RACING PIGEON POST
Each unit of our 125gr Improver or AntiFungal costs about £20 and will treat up to 100 pigeons for 6 months against diseases and give great flying results.
Read our all our health & performance articles at Pigeon Vitality Contact our veterinarian & nutritionist team by letter or email for any query: mail@pigeonvitality.com Pigeon Vitality, Lundekroken 10, 3940 Porsgrunn Norway
Contact our resellers if you want to use these patent protected products:
H. Beattie & Son 028 3884 0486; Derek Rooney 019 25 72 13 28; Taylors Choice 01270252530; Abbeyton Lofts 07799640711; B.Leefe & Sons Ltd 01653691411; BJF Feeds 01909770065; MedicAnimal LTD 02030580500; Gem Supplements LTD 01243531259; Cosworth Studs Feeds 01215561497; Boddy & Ridewood 01723585858; Andrew Hitchcock 07595394444; Graham Tysom South Ltd 01797227999; Graham Tysom North Ltd 01933317444; R.E. & E Smith 01915843773; P&J Lofts Friskney 01754820027.
Pigeon Vitality is looking for more distributors, please contact us
The content (content being images, text, sound and video files, programmes and scripts) of this website is copyright of Racing Pigeon Post and this article is Copyright © 2009 Pigeon Vitality. All rights expressly reserved.
Read our all our health & performance articles at Pigeon Vitality Contact our veterinarian & nutritionist team by letter or email for any query: mail@pigeonvitality.com Pigeon Vitality, Lundekroken 10, 3940 Porsgrunn Norway
Contact our resellers if you want to use these patent protected products:
H. Beattie & Son 028 3884 0486; Derek Rooney 019 25 72 13 28; Taylors Choice 01270252530; Abbeyton Lofts 07799640711; B.Leefe & Sons Ltd 01653691411; BJF Feeds 01909770065; MedicAnimal LTD 02030580500; Gem Supplements LTD 01243531259; Cosworth Studs Feeds 01215561497; Boddy & Ridewood 01723585858; Andrew Hitchcock 07595394444; Graham Tysom South Ltd 01797227999; Graham Tysom North Ltd 01933317444; R.E. & E Smith 01915843773; P&J Lofts Friskney 01754820027.
Pigeon Vitality is looking for more distributors, please contact us
The content (content being images, text, sound and video files, programmes and scripts) of this website is copyright of Racing Pigeon Post and this article is Copyright © 2009 Pigeon Vitality. All rights expressly reserved.
All about Humidity & Heat during the racing period
What are the consequences for the pigeons of high heat & Humidity during the race period? Pigeons & Young birds don’t have sweat glands and so cannot lose body heat through sweating. In birds, the body heat is lost by evaporative cooling from the air sacs. When the birds become hot, they start to pant. This increases air flow over the air sacs, in the process increasing evaporative loss, leading to cooling. Lost moisture is replaced by drinking. In this way, a normal body temperature and normal level of hydration are maintained.
What we do know is that at 23c, if deprived of water, pigeons become 5% dehydrated in only 20 hours. To put this in perspective, birds that are 5% dehydrated become quiet and fluffed up and will readily drink if water is provided. When 10% dehydrated, these symptoms become more exaggerated. When 15% dehydrated, there has been such a reduction in the circulating blood volume that various organs are inadequately perfuse with blood to function normally and there is interference with the level of consciousness. Over 15% dehydrated, deaths start to occur.
We also know, importantly, that at 23oc no dehydration will occur if birds are provided with water. On races conducted on days over 23c, it can be assumed that unless birds drink along the way, they will arrive at their lofts suffering a degree of dehydration. Upon return, in health, a bird will drink readily, in the process replacing lost fluid reserves and a normal hydration status quickly reestablishes.
Problems arise in a number of situations.
High temperature - Temperatures over 23c require larger amounts of fluids to be evaporated from the air sacs to maintain normal body temperature, leading to a quicker onset of dehydration unless drinking occurs. Either very high or very low humidity - Low humidity has a similar effect on the air sacs as high temperature. Low humidity tends to more readily dry the air sacs, leading to a more rapid fluid loss. Conversely, high humidity decreases evaporative cooling, leading to hyperthermia (high body temperature).
Head winds - The extra exertion involved in flying in to a head wind leads to an increased level of carbon dioxide in the blood stream, which increases respiratory rate. This increases fluid loss from the air sacs and also predisposes the birds to dehydration.
Races conducted in areas where surface water is not available to competing birds - Normal hydration can be maintained under quite extreme levels of temperature and humidity provided the birds have access to water. Lacks of surface water means the birds have no way of replacing lost fluid reserves if they become dehydrated.
The combination of hot winds that are also dry and face the birds, with no access to water is a deadly one for pigeons. With exertion and heat, large amounts of fluid are lost from the system through evaporative cooling, leading to dehydration. As fluid reserves become depleted, evaporation from the air sacs can no longer occur. This means that the pigeon has lost its only method of cooling itself and so secondary hyperthermia starts to occur. As dehydration levels approach 15%, normal metabolic systems are disrupted and a decreased level of awareness occurs. In this situation, heavy losses can be expected.
It is worth noting that even on cool days the temperature within a race unit can quickly reach 23c because of the heat that pigeons generate (normal body temperature is 42c). This means that birds, if not offered water from the start of basketing until arrival at a race point the next morning, will already be suffering some degree of dehydration. The importance of insuring that birds have access to water whenever possible so they are fully hydrated at release cannot be overstated.