Nino/ Luka/ Danny / 18 Nov 2004 09:08

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Tippler Subject Category: 

Hi Stan a very good question, medicating ones breeders is a must to promote
good healthy young. I for one always medicate my breeders before I pair them
up. Two weeks before pairing the breeders I d-worm them for every type of
worm possible by the aid of a tablet. I then use turbosol in their water for
three days to stop or kill any canker cells or germs that might be present
in the birds system. I also put them on a course of Resfite MK2 in their
water to clear up any respitory problems they might or might not have before
they start their breeding cycle. I do all the above in the first week along
with keeping them on a high protein diet right through the breeding season.
I also mix a cultured yeast food supplement which is rich in vitamins,
metabolites and amino acids which is in powder form. It is called Epowder.
This helps the birds to recover from any stress or illness that the breeding
season may inflect on them. The last week before pairing the birds up and
right through to the end of the breeding season I lace their drinking water
with a water cleanser known as KD powder, I do this for 2 days every week,
this helps with keeping the water clean and also keeps the water container
crystal clean. The active ingredients of this powder are as follows:
Hydrogen Sulphate 160/Kg, Potassium Chloride 250g/Kg. The dosage is 1 level
teaspoon to 1 litre of drinking water. Last but most importantly I try and
keep the breeding loft as clean as possible, by removing all droppings etc
and keeping the breeding section well ventilated and allowing as much
sunlight in to the loft. If this is not possible I leave the flights open at
all times so that the birds can fly to the top and get as much sun as they
need. As you know Stan I am new to the game and this is the method that I
use, but I am willing to take any good advice from guys like yourself, Nino,
Luka, Davey Warrener, OMB or for that matter anyone who can help me to
achieve good results when breeding. Sorry about the long winded reply.
Cheers.

Danny. McCarthy

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Well guys here go my long-winded thoughts on preventive medication. First
let me say that in no way am I advocating my practice over anyone else's. We
each have different methods that reflect our climate, environment, location,
lofts and so on. It would be only wise that our daily routines are just as
varied and mirror our circumstances it would be odd if they weren't
different.

Like Davey and Ed I do very little preventive medicating, Nino pretty well
sums up my general feeling in that regard. Of course I do medicate if
sickness or symptoms appear and can identify with Danny's dilemma. I never
had any epidemics so the status quo seems to be working for me. I do give
worm pills twice a year and introduce good bacteria at key times of the
year.

However, I strongly believe in a self-reliant immune system. This in fact is
the basis for everything I practice. To be honest, I cannot get my head
around all the medicines that are available in catalogues and web sites
urging us to use this and that and the other thing. If I used everything for
cleansing blood, clearing respiratory systems, improving droppings,
improving the metabolism etc, etc, etc I think my birds would implode. I
begin to wonder how any bird can possibly survive a minute without these
"must have" medicines and then I think of the feral pigeons. So many survive
and thrive, perhaps more so than we would like, without any synthetic drugs
but rather organic material found all around them. Now don't get me wrong,
obviously medicines/antibiotics do help but may also do harm if one is using
everything on the market, all the time, and seldom leaving the bird to its
own devices.
So in our quest to do good, are we stripping them of their natural defenses?

Where I do go crazy and possibly border on obsession is in the general
maintenance and care of the birds with a 365-dayan ounce of prevention is
worth a pound of cure theory.

I strongly believe in a simple all-purpose vitamin and good bacteria
especially during breeding and molting season. Other things like well
seasoned and clean feed, the best grit available all the time to the birds
and lots of barley in the feed as well as pellets. Routinely spraying the
loft and birds for bugs. Regular bathing for all birds and access to sun's
rays. Cleanliness is next to godliness in both the birds and the loft.
Greens (lettuce) once or twice a week. Mix my own feed every 10 days or so
and adjust accordingly, different mixes for different seasons. Never
overfeed and feed once a day. I don't bring in birds from here and there,
that usually saves me half the trouble. And the best tell sign of all
droppings checked daily.

Oh sure birds die on occasion for various reasons but only in single
occurrences. I have 3 birds over the age of 12 and one approaching 15 years.
Their health is as good as the next, which tells me all I need to know. Had
droppings tested about 6 months ago for sal, cocci, ecoli and got back a
clean bill of health. So preventive practices the year round work better for
me. But I caution that it works for me only and do not suggest in any way
shape or form it is the best way for others. Anyway, that is the method to
my madness sorry it was so long

Luka

=================

Tuesday 11/16/2004 8:52 PM

Stan,

How are you buddy ?? And this is a great subject !

First of all I believe a strong immune system is what we all should be
trying to achieve. Without it our stock will be more susceptible to all
kinds of diseases. To medicate for no reason, or without some kind of
indication will only lesson the birds immune system in this area.

After saying all that, I know that in the Homer clubs they all seem to be on
some kind of preventative diseases program, likely due to the fact that
their birds are constantly subjected to so many outside birds when in a race
that they are forced into these type of measures, but not true for Tippler
flyers.
That does not mean to say that we are immune to disease, merely that our
stock is less likely to be subjected to the wide range of disease that the
homer men face.

I to at one time bought into the same thinking, but have learned to think
differently over the years. If we must medicate our stock, I think it would
be wise to have a vet tell us what we are up against, so that we are
treating for the right problem, rather than just treating !!!

If we must treat without knowing for sure what we are up against, then in my
opinion the most common problems are as follows and can be treated fairly
inexpensively and safely.

Canker, Coccidiois, E.coli, and of course PMV, these are most common of the
diseases assuming that everyone takes proper precautions when brining in a
new bird.

Sorry Stan I may have gotten of subject slightly.
Neen


Submitted by Nino/ Luka/ Danny on Thursday 11/18/2004 9:08 AM