Check inside the mouth
The nasal cavity connects with the mouth in an area we refer to as the choanal slit. Many fanciers look at this area during the racing season. A narrowing of the “slit” when there is infection of the nasal cavity accurately reflects the inflammation present throughout the upper airways. Obviously, inflammation in this area will affect the heat and water conservation functions of the nasal cavity and lower competitive performance. The converse is also true and I agree with the fanciers, who believe that a fully open “slit” is a sign of a bird in top form.

Panting after exercise
When a respiratory infection inflames the nasal cavity and upper airways the pigeon is less able to control the considerable heat production generated during flight. With certain respiratory infections the first sign noticed is panting after or during exercise. Panting is a mechanism which sheds excess heat rapidly. A fluttering motion in the neck (a form of panting) may also be seen in the overheated pigeon (this is called gular fluttering). Unfortunately both water and heat are lost with panting.

I often see panting when training birds land after a short toss. These birds are healthy but not yet in top condition or are in the moult and have short flights. Because panting is a mechanism to alleviate overheating, we see it in exercising birds on hot days. When panting is noticed within the loft on very hot days efforts to cool the loft must be taken. Special attention to temperature control within the transporters is essential for the health of the race birds.

We also see panting in unfit birds exercising early in the morning, late evenings or tightly around the loft. It is important for the fancier to differentiate between panting in the healthy pigeon and that caused by respiratory infections.

Respiratory disease involving both the lungs and airsac systems seriously impairs flying performance not only because of the failure of the oxygen delivery system but because the energy systems (liver, muscle etc) are also affected. Disease of the airsac system alone reduces performance because both the delivery of oxygen and the removal of waste products are impaired. The resultant cramping muscles make it impossible for the pigeon to fly.

• Panting after flying.
• Sneezing
• Loft flying decreases
• Race losses
• Eye and nostril discharge
• Swollen cere and sinus
• Stretching of neck and swallowing
• Yawning

The top race performance requires perfect health and fitness.
Performance relates directly to the efficiency of the respiratory and circulation systems to provide the dramatic increase in energy requirements for flight. For example, during normal loft flying the pigeon increases its oxygen consumption fifteen fold and when flying into a head wind the oxygen consumption increases by up to 30 times. These massive energy burdens can only be supported by good health and fitness.

The traditional Australian loft is open at the front and gets good race results in areas with low humidity (non-coastal and inland regions, South Australia etc.). Such a loft requires little other ventilation other than vents on the back and side walls of the loft. Place the vents under the perches rather than at the top, so that the air does not pass over the birds resting in the perches. The flow of air over the birds created by incorrectly placed vents is referred to as a draft and causes illness by preventing the birds from resting.

The creation of proper ventilation in enclosed lofts is more difficult to achieve and in dry areas it is often better to avoid enclosed lofts. However, in high humidity and very cold areas the loft must be enclosed at night to maintain the form of the fit race team, although it is opened up as much as possible during the day. The best lofts can be opened up during the day and closed up at night, when it is raining or during cold humid weather.

More ventilation is required in closed lofts than open lofts. Ceiling or wall ventilation fans are often used to improve the circulation inside the loft. Vents placed on the back and side walls near the floor are open during the day and on warm nights and closed when it is wet or cold. Double-check the quality of the air inside an enclosed loft by asking an asthmatic friend to stand inside and pass an opinion as to the freshness of the air.

Pigeon numbers
Overcrowded lofts do not race to their true potential. Overcrowding increases fighting, creates restlessness and increases the staleness of the air. Overcrowded lofts have consistently good droppings, although the birds may be healthy. Often healthy nutty droppings return when the numbers are decreased. The best race results occur when the numbers are kept around 25 birds per 6 foot x 6 foot by 6 foot loft.

Wetness in the loft
Waterproofing the loft is a priority, because wet floors endanger the health of the birds. Fit race birds immediately lose form and often succumb to coccidiosis three days after the floor gets wet. Disinfecting or cleaning the loft using water must be reserved for warm days or allowed to dry whilst the birds are out exercising. Concrete slabs hold water and are not recommended for race lofts and must be designed to drain and dry quickly when used beneath elevated flights during the race season.

Clean loft
Pigeons love a clean loft and rest better when the perches and floor are cleaned free of droppings. Sand on the floor looks good, but is not recommended during the cold months of the racing season. At this time the birds may suddenly over-engorge on it and lose form because of the resulting “gut ache”. Pigeons love to lie down on straw but it must be perfectly fresh, clean and be free of dust or moisture. Black marks and a musty smell to the straw indicates mould on the straw, which can damage the pigeons airsacs when inhaled.

The loft is cleaned at least once and even better twice daily during the racing season.

Twice daily cleaning allows the fancier to monitor the health of the race team very closely. A change in the droppings is then recognised very early and the appropriate remedy (either rest, water cleanser, medicines, loft heaters etc.) can be quickly and effectively prescribed. The design of the loft must be such that scraping is made as easy as possible. The floor should be perfectly flat and smooth and the perches must be wide enough and brought out from the wall for easy scraping.

Loft position
The best lofts are positioned in the yard to get the most amount of sunlight from the day during the racing season. In Australia, the best direction to face the loft is between North West to North East, because the sun moves northward during the winter months of racing. Lofts need as much sunlight as possible. They also need space to breathe fresh air and are best away from trees, fences and be elevated.

The resting pigeon
The best designed lofts create an environment that is so relaxing that during the day and at night-time the birds lie down on the ground or on the perch with their wings hanging loose. The compartment sizes should not be too large, but small and low enough for the fancier to catch the birds easily without chasing them around the loft. The race team is tamer and more relaxed in a loft with smaller compartments. The best size sections are 6 inches higher than the fancier, 6 feet deep and 5 feet wide.

Loft materials for ceilings, walls and floors
In high humidity areas the ceiling and walls of the pigeon loft must be lined if consistent racing results are to be enjoyed. Masonite and wood are better insulators than metal. The best floor for racing is made of wood (form ply or marine ply) because it is a good insulator, stays warm, and is smooth for effective scraping. It can be unscrewed and replaced with wired floors during the off season if required. Wood floors are harder to disinfect. Concrete floors are not recommended in the race loft because they are cold and retain moisture, but they are good for the breeding loft and can be used for the race loft if they are centrally heated. In high humidity areas wire floors are not recommended for racing because the droppings beneath the wire accumulate moisture and grow fungus, which causes moulding disease. They are acceptable in dry areas and during the breeding season, but must be treated for fungus and insects regularly.

In most lofts, it is the humidity, more than the temperature, which determines whether the birds rest or not at night. Humidity measures the amount of moisture in the air, irrespective of the air temperature, but it is the high humidity (greater than 65%) associated with a temperatures below 15 degrees Celsius that most affects the pigeons ability to rest. The pigeon loses form and becomes susceptible to illness when it does not to get adequate rest.

The droppings in the loft are the best indication of the humidity levels. In the healthy loft, a low humidity (less than 55%) gives a consistently nutty brown dropping, whereas a higher humidity (greater than 65%) will produce green watery droppings. At night-time, when the pigeons need to rest, there is always a rise in the humidity, because as the temperature drops the humidity rises. This explains the droppings turning wet and green the morning after a cold humid night, but which then turn nutty brown by the afternoon as the day warms up and the humidity drops. No two lofts, even if they are identical, will have the same humidity levels, because the humidity inside the loft relates directly to the humidity outside the loft. The controlling factor of humidity is the location (or geography) of the loft. Often fanciers will re-create their previously successful loft design when they move from one house to another but find that they are no longer successful flyers. The only difference is the location of the loft.

High humidity risk lofts:

• Lofts near water (ocean, lakes, rivers, waterways, drainage channels, swim pools).
• Lofts adjacent to large open low lying areas (grassy areas, foggy areas).
• Lofts without sunshine to dry the ground (under trees, in valleys, on the wrong side of the hill and no sun until late in the afternoon).
• Lofts in high rainfall areas.

These lofts require a loft design that stops the outside humidity (moisture) entering the loft.

Insulation is the first step to controlling fluctuating temperatures and high humidity inside the loft. It is the moisture drops of condensation appearing on the inside of uninsulated walls and ceilings that increase the humidity inside the loft to the very high levels that predispose the race birds to restlessness and respiratory illnesses. The insulation of the walls and ceiling will stop this condensation and allow you to control respiratory diseases with the minimal use of medicines.

In high humidity areas, shutting the loft up at night or when it is raining is a good method of controlling the humidity inside the loft (louvres are commonly used), but the air circulation and the air quality inside the loft must not be compromised. Too often the loft is completely shut up with no thought about air circulation. The resulting stale loft makes the race birds lethargic due to lack of oxygen.

Heaters at night are beneficial for the race team. The healthy team remains in top form when the loft is closed at night by keeping it warm and dry. However, it is better to have a very open loft in flocks recovering from respiratory disease to prevent the “respiratory” germs accumulating inside the loft from re-infecting the race birds.

Oil based bar heaters are safe and effective to use when the temperature drops below 12 degrees Celsius and are used to prevent a loss of form by keeping the air and dry. Dehumidifying machines are also available, but the noise may prevent the birds from full rest.

Hygrometers can be installed to monitor the humidity within the loft, but often the salts in the grit or mineral powder are equally effective in monitoring humidity above 65%. These salts attract moisture. For example, F-vite darkens and becomes granular when the humidity is too high and grits become dark and wet with moisture.

Handling For Quality
When the experienced fanciers handle a racing pigeon they are assessing its racing ability by judging its aerodynamic soundness. Their skill has been taught by time and their success in predicting the quality of the race pigeon rests with the fact that the aerodynamics of every champion is sound. The “expert handlers” cull birds in the race team that handle poorly, because the chances of a poorly conformed bird doing well are extremely low. It is good practice to cull “poor” pigeons from the race team well before training begins, but the decision to cull must be made by a good “handler”. Remember, the expert handler is always a very good flyer or breeder of pigeons and never a poor or mediocre fancier.

Although the athletic potential of the pigeon cannot be determined by its physical qualities alone, an understanding of the features of the racing pigeon which enable fast sustained flight provides the fancier with the knowledge required to both select and breed aerodynamically sound race birds. When handling a bird to assess its aerodynamic efficiency pay special attention to the feather quality, wing, body structure and balance.

An understanding of the aerodynamics of flight will improve every fancier’s skill at handling pigeons correctly. Around the world there are many families of pigeons varying enormously in appearance, size and shape, but the very best birds share the same important physical features. These features give the best birds an aerodynamic advantage. Every champion racing and breeding pigeon has good feathering, a good wing, a balanced body and are naturally buoyant. Every one of these is a hereditary feature passed on from parent to offspring.

Good Feather
The importance of good feathering as a reflection of the quality of a pigeon can never be overemphasised. For every fancier the quality of the feather is a very good and immediate indication as to the quality of the pigeon. A good quality feather is the foundation stone for breeding the champion pigeon and a pigeon with poor feathers should never be considered for stock because good feathering is a reflection of both good breeding and good health.

The healthy feather is silky, flexible, strong and waterproof. These features are all important for efficient flight. The high oil content of the healthy feather gives it the silky feel. The silkier the feather the greater the lift due to the streamlining effect required for efficient flight. The dry feather we get with many illnesses means that there is less streamlining (over the body and wing) and more drag with a subsequent loss of lift and less efficient flight. More energy is required causing the bird to tire more quickly. The dry feather being less flexible means that the twisting motion of the end flights that gives forward thrust is lessened, which results in a slower bird. The dry feather is brittle and lacks the strength of the silky feather, wearing out by the time the long races, when flying efficiency is needed most. Dry feathers lack the waterproofing qualities of the oil laden silky feather and flying therefore becomes more difficult in wet weather.

The feathers of the racing pigeon in top form are tight and silky. The aerodynamics are further improved by the feathers covering the body. These contour feathers of the body and the coverts over the wing and tail feathers of the bird in top form overlap each other very tightly to create a very smooth surface. We describe such a bird as having “tight” feather. During flight this very tight feather allows the moving air to flow smoothly and quickly over the body and wing surfaces in what we call “streamlines”. “Streamlining” gives “lift” to the flying pigeon and is one of the reasons why it can fly for sustained periods without tiring. For whatever reason (health or breeding), poor quality feathers fail to form the tight smooth surface required for “streamlining” and efficient flight. When the surface is not perfectly smooth the air does not flow smoothly across the surface and creates air eddies and bubbles of turbulence. Turbulence has the effect of slowing the airflow over the wing and body surfaces that increases the “drag” or “resistance” and reduces the “lift”. Therefore the bird with poor feathers flies slowly and requires more effort to stay aloft. The end result is a bird that tires sooner. A good feather is essential for racing performance because it is the basis of “lift”.

Sunlight and the elevated flight
Sunlight is a basic requirement for all birds and it is easy to see the positive effect that the sun has on the health and well being of our pigeons. On sunny days the birds look so much brighter and more alert than on overcast or wet days when the birds look depressed and disinterested.

It is known that direct sunlight provides birds with the vitamin D, that is so necessary for bone, feather and reproductive health, but it must have other positive effects on the metabolism and immune system, because the birds look so strong when they have access to direct sunlight. For this reason, it is recommended that every bird in the loft has access to direct sunlight. This is best achieved by an elevated flight.

The elevated flight is ideal for baths, protecting the loft from wetness and the race birds from potentially harmful ground germs associated with free lofting. The elevated flight is usually opened directly to the breeding loft, whereas the flight of the race loft must be closed off at night from the rest of the loft during the race season. The flight quickly becomes a favourite rest and recreation area for both the breeding and race birds, playing an important part in strengthening the loft bonding process of pigeons.

Security and rest at night
The special attention that is given to providing the pigeons with a loft that promotes complete rest at night will reward the fancier with a healthier flock and more consistent race results. Both the breeding and race lofts must protect the birds from moisture, temperature extremes, too little or too much air movement, predators, noise, fumes, light and other disturbances, so that the birds can rest, especially at night. Proper rest is a major pre-requisite for continuing pigeon health and race performance.

The breeding loft
The design requirements of the breeding loft are simple compared to the race loft. The best breeding loft is very open, because breeding takes place during the warmer months. At night the birds usually rest comfortably in their nest boxes and during the day a large open flight provides the adults and babies in the nest with the health benefits of direct sunlight. The open breeding loft improves the circulation of fresh air and promotes a drier loft, which in turn improves the breeding performance. Breeding is far less stressful to the pigeon than racing and maintaining their health is so much easier, because the birds are not exposed to the outside diseases and hardships of the race basket.

The race loft
The race birds are exposed to many more stresses than the breeders and require much more rest to remain healthy. Consequently, the requirements for a successful race loft are more exacting and complicated than for the breeding loft and must provide the race team with the necessary rest to recover from their strenuous physical exertions. The darkness of night provides the pigeon with the time to rest and the conditions in the loft at night are of the utmost importance if the pigeon is to fully recover from the exertions of the previous day.

The conditions inside the race loft which promote restful sleep at night are:

1. No rapid fluctuations of humidity and temperature.
2. Good ventilation (i.e. the air circulation is good, the air is fresh, not heavy or stuffy, no drafts and no dust).
3. The pigeons numbers are controlled i.e. no overcrowding.
4. There is no wetness in the loft.
5. The loft is clean.

To increase the chances of breeding champions we must first and foremost use quality stock. Quality stock are inbred, line-bred or mixed families that have bred winners or have been bred from several generations of winners.

The quality of the breeding bird can only be tested by the race results of its offspring and more than one test pairing may be necessary to achieve the combination of genes that works. The art of the master breeder is the selection of the correct pairs to ensure an aerodynamically efficient body type plus the character and brains of the champion racing pigeon.

How do we assess the quality of the untested racing or breeding pigeon?
The racing potential of the pigeon depends upon the quality of its parents. However, there is no single gene determining the racing performance of the pigeon and we must look to the physical, physiological and psychological features which make a champion pigeon.

• The physical features (structure, feather, wing).
• The physiology (fitness parameters).
• Psychology (attitude and will to win).

Some fanciers are able to assess both the racing and breeding potential of a pigeon in the hand.
The best fanciers agree that although there are certain physical characteristics common to the best racing birds, the race basket still remains the truest measure of the racing qualities of the pigeon. The physical qualities (bone structure, feather quality and wing) that we assess, when handling a racing pigeon, determine its aerodynamic efficiency. Although the aerodynamic soundness of the pigeon is paramount to its ability to race successfully and without it the pigeon will never be a champion, it alone does not make a champion pigeon. Many pigeons are aerodynamically perfect, but it is the physiological qualities (fitness metabolism, homing ability and racing attitude) that make the bird with the perfect physique a champion and the physiological potential can only be determined in the race basket and not “in the hand”.

The only way to test the abilities of the breeding birds is to race test their progeny, but the selection of breeding birds is not always based on race performance. In many cases stock birds are selected on bloodlines and/or known family characteristics. The physical qualities required for successful breeding birds are the same as those for the race bird, namely the physical requirements for efficient flight. The physiological qualities of the stock bird can be predicted to a certain degree by its bloodlines, but in the end the breeding performance of the stock birds can only be measured by the race performance of their children or grandchildren.

First: Fattening Feeds:
Normal pigeon feed of 17% protein (PF-0217) given at a rate of 120 gm for each bird:

• These are formulas prepared specifically to go with all the growth stages of the local and imported bird. It provides them with high levels of protein and amino acids that is important for the growth, continuous repair of bone and muscle tissue and in disease resistance as well as in growing squab and laying eggs. In low protein forage, the birds do not resist illnesses and needs more time to recover and the death rate is higher. During the first stages of growth, protein need is higher and if there were a shortage in its level the growth stops.
• It is also important to provide other basic ingredients such as vitamins and minerals. These two help organize the biological process for the equilibrium of the bird. These are added in specific amounts, these vitamins are:

Vitamin A
It raises the productivity level, growth and illness resistance. It is also important for the eye functions,
Vitamin B:
It has an important role in food assimilation.
Vitamin C
It is basically for stress resistance, raising the bird’s ability to resist illness and temperature variations. It also prompts growth.
Vitamin D
It has a direct effect of assimilation of Calcium and Phosphorus and in bone building.

Second : Feeds for Carrier Pigeon and Display Pigeon:
Premium Pigeon feed
Premium Pigeon Feed 17% protein (PF-0317) at rate of 100 gm per bird a day:

• Hindustan Animal Feeds provides high quality specialized Pigeon Feed for Carrier Pigeons and Display Pigeons. The feed is Blended and Re-Blended Six times, in order to homogenize the entire feed Material, which drastically cut off’s the over all production line by minimum ten times.
• This line can produce all kinds of feeds for all breeds of pigeons (broiler local and imported pigeon, carrier pigeon, and display pigeon). HAF’s Animal Nutrition Scientists guarantees conformity to the International Standards.
• These Multiple Blended Feeds are characterized by its consistency and the lack of inaccuracy. Low Temperature and High Speed Grinding of feed increase its Nutritional Value and Disinfects the feed.
• These feeds are homogenously proportioned to include Protein, Carbohydrates and energy, in addition to vitamins and minerals that are important for growth and for proper biological functions of the whole body.
• The grains in these Multiple Blended feeds include high levels of energy that enables the pigeons to fly for long distances.

Benefits of ANUPAM PREMIUM PIGEON FEEDS to Breeders:

1. Great reduction of the loss of feed, which leads to reduction of production cost and increasing the profitability.
2. Good rate of food conversion and at a less marketing age.
3. Race Pigeons need a balanced and high level of  protein feed. In PF-0317 protein is more digestible which makes pigeons obtain optimum benefit.
4. The feeds contain ground components of high nutritional value, this would cover the pigeon’s nutritional needs for all stages.
5. Fast processing of the feeds which enables the breeder to have fresh feed.
6. The Quality of the feed is Guaranteed by our R & D Department that conform to the strictest International Standards.

Feeding Troughs:
They should be provided with suitable covers or barriers to avoid contamination.
Drinking Troughs:
They should be deep and protected from contamination.
The Feed Offering Method and Measuring the quantity:
Feed should be offered twice daily; morning and evening. Breeders should offer feed enough to be consumed within one to two hours, and then the remaining feed should be discarded. There should be enough troughs to take in all the pigeons at once.
If the remaining feed is large, the quantity of feed should be reduced. If, on the other hand, the pigeons finished the feed in an hour and started looking for more the feed amount should be increased. With experience the breeder will be able to estimate the proper daily amount needed for his pigeons.
Points to be taken into consideration when feeding pigeons:

• The pigeons cannot consume mixtures of fine particles, ground grains are less hygienic and sucks moisture and rots faster. For all these reasons it is better to use ANUPAM Pigeon Feeds .
• Pigeons consume more feed when the nutritional value of the feed is low and when they have squab.
• The little squab are more affected when low nutritious feed is offered.
• pigeon squabs need five to six weeks to be able to fly. This depends on the quality of feed and the caring of the parent pigeons, as there are uncaring pigeon parents.
• Feed should not be offered on the floor, as it might get polluted with pigeon dirt and this might cause illneses.
• Feed consumption is more in winter than in the summer time.
• Coarse sand and mineral mixture () should always be available for pigeons.

ANUPAM Feeds (Mesh) are suitable and very economical to make strong squab. The nutritional needs for each couple of pigeons with 15 squab are aound 40-45 kg annually without any additions. If the breeding went well, the genetic potentials of these breeds could be exploited to produce good broiler breeds.
ANUPAM feed is distinguished from grain mixtures (mixed) in that it is of high quality and the grain of the MESH contains the natural materials of corn, bran, wheat, vitamins, soy bean (soy bean is the richest and best source of protein, and corn, which is the largest component of a Balanced MESH, is the major source of carbohydrates) and mixed mineral elements in a homogenous manner provided that they don’t give the birds the freedom to select types at the cost of other types as in the mixed grains which effectively contributes in redressing the requirements of proteins, carbohydrates, fats and vitamins during the important periods of the life of the bird (growth, mating and production of fledgling). In addition, proper nutrition with the right kind of feed encourages sexual maturity of the bird.

HAF provides a number of balanced formulas of concentrated feeds for fattening and breeding of pigeons whether for specialized pigeon projects or for amateur breeders.

21.2 % Minimum

6.0 % Minimum

4.5 % Maximum

1.0 %

0.6 %

0.4 %

3.5 %

Hindustan Animal Feeds is a leading Pigeon Feed Manufacturer, Pigeon Feed Exporter, Pigeon Feed Supplier, Pigeon Feed Distributor, Pigeon Feed Vendor, Pigeon Feed Company and Pigeon Feed Producer located in Jamnagar District of Gujarat. Our widest and high precision product range defines us renowned Pigeon Feed Manufacturers, Pigeon Feed Exporters, Pigeon Feed Suppliers, Pigeon Feed Distributors, Pigeon Feed Vendors, Pigeon Feed Companies and Pigeon Feed Producers of India. We produce Pigeon Starter Feed, Breeding Pigeon Feed, Pigeon Breeder Feed, Racing Pigeon Feed, Pigeon Race Feed, Pigeon Sports Feed, Doe Feed, Fancy Pigeon Feed, Exotic Pigeon Feed, Pigeon Layer Feed, Pigeon Farm Feed and various types of Pigeon Feed Supplements. We are specialised as Avian Feed Manufacturer, Avian Feed Exporter, Avian Feed Supplier, Avian Feed Distributor, Avian Feed Vendor, Avian Feed Company and Avian Feed Producer located in Jamnagar District of Gujarat. Our widest and high precision product range defines us renowned Avian Feed Manufacturers, Avian Feed Exporters, Avian Feed Suppliers, Avian Feed Distributors, Avian Feed Vendors, Avian Feed Companies and Avian Feed Producers of India. We are renowned Bird Feed Manufacturer, Bird Feed Exporter, Bird Feed Supplier, Bird Feed Distributor, Bird Feed Vendor, Bird Feed Company and Bird Feed Producer located in Jamnagar District of Gujarat. Our widest and high precision product range defines us renowned Bird Feed Manufacturers, Bird Feed Exporters, Bird Feed Suppliers, Bird Feed Distributors, Bird Feed Vendors, Bird Feed Companies and Bird Feed Producers of India.