This section should get everyone thinking. How in the world do you condition a pigeon that does not fly?

Well, the answer is simple. Watch your birds. Watch what makes them exercise.
One of the things that is unusual about my family of birds, is that it seems that they hate to take a bath. This is a good thing! I will lock my young birds out in the aviary, and get out the garden hose, and spray them down. Some of them will put their wing up and want to get wet. But, when I stop spraying them, they will spread their wings and while they are stationary, try to fly. What are they doing? Exercising?

Another little thing that I feel is important is feed them exactly what they need. If you are careful and over feed the birds when they are weaned, you will create a feeling that they are full of feed and they eat when ever they want. Now, don’t over feed them. They will think that they are starving, but they probably will be a little over weight. Watch them when they see you changing the water. They get excited and start flapping their wings and may even flip over a time or two. Wait a minute or two, and you will see them exercise each day before you feed them.

One of the most overlooked procedures that a fancier may do, is to not take care when they crate the birds for a show and put them in hot car trunk where they knock off all the conditioning that has taken months to develop. You must take precautions with the crate to keep it dry, but yet have some sort of liquid for them to drink. This is a good time to put vitamins in the water for them to drink and replenish their electrolytes and other essentials minerals. Stress will eliminate the condition that you have worked so hard to create.

Dampness in the loft or in a crate while you are taken them to a roll, will destroy their conditioning. Care must be taken to have some type of bedding or wire on the floor of the crate. And the bedding should be cleaned out before each time you go to a show. Also, you must have some type of system to have a cup of water so the birds do not dehydrate while traveling. Taking a bird to a show in a car is very stressful and will cause them to lose a tremendous amount of weight, especially if they are not in condition. On days that the sun is bright, even if it is cold out, your truck could really get warm. Stop and take a break every couple hours, to give yourself a rest and to open the trunk for the birds to get fresh air and stationary time to get a drink.



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Home | About Me | Lofts and Loft Management | Breeding | Feeding and Medications | Conditioning
Competition | 100 Foot Parlors | Parlor Links and Information | Contact Me