Moult Problems

Jack Prescott
Feathered World, May 2000

In 1996 a certain Mr. Victor Sylvester wrote a very interesting article. He described his method of pulling out unmoulted tail and wing feathers -a sort of assisted moult. Now, at the time, I felt the need to ask for some explanation. Why was it necessary? Surely a healthy pigeon would go through its moult naturally. However, Victor specialises in Indian Fantails and these do have an awful lot of feathers. He explained the reasons to my complete satisfaction and when I met him at the Doncaster Show 1996, 1 found he was, indeed, a man that anyone could talk to.

The truth of the matter is, that quite a few specimens, even those that are kept for flying and more especially for acrobatic flying, do run into difficulties with their moult. With my own pigeons, which are all of one family, treated alike and flown every day, I find variations in moult onset, moult procedure and moult completion. Some of them race through the moult. Young ones at seven weeks old, drop their first No 1 primaries and by rn3d-November, they are through, with an issue of good adult feathers. However, I do find the occasional specimen that is slow. In November, l have found them to have arrested in the moult. Three or four of their end primaries and all of their 12 tail feathers still not replaced. Obviously they look scruffy, still retaining what I call a nest tart and four nest flights in each wing.

Why on earth have they arrested in their moult? I used to leave them alone and 'perhaps' they would eventually re-start the moult and be complete in February.

My only concern was that as long as such moult retarded specimens were flying well in the kit each day, all must be well. There seems to be an abnormality that causes a failure to moult normally. Such an abnormality can certainly be caused by poor diet or starvation. In my cases there is no question of starvation and all of my pigeons get the same issue of feed. At present my kit is 56 and every one of them flies, at least once a day. I do realise the need to watch out for the slow peckers, because such as these could become underfed.

On examination, I always find that such retarded moulters are indeed lacking nothing in body weight and structure. Furthermore, I do declare that any specimen of mine that fails as a flyer, kit pigeon and performer, will not survive very long. At the time of writing in November, out of my team of 56- I could only find one specimen that was retarded in the moult. A young cock, with no faults as a kit pigeon. He still retained his nest tail and four primaries in each wing. Apparently arrested at that. With an oath (that I am not going to repeat here) I pulled out four middle tail feathers and his No 7 flights. When his tail feathers are half way up - I shall pull out his other eight tail feathers and, at the same time, his No 8 in each wing. Very soon he will have a complete, but assisted moult because his tail will grow and his primaries will grow as 1 pull them out in sequence. During the assisted moult period, this pigeon will behave himself and work with my kit.

I would be a very miserable old man if I didn't salute and acknowledge young Victor Sylvester. He gave me an idea - not many people have done that!