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From hatching to moulting, it’s all about attention and planning

We often see how the chicks are fed the leftovers from the flyers or a cheaper mixture, just because they have not yet reached the age of flight. It’s deeply wrong.

Chicks should be pampered so that they do not miss anything and do not have crooked chest problems and other conditions. It is not suitable to give the leftovers, which other pigeons leave, as food for chickens. More protein supplements like Protein Plus, vitamins like Vit Amino, probiotics like Biotics, natural oils contained by Healthy Oil are especially useful for a harmonious development. Sanocest, added in the drinking water for the destruction of bacteria and viruses, minimizes the pressure of infections.

I noticed something else. After the completion of the flights, most fanciers take refuge in cheap food and forget about their pigeons.

These fanciers forget that, during the moulting period, the foundations of next year’s winnings are laid. An excellent plumage will show its merit during the flights. A plumage that is not optimal will inhibit the pigeons in their suppleness. Now that pigeon sport has become a top sport, the smallest things can make a big difference.

There are many roads leading to Rome when it comes to caring for pigeons during moulting. The starting points should be the supply of amino acids with sufficient sulfur content. But not only that.

The liver works at extremes during moulting. A lot of building material has to be produced for the new feathers to be optimal and a lot of waste is also produced. Therefore, this waste must be removed from the liver and kidneys. Thus, optimizing these organs for moulting is not an unnecessary luxury.

Any disease that occurs during moulting will create major problems in the moulting process and feather formation. Due to weight loss during moulting caused by the effort that the body has to make, sometimes an outbreak of latent paratyphoid is hidden in the loft. Autumn is the time of year when we see the most cases of paratyphosis. This is due to the moulting period, but also because the inhibitory effect of the various disinfectants that are administered during the racing season disappears.

In my own loft, pigeons receive supplements rich in proteins and amino acids, such as Protein Plus and Amino Forte, Sedo Plus for the liver, vitamins and very good food.

Probiotics are not missing from the weekly diet because I have noticed how important intestinal health is and I regularly use Detox Plus with Moor Active for detoxification. Now is the time when pigeons need the most resources and the most attention from us. If we miss this period we will have to wait one year until the next one co mes J.

Success and wisdom! Races are first won with the mind!

Marius Tunduc

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Pigeon diseases – the most common seven health problems

1.TRICOMONIASIS (CANKER)

It is a serious disease that produces a cheesy, yellow substance, generally observed in the beak. However, only 10% of trichomoniasis is external, the remaining 90% being internal. It occurs at any age, both in adults and in chicks still in the nest. It is caused by a flagellate (a single-celled organism) that lives on the mucous membranes of the neck and crop.

Symptoms of trichomoniasis:

Loss of appetite
Digestive problems
“Yellow stuff” in the throat and beak
Apathy

Treatment:

Ronidazol 10%
Tricoplus
Carnix Tab
Ambronil

Stimulating immunity with: Healthy Oil, Vit Amino, Amino Forte, Protein Plus, Biotics, BDC, Fly Power, Garlic Oil, Oregano Oil

  1. PARATYPHOSIS (Salmonella)

Paratyphosis can be caused by unsanitary conditions and contamination of feed by rodents. It can also occur when new pigeons are introduced into the farm, without first checking to see if they are healthy. Before bringing new pigeons to the farm, isolate them and observe them for 5 days and give them a preventive medicine.

Simptoms of paratyphoid:

Loss of form and weight
Green excrement
Swelling of the joints of the leg and wing hobble
Infertile eggs
Twisted neck (rare)
One-eyed blindness (rare)

Tratment:

Cestamicin Plus

Stimulating immunity with: Healthy Oil, Vit Amino, Amino Forte, Protein Plus, Biotics, BDC, Fly Power, Garlic Oil, Oregano Oil

  1. PARAMYXOVIRUS (PMV)

To prevent Paramyxovirus in your loft, it is recommended that all birds be vaccinated at least once a year. Young birds should be vaccinated at 4 to 8 weeks of age, but no later than 4 weeks before the young bird racing season. Vaccinate all birds again 4 weeks before the breeding season. Once a pigeon has Paramixovirus, you can do very little for him; vaccination at this time will not help. We recommend that those pigeons that have the disease be treated with La-Sota, which has proven successful in this regard. This can be done individually by putting a drop in each eye for three consecutive days or adding it in drinking water for the treatment of the whole lot.

Symptoms of paramixovirous:

Weight loss
Green and watery droppings
Twisting the neck and head

Vaccines:

PMV1 Vaccin
La Sota
PHA

Stimulating immunity with: Healthy Oil, Vit Amino, Amino Forte, Protein Plus, Biotics, BDC, Fly Power, Garlic Oil, Oregano Oil

* NOTE: If a visible paramixovirus problem occurs, you can try the following remedy (this has been recommended by some of the leading veterinarians in the Netherlands and Belgium): vaccinate the affected pigeon 3 times a week with the PMV-1 dead virus vaccine, 0.5 cm3 in the throat, on Sunday, Wednesday and Sunday. After treatment, keep the pigeon isolated for another week to make sure all the symptoms are gone. Remember that the bird will always remain a carrier.

  1. COCCIDIOSIS

This problem can be caused by unsanitary conditions in the loft and the pigeons allowed to nibbling on the ground. Coccidiosis is highly infectious and quite a common illness that infects the intestines of birds.

Symptoms of coccidiosis:

Weight loss
Dark green droppings
Lethargy
Lack of appetite
Thirst

Treatment:

Tricoplus
Ambronil
Cestamicin Plus

Stimulating immunity with: Healthy Oil, Vit Amino, Amino Forte, Protein Plus, Biotics, BDC, Fly Power, Garlic Oil, Oregano Oil

  1. ADENO-COLI SYNDROME (young bird disease)

In the last decade, this has been the biggest problem in young birds aged 6-9 months. Up to 70% can be infected and have symptoms. The disease is a combination of an Adeno virus, which paves the way for the suddenly aggressive E-Coli bacterium, often involving a Circovirus. The same symptoms can be seen with Paramyxovirus, however, in this case, the pigeons drink more and may have a central nervous problem, such as twisting the head. Although there is no known cure for Adeno and Circo virus, several of the products listed below have been shown to be effective.

Symptoms of  Adeno-Coli syndrome:

Decreased appetite
Clear aqueous excrement with traces of fecal matter
Vomiting
Rapid weight loss
Death in a few days

Although the problems listed are not common, they can occur under certain conditions and should not be overlooked.

Products for prevention or cure:

Cestamicin Plus

Stimulating immunity with: Healthy Oil, Vit Amino, Amino Forte, Protein Plus, Biotics, BDC, Fly Power, Garlic Oil, Oregano Oil

  1. WORMS (hair worms, round worms și tape worms)

The cause is generally unhealthy hygiene conditions or letting the pigeons nibble from the ground. The appetite will be high, because the worms consume almost all the nutrition in the pigeons’ body.

Symptoms of worm infestation:

Loss of general condition
Weight loss
Unhealthy excrements

Treatment:

Worm Tabs

Stimulating immunity with: Healthy Oil, Vit Amino, Amino Forte, Protein Plus, Biotics, BDC, Fly Power, Garlic Oil, Oregano Oil

  1. ORNITHOSIS COMPLEX

Over 50% of young birds have problems with the ornithosis complex. Loss of  any desire to fly, loss of pigeons and poor results, both in old and young birds.

Symptoms of ornithosis complex:

Lack of condition
Runny nose
Decreased desire to fly
Scratching the head and beak
Swollen eyelids and wet eyes
Sneezing, rumbling and coughing
Mucus in the throat

Tratament:

Respiratory Plus
Ambronil

Stimulating immunity withHealthy Oil, Vit Amino, Amino Forte, Protein Plus, Biotics, BDC, Fly Power, Garlic Oil, Oregano Oil

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Chris Gibbson – Cest Pharma Champion from UK!

Chris Gibbson is one of the champions from the UK that used our products and secured some top results this year. In this article, he talks about some of the products he was pleased with and helped him prepare his pigeons better.

PROTEIN PLUS

“I use this product all year round with excellent results. During moulting and breeding, it assists greatly with the growth of new feathers and importantly creates strong quills important for the tail festers and feathers on the wing. I have found that CEST Protein Plus is the best protein product for the growth of the youngsters – 3 times a week over smaller grains which are easily digestible for both the young and their parents whilst still receiving all the protein needed. I also give Protein Plus on the evening of the race to aid the repair, rebuild, and recovery stages following the race. If the race has been extra tough then it may be given for two days. After this, the birds are ready for the training. A great product that I wouldn’t be without…”

SEDO PLUS

“This is another product I hugely recommend during the moulting period. Sedo I am an exceptional product for the metabolism and function of the liver. Again I use this product all year round but more so during moulting and breeding. After young bird racing is finished when darkening and lights have been employed I give Sedo Plus every day for a full 2 weeks to kickstart the youngsters moult and then 2/3 times a week till the moult is finished. The moult is then excellent due to the perfect liver function evening able to utilise all the goodness from the feed and supplements you give.”

“The condition of your pigeons is important all year round, not just when racing, and with CEST Pharma this will be achieved!”

BIOTICS

“One product I have only just started using 1 day a week during moulting is BIOTICS a perfect blend of both (live) pre and probiotics bacteria keeping on top of the good bacteria and preventing any bad from multiplying and allowing illness. I will be using BIOTICS all year around 1/2 days a week as I have already noticed my pigeons are looking very good on this product.”

Some of Chris’ recent results:

5 x 1st Federation:
Including:

1,2,3,4,5,6 – out of 1.536 pigeons
1,2,3 – out of 1.486 pigeons
1,4,5 – out of 1.659 pigeons
1st – out of 3.898 pigeons
1st – out of 1.234 pigeons
2,3,4,5,6,7 – out of 968 pigeons

Also
5th Combine – out of 4.465 pigeons
1st Nat Sec
31st Nat – out of 4.059 pigeons
1st Nat Sec – out of 1.009 pigeons
108th Nat – out of 9.960 pigeons

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What to do and not to do for a successful moulting

– by Dr. Sara Dias from Elite Pigeon Center Portugal

WHY IS MOULTING SO IMPORTANT

Moulting season is the time when the pigeons completely change their feathers, or it should be, because we happen to encounter problems that prevent moulting, which is not normal. Now is the time to change the future of a pigeon that didn’t perform well due to incomplete moulting. There is a great connection between a good moult and racing performance in the season. We can start again with a good moult even if we had a bad season with that pigeon.

If we don’t have a good moult, we can’t expect good performance in the future. That’s for sure! Even if the pigeon is a good pigeon, he can be even better if the moulting is perfect, if the feathers are shiny, good-looking and healthy. Without these few aspects, the pigeon cannot perform in competitions.

During this time many breeders are on vacation and sometimes forget about pigeons but this period is very important for the next season. If breeders knew this, they would pay more attention in the future. The racing season is the mirror of last year’s moult. When I look at some pigeons in the season and open their wings, I can see that moulting was not successful and this leads to bad results.

MOULTING AND TREATMENTS

Ideally, before moulting we should do some tests or treatments to make sure the pigeons enter into the great moult in perfect shape. If the pigeons are sick during this period, the moulting will not be complete or the feathers will not be shiny and the racing season will not be a good one. Any disease can compromise the absorption of nutrients in both the crop and intestines.

The moulting program, like the other programs of the year, is divided into two stages. The first stage is the preparation for moulting in which we make sure that the pigeons do not have intestinal worms, coccidiosis or trichomoniasis.

If we have the opportunity to test the crop and feces, then we can treat according to the result. If we cannot examine, then we should make a treatment for coccidiosis, intestinal worms and triomoniasis with Ambronil but, be very careful, use Ambronil 5g in 4 liters of water, in order not to affect the feathers as in the case of the normal dose. With this dilution (5g/4l) there is no risk. 2-3 days before moulting, and if a trichomoniasis treatment is needed even during moulting, use the same dosage.

Of course we must avoid the administration of drugs, if there is less than 5% of the flock sick, we can treat them individually. If they do not react to treatment in 4-5 days, they must be eliminated. If more than 5% are sick, we must treat them carefully, to not compromise the feathers.

Enrofloxacin, sulfamides, dimitridazole should always be avoided, not to develop problematic feathers. Of course, if we have a problem a veterinarian should be consulted.

We can use Tricoplus and Ambronil (5g/4l). Ronidazole is a safe substance that can be used once a month. Then, we can maintain the health of pigeons with Tricogo and Sanocest. These products help fight bacteria, fungi and viruses.

Another important aspect, after performing the treatments before or during moulting, we must disinfect the loft because worm eggs and coccidia may still be present. To stop reinfection we must always disinfect.

MOULTING AND REPRODUCTION

If we want to reproduce then the moulting will be delayed. But, if we talk about breeders there is no problem because we can extend the moulting period as much as we want but we must be careful because both reproduction and moulting consume a lot of energy, minerals, vitamins and amino acids, and so we must increase the dose of supplements to avoid any problems.

If we are talking about reproducing the racing pigeons, in Portugal, for example the season starts in February, the preparations start in December, the moulting must be completed at the end of November for the beginning of the trainings. If the moulting is not completed and we start training, we can compromise the feathers. So, with flyers, is not a good idea to prolong the moult.

FOOD AND SUPPLEMENTS

This period consumes a lot of energy, there are important needs that we must ensure, the pigeons must receive minerals, vitamins, amino acids and good balanced food. Minerals, vitamins and amino acids are vital for the development of feathers. If the body does not have these elements, it cannot produce good, strong and shiny feathers. The pigeons fly with their feathers. If they don’t have good feathers, they can’t fly well.

The most important amino acid during this period is methionine, which we find in Vit Amino, Amino Forte and Sedo Plus. These 3 products are very important and, from my point of view, the most important. They have an essential composition and together with quality food thus ensure good health and moult.

I mentioned Sedo Plus, Vit Amino, Amino Forte, which are very important, Healthy Oil is also very important for energy intake. Regarding food, there are many good brands on the market, we just have to choose one that contains good seeds, because the composition may be good but if the seeds are not of quality it is not ok.

Most brands have special blends. Normally we need food with high energy, many calories and fats, but it all depends on the pigeons. If we are talking about adults, we must use the mixtures designed for moulting. But if we are talking about youngsters, we should use mixtures designed for reproduction because they need more protein than adults. If they no longer receive protein, we can compromise their development. For a good moult we must have a daily plan, a good preparation, good food and a good loft. In Portugal the weather is different, in the south the weather is very beautiful, dry and there is no need to close the loft. In the north, where we live, the night is very cold; we have to be careful because it rains more. This summer was not too hot; we had autumn or spring like temperatures. Every year we have to pay attention to the weather and the loft, and try to do what is best for the pigeons.

In conclusion, for a good moulting we should pay attention to first stage, which means making sure the pigeons enter the great moulting in perfect health if not, treat possible diseases before they start moulting. In the second stage, the actual moulting, we supply with necessary products which contain methionine, vitamins and minerals. Together with the supplements we must procure good moulting food with quality grains. By doing all this we increase our chances for the next racing season.

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Dobre Cosmin

Hello, please tell us a few words about yourself

Hello, my name is Dobre Cosmin, I live in Prahova County, I am 32 years old and I have been raising pigeons since childhood. 6 years ago I made the decision to compete pigeons professionally, and currently I compete in UCPR in tandem with my friend Spiridon Costin under the name of DOBRE C. & SPIRIDON C.

Give us some details about the champion pigeon (pedigree)

The 2-year-old pigeon competed as a yearling in the middle-distance races and one long distance. This year he competed in all the long distance and marathon races, achieving satisfactory rankings for his level of experience. The pigeon is bred in my tandem loft and competed in my personal loft. It is reproduced from very long distance pigeons, 50% from a female from Stoica Marius, 50% from a pigeon of Austrian origin! (does not have a pedigree)

At what distance did he fly against how many pigeons participated?

The pigeon was sent at the derby race of the UCPR Prahova area, DONETSK, with a distance of 941 km, winning 1st place against 2000 pigeons.

Which flight method do you prefer? Natural or widowhood?

The method of flight I practice is widowhood.

What kind of motivation did you use with this pigeon and how did you prepare him?

The preparation I did with this pigeon is a classic one, namely: trainings around the loft and individual trainings from distances of maximum 70 km both in the morning and in the evening. The motivation was simple, 2 days before basketing we opened the cock boxes and turned the nests face up, we proceeded to open the boxes because during the break between competitions our males had the nest boxes closed, finding them open only when they returned from individual trainings.

What are your favorite Cest Pharma products and how do you use them?

The products we used this year from Cest Pharma are: Detox PlusBioticsEnergyElectrolit and Ronidazole 10%. I use Biotics 3 days after the competition, sometimes over the food or in the drinking water. I use Detox Plus on days 4, 5 and 6 after the competition, sometimes in combination with Biotics. I use Energy + Electrolit 2 days before basketing and 2 days after the arrival from competitions. Ronidazole 10% I use against trichomoniasis after competition, only when appropriate. In the past I have used other products such as Sedo PlusFly PowerAmino ForteProtein PlusRespiratory Plus and Top Form. In conclusion, I would like to tell you that I have been and still am very satisfied with these products, they are of very good quality and I recommend all breeders to use them.

Respectfully, DOBRE C. & SPIRIDON C.

We wish you good luck in all your future races!

dobre cosmin
dobre2
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Unroasted peanuts: a secret weapon?

– article by Steven van Breemen

The famous German biologist & pigeon fancier Dr. Arno Meyer of Hamburg, Germany, allowed me to take some interesting notes from his pigeon diary:

July 24:
“Today we are basketing for the last race of the old pigeons, 700 km. At around 2 o’clock I give the final feed to the 14 pigeons that are going to participate (six widowers and eight widowhood hens). They are given nothing else but peanuts and they can eat as much as they want. At night their crops are full of food and water.”

July 26:
“The day is hot, 28 degrees C. The pigeons were released at 06.15 hours. Departure is poor and the race remains open for a long time, from 16.48 to 20.30 o’clock. By 20.30 hours I clocked 12 birds. None of them returned home exhausted and they don’t appear to be very thirsty either, despite the heat. Ten pigeons are prize winners and it is really too bad that the first pigeon was not six minutes earlier in arriving home. The following morning the last two pigeons returned as well.”

No, you did not read it wrong, these pigeons were given as many peanuts as they wanted. Dr. Meyer deduced from a logical train of thought that it would be advantageous to feed peanuts to pigeons before basketing them. What exactly are peanuts?? Peanuts belong to the group of nuts with the highest oil content. Their appeal to fanciers is their extremely high fat content of 47%, combined with their protein content of 30% The analysis in the following table explains it more clearly.
Percentages of carbohydrates, fat, protein and nutritional values are expressed in calories:

                   Carbohydrates/ Fats /Proteins /Nutritional Value
Maize                 69                 4           10                      361
Wheat                69                 2           12                      351
Peas                   55                 1            23                     329
Peanuts             12              47           30                      609

As the above table shows, the major part of what we feed our pigeons consists of carbohydrates. A pigeon’s digestive system changes the carbohydrates of the maize, wheat and peas into proteins, which are then stored in the muscles and the liver of the bird in the form of glycogen. During the race the glycogen has to be changed into energy in the same manner as in the engine of a car the energy to move the vehicle is derived from gasoline. The combustion of 1 gram of glycogen gives the pigeon 4.1 calories of energy. Whenever the glycogen tank has run dry and the pigeon has not reached the loft, he starts burning up his body proteins, which have the same combustion value of 4.1 calories. The pigeon is using up its own muscles, in the process losing weight and in extreme cases may come home, having nothing else left but feathers and bones.

It would have been so much better if during these marathon races a pigeon could have had enough fat to burn. If, before being put in the basket, it had been offered feed high in fat, instead of the normal feed that has a low fat content. If this has been done the pigeon would not have been forced to use up its muscles; it would have come home nice and round, in excellent condition, because instead of protein, it had fat available for energy. Also it would have needed fewer grams of fat, because fat has a much higher combustion value than carbohydrates and proteins. A gram of fat provides a pigeon with 9.3 calories, which is 2.33 times as much energy. You know that a Formula-1 race car doesn’t use ordinary gasoline, but a fuel that is much higher in energy output.

To provide their pigeons with some extra fat, some fanciers feed them more maize (4% fat) and rolled oats (7% fat). And for the very same reason at the end of the season, when the pigeons are airborne the entire day during the big marathon races other fanciers feed their birds seeds high in oil content, like sunflower (28%), linseed (34%), hempseed (32%), and rapeseed (42%). Oil containing seeds are not just a treat for pigeons, they are much more important than that. When victories in especially difficult races are at stake, they could well become the deciding factor, because they help the birds hang on to their form and body weight, even under extreme difficult conditions.

It has already been proven by researchers in the UK that feed high in fat results in an improvement in performance, especially when the feed has been mixed with 5% corn oil. But let us return to the peanut, the first class fuel for our pigeon’s racing engines. Peanuts are oblong, round nuts, covered with a thin, brown skin. When you remove the skin, the white colored nut separates into two halves. At the feed dealer you can buy peanuts, either whole or in halves. As with other feeds a pigeon is not familiar with, it takes a while for them to get used to peanuts. The best time for the introduction is the winter and generally there are few problems. Even after just a few days the birds are starting to select the peanuts from among the feed, as if they are trying to tell the fancier they have never eaten anything more delicious. Even the most timid bird can be taught to eat from the hand with peanuts. A smart fancier will always have a handful of peanuts in his pocket. Also it seems that peanuts are about the best possible method to get young pigeons back in the loft.

Fanciers feeding peanuts to their birds, should keep in mind that these nuts far exceed other feeds in energy value: 5.7 grams equal 10 grams of ordinary mixture. If we would feed our pigeons nothing else but peanuts, we could cut their rations in half. It is possible for pigeons to survive on peanuts only?? Dr. Meyer told me about an old friend, somebody by the name of Eduard Pape of Hamburg, who used to be a laborer at the port, unloading peanuts for the oil mills. Shortly after the war, Mr. Pape was already feeding his pigeons only on peanuts because he could get them for nothing. He did not give them very much, making sure he didn’t overfeed them and came up with excellent racing results, especially on the more difficult races.

When we feed peanuts we have to keep in mind that the peanut, with a protein content of 30% follows the soybean in having the highest content of protein. Peanuts are much higher in protein than maize, for example, or wheat. As a source of fat protein peanuts are also ideal feed for the young, nest raised pigeons. The make-up of a peanut is similar to that of crop milk, which consists of fat and protein only. But peanuts are expensive, so we should only feed them when they are most needed.

Dr. Meyer buys the peanuts from his feed company, cracks them in his kitchen machine, so the peanut has been broken into three or four pieces, because when one feeds peanuts whole, the fats eaters among the flock will have swallowed already ten nuts before the less aggressive birds, which often are the best racers, have managed to get their first one. All pigeons should be fed an equal amount of this valuable feed, and he feels that this is accomplished best with small pieces. But he always carries a few peanut halves in the pocket of his work coat; he feeds these individually to the pigeons in the breeding loft. He prefers tame pigeons; his opinion is that it is always in the interest of a fancier to have a good relationship with his birds.

While raising their young, he gives the always hungry parents, besides granular feeds, 5-10 grams of peanut pieces directly in the breeding loft, especially between the 6th day and the 12th day, when the youngsters have to change from mush to rough feed. This method is strongly recommended for those parents who don’t like the mush. Also the weaned young birds are introduced to peanuts in a hurry. A fancier who gets into the habit of calling in his young birds by offering them a few peanuts, will notice something quite interesting: these pigeons will never have problems entering the loft after a race.

During the racing season the most important function of the peanut is to increase the attraction of the widower to his box. When after having been locked out for about an hour the door is opened again, the widowers can’t wait to get back into their boxes to find out if somebody has surprised them with a few pieces of peanut in their feeders. After they have fed themselves from the collective feeder, they are all standing in their own box, eagerly waiting to see if the boss will stick his hand in his pocket to feed them another treat. These are the most precious moments for any fancier, or animal lover, when wandering from one nest box to the next, he hands out his treats, which are snatched away by some, while others, with outstretched necks, will be more reserved about the way they peck the nuts from the hand, or free them from tightly held fingers. This is an excellent way of feeding individually. A pigeon, returning late from a race, having had to work much harder than his neighbor who finished at the top is given an extra measure. The inattentive fanciers have to be made aware of the fact that it takes a lot of time to get a worn-out pigeon with weight loss back into shape again with a cleansing ration, low in protein. Don’t expect from them a top performance the following weekend.

Widowers, who handled a race well, are given only the occasional peanut during the first half of the week. The amount is gradually increased as the week draws to an end. We are familiar with widowers who eat poorly, and even with lots of extra attention from the fancier, are still too light. Such birds do much better when fed some good tasty peanuts. It is important to check how many peanuts are given to the racing widowhood hens, because they should be fed less than the widowers. The few times these birds are allowed to visit their boxes, they always find a few peanuts, causing an increase in their love for the nest. Because they covet these treats so much, they become aggressive protectors of their boxes whenever a female neighbor attempts an amorous visit. Dr. Meyer becomes less stingy with the peanuts for the widows on the evening before they are basketed and on the day of basketing. This ensures that these widows have enough energy for the race, even though they are a little underweight. Although he plays widowhood for 14 weeks straight, because he feeds his widows in this manner, he has no problems with lesbian activity or with laying of eggs. His widows are also more reliable in the races than his widowers, and often they are faster, especially when the race is difficult.

When the weather forecast indicates head winds, all participants are given an extra portion of peanuts in preparation for a strenuous flight. But when the pigeon can look forward to a tail wind instead, they are given peanuts sparingly. If he is basketing for a race that involves two nights in the basket, Dr. Meyer feeds grains in the morning(high in carbohydrates), but early in the afternoon(so there is time left to drink), the pigeons are given as many peanuts as they like. Because one helping of peanuts equals in energy value two crops full of dried feed, the birds are actually eating for two days. At the same time Dr. Meyer knows that when feed is provided in the boxes, his pigeons will not snack on bits of field corn.

The advantages of feeding plenty of peanuts on the day of basketing are as follows:

1. In most pigeon transporters the feed is not given in trays, but thrown inside the boxes. There is always the danger of cross contamination when birds eat feed picked up from among the droppings, giving crop, stomach or intestine problems. The “peanut pigeons” don’t run this risk.

2. The “peanut pigeons” have less need for water than the birds that have been fed ordinary grain rations, because the grain has to stay a long time in the crop, while soaking up water, until it is soft enough for the muscles of the gizzard to be able to grind up this grain, and the process takes quite a bit of energy. But drinking is a problem in the pigeon transporters, especially in the baskets of the cock birds. Those birds that have conquered a spot in front of the water tray will defend that spot vigorously, which makes it harder for the thirsty cock birds to reach the water.

But peanuts do not need soaking, which means they need little water and leave the crop relatively fast. Because they are so soft, it takes little energy to digest the peanuts. Another advantage is that peanuts are much faster digested than other grains. On Saturday morning, at the start of the race, the intestines of peanut eating pigeons are a lot less filled than the intestines of pigeons that were fed slow digesting grains on Friday. It is also questionable if these other birds were able to drink enough in the transporter. For that reason the peanut eating pigeons have a better weight. When the weather is hot best to use small peanuts soaked in water overnight so they contain plenty of water and digest better.

3. The pigeons who ate nothing else but grain, have only glycogen to burn on their trip home, and maybe a little of fat, for example, from the corn. If the supply runs short before they get home, these pigeons will have to use their body reserves as energy supply, which has the added disadvantage that this causes the release of nitrogen, an extra burden on the system. The “peanut pigeon”, beside the glycogen stored in the muscles and the liver, has so much extra, energy rich fat (9.3 cal/gr), it would last him more than one racing day. When glycogen and fat are changed into energy no harmful gasses are released, only carbon dioxide CO2 which is exhaled, and water, and this is very important for the body functions. Even when the race takes 15 hours, the pigeons, richly supplied with peanuts, do not have to suffer from the disadvantages of burning up their own body proteins, in the process of losing weight.

4. Fanciers who have experience with feeding peanuts to their pigeons have to agree with me that such pigeons are less thirsty, and even on hot days have a less straggled look when arriving home. My advice to all those who have remained skeptical while reading this article is to try the following experiment: divide your team of pigeons into two groups. Feed peanuts to the one group and normal rations to the other. I am sure that after you have analyzed the results, you have become a believer.

In conclusion Dr. Meyer, in his position as a biologist, would like to make the following remarks: people whose jobs involve heavy labor, have a preference for food high in fat content, but they do not gain weight from it. People who live and work in a cold climate, like the Eskimos, are able to withstand the cold much better by burning off a lot of fat inside their bodies. The large sized, migrating birds, like geese, store up large amounts of body fats during the summer months, and the combustion of these high energy fat reserves allows them every autumn to compete successfully the long trip south to warmer climates. Is it a coincidence that these birds seem to prefer the seeds high in fats, and go wild when they are offered peanuts or hemp??

Too bad our pigeons are not able to communicate with us, because if they could, they would have told us without question that, as high quality racing birds, they very much prefer the energy rich fats for combustion, to protect their muscles, keep their proper weight, and thus stay in form. The time has come for every fancier to keep his eyes open, to dare to compare, and then draw the proper conclusions.