Thoughts on Moult Part2
In the previous article (Thoughts on Moult Part1) I expressed my doubts on many additives that help pigeons through the moult. But do you know in which I believe a bit so far? Sedochol! A firm, known globally, manufactures it and it is cheap. The ingredients methionine, choline and sorbitol are helpful for the liver functions and shortly after you started giving Sedochol you will find the feathers surprisingly much softer. I give it to my birds twice a week, not only when birds are moulting, but 12 months a year. Twice I wrote about it in the Dutch National pigeon magazine NPO, and twice it was reason for my wife to get mad at me. All day long the telephone rang, since people in Holland and Germany wondered where to get it and how to use it. No Belgians called me, since for them it is as normal as grit and they can get it everywhere. In order not to get all those irritating questions by mail, fax, or on the phone I gladly refer to google. Type in the word ‘sedochol’ and you will find what you want. Of course Sedochol is not ‘a must’ but… so far I believe in it and so do many champions especially in Belgium.
FEED
And what about the feed? should you not give birds a ‘special moulting mixture?’ (‘ruimengeling’ in Dutch). The word ‘ruimengeling’ alone nearly makes me vomit. What is the term based on? It lacks every scientific support, so forget it as soon as you can. I take feeding far more easily than I did in the past and give all my birds the same mixture a whole year round. Breeders, youngsters, racers, they all get the same feed 365 days per year; moulting time included. And never ever did any one say to me ‘your birds did not moult well, did you give them the right feed?’ Line seed should be good though for birds that are moulting but it soon goes bad and moreover it happened more than once that a bird died due to a seed that was stuck in the throat. It stands to reason that especially in moulting time that is so hard for the pigeons the feed should be complete with enough fat and protein, but… the feed should be complete a whole year round. As long as the feathers fly around your ears the birds should be fed real well, But one should take a bird in the hand regularly to check its weight. If you notice that the fat in the body has been piled up one should immediately start feeding less. Birds that are too fat are good for nothing, not for racing, not for breeding (fat hens won’t lay eggs) and not for moulting. The birds should not be hungry indeed but skipping a meal every week won’t hurt them, on the contrary, it will stimulate the circulation of the blood and consequently the moult.
LIGHT AND DARK
Manipulating with light and dark influences the hormones enormously which is well known by fanciers who darken their babies. By darkening the pattern of moulting changes completely. During ‘moulting time’ there are fanciers that want to be smarter than Mother Nature and what they do is switch on the light to force the feathers to get out. This is absolutely wrong. There are lots of examples of fanciers that ruined a whole racing season, since they had the lamps on too long in winter. When the racing season was on their birds were moulting like hell and therefore unfit to be basketed. Too many people make this sport more complicated than it is, also in ‘moulting time’. One thing however is an absolute ‘must’: Birds that moult need a bath very regularly. There are special ‘bath powders’, but as for me it is a waste of money. I just put some vinegar and salt in the water, which is good and cheap. Letting the birds out in the rain will also do them a lot of good.
OVERCROWDED
Recently I visited 3 fanciers who complained their birds were not in good shape and did not moult properly. When I looked into the lofts I saw that all three were overcrowded. This cannot be a coincidence, on the contrary!!!
see also Thoughts on Moult Part1
Thoughts on Moult Part2 by: Ad Schaerlaeckens
The Leading Online Pigeon Racing and Racing Pigeons Magazine – The Pigeon Insider
Good read thank you, and I agree with most of your thoughts. I have a question if anyone can help.
My moult this year was a “massive” one, however the birds have come out on the other side looking better than ever. Weather has been standard so cannot see that being an influence.
I agree with most you said I use fresh garlic I don’t believe you need a product in the water every day. I never boil garlic we know it is rendered useless by doing so. Parathyroid is rife outside of England I’ve been told Vacinate I can’t believe it got to I’m told.in 40+ years of racing pigeon pox once I found spartrix tablets I know it’s for canker but helped. Now cider vinegar never had wet droppings brilliant cheap. Most years the moult brilliant if you don’t get it forget it. My pet seed peanuts and more peanuts but you have to be careful very fattening. Must for distance racing.
yes very good advice but did you no that by putting vingar garlic and honey there all natural cheap and worms hate garlic honey has antibodys in it and vingar changes the ph in pigeions to acid condition wich bad bactera can not thrive in the gut and dropings so this is why its so good just give 1 teaspoon vingar in 1 gal water every day use bleach to clean out vessel out than rinse all bleach out than add clean water if you take a drink after you put in your vingar honey and galic it should be very mild to the taste and i use only apple cider vingar it will take a little time for the acid to build up in the birds and you will see you use meds not that offten good flying all
Good read thank you
Very much enjoy your site and the articles by Ad S. His no B/S approach to basics is enjoyable to read. Tnx
A.S. broadens my way of thinking on natural system
i admire most all the article that A.S. wrote. iam so glad to his input to my mind,i’ve got no contrary but instead i’ll bring it to my system. iam so thankful A.S., you open up my mind and make me awake on your revelation.
THANKS for article: in our pigeon auctions I only buy from flyer’s that do things close to what I do,This year most of my young bird team and auction birds are from the same loft,When I visited my good friend JAN SURKIEL this past breeding season I was socked to see he was feeding all birds on the property with wild bird seeds and he hadn’t medicated for nothing, He is against medicine. All of JANS birds are already through the moult look great and can not wait to exercise also i have not had one sick bird from JAN,This year I only bread a hand full of young birds because Jan wanted me to try his birds due to his club breaking up so for me it makes sense not to treat unless you really have to most times if a sick bird shows up that bird is put by it’s self until it build back it immune system.
Thoughts on Moult 2 I could’nt agree more with Ad Schaerlaeckens. DONT!!! fool with mother nature. We do not know better even though we are convinced we are the best at all we do. Stick to the basics and medicate only when there is a health problem, and make sure you give correct dosage. I have seen more birds overdosed by fanciers who felt they knew better. Clean loft, well insulated with proper ventilation, clean water in clean vessels that are sanitized, and best food and grit with minerals that are available.
Thanks for reading Nick
these are advices coming from an experienced flier base from experience.
a thing to think about.
thanks!
“The birds should not be hungry indeed but skipping a meal every week
won’t hurt them, on the contrary, it will stimulate the circulation of the
blood and consequently the moult.”
-In the world of cock fighting they call this “Flushing”, they flush the
fighting cocks every week after training. just for your info.
No nonsense and sound advise. Thank you,Ad.