To achieve success in pigeon breeding a few basic
requirements are important. Most breeders with several
years of experience will offer many detailed suggestions
which may or may not be helpful. Some things however,
are not debatable.
Possibly the leading cause of sickness in pigeons is
over-crowding. It’s been scientifically proven that too
many animals occupying a given space always leads to
disease and death. Breeding pairs should have a pen with
no less than 4 square feet of floor space per pair.
Single gender or young bird lofts should offer no less
than 1 square foot of space per bird.
Dampness can be devastating to a flock. The floor of
your loft must be dry whether you follow the practice of
deep litter or a scraped floor. Bath pans should not be
given inside the loft but outside on wire or the ground.
You should avoid allowing wind blown rain from entering
the loft.
Make every effort to face the window bearing wall of the
loft south and keep those windows open ALL YEAR.
Ventilation is extremely important. With sufficient feed
and water, healthy pigeons have no problem with low
temperatures.
Maintain mated pairs only in a loft as unmated birds,
cock or hen will create unwanted problems. The often
heard statement “pigeons mate for life” is not totally
accurate. They will switch mates under various
circumstances and having an unmated cock or hen in the
loft is the leading cause.
When it comes to medications, I recommend the following.
Treatment to prevent problems should be routine while
treatment to cure should only be administered when
necessary. As your doctor wouldn’t prescribe antibiotics
for you when you were not ill, you shouldn’t medicate
your pigeons “just in case”. Over medicating can cause
the birds to build an immunity to the medication and
antibiotics destroy good bacteria as well as bad. To
prevent Paramixo Virus I, you should vaccinate for it as
directed on the vaccine insert. The best way to avoid
Paratyphoid is to vaccinate (I recommend Salbac). Worms
are one of the most common afflictions in pigeons. Not
only can a severe infestation kill a pigeon but a mild
one will lower the bird’s resistance and open the door
to other disease. Worming should be done at least three
times a year and each time a worm medication is given,
the treatment should be repeated in twelve days.
Finally, pigeons should be routinely treated for
Trichomoniasis (canker). This protozoan is responsible
for a high percentage of the death of squabs. There are
several good choices for treating for canker. It should
be done 4 to 6 weeks before breeding and again in the
second half of the breeding season.
There are several other illnesses that pigeons may have
to be medicated for WHEN NECESSARY. The aforementioned
treatments are the only ones recommended as routine.
Finally, vitamins and brobiotics are very helpful in
keeping your birds healthy. I give vitamins with
probiotics to my birds twice a week all year.
In summary, give your birds clean water, dry fresh feed
and mineral grit, protect them from the elements and
give them their space. Anyone in need of advice or
information is encouraged to contact me at 860-889-0078
or tony@nepigeonsupplies.com. With more than 61 years of
experience with pigeons, I’m happy to help.