Just of interest.

Very many years ago noticed the pigeons picking up off the road after the snow plow had gone through. They were eating road salt. Nowadays use this. Any one else salt the birds? Seems to work well.

i use black minerals hal, i think it has salt in it .......also i remember ray peel using the salt licks, he swears its what killed one of his good hens.........

The only thing I have not heard pigeons fanciers give their pigeons is cyanide and am just waiting to get the full set.

Regards.

Yes David I was just going to say that ...what a disaster they where ..honestly far to strong...try licking one and you'll find out lol...horrible

The best mineral is coal dust.

Natural full of the right stuff.

Better of course with a few additives and put in fancy packages.

Fanciers have been conned ever since the commercial boys took over.

The vast majority of the over 250 AIDS TO WIN are available in the better and more natural form as nature intended, you just have to look.


Regards.

peel bros wrote:

Yes David I was just going to say that ...what a disaster they where ..honestly far to strong...try licking one and you'll find out lol...horrible

Tried salt licks, plain salt, iodine salt, rock salt, even pool salt for the bath at different stages & never, never had any type of issue . Always thought T/Mak the wise one     on average, was one of the wiser ones on this issue .

I was using iodized mineral salt block , plus table salt. UK was table salt. However
I figured if the birds had it but still went to the road, must be coarser. Still use the blocks plus the pickling salt.

we use the kilpatricks black mineral contains salt,iodine,magnesium,charcoal ,a local slack heap would be handy but none available

Yes oldstrain, we had not a slack heap near us when I was young but what was like a small hill made up of the washings from the coal in the process of making coke.

Just powder when crushed by hand exactly like the black minerals.

All the fanciers used it, some also used slack, the very small particles left after using the caol as fuel.

There is absolutely NOTHING new in pigeon husbandry just the same old things dressed up as models by the commercial boys.

If it works for you ?????.

Regards.

Could be the birds were after sand or gravel spread with the salt. Do not know for sure. However, open loft most of the time. So that problem solved. Unfortunately not in the Winter months. Spade of earth in the loft instead. Small one, one corner.

Just use normal grit and minerals now

halcanada81 wrote:

Could be the birds were after sand or gravel spread with the salt. Do not know for sure. However, open loft most of the time. So that problem solved. Unfortunately not in the Winter months. Spade of earth in the loft instead. Small one, one corner.

You haven't advanced far with your thinking there etc Hal it appears   100 years since Robert Stroud died & your still carrying on with his favourite old remedy with his old dirt trick as such  . & take care.

I was told which I don't believe in to not let my birds play around the garden , just get them straight in , well I love to watch our birds play about , go in the bath whatever , that's part of the enjoyment of keeping them. Don't get me wrong I love to work the birds as so to win as I am very competitive but I still want to enjoy them as well

peel bros wrote:

I was told which I don't believe in to not let my birds play around the garden , just get them straight in , well I love to watch our birds play about , go in the bath whatever , that's part of the enjoyment of keeping them. Don't get me wrong I love to work the birds as so to win as I am very competitive but I still want to enjoy them as well

As it should be Ray I suggest Suspect maybe thou, those against having their birds out in the garden have a great fear of worms to a certain degree but they forget the many other benefits which can flow from doing such a thing. One champion flyer I could name here is happiest etc when his pigeons are out in his bath with his chooks as such .

Yes that the problem worms or whatever, but as you say there's other benefits yes. I think that's the trouble birds are super athletes now but the downside of that is they pick up all sorts of problems then it costs a fortune putting them right . Saying that it doesn't help all the crap they pump into them

For over 45 years I had completely open loft.

All year round, fog, hail, rain etc;

Could watch them all the hours I was at home.

Advised by a facier far more successful than most, a farmer,

Had some problems health wise initialy and progressively less until none of any consequence.

Always had food available along with the basics, grit minerals etc;

Think pigeons know what is good for them if everything is available that they need.

However, can understand todays pigeons would take years to come to the above position and with great losses, health been ruined by rubbish.


Regards.

Yes totally agree with that theory misty , thats the way its used to be, it was like being kids when we came in full of dirt ect but healthy,  kids now don't play out like we kid and they ways have snotty noses ect ect . Maybe its just the way of the world,  too clean , antibiotics for anything for both animals and man . We have weakened everything   the only good thing we live longer unless we get the new virus of course

Have treated thousands of cattle. Millions of hogs. Medication has saved a lot of them. However, meds and medicated feed is to get them to market quicker.
It has its place. Within reason. Fanciers choice.

halcanada81 wrote:

Have treated thousands of cattle. Millions of hogs. Medication has saved a lot of them. However, meds and medicated feed is to get them to market quicker.
It has its place. Within reason. Fanciers choice.

A fair & reasonable accessment on average etc I would suggest Hal Thou in pigeon terms I feel all is lost to a certain degree unfortunately if one is now required, to spend more on medication to get them to a simple type race than what many would spend entering them come race day . Magic potions abound every where these days but who really is winning in the end on average come judgement day . & take care.

There is a vast difference between treating animals meant for food (business) to stop them dying before they can get to market (who knows what the treatment may be in way of damage to humans) and our feathered friends.

Regards.

Going to be honest here , how many pigeon anyone has had been bad won . I personally can't think of any at present I have . Has anyone on here had a bird poorly then put it right then won . No matter what the problem was..interesting to know how many

I have never had one myself but a friend, Ted Richardson, brought a pigeon to me that was having breathing problems and asked if I could help.

It was at the time condeys christals were used in the bath.

I had heard they had been used by a fancier for this type of problem by dipping the pigeons head in a strong mixture of this product.

I mixed a strong mix and held the pigeons head in until it was nearly a gonner.

Ted took it away and a fortnight after it won the race beating mine.

Can still picture the cheq pied hen.

Never ever used it on mine other than in the bath.

Over the years there must be many that have overcome a health problem and won later.


But far better to have a loft full pf naturally healthy pigeons.

Regards.

MISTY wrote:

I have never had one myself but a friend, Ted Richardson, brought a pigeon to me that was having breathing problems and asked if I could help.

It was at  the time condeys christals were used in the bath.

I had heard they had been used by a fancier for this type of problem by dipping the pigeons head in a strong mixture of this product.

I mixed a strong mix and held the pigeons head  in until it was nearly a gonner.

Ted took it away and a fortnight after it won the race beating mine.

Can still picture the cheq pied hen.

Never ever used it on mine other than in the bath.

Over the years there must be many that have overcome a health problem and won later.


But far better to have a loft full pf naturally healthy pigeons.

Regards.



 

Maybe so (over coming a Health issue) but suspect somehow far more would have finished up as fertilizer on average in the end etc I suggest Misty    .   & take care.

Yes its very hard to win with healthy birds nevermind ones which may have underlying problems.  I will treat my ybs because they pick everything up and maybe certain old birds if something special but I still think a poorly bird will win . Not sure if treating for worms , canker, cocci or whatever counts because I suppose we treat for these . I had a yb come back this last season weeks after the race it was lost , it was very well bred with winners in its family , it was a mess , stinking and dirty . It wasn't going in the loft.  Some would disagree I suppose but we weren't taking the chance,  but on the other hand we can do that as we have so many

Yes, a poser realy.

You cannot risk one pigeon contaminating all the loft.

On the other hand the only way to have a loft of pigeons with a sound immune system is to allow all and sundry in initially (using common sense).

Takes time but well worth the effort if you have the time and pacience.

I would in your position done exactly what you did.

To build up the immune system in the present day pigeons would take a life time and many tears along the way.

Regards.