an initial investigation fails to establish a diagnosis , including when veterinary treatment does not produce an expected response
3/ there are findings suggesting a possible effect on trade, public health, biodiversity or in the case of a pigeon stud or OLR ,ongoing viability.
Where there is a genuine suspicion of an exotic or emergency animal disease, Agriculture Victoria will lead and cover the cost of the investigation. If disease strikes and it fits into one or more of the above criteria and fanciers wish to take advantage of this program they should contact their local Agriculture Victoria veterinarian.
So, if a fancier has an outbreak of disease where a significant number of his birds have died or have become unwell he can contact his local Agriculture Victoria veterinary officer. If the veterinary officer deems the disease outbreak to be significant then a Significant Disease Investigation (SDI ) will be declared and conducted. Essentially what this means is that the regional government veterinary officer will collect samples and organise testing to be done to find out the cause of the problem. The process is essentially the same as if a local private vet was doing the work. The difference is that if the disease is classed as warranting a SDI then the government covers all costs. Unlike in private veterinary practice where diagnostic work- ups can be limited by the fanciers finances, in a SDI this does not apply. The samples are submitted to government labs where the full capabilities of the governments diagnostic experts can be used to guide the diagnostic process to a conclusion.
As an example I have been breeding sheep for about 25 years and currently keep about 600. Twice I have gone into the paddocks in the morning and found that several sheep had died overnight and others had become unwell. On both occasions I contacted the local Agriculture Victoria ( AgVic ) office .In both cases a SDI was declared and a veterinary officer came out that day and collected the samples necessary for diagnosis. These were submitted to Agribio ( the veterinary diagnostic arm of Agriculture Victoria ) where they were tested and a diagnosis reached. On one occasion the problem was a nutritional one. In the other it was a parasitic problem. One important thing however was that the financial cost to me was absolutely zero. I estimated that had the same diagnostic work been done by a “normal” local private veterinary clinic that the invoice on each occasion would have been well over $1000.
Some fanciers may be hesitant to apply for a PIC and involve the government with their pigeons. Some may feel uncomfortable negotiating authority either through a concern about government interference with what they do or more often through a lack of understanding or awareness of the SDI program. This however is silly .The government is keen to work with fanciers to help them find out what is wrong should their birds become unwell and then offer solutions.
In one recent situation a fancier had a number of his birds die while others were affected by vomiting and diarrhoea. He took some unwell birds to a local vet. As part of the diagnostic workup by the local vet samples were submitted to Agribio for testing for PMV and Rota. When Agribio went to process the results of the testing they noticed that the fancier’s property did not have a PIC. They then contacted him asking him to apply for a PIC. He initially refused to comply! The irony is that had the fancier been aware and had an understanding of the SDI program and had he had a PIC then the diagnostic work could have been done by AgVic and would have cost the fancier nothing.
Having properties accurately identified with a PIC and investigating disease outbreaks therefore not only allows Australia to provide confidence to consumers in domestic and overseas markets that the products they buy are of good quality but also gives fanciers access, when disease outbreaks occur in their birds , to the full diagnostic capabilities of AgVic for no charge. In addition PICs are used to locate properties , contact owners, contact industry reps and to trace and control disease that may be detected more generally.
PICS enable quick and accurate identification of a property’s location. For example, in Victoria, PICs begin with the numeral 3, followed by four letters and three more numerals, for example, 3ABCD123. The first two letters identify the municipality of the property and the final numbers identify the actual property. To an experienced eye just seeing the PIC reveals the state and region in which a property is located.
Quite apart from everything else it is actually a legal requirement that properties that keep more than 50 poultry ( and that includes pigeons) must have a Property Identification Code (PIC), under the Livestock Disease Control Act of 1994. The following link will take fanciers to the AgVic website which further outlines the requirements and explains why a PIC is required; https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/farm-management/property-identification-codes
The application can be completed online, or alternatively, fanciers can complete and send in a paper application form. The process is completely free and should not take more than 10 minutes. Fanciers can apply for a PIC directly on the AgVic website using the following link: https://pic.agriculture.vic.gov.au/. If fanciers need further assistance they can also contact our National Livestock Identification (NLIS) System Hotline on 1800678779 between 9am and 4:30pm Monday to Friday.
Victorian fanciers should also be able to contact their VRPB rep for assistance. I am unsure of the situation in other states. If they haven’t already this would be something that the ANRPB could investigate.
30 Km/hr winds
August throughout south east Australia has been challenging for liberation committees. There have been consistent periods, often of seven days or more where winds of over 30km/hr and sometimes as much as 55km/hr and even more have been recorded. Because of these winds races have been cancelled and others postponed. Race points have been changed so that the birds were less likely, if they went with the wind, to be significantly off course. Liberation committees , in particular, must remember that in the liberation protocols, discussed earlier in the year in this Journal, that are used and recommended by the KBDB ( the Belgian National Homing Union) it states that winds over 30km /hr, be they tail winds , head winds or cross winds are likely to compromise a pigeons ability to return leading to more birds being lost. Andrew Demidowski of the VRPB and presumably members of the ANRPB are reviewing liberation protocols and will need to take into consideration guidelines produced by such a large and influential body as the KBDB. In the meantime liberation committees who allow birds to be released in these conditions need to be aware of the increased risk this poses to the birds.
Problems of the Breeding Season
With breeding now in progress please find below the second instalment in the ongoing discussion dealing with problems that the fancier might incur during the breeding season. This month I discuss lack of vigour in youngsters
Lack of vigour in youngsters
Failure of the youngsters to thrive is usually associated with either a poor diet, dietary deficiency or disease.
Diet
It is obvious that the breeding bird requires better nutrition than a bird that is not breeding. The seed must be clean and fresh. Dirty seed may carry bacteria, which may harm the youngster and retard its development. Old seed may be of lower nutritional value than fresh seed. A good test of food value is to sprout the seed. Good quality seed will be sweet-smelling and 90–100% will sprout after two to four days.
The growing baby requires considerably more energy and protein than the adult and for this reason, a high-protein seed mix, which is also high in energy, is necessary to produce robust babies. Seeds high in protein include peas and beans, and these seeds should make up at least 40% of the breeding mix. Corn is a very high-energy food but is not recommended if canker is a problem in the loft. Corn does not directly give the birds canker but can damage the throat, and the canker organism finds it easier to establish in damaged tissue
Dietary deficiency
Breeding is one of the times of year when supplementation with vitamins and minerals can give definite benefits. Feeding youngsters places a big nutritional drain on the stock birds and, when dietary levels are marginal, deficiency can develop, leading to disease problems. Most commonly, during breeding, this involves the mineral calcium. No matter how much shell grit the birds eat once paired, they cannot assimilate sufficient to compensate for the amount lost in pigeon milk production and in the hens’ egg shell formation. The difference is made up from calcium stored in the skeleton before pairing. This is why it is so important that birds have access to grit for the entire year. The amount that can be mobilised from skeletal stores is limited and when this threshold is passed, a number of problems appear.
Calcium is necessary for normal nerve and muscle activity, and so deficient birds may seem reluctant to walk, appear weak or just have reduced vigour. The oviduct contains a muscle that should enable it to act as a muscular tube pushing the egg down. With a fall in calcium levels, it loses this ability, predisposing to egg binding. Similarly, if there is insufficient calcium to supply the shell gland within the oviduct wall, rough or soft-shelled eggs may be produced. The quality of crop milk may deteriorate with reduced levels of calcium, leading to soft bones in the youngsters. This is often best assessed where the beak attaches to the head.
Similarly, the youngsters are predisposed to ‘splay leg’ , although nest-bowl size and genetic factors are involved here. It may be of benefit not only to provide a continuous source of calcium in the form of grit and pink minerals, but also to supplement with calcium in the water one or two days per week, particularly in the latter part of the breeding season as the stock birds’ calcium reserves are being depleted. Using a water-soluble multivitamin several days per week can also be a good idea. Alternatively, more fanciers are finding the feeding of formulated pigeon pellets an easy way of providing a complete diet.
Disease control
The best way to control disease during the breeding season is to pre-treat the stock birds against the diseases known to be present before pairing. The main problems of the breeding season, which should be controlled before the season, are worms, external parasites, coccidiosis, canker, respiratory infection and Salmonella, in that order, although it will not be necessary to treat for all problems in each loft. The need for treatment depends on problems experienced in the loft in earlier years and how long the loft has been established. These matters are discussed in the chapter’ Health management programs for all stages of the pigeon year’ in my book “The Pigeon” and also on the APC website.
The main reason for treating before pairing is that all birds in the loft must be treated to control disease. During breeding, this obviously includes youngsters in the nest, and there are problems associated with accurate medication of these youngsters. Any medication placed in the drinking water is absorbed by the stock birds to a variable extent. When feeding young nestlings (less than ten days old), by the time the parents have produced milk, any medication ingested by them has long since been absorbed and metabolised. This is why, for example, if canker appears in youngsters in this age group, they must be individually dosed with tablets. In older youngsters (older than 20 days), where the parents are essentially eating and drinking and then pumping the wet grain into the youngsters, these youngsters will receive the medication.
In fact, because the amount of food taken by large, rapidly growing youngsters is much more, on a weight basis, than that taken by adults, there is the potential for overdose. Ten-day-old youngsters eat four times as much as an adult, although they are only a quarter their weight. Therefore, there is the potential for them to receive sixteen times the recommended dose. This becomes progressively less marked as the pigeon matures, but the fancier must be careful. It is important that doses are accurately measured and drugs with wide safety margins are used.
Some problems can only be ‘band-aided’ until the end of the season, when a control program can be instituted. This is usually only possible when all youngsters are over six weeks of age and drinking for themselves. An example here is hairworm infection. Before the stress of breeding, stock birds will often carry these asymptomatically. However, by the third round, particularly in the hens, they can cause severe weight loss, anaemia, diarrhoea and, sometimes, death.
In this situation, because of the heavy environmental contamination, and youngsters re-infecting treated adults, usually only the worst-affected individuals are treated until the pairs are split up. Once all birds are old enough to eat and drink for themselves, and there are no youngsters in the nest boxes, making thorough cleaning possible, it is feasible to eradicate the parasite.
One would expect the odd youngster to be less vigorous than the others for a variety of reasons, including congenital deformities. However, if there is a problem present, it should be investigated, even if it only means that, once identified, the problem can be prevented in the following breeding season. It is good for fanciers to be familiar with, and recognise, the common problems. It is also important for them to know when they need to seek veterinary advice. Most health problems associated with breeding can be identified through straightforward testing involving a throat swab and faecal tests, but sometimes more thorough testing is required.]
Vet Questions
1/ What causes a pigeon’s eye to not constrict in bright light?
The problem is either in the eye where the light is not being detected or in the brain where the images from the eye cannot be interpreted. In race birds the most common cause is trauma that has damaged the eye internally or the brain causing a concussion.
2/ Where I live there is a commercial trainer/tosser who will take birds for a 100 mile toss each Sunday in a purpose built training unit. His service is popular with many fanciers sending their birds with him. I am considering sending my own birds but have been told that pox is “in the unit” . Apparently fanciers are reporting that birds have developed pox after being in the unit. I have been told that it is a nasty strain of fowl pox with most of the vesicles in the mouth and that the pox vaccine does not protect the birds as some fanciers whose birds have caught the disease did vaccinate against pox. What are your thoughts?
Pigeons can catch fowl pox but there is significant genetic overlap between fowl pox and pigeon pox so that the pigeon pox vaccine would protect the pigeons against both of these types of pox. Either fanciers are not being truthful and they are saying that they have vaccinated their birds when in fact they have not or they need to review the way they handle the vaccine and their vaccination technique. Used correctly the pigeon pox vaccine will protect pigeons against fowl pox as well as pigeon pox. If you have vaccinated your birds correctly you can train them quite safely in this unit.
3/ I have a few birds in my race team that seem to fly “stiffly” and struggle to keep up with the rest. What could this be?
This could be many things. These birds may have myoscitis (muscle inflammation) due to them being forced to work beyond their current fitness. They may be injured. A common injury that is often overlooked is a sprain or tear to the ptagial ligament or membrane. When you extend a pigeons wing you will be able to feel a membrane on the leading edge of the wing that binds the wing to the shoulder. This is the patagial membrane . Feeling along this membrane’s front edge you will feel a firm strand. This is the patagial ligament. When a pigeon is flying, if the wing is pushed back hard against the side of the bird, the wing can be overextended causing the ligament to stretch ( ie sprain ) or rupture. In some cases the ligament can actually be torn away from the bone where it attaches ( ie an avulsion). These birds can still fly but with difficulty and sometimes with a noticeable wobble. If a significant number of birds fly stiffly there may be an underlying health problem that is preventing them developing their fitness. In this case a vet check would be a good idea.
4/ I have had a bird return from a race covered in oil. What should I do?
One of the problem with motor oil on feathers is that it is toxic. If the pigeons try to preen it off themselves they ingest it . This poisons them. If it is around the head , they breath in the fumes. This can damage the respiratory tract or also kill them. It is not possible to wash off oil with soapy water. The wash simply beads on top of the oil. One method of cleaning motor oil from a bird is to apply a vegetable oil to the area contaminated by the motor oil. The motor oil will mix into the vegetable oil and the combination can then be stripped away. Done repeatedly most of the motor oil can be removed. In severe cases, or if particularly valuable birds are affected, removal of motor oil is a job best left for an avian veterinarian. Under anaesthetic or sedation strong oil dissolving detergents can be applied with vigour, irrepairable feathers can be plucked and supportive treatment in the form of heat , crop feeding and certain medications can be given.
5/ I have 3 breeder cocks that have excessive water in their crop. They have had this going on a week. How do I cure this. Please note I have experienced this during the breeding season with some of my babies as I wean them.
Possible causes can be divided into 3 groups –
1/ conditions that make a pigeon drink more. Here the crop is emptying normally but the pigeon is drinking so much that there is always water in the crop
2/ conditions affecting the crop itself that make the crop empty more slowly -- anything that inflames the crop wall will interfere with it contracting and emptying , possible causes include infection due to bacteria , canker organisms or yeasts ( called thrush)
3/ generalised health conditions that effect crop function – pigeons that are generally unwell for any reason, can develop a slow crop as a feature of their ill health. Many health issues cause the pigeon to become generally unwell. One of the symptoms of this decrease in health can be delayed crop emptying. In particular lead poisoning due to galvanised drinkers is quite common but generalised viral, bacterial or nutritional problems may be involved.
Have you had any testing done?. In the absence of testing , in stock birds that are breeding and in youngsters with this symptom, wet canker would be the most likely. This is managed as described in the section on canker in my book “The Pigeon” and also on the APC website. Perhaps try these birds on a treatment trial as described. If problems persist testing will need to be done to identify the cause accurately.