birds searching

been getting reports from neighbouring lofts whereby their birds have been foraging in the garden and even further a field by returning with muddy feet ...but also injuries and birds attacked whilst on the garden from the sparrowhawk no doubt whilst foraging...on conversation in more detail I discovered their was a link with them not feeding minerals and some not even grit ...now a hen will still form egg shell by taking calcium from her own body but she will soon become depleted after a few rounds and will look her former self , I cant for the life of me understand why guys would deprive birds of vitamins and minerals and grit ...don't get me wrong they may be knowingly giving supplements that provide iodine,calcium,selenium,sodium,magnesium etc...etc...through a pellet or similar form but these guys don't they only feed corn ,what are members views on the subject

Mine got grit and minerals 24hours a day bath 2 to3 times a week still had a dodgy egg

Darren, I used to give grit, pink minerals etc in the form of matrix, or similar type of thing......but then after speaking to a few fanciers found I didn't need to do this, so I cut it down to maybe once a week........the birds still looked healthy enoughbut when it came to breeding season I was waiting ages for the hens to lay any eggs, I then upped the intake of matrix and within a week they had laid.......but once they started feeding the ybs I noticed some pigeons were looking very tired and run down, and also looked to be constantly searching for something.......

acting upon your advise I made sure they had grit, pink minerals and black minerals every day, and within 5 days the pigeons were back to normal and not searching any more.

a couple of years ago im ashamed to say, I had the exact same thing with a hen searching for something when breeding, and I didn't know what was wrong......unfortunately she was dead one morning when I went in the loft, so I do know from experience they do need grit and minerals especially when breeding....JMO

tonyrow wrote:

Mine got grit and minerals 24hours a day bath 2 to3 times  a week still had a dodgy egg

just 1 tony ...not a bad ratio that ,never had this myself but do you think the odd hen is susceptible to this

one egg not hatching is a pretty good % tony............

(unless you only had two eggs of course}

David wrote:

Darren, I used to give grit, pink minerals etc in the form of matrix, or similar type of thing......but then after speaking to a few fanciers found I didn't need to do this, so I cut it down to maybe once a week........the birds still looked healthy enoughbut when it came to breeding season I was waiting ages for the hens to lay any eggs, I then upped the intake of matrix and within a week they had laid.......but once they started feeding the ybs I noticed some pigeons were looking very tired and run down, and also looked to be constantly searching for something.......

acting upon your advise I made sure they had grit, pink minerals and black minerals every day, and within 5 days the pigeons were back to normal and not searching any more.

a couple of years ago im ashamed to say, I had the exact same thing with a hen searching for something when breeding, and I didn't know what was wrong......unfortunately she was dead one morning when I went in the loft, so I do know from experience they do need grit and minerals especially when breeding....JMO

thanks for a honest opinion david ...yes the hens really need calcium and both need sodium especially when they are feeding/breeding don't get me wrong they need other vits and minerals too but these 2 would be paramount ...I am glad the matter is resolved and well done on your observation of the birds I think its one of the most important aspects of keeping pigeons "observation" and it costs nothing

yes Darren, I also give some good vits-minerals in the water too {on your advise...lol}, and also a product containing iodine once a week........I had always thought my birds looked pretty healthy but now im following the system you made me aware of they look better than ever, and im looking forward to seeing how they race......

I was giving them the aviform 9 in 1 vits etc, but im not too impressed by them now, and prefer the powdered type.

tonyrow wrote:

Mine got grit and minerals 24hours a day bath 2 to3 times  a week still had a dodgy egg

tony I have found that sometimes certain cocks can drive the hen too hard and she does not get chance to get to the grit and minerals so now I always give a
portion in a clay pot in the nest box

I cant upload picture from phone but it was 1 normal and one like a egg nut no shell looked it up they said it was a calcium deficiency found in chickens god knows what happened and I know what you mean about driving them hard pots in every box grit minerals feed water about 4 pots and drinkers in most boxes hanging off fronts

I mix my own grit and minerals think its important for the birds , they don't get them everyday though, through the winter they get them a couple of times a week ,breeding is 24/7 when it comes to racing they get them on the return from a race till the Wednesday,a good flyer near me said don't give them grit to close to race day.i found through watching the birds after a hard race they will take the grit pots b4 food ?? so think they know what's good for them

yes exactly ric ...put it before the birds as they know whats best for themselves but at least your giving them the option I think the birds will look for sodium after a race especially a hard one and rearing a pair of young does take it out the birds I think maybe 1 round they may get away with it using their reserves but after that they need to replenish themselves jmo mind you...would be interesting to hear from someone who does not give grits and minerals ,maybe they give a alternative ie pellets or something in the water but if not I would imagine they would encounter problems but again this is only my opinion

Darren you are spot on grit and minerals are a must and if you see pigeons fielding then that just tells you there missing something

And your spot on with the word observation everything evolves round that word

if you notice first thing in a morning if your birds go on the garden they look for soil patches and pick at them im not sure what it is they want or what they pick up but i recon its some kind of mineral that comes to the top during the night or what worms have pushed up ours have many grits and minerals but still they seek something more god knows what or why
but lets face it they know best

birdy2011 wrote:

if you notice first thing in a morning if your birds go on the garden they look for soil patches and pick at them im not sure what it is they want or what they pick up but i recon its some kind of mineral that comes to the top during the night or what worms have pushed up ours have many grits and minerals but still they seek something more god knows what or why
but lets face it they know best

I bet me bottom dollar they after sodium

we do spinkle a tea spoon of salt in loft every few days but they dont seem to touch it then again must be a thousnad bits in one spoon

birdy2011 wrote:

if you notice first thing in a morning if your birds go on the garden they look for soil patches and pick at them im not sure what it is they want or what they pick up but i recon its some kind of mineral that comes to the top during the night or what worms have pushed up ours have many grits and minerals but still they seek something more god knows what or why
but lets face it they know best

Nice little topic & did the last bit of wisdom G above come, with beer ??? or without .

birdy2011 wrote:

we do spinkle a tea spoon of salt in loft every few days but they dont seem to touch it then again must be a thousnad bits in one spoon

You taste the grit you give your birds, that has salt on it same as pick stones and that's sometimes the reason why the birds gorge on it

Why can give the birds watery droppings

The only good thing with salt is to use it in the loft to see if the loft is damp

I would imagine salt would go damp overnight in most lofts to be honest......

when we had our caravans come the winter when we shut them down
we put about 10 big bowls of salt in and around the rooms stack the cusions etc in a piromid shate so air went round and role nespaper to put in the window ledges when ya come back to open up again all would be nice and dry the salt bowls would be rock hard where they absorbed all the damp etc
but it did the job no mould or wet

always wondered why a caravan I had a few years ago went all mouldy graham.........

put a bowl in ya loft then see next day how it takes all the moisture out then check few days later as don says its a good test

You can put some grated salad and chopped lettuce down and birds just mess about with it, but sprinkle a bit salt on and they eat it all, not every day though once or twice a week is enough imo

birdy2011 wrote:

when we had our caravans come the winter when we shut them down
we put about 10 big bowls of salt in and around the rooms stack the cusions etc in a piromid shate so air went round and role nespaper to put in the window ledges when ya come back to open up again all would be nice and dry the salt bowls would be rock hard where they absorbed all the damp etc
but it did the job no mould or wet

Will have to tell the in laws to do the same thing

Don Webb wrote:

birdy2011 wrote:

we do spinkle a tea spoon of salt in loft every few days but they dont seem to touch it then again must be a thousnad bits in one spoon

You taste the grit you give your birds, that has salt on it same as pick stones and that's sometimes the reason why the birds gorge on it

Why can give the birds watery droppings

Don I'm one of those blokes that has salt 24/7 in the loft etc & I for one have never found that they tend to gouge on it. True tho about it  being a good indicator of dampness or high humidity as such in the loft.