all these potions.

DAVID wrote:

would just like to point out that every where we look there are potions for this and suppliments for that, all at quite high prices most will agree.........this is because most fanciers are looking for a secret which doesnt exist to make their birds winners. on the other hand when did we last see grit, (which is a must for pigeons) advertised in the same way ???? never or very rarely, thats because grit is cheap and they make very little profit on it............

think about it...

Very good point david
ken

friendsloft wrote:

Ian after the main treatment i do not treat them again, this is what im saying we have been brain washed into treating them every four weeks, do we need to or is it more money for the manufavctures of these products as its them that tell us u must repeat evry 4 weeks or so,
Ken

but a lot of these natural products cost as much and if not more than some of the treatments , everyone to there own , i dont over treat, only when needed, and yes iam a great beleiver in natural products,

have to dissagree there ian natural products are a lot cheaper than the man made products
Ken

DAVID wrote:

would just like to point out that every where we look there are potions for this and suppliments for that, all at quite high prices most will agree.........this is because most fanciers are looking for a secret which doesnt exist to make their birds winners. on the other hand when did we last see grit, (which is a must for pigeons) advertised in the same way ???? never or very rarely, thats because grit is cheap and they make very little profit on it............

think about it...

but can we blame them surely the blame lies with the fancier for paying the prices they ask

friendsloft wrote:

have to dissagree there ian natural products are a lot cheaper than the man made products
Ken

well theres something we disagree on some natural products are very highly priced

no problem Ian, but i can honestly say ive not found that
Ken

the manufacturers/suppliers are taking advantage of the fancier because they know they are constantly looking for the potion or suppliment to make them winners, lets face it we all want to win dont we ? winners dont come out of a bottle...............

ken if your birds go off during the racing season do you get them tested , if you do and the test come back with high canker and cocci count would you then treat , after all your only as clean as the dirtiest member in your club, they will from time to time pick something up out of the baskets,

ian ive been lucky for the want of a better word my birds have not gone down, if the case arose yes i would have them tested, and yes i would treat as prescibed by the vet, Example last year my young birds lost the zest, and they were falling back in racing, but this had nothing to do with ailment, this was infact down to the new corn they were on, it was not giving them enough fuel to compete , after a few phone calls this was put right, so i could easly have treated for something that was not there and would not have helped the birds at all, not all lack of vigar is an ailment does this make sence
Ken

yes ken know where your coming from i wont blind treat either would get them tested first if a problem arose

hi ian , if the cocci counts and canker are kept at a low level there fine
they only flare up when put under stress ie, racing breeding . there are many things
you can give your birds what don,t cost the earth to keep them in check it all
depends how much you want to win . as i don,t race every week only every 2 week once they start
racing over the water so mine don,t get over worked . these are some of the things i use bicarbinate of soda ,
honey , cider vinegar , brewers yeast , lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, but one thing i all ways do
is let my water stand over night before the birds drink it .

but we do put birds under stress by racing them so as you say it will flare up

what we are saying is treat before season starts then as and when if needed through race season

use preventitives rather than treatments

ian wrote:

what we are saying is treat before season starts then as and when if needed through race season

before you treat at the start of the season do you get them them tested first .
all im saying because i don,t race every week they can be kept at a low level by not going in the basket
every week , but each to there own all the best kev .

Ian u treat before breeding u may even treat before racing, u are a beliver in cider vinigar and garlic these will help keep the coxi and canker levels low so should be no need to treat but it is down to the individual he know his/her birds
Ken

no i dont get them tested before racing starts as i have found that over the years after breeding the cocci count and canker count are high after this so i do them regardless

ian wrote:

no i dont get them tested before racing starts as i have found that over the years after breeding the cocci count and canker count are high after this so i do them regardless

ian , all im trying to get at if you don,t get them tested you might be treating for nothing and wasting your money . loads of flyers blind treat just because joe bloggs does it im not saying you are but if your birds are flying fine and the droopngs
are fine and the yb are A1 why treat in the first place . have you ever gone through a season with out treating
for any thing , i have and i had a realy good season winning cards in the devon and cornwall continental
club and the NFC so it can be done .

seems to be lots of different views on this guys.my situation is a little different from yours.all my showbirds are confined to a loft and aviary.i do use garlic in the water and a tonic once a week.i also use stuff called adherb which smells like herbs.my intention is to get a good feather condition on the birds and have a stress free moult so i try and move on as many youngsters before the moult starts.i honestly cant say that any of these things help but maybe since nothing nasty happens in the loft then it does work.one thing i can say though is that one season i used that 7 in 1 stuff and its crap.£28.00 for a big bottle and stil have half of it in the garage somewhere.i think its supposed to help boost immune systems.

hi geordiejen, i think the reason there are so many differences of opinion is because we all have our own ideas regarding condition/health/fitness etc.........we dont really know if any of these products actually does any good or enhances performance but if a fancier happens to try something new that year and his birds do well, he will automatcally assume it was this new product which did it....in your case you are wanting to condition your birds for looks in the showpen but racing men are wanting super fitness to win races.

as far as i know there is no fancier who has found a product to turn an average pigeon into a winner, the only thing about addatives might be that they could boost the imune system.........

The biggest problem is yes we are all brain washed into using this and that, and the only reason for treating is because they hear that 90% of fanciers are treating there birds for this and that just for peace of mind.

Should say blind leading the blind

At the end of the day you can not beat natural products or as people say what ever is used for human consumption is good for your birds.

Frank Tasker will tell you if you ask him, he never treats his young birds for anything and he does not even clean the loft out all this to help produce a good immune system

And for me if the immune system is strong then you should have very little problems

one a minute don doing well