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Another approach

If you talk to vets some will tell you alarming news about trichomoniasis (canker).

Cancer is not a matter of viruses or bacteria but single celled pear shaped protozoan.

What the alarming news then is?

Some find it hard or almost impossible to eliminate the parasite due to an increasing immunity.

The problem may concern the whole loft or pigeons individually.

They treat and treat but fail to cure the bird(s).

And the tragic thing is we have to blame things on ourselves.

In the past we did not have that problem and the fact that we did not have the medicine either in those days is food for thought.

When later on we got the medicine things went wrong.

We medicated and medicated; before the breeding season, before the racing season, before the moult and sometimes every one or two days after every race.

By doing this we have undermined the immunity of our birds dramatically.



Part of the audience at the seminar  

AND NOW?

What we can do now in case of problems is double the proportion of the medication but that will inevitably lead to bigger problems on a longer term.

Till the moment has come that the parasite just 'laughs' at any medicine.

My advice is to do the opposite: Medicate only if necessary. 

I myself have the medication at hand (Ronidazole or metronidazole) but never ever will I treat birds that are in good shape.

2000 Was probably my best old bird season ever.

The whole year round the birds were in such a good shape that I did not see any reason to treat them.

So what I do now is treat birds only if I feel the need to do so.

In case no good vet lives nearby you may ask yourself what you have to watch out for, or what the symptoms are.

Well, here we go.

 

SYMPTOMS

- Birds are depressed

- Babies in the nest have watery droppings with a sour smell and they get skinny.

- Birds appear listless, ruffled and dull.

- They have difficulty closing their mouth and they display repeatedly swallowing movements.

- They have no list to train, they eat little and drink much, and the bodies do not feel tight.

But' if you see these symptoms in fact you are too late, since pretty much damage has been done already.

People sometimes say that champions see today if a pigeon will get sick to morrow.

There is much truth in it.  

Champions are good observers, they act at the right time with the right medication.

If I fear I may have a problem soon I do not wait till there IS a problem.

The beak is a handy means to find out if you may have problems soon.

If you open it and you see little threads or grey slimes at the back that means danger and it is time to take action.

A throat that is too reddish is also a warning.

Now you may understand that the first thing I do in case I doubt a birds' health is open its beak, just like a vet will do.

And a vet does the same!



A S assisted by Koopman, Verkerk and dr. Schroeder
answers questions on vinegar


SELECTION

Of course you can also select birds on canker by eliminating those that are vulnerable and keep the others.

This is not without risks though since real good birds may get canker as well.

So if trichomoniasis is a means to select you may end up having a family that is hardly vulnerable for the disease but what sense does it make to have such birds if they lack quality?

Therefore selection should be based on both results and natural health rather than on eye sign, pedigree or other shit.

 

INTERESTING

Early 2008 I was panel leader at a seminar in Holland.

Since champions such as Koopman and Verkerk and the Belgian vet doctor Schroeder were members of the panel it stands to reason that the place was packed. 

One item was (apple) vinegar, which is in the drinkers of many fanciers since about 10 years.

Initially I did not believe in it but it struck me that whenever I talked to a (pigeon)vet they were very positive about it.

Therefore I started to give my birds (apple)vinegar in 2005, not one day per week, since that is absolutely useless, but at least 3.

And guess what?

Since 2005 I did not have to treat against canker.

Some of the audience at the seminar looked at me with disbelief but the pigeon vet was not surprised at all.

This is what he said:

'When fanciers wanted me to check their birds and when I found those were totally free from canker I used to ask 'do you give your birds vinegar or apple vinegar?

The answer was always positive.'

According to the doctor this could not be coincidence.

Why I sometimes say 'vinegar' and at other times 'apple vinegar?'

Most people give apple vinegar but it does not make any difference, apart from the price the vet said.

 

FUNNY

Fanciers started to put vinegar in the drinker to create a climate in the intestines of which they thought that Coli bacteria had a hard time to survive.

But it appeared to be no more than wishful thinking.

Champion Peter van der Merwe also tried out vinegar but for one year only.

Never ever did he have so many problems with Coli (Adeno).

Strangely enough (or not?) canker was NO problem that year.

Is canker a problem in your loft?

First treat them thoroughly so that they are free and then try vinegar!!!

You will not regret it.

I myself am a simple fancier and you need not take for granted what I say.

But it is hard to believe that all those vets are wrong about vinegar!