Out with the old feathers, in with the new ones

an important process in the body of a pigeon

The racing season is now almost over, but that does not mean your champions will not have to work hard anymore. The pigeon's body must now be in top condition to begin moulting. You should not underestimate this process. Hundreds of old feathers are being replaced by new ones, all of which the small body of the pigeon must make itself.

And the new feathers must all be of good quality. A pigeon with feathers of a lesser quality will have a major disadvantage during the next racing season. It is therefore important to act carefully and precisely during your athletes' moulting period.

Diseases, such as Paratyphoid, often break out just before, during or after the moulting period. 

A pigeon's good condition, of course, also means that it is in good health. During moulting, it is important to monitor the pigeons' health closely. Diseases, such as Paratyphoid, often break out just before, during or after the moulting period. This is not strange. The pigeons have to sustain a heavy moult immediately after they have already had to perform well throughout the racing season. This requires a lot of strength and reduces the pigeons' resistance.

Versele-Laga would like to help you through this intensive period by sharing useful tips and tricks from their pigeon specialists to help your pigeons get ready for next year.

  1. BACK TO NATURE

    2. Let the pigeons become one again with nature. The pigeons benefit from being reunited with the cock or hen after the racing season. A short period of destressing and back to basics to recharge the batteries. Keep them together for a few weeks to build a nest and to brood and/or breed. However, they should be separated again in time so that they have moulted sufficiently at the start of early breeding.

  2. GOOD HEALTH ... NO MEDICINES IF NOT NEEDED!

    3. A pigeon in good health is a great asset. Make sure that the pigeons can begin to moult in optimum condition and try to reduce medication to a minimum. However, in case of a serious illness, you must act immediately and consult a veterinarian. In all other cases the medicine cabinet must remain closed during moult. In this period, we want to keep the pigeons as close as possible to nature with, for example, the Oropharma vitamins and care products.

  3. LOGICAL THINKING ... HIGH-QUALITY PROTEIN-RICH FOOD

    4. Logic plays a decisive role in pigeon racing. Think logically – and many things will become clear. What do pigeons need in particular during moulting? Feathers consist largely of proteins... therefore, proteins. Thus, provide a varied moulting mixture with enough high-quality legumes (such as peas, beans, soy, etc.) during moulting:

    • We recommend either the Plus I.C.+ or the Plus I.C.+ Black Label mixtures, which contain extruded pellets that meet the specific protein needs for the moulting period.
    • Or a traditional moulting mixture with extra protein by providing Success-Corn I.C.+, an extruded protein pellet.
    • Or a traditional moulting mixture supplemented with Optimal Start 25, an eggfood specifically for pigeons and which is high in protein for moult.

  4. PROMOTING THE OLD DOWN MOULT

    5. You can also give the pigeons an eight-day course of Colombine Tea + B-Chol at the start of the moulting period. The pigeons respond well to this and they will shed the excess old down feathers. B-Chol includes sulphur-containing amino acids, which are important building blocks during moulting. That is why we start with the eight-day course, after which you can add B-Chol + Colombine Tea twice a week to the drinking water during the whole moulting period.

  5. WEEKLY BATH FOR GOOD AND FLEXIBLE FEATHERS

    6. Make sure that the pigeons bathe once or twice a week. Add one tablespoon of Oropharma Ideal Bathsalt to 10 litres of bath water and let the pigeons enjoy a swim. That way you get healthy, soft and shiny feathers. The feathers will feel soft to the touch and all pellets and remnants of feathers will disappear from the plumage.

  6. NATURAL SOURCES OF PROTEIN, NATURAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORIES

    7. Another important natural source of protein is brewer's yeast. You can therefore add Oropharma B-Pure to the feed 2 to 3 times a week during the moulting period. B Pure is dried vitaminised brewer's yeast rich in essential amino acids. Brewer's yeast also contains a lot of vitamin B, minerals and trace elements. Give your pigeons B-Pure in combination with Garlic Oil 2 to 3 times a week. Garlic Oil is pure garlic oil. It is rich in allicin, a kind of natural anti-inflammatory substance that helps keep the pigeons healthy during moult.

  7. WATCH OUT FOR FATTENING AT THE END OF MOULT

    8. Beware! After moulting, quickly switch to a lighter mix so that the pigeons will not emerge too fat from the winter. For example, give Winter Plus I.C.+ or Gerry Plus I.C.+ during this interim period. Once the moulting season is over, feel free to introduce a resting day once a week — for example on Sunday — and let them fast. /p>

Good luck!

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