Observation

Jack Prescott
Feathered World, May 2000

I like to fly my large kit of pigeons twice a day, Sam and 2.30 PM, not less than 50 and seldom more than 60 in the kit.  I fly every pigeon that I have, in this kit. No droppers, no pigeons kept as prisoners. The only time that one of my pigeons is detained, is when it is ill, incapacitated by moult problems or involved in my very brief breeding period. In order to maintain my large kit, I only need to produce about eight to ten young ones each year. Losses and deaths are hardly known but, of course, I do kill them when they fail to please me and can no longer do the work that I require of them. Therefore, inevitably I shall kill them all. I have to, otherwise my kit's efficiency will deteriorate or my hobby will become a sort of 'pets corner'. Nothing wrong with that and I do respect sentiment-but as far as my pigeons go, I have no sentiment. I care for them, protect them and keep them in the best condition for flying, because best results are not available in a system of neglect or half interest.

Now, I fly them in any reasonable weather. Very often I fly them, knowing very well that they cannot possibly fly high or perform to the best of their ability. At least they can stretch their wings and give me the chance to clean out the loft. I remove every scrap of 'muck' from my loft, as least once a day. My smooth concrete floor makes it easy and the ample number of inverted 'V' perches gives each pigeon its own little bit of territory and they cannot foul each other with droppings. Furthermore, I never see one of my pigeons with those balls of rock-hard droppings clinging to their toenails.

These daily exercises are a guide to individual health. Any specimen that drops out of the kit early; any specimen that is reluctant to enter the loft after a fly; any specimen that does not eagerly scramble in competition with all the others, for the feed, is instantly caught for examination. Something is wrong. A bit of indigestion, maybe just a wing feather just coming into the bud, showing an angry red bud for a day or two. Maybe a pipey feather that is causing discomfort or, even worse, a blood flight.

Indigestion needs attention straight away or it may become serious and kill the pigeon in three days. Pipey feathers need to be stripped or peeled each day, until they reach full growth. Blood flights I always peel and puncture, to allow the blood pressure to ease.

Recently, one of my four-year-old hens dropped to the loft top after only ten minutes. Her right wing was soaked in blood. Some idiot with an air rifle? No! I just hadn't noticed that she had a blood flight 'No 9 left' and three-quarters grown. The hen had broken the blood flight one inch from the base. So I had to extract the entire feather. I washed the blood off and she didn't seem to be in distress. No flying for her for a couple of weeks, by which time a new 'No 9' was growing nicely and she was working again.

You know, these blood flights do grow very fast and I hadn't noticed She had not given any signs. Therefore you see the value of daily exercise on all but really ridiculous weather. Even if we cannot fly at all, we can watch the pigeons at feed times as 'they scramble for their daily issue. By watching for the odd one that just isn't behaving as it usually does just before, during and just after the feed, the ailing specimen can easily be seen and placed on treatment. Delay for a day and a valuable specimen may die or a feather may become more damaged. Hopper feeding is essential at times so we don't get the usual check. However, I can always tell if one of my birds isn't right.

Yes, I missed spotting the hen with the blood flight, because she didn't give any signs of discomfort on the previous day. My pigeons are all black Badges -'these days' known as Wolverhampton Badges. I wouldn't keep anything else.