ONCE A WEEK:
GARLIC is an incredible natural antibiotic. It is the allicin that is the key ingredient to purify the bloodstream and build up the immune system,maintains beautiful feathering & white wattle. It is a natural anti-bacterial, anti-fungul, and anti-inflammatory. (They will not fuss about the taste of the garlic if you use no more then 1 organic clove of garlic per gallon of fresh water). If they fuss about it, buy the Now brand softgel capsules and give one to each bird down the throat every few days.
Please see thread http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=12553 for more indepth information on "the goodness of garlic"
APPLE CIDER VINEGAR Once a week, 1 to 2 tablespoons of ACV to a gallon water for good gut PH at a level that bacteria, such as Salmonella and E Coli don't like, and most likely will not thrive in the crop. I recommend the organic ACV from the health food store as it has the "mother" in it. You can also give the birds probiotics at this time, as the ACV favors good bacteria over bad bacteria. ACV provides a favorable environment for the good gut bacteria to repopulate.
ACV can be used in heavier doses for medicinal purposes, see the following thread:
http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=15856
THE FOLLOWING CAN BE MIXED TOGETHER ONCE A WEEK WITH THE SEED:
PROBIOTICS I recommend a human grade pro-biotic from the health food store. You can buy it in powder and mix with seeds. Use 1 teaspoon per lb. of seed. You can also buy it in capsule and just pull the capsule apart. I use Solgar multi-dophilus powder, and for birds with special needs I use Total Flora Support. This one also worked extremelly well for raising baby pigeons. it contains:
L. Acidophilus, B. bifidum, L. bulgaricus, L. plantarium, L. reuteri, L. salvarius, E. faecium, S. thermophilus, fructooligosacharrides, calcium ascorbate, & enzymes.
A MULTI-VITAMIN MINERAL PREPARATION with amino acids, and micro minerals once a week. You can get one for all birds, like Prime, or for pigeons specifically ( Prime is great for indoor birds). I use the Herba multi vitamins for pigeons and have great results with it. I alternate with another brand every other week, so the birds get best all around nutrients from different sources. Please use dosages strictly as per instructions PER LB. OF SEED, too much can overdose them, and their minerals and nutrients will be out of balance. Some preparations can be used with water and/or mixed with seed.
BREWERS YEAST Once a week a tablespoon to a lb. of pigeon seed,
You can purchase the multi-vitamins and brewers yeast at any pigeon supply house like Globals, Siegels, Jedds, and Foys. However, I don't recommend using it during the rearing of young, or when the birds are on antibiotics due to possible fungus problems.
MIX 3, 4, & 5 TOGETHER with A LITTLE wheat germ oil, just enough to get the MIX to stick to the seed. Shake it up WELL in a clean plastic bag and serve.
IT IS BETTER TO MIX THESE THINGS WITH THE SEED AS THEY WILL NOT QUIBBLE OVER SOME STUFF OVER THEIR FOOD, BUT THEY WON'T DRINK FULLY OF THEIR WATER IF THEY ARE NOT HAPPY WITH THE TASTE.
FOR RACING PIGEONS
For added performance you can add a little dash of "Concentrace" in the water daily for trace minerals. This product comes from bodybuilding.com. Birdy uses this for his YB's.
PREVENTIVE MEDICATION
I recommend these products before breeding and if your birds are in contact with other pigeons. I do use a medication for the prevention of canker, coccidiosis, and worms, called Globals Multi-Mix. This is also used by those who race pigeons. I can also recommend a preventive medication, called Dacoxine, which is a 4 in 1 treatment. This one is for the prevention of canker, E-coli, Paratyphoid, and Coccidiosis. You need only use either Globals multi-mix or Dacoxine, do not use them at the same time. Please read & follow instructions carefully. The products are excellent and work extremely well in pigeons because it was designed for them. Please only use seasonally and only on youngsters 6 months and older,as it is best to initiate a good nutrition program first and let your birds build up a natural immunity.
Please follow up the above treatments upon completion with several days of probiotics.
PREVENTIVE VACCINATIONS
All birds that go out to fly or are show birds, in contact with other birds should be vaccinated for Pox, Paratyphoid, and PMV also. If you also have birds that are non flyers/homebound, they should be vaccinated as well. PMV must be done annually, and Paratyphoid every 6 months. Pox needs to be done only once when the bird is a youngster. Please follow instructions carefully. With some vaccinations, like PMV it is recommended giving youngsters at 4 to 8 weeks of age, followed by a booster injection 4 to 8 weeks later, and then annually with the older birds.
Read this thread for more info. on Paratyphoid and other vaccines:
http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=12461
Global resources/vaccines:http://www.globalpigeon.com/gps.php?...showprod&id=74
Allow your youngsters to get as natural diet as possible, allowing the immune system to build up on its own, and supplement with probiotics in the water or on the seed.
PREVENTION CHECKUPS & FECALS
Have a check up and fecals done on your birds on a regular basis, especially just before and (bi-monthly) during the racing season.
If your birds are not performing as they should, take a random sample and/or the birds that specifically do not perform well, to a good avian vet. Pigeons will try to act like they are fine (this a basic survival skill they use to keep predators away) may be sick. They should have an exam and fecal done to determine if there have any underlying health issues.
If there are any issues, they can be addressed immediately with the specific drug and proper doses, prescribed by a qualified avian vet. If you don't have the slightest idea what the problem is, it is not a good idea to medicate on your own. It will save you a lot of time and trouble to take the extra step. Follow treatment exactly given by the avian vet for the number of days prescribed and then give the birds a few days of quality human grade probiotics.
I don't believe in over medicating our birds, but if a health issue is addressed quickly & correctly with the appropriate drugs, then there is no need for using medications indiscriminetly and putting our birds at more risk. Follow with a good nutrition program, and you will see a noticable difference in their performance. If everyone gets check ups for their birds, no birds would be at risk, by being exposed to those that have less then perfect health during basketing. That is a win win situation.
FOOD AND GRIT & CALCIUM
Besides giving pigeons a good pigeon mix of seed, they need grit, AND pickstone. I found that the females go for the pickstone during breeding season. It seems to have the necessary calcium that is different from the red grit. Pigeons pick up grit when they need it, it grinds the seed in their crop and prepares it for digestion.
More about the importance of calcium in pigeons diet:
http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=7769
I alternate with different sources of grit and pickcake. that way the birds are supplied with a variety as they would get in nature when they forage.
If you are looking for an example of good pigeon seed mix check out:
http://purgrain.com/products.htm
This company carries different mixes for the breeding season, for the young, and also racing pigeons. You may want to try a different mix for racing season designed for extra energy and reserves.
During the molting season pigeons should have access to an additional 25% barley, to reduce egg production and give them the necessary nutrients demanded of them during the molt. You can also add a little flax seeds to the mix at this time.
DRINKING WATER
Pigeons should have access to clean fresh water everyday, on the days they don't get garlic or ACV in the water, in a container with top, so it does not get soiled. You can use a clean plastic gallon water jug. Cut a big hole in the side, just big enough for them to put their head thru and drink. This plastic container should be thoroughly washed and sanitized daily. I replace with new plastic containers every month.
SNACKS
For snacks my pigeons love raw Spanish peanuts, that I break up in smaller pieces for them (go easy). They also get spinach or Kale once a week only, and I am experimenting with other vegetables that are on the pigeon friendly list. Kale is one of the best vegies you can offer them, as it is the most nutritious.
Cilantro can also be juiced and added to drinking water once in a while as it is good preventative for Salmonellas. You can also shred it in a small size and serve it on wet spinach. (per Snowbird)
More about Cilantro: http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=5152
http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=5133
BATHING
Pigeons love taking baths, especially the young. I offer mine at least a couple clean cat litter tubs of water a few days a week. Add a little bath salts to the water, that you can purchase from the above pigeon supply houses. It cleans their feathering, and keeps bug out. (Two cat litter size bath tubs per 30 birds)
Pigeon Feeding Trays
Every pigeon fancier should try to save the food grains from getting contaminated by bird droppings. The bird droppings spread fatal diseases like Paratyphoid and PMV very fast and the entire loft will be wiped out in no time. The feeding tray given below is the best one, one could ever imagine. It prevents birds from defecating on the grains and also from wastage of grains. You can also use this type of feeding tray to quench the thirst of your birds as a waterer.
Pigeon Waterers
I found the below pigeon waterers to be the best. They keep the water clean and prevent contamination of water from the bird droppings. The above is a multipurpose tray, as it can be used both for feeding and drinking purpose. But, I would recommend you to use separate trays for feeding and drinking purposes.
Before you start feeding your birds, it is very important for you to know the different components the food is composed of.
The food, in general, is composed of the following three compoments:-
1) Carbohydrates, which provide energy and excess carbohydrates are converted to fats in the pigeon body.
Examples: Maize,Sorghum(Jowar/white dari),Brown Rice,Finger Millet,Pearl millet, Wheat, Barley etc to name a few.
NOTE: Wheat should not be fed to the pigeons as it is hot and causes scaly itch mite/gangrenous dermatitis disease in chicks. Wheat, if fed, should be given in moderation to the pigeons.
2) Fats- This is also a very good source of energy. It provides thrice the amount of energy provided by the carbohydrates. But, this component should be fed in moderation to the pigeons.
Examples: Safflower seeds, Sunflower seeds, Peanuts, Mustard seeds etc
3) Proteins- This is NOT an energy source at all. It is generally used for muscle growth and for repairing the injured/damaged tissues. This component should be fed to the young birds and breeders and it is a must for proper growth of the chicks and also for repairing the tissues of the breeders that go through the stress of breeding and raising the chicks.
Examples: Bengal gram(chaney ki dal), Lentils(Masoor ki dal), Green gram(Moong ki dal), Black gram(Udat/Maash ki dal), Toowar ki dal, Peanuts etc
Grit mixture:- The breeding pairs in addition to the above three food components, should be given grit mixture. The grit mixture helps the pigeons to digest the feed and also provides many minerals needed for proper growth of the chicks.
Grit mixture consits of Red brick powder, wooden charcoal powder, and iodized salt(in small quantities i.e., only 1 to 2% in total mixture). Salt in more quantities is dangerous for the pigeons.
NOTE: Females need more calcium than males as they lay eggs throughtout their life or as long as they are fertile. The eggs are composed mainly of calcium and phosphorus minerals. The best source of calcium and phosphorus is goat milk, which is also easily digestible. Some people feed crushed tiles to provide calcium and phosphorus to the pigeons.
For supplying calcium, you can also give crushed hen egg shells. Calcium can also be given orally in the form of calcium tablets.
Multivitamins:- Multivitamins are also necessary for the pigeons. These are commercially available under the name Viseral or Vimeral (in India). Lack of multivitmains and minerals in the feed causes splayed legs in the chicks. The multivitamins can be given twice weekly dissolved in water or directly.
The food, in general, is composed of the following three compoments:-
1) Carbohydrates, which provide energy and excess carbohydrates are converted to fats in the pigeon body.
Examples: Maize,Sorghum(Jowar/white dari),Brown Rice,Finger Millet,Pearl millet, Wheat, Barley etc to name a few.
NOTE: Wheat should not be fed to the pigeons as it is hot and causes scaly itch mite/gangrenous dermatitis disease in chicks. Wheat, if fed, should be given in moderation to the pigeons.
2) Fats- This is also a very good source of energy. It provides thrice the amount of energy provided by the carbohydrates. But, this component should be fed in moderation to the pigeons.
Examples: Safflower seeds, Sunflower seeds, Peanuts, Mustard seeds etc
3) Proteins- This is NOT an energy source at all. It is generally used for muscle growth and for repairing the injured/damaged tissues. This component should be fed to the young birds and breeders and it is a must for proper growth of the chicks and also for repairing the tissues of the breeders that go through the stress of breeding and raising the chicks.
Examples: Bengal gram(chaney ki dal), Lentils(Masoor ki dal), Green gram(Moong ki dal), Black gram(Udat/Maash ki dal), Toowar ki dal, Peanuts etc
Grit mixture:- The breeding pairs in addition to the above three food components, should be given grit mixture. The grit mixture helps the pigeons to digest the feed and also provides many minerals needed for proper growth of the chicks.
Grit mixture consits of Red brick powder, wooden charcoal powder, and iodized salt(in small quantities i.e., only 1 to 2% in total mixture). Salt in more quantities is dangerous for the pigeons.
NOTE: Females need more calcium than males as they lay eggs throughtout their life or as long as they are fertile. The eggs are composed mainly of calcium and phosphorus minerals. The best source of calcium and phosphorus is goat milk, which is also easily digestible. Some people feed crushed tiles to provide calcium and phosphorus to the pigeons.
For supplying calcium, you can also give crushed hen egg shells. Calcium can also be given orally in the form of calcium tablets.
Multivitamins:- Multivitamins are also necessary for the pigeons. These are commercially available under the name Viseral or Vimeral (in India). Lack of multivitmains and minerals in the feed causes splayed legs in the chicks. The multivitamins can be given twice weekly dissolved in water or directly.
To groom the pigeons, the first thing you need to do is kill feather mites and lice . This can be done by applying Notix powder (Carbaryl Dust 5%) on the entire body except eyes. Within 15 minutes, all the ectoparasites get killed. Please see the picture below:
After two days, allow the pigeons to bathe in water mixed with citric acid. Citric acid kills e.coli,salmonella and other bacteria which are generally found in the pigeon intestines. It creates acidic environment in the pigeons' gut, due to which the bacteria cannot survive.
Citric Acid does not exist in liquid form as the name suggests. It is white and crystalline and is used generally in pickles and cool drinks. It is called "Neembu sath" in urdu/hindi. Citric acid is inexpensive(cheap) and is easily available in provision stores.
Citric Acid for bathing purpose:- Use two teaspoons in 15 litres of water for bathing 60 pigeons. Citric acid lowers the hardness of water and cleans the dirt on the pigeon's body and feathers. After the bath, the pigeon feathers start shining and look clean and healthy.
NOTE:- Citric Acid is 100% safe and is edible.
After two days, allow the pigeons to bathe in water mixed with citric acid. Citric acid kills e.coli,salmonella and other bacteria which are generally found in the pigeon intestines. It creates acidic environment in the pigeons' gut, due to which the bacteria cannot survive.
Citric Acid does not exist in liquid form as the name suggests. It is white and crystalline and is used generally in pickles and cool drinks. It is called "Neembu sath" in urdu/hindi. Citric acid is inexpensive(cheap) and is easily available in provision stores.
Citric Acid for bathing purpose:- Use two teaspoons in 15 litres of water for bathing 60 pigeons. Citric acid lowers the hardness of water and cleans the dirt on the pigeon's body and feathers. After the bath, the pigeon feathers start shining and look clean and healthy.
NOTE:- Citric Acid is 100% safe and is edible.
- I suggest all pigeon lovers to keep these handy tools with you.
- These tools are very useful.
- They help you save pigeon’s lives and also help you to quickly clean the pens and the entire loft.
The Tools:-
1). Ink Filler- To give the liquid solution in very small quantities such as 1 to 4 drops or more if required.
2) Syringes- 2ml, 5ml, and 10 ml – To feed any liquids to the pigeons.
3) Injection Needles, to give shots to your pigeons
4) Sewing needle and thread to stitch the cut skin caused by falcon/hawk attacks (or) by any other animals.
5) Nose pliers for cleaning nails
6) Scissors to cut the feathers.
7) Scraper to clean the pens and the loft.
8) Small and big size broom for cleaning the pens and the loft.
9) Dustpan into which waste/dust can be swept and thrown easily into the garbage bin.
10) First Aid Box with medicines
11) Newspapers, as the flooring material for the pens.
12) Nail cutter to trim the upper beaks
13) Candle and a match box to correct the uneven lower beaks.
14) Waterers to prevent contamination of water and spreading of diseases.
15) Feeding trays to avoid wastage and contamination of feed(grains).
16) Woollen thread for tying the legs of the aggressive pigeon to stop fighting and to make them pair easily.
***Pairing Aggressive birds****
Sometimes when we pair new birds. They do not pair easily. Often, one of the birds is aggresive. So how do you pair them? It is very simple. Just tie the legs of the aggressive bird (like a handcuffed person). In 1 or 3 days or max in a week they stop fighting and start mating. This technique will save you a lot of time. Believe me !!!!
***Clean your pens easily***
Want to save time and make sure that your pens (made of wood) are clean and tidy? Then use fibre sheets as the floor of the pens. You can scrape the bird droppings very easily and your pens will look clean and tidy. Trust me !!!
***Make your birds defecate where you want them to ***
Everyday we let our breeding pairs out for feeding, but as soon as you leave them out what happens? They start defecating wherever they want to. So, how do you stop them from defecating everywhere? Use "Jhaap". "Jhaap" (in urdu)is a wired cage of height 2-1/2 feet and 3 feet x 3 feet (length and breadth)with a door on top having dimensions of 6 inch x 1 feet (length and breadth). It will be open from bottom (i.e., it will not have any floor).
In the evening, before you let your breeders out for feeding, put them in this wired cage. They will start defecating immediately inside this cage. Then just simply lift the cage to free them for feeding.
***Splayed legs in squabs/young birds***
To correct splayed legs in chicks. Tie both legs with a woollen thread(like a handcuffed person) in such a way that they can stand in a normal standing position. After some days, the splayed legs will get corrected and the pigeon will be able to walk properly. The splayed legs are due to deficiency of vitamins and minerals in the pigeon feed.
Treatment:- Give one cod liver capsule to the squabs every alternate day and multivitamins(viselam or vimeral) for 3 consecutive days every week and soaked green gram in the evening after feeding the grains without fail until they get well.
***Monsoon: The Danger ***
As the monsoon arrives, it also brings many diseases with it, mostly viral in nature. In the year 2008, I lost approximately 50 birds. And it was because of a deadly virus called Herpes virus(Avian Paramyxovirus type-1). It can look like Newcastle,Paratyphoid and Canker all rolled into one. It affects the digestive tract and nervous system of the pigeons.
One of the experienced fanciers,Jack Barkel, has given explanation regarding this disease. Mr. Barkel advises all the fanciers to use Virkon-S. It is a disinfectant and it kills most of the bacteria and viruses of the pigeons.
Its dosage is 5 gms in 10 litres of drinking water for three days, followed by flora treatment to replace the good germs in the tract. It is very inexpensive and it works. So don't waste time and try this disinfectant in your loft to get rid of the bacteria and viruses.
***Pedicure for pigeons ***
Sometimes pigeon droppings get attached to the toenails of pigeons and it becomes hard. And when you try to remove these hard droppings from the toenails, the nails come out and start bleeding. There is a simple way to clean the toenails. Use a noseplier. Gently press the bird droppings with the noseplier. Care should be taken while pressing with the noseplier, otherwise, if you press the noseplier very firmly then the pigeon might get hurt.
***Wired floors***
If your pigeons are getting weaker and sick very often, and dying, then its time for instrospection. We, as human beings, often think that we have taken all the best precautions to protect our pigeons and no disease can kill our pigeons,but still our pigeons get sick. Why? It is all because of the way we keep the pigeons in our lofts.
Most of the fanciers use sand as flooring material. If a fancier is using sand as flooring material then he is doing the "BIGGEST" mistake of his life as he is spreading PMV and Paratyphoid to the entire loft "unknowingly". How? You may argue? I will explain, and the reason is very simple.
When a pigeon gets infected with PMV and/or Paratyphoid, and such birds, when defecate, their droppings fall on the floor and gets mixed with the sand. And we all know that pigeons have the habit of eating sand, as they need calcium, and while doing so the healthy birds also get infected with the deadly PMV and/or Paratphoid disease thereby spreading the disease in the entire loft and these birds do the same thing to the other birds by repeating the same process. Many a times, fanciers say "I have lost some 50 or 100 birds at a time". It is due to the same reason. They should blame themselves for causing such a huge mortality in their lofts.
And to prevent this there is a solution and that is " Wired Floors". If wired floors are used a lot of pigeon diseases can be prevented and also the pigeons will remain free of worms, as the worm eggs are also ingested by them when they eat the sand. The wired floors should be 6 inches or more in height from the floor so that when the pigeons defecate, their droppings would pass through the wired mesh and fall on the floor. The pigeons cannot eat the contaminated feed fallen on the floor or sand as the wired mesh floor does not allow them to do so. This will help them to stay clean and healthy.
***Trimming pigeon beaks***
Sometimes the pigeon beaks grow abnormally. In such a case, you need to trim the extra beaks. Trimming the pigeon beaks is same like trimming our finger nails. Both are made up of similar material(keratin). Take a nailcutter and cut the extra beaks like we trim our nails, but be carefull while trimming the beak as there is a possibility of bleeding if you cut the beak too deep. Just like our nails have flesh underneath them, the pigeon beaks also have flesh underneath its beak. If you cut the beak very deep, there is a possibility that you might cut the flesh beneath its beak also and bleeding might start. So take care while trimming the beaks.
***Deworming***
Worms in the gut(intestines) of the pigeons makes the pigeons weak and reduce their performance. They absorb the nutrients from the food eaten by the pigeons. They are attached to the walls of the intestines. When they multiply in large numbers, they block the intestines preventing the movement of food inside the gut (intestines). Sometimes, the worms also come out of the vent along with the bird droppings.
Treatment: -Albomar (Albendazole) is the drug of choice to deworm the pigeons. It should be dissolved in water and given to all the pigeons except breeding pairs who are raising chicks. Mix 10 drops of Albomar solution to 1 litre drinking water. This diluted Albomar solution can be given to 15 birds. It should be given continuosly for three days. If you have more birds, then increase the dosage according to the ratio given above. If the worms are in large numbers, you will see many worms in the bird droppings on the first day when they defecate. The worms are expelled only after 24 hours through vent/anus when the birds defecate. Deworming is recommended every six months. Do not use sand/soil as the flooring material in the loft as the worm eggs are ingested by the pigeons which are present in the soil when they eat sand.
***Arrest Bleeding***
To arrest the bleeding, apply turmeric powder on the injured area. The bleeding will stop immediately.
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