Its that time of the year, youngsters looking healthy. It is all about keeping them healthy, so here is a small video for some it may help.
https://youtu.be/I05ROQ_AqM4?si=SF2SnSugujKFEyFq
Young birds 2025
Thank you for sharing. Back in the 70’s in my final season my YBs went down with some mystery illness that nobody knew anything about. Clearly a lot has happened since then so I know I’m on for a bit of a rough ride in this first year, particularly because my newly-acquired stock pigeons and foundation YBs have come in from several different sources. This video helps.Devo1956 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 13, 2025 3:02 pm Its that time of the year, youngsters looking healthy. It is all about keeping them healthy, so here is a small video for some it may help.
https://youtu.be/I05ROQ_AqM4?si=SF2SnSugujKFEyFq
Thank you Pete, I hope you have a good season mate. any other videos that may help I will post.PeteDerby wrote: ↑Thu Mar 13, 2025 8:31 pmThank you for sharing. Back in the 70’s in my final season my YBs went down with some mystery illness that nobody knew anything about. Clearly a lot has happened since then so I know I’m on for a bit of a rough ride in this first year, particularly because my newly-acquired stock pigeons and foundation YBs have come in from several different sources. This video helps.Devo1956 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 13, 2025 3:02 pm Its that time of the year, youngsters looking healthy. It is all about keeping them healthy, so here is a small video for some it may help.
https://youtu.be/I05ROQ_AqM4?si=SF2SnSugujKFEyFq
From what I understand, each loft colony has its own tolerance or immunities to whatever ailments due to exposure to them, therefore they carry ‘things’ but show no symptoms. Mixing birds from multiple colonies as I’m doing in this first year, again as I understand it, means I have to be particularly vigilant and my lack of experience concerns me in case I don’t handle ‘events’ in the right way.
I’ve got a vaccination regime going on from Tollisan, but trying to go antibiotic free (as in no flock treatments) as Frank McLaughlin advocates, but I’m not sure how wise this is going to be?
Best of luck matePeteDerby wrote: ↑Sat Mar 15, 2025 9:43 pmFrom what I understand, each loft colony has its own tolerance or immunities to whatever ailments due to exposure to them, therefore they carry ‘things’ but show no symptoms. Mixing birds from multiple colonies as I’m doing in this first year, again as I understand it, means I have to be particularly vigilant and my lack of experience concerns me in case I don’t handle ‘events’ in the right way.
I’ve got a vaccination regime going on from Tollisan, but trying to go antibiotic free (as in no flock treatments) as Frank McLaughlin advocates, but I’m not sure how wise this is going to be?
I can tell you in good competition without treating for worms / canker / respo in particular it won’t be easy to win if you want pigeons to arrive 10-15 mins late and live to a ripe old age then it’s fine
If you feed as he says your win nothing in the uk if your up against good fanciers maybe a blow home at 100 miles
As for the vaccines I think he’s bang on
Last edited by NeilA on Sat Mar 15, 2025 10:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
You are quite switched on to the realities of starting a new loft, Pete.
I dont use medications, but I never say that I won't use medications. Sometimes you have to.
Case in point. I have a very good grizzle Jos Thone cock that came to me as an egg. He came from a loft of a bloke who regularly uses a medication program. My own pigeons hadn't been treated for canker for 10 years, but his first season his youngsters were full of canker and he had watery droppings. Then some of the others started showing signs of wet canker. So I treated the whole lot.
This year after our shift I saw some watery droppings again, the stress must have lowered their resistance. So I gave a light treatment for canker before breeding and this year's youngsters are perfect.
The aim is to avoid using medications in the loft. For racing, different topic. But sometimes you have to be pro active. Within a couple of years you should have a colony of pigeons that stay well through natural health.
I dont use medications, but I never say that I won't use medications. Sometimes you have to.
Case in point. I have a very good grizzle Jos Thone cock that came to me as an egg. He came from a loft of a bloke who regularly uses a medication program. My own pigeons hadn't been treated for canker for 10 years, but his first season his youngsters were full of canker and he had watery droppings. Then some of the others started showing signs of wet canker. So I treated the whole lot.
This year after our shift I saw some watery droppings again, the stress must have lowered their resistance. So I gave a light treatment for canker before breeding and this year's youngsters are perfect.
The aim is to avoid using medications in the loft. For racing, different topic. But sometimes you have to be pro active. Within a couple of years you should have a colony of pigeons that stay well through natural health.
Greetings from the land down under. 
Blessed is he who expecteth nothing, for verily, he shall not be disappointed.
Blessed is he who expecteth nothing, for verily, he shall not be disappointed.
This is the thing, you cannot trust others. How often have we seen pigeons with canker crusts around their mouths or standing in foaming bubbles of watery droppings?
How you manage your pigeons when the racing starts is a different matter.
But in the loft I try to use lots of garlic and ACV and fresh grit and chopped vegetables and fish oil and things to keep the stock pigeons and the young birds in top health so they don't need medications. This is how they build up natural immunity generation after generation.
If every bird in the transporter was in good health it would not be an issue. But they aren't. Some blokes can't tell if their birds are sick and some don't care. And some of them spend a fortune on drugs but still have sick birds.
How you manage your pigeons when the racing starts is a different matter.
But in the loft I try to use lots of garlic and ACV and fresh grit and chopped vegetables and fish oil and things to keep the stock pigeons and the young birds in top health so they don't need medications. This is how they build up natural immunity generation after generation.
If every bird in the transporter was in good health it would not be an issue. But they aren't. Some blokes can't tell if their birds are sick and some don't care. And some of them spend a fortune on drugs but still have sick birds.
Greetings from the land down under.
Blessed is he who expecteth nothing, for verily, he shall not be disappointed.
Blessed is he who expecteth nothing, for verily, he shall not be disappointed.