Reproduction Period
The moulting period is over. Hopefully, the care in this period has been good enough. I recently saw the pigeons from a pigeon fancier who had only given treatment because he not wanted them to get fat in the moulting period. You could see it at the feathers. But there was more wrong with these pigeons. The feathers did not look top at all. Moulting is and remains a period during which the birds have to be rich with good protein in order to optimize the structure of the feathers.
In the breeding season you want to get the fertility as high as possible. To get to that point, one provides wheat germ oil due to the high content of vitamin E. It is to be recommended. Moreover, products that contain natural vitamin E contain more types of vitamin E than the artificial products with vitamin E. These typically contain only one variant of the tocopherols. This can cause all intents and purposes a relative deficiency of other forms of vitamin E occur. Undesirable. So choose when giving vitamin E compositions for a natural variant. Wheat germ oil is a good choice.
Besides wheat germ oil it is still the old habit of preventative treatments against paratyphoid. Even though their usefulness is questionable, if one ensures optimal care and optimal resistance (but is often lacking). It remains a habit that hardly is indispensable. Are there any latent infections present if one has bought many new birds, then it is possible to say something. Then one can reduce the risk of infection in this way. What experience shows is that many fans say to me that they would rather be safe than sorry and therefore anyway rather cure. Another clincher is that they hear that so many people do it. I think everyone should do what dictates his or her feelings. I myself prefer not to take aspirin for a headache that is not there.
Breeding support
During this period I get many questions about what is good to give during the breeding season regarding supplements. Good feed is, of course, a prerequisite. This should, in theory, be able to cover all. But as easy as that is not the case anymore. Not all the foods deserve the qualification 'good'. Now I do not want to discredit the good stuffs. Let that be clear. But as result of declining levels in minerals and trace elements and other components, shortages can occur. Not that this makes that problems occur straight away, but if we pursue optimal care, some holes may occur. It is not a black and white process. Let that be clear.
This newsletter on breading is meant for those who want to leave nothing to chance. What can we do next?
As said first provide good food the pigeons. For our own pigeons, we have developed a number of supplements in the course of time that help prevent that a relative shortage can occur.
For a long time we use the wheat germ oil in preparation for the breeding season. We do not cure against paratyphoid but make sure that the resistance is optimized by using the Base System (BMT Basic Kern, SGR, Mineral, Nucleovit and Bony M). Then, after pairing we give Omega reproduction oil. It is a familiar story that the provision of extra omega-3 oils in the form of EPA and DHA contributes to the improvement of the connections between the various cells in the brains.
The increase of these compounds is significant. This allows the youngsters to 'switch' better, which in turn contributes to smarter pigeons. In science accumulate evidence about himself.
In line with this development, we are going to further delve into the fabric where we can do the pigeons a big favour during development. This has led to the development of the culture support. In the beginning we gave it to our own pigeons daily. We could ring the youngsters one or two days earlier than usual. But now we give it only three times a week along with reproduction oil.
In the clinic we give de reproduction oil the first of second week before the egg laying, to make sure the amount of omega 3 in the eggs is as high as possible. In the egg the youngsters go through a significant development. During brooding we do not give it. Then we just give the basic system. We then start breeding support and the omega-3 reproduction oil during the last days before hatching. After hatching we sure give omega Nucleovit once a week. This suits us fine and usually provides very nice youngsters. But before I get an angry E-mail that I only advertising my own products, there are other companies that have attractive products for support. What I want to indicate only that they can take action during the breeding season in order to optimize the growth of the boy. At least take the trouble to think about that.
There are more ways that lead to Rome.
On the eggs we give the older animals a cancer caps for 2 days. In principle this is the only moment when we cure blind. For the rest our breeding pigeons receive Usneanoplus once a week to ensure that the coccidiode and cancer cannot get to them. That pleases excellent.
I still find it important, prior the breeding season, to do a check up of the pigeons for the presence of parasites but also to the presence of worms. This last one we still find regularly. These are better gone before the breeding period, so the youngsters do not have to grow up with an unnecessary contamination. Such infections require a lot of energy from the young pigeons bodice. That's energy what the youngsters cannot use during the build of their body. Prevention is better than to cure.
Good Luck!
Peter Boskamp
