How to deal with hot weather
In dovecote, pigeons drink twice as much water. We all know that pigeons, like many other animals, don't sweat. Whether in the shed or outside, if the temperature is above 25 degrees Celsius, pigeons rely on the evaporation of water vapor in the respiratory tract to cope with the high temperature. The whole respiratory tract, including bronchus, bronchioles, lung tissue, 9 airbags, and of course, the mouth, frontal sinus and trachea. With the increase of temperature, the breathing frequency of pigeons increases, thus increasing the speed of water vapor evaporation. Even sometimes the high temperature will make the pigeon's mouth open. In extremely hot weather conditions, this often happens after pigeons come back from training for several minutes, mainly because muscle exercise generates heat. If this situation lasts too long, accompanied by the phenomenon of mouth opening and head leaning back, it means that there is something wrong with the upper respiratory tract (nostrils, mouth and ears) and corresponding drug treatment is needed. The first is anti-trichomonad treatment, because high temperature is beneficial to the growth of this parasite. If this does not effectively solve the problem, it is necessary to make a biological analysis of the microbial flora and then use the corresponding antibodies for treatment. Consulting an experienced veterinarian is the best solution from both the competitive and economic perspectives. In addition, keep the pigeon house well ventilated in hot weather. When the weather is extremely hot, open several vents.
Drinking water supply in competition cages is also a very important issue. As soon as the cage is closed, pigeons generally know to drink water as long as there is water, which is not a problem for adult pigeons. But young pigeons definitely need a learning process. You can keep them in the competition cage for a few days, or hang the pitcher outside the cage. If the young pigeons are not trained in this way, it is likely to cause great flight losses. When young pigeons are kept in cages, we often find that only a few young pigeons will come forward to drink water when filling the drinking water tank. Generally speaking, this is because young pigeons don't want to stick their heads out to drink water. Put a pitcher full of water in the cage, and they will come to drink water at once. Sometimes it is necessary for pigeons to drink some water before flying, but experienced pigeons may not drink it, because these pigeons in a state of tension and excitement know that the flight time is coming.
A better way is to stop several times in the flying place and feed the pigeons with water regularly. However, this method may cause another problem-the circulation and renewal of the air in the car. Although most carrier pigeons have wide doors and high windows on one side, staying in the sun for a few hours is not good for homing behind the carrier pigeons.
Before the pigeon racing was released, I had raised the topic of transportation many times. In hot weather, more attention should be paid: the key is ventilation of doors and windows, and transport vehicles should choose the best angle to park according to the wind direction (even if it is only a breeze). We sometimes find pigeons, especially young pigeons, hanging oil beads when they come back from the game. Contaminated puddles often have shiny oil beads. Pigeons go there to drink water on their way home, and oil beads splash on their feathers. This oil is difficult to wash, so the best way is to wait. If used cleanly, it will be dangerous, which may lead to the loss of waterproof performance of feathers and take a long time to recover.
In hot weather, the situation of pigeons flying at home is very different. Generally speaking, the length of flying home is a good way to test the state of the pigeon racing team. Compared with cool weather, the flight time at home on a hot night is obviously shorter. Heat has little effect on pigeon's appetite, but low temperature will obviously improve pigeon's appetite. In fact, this is also very logical. Pigeons need to burn calories in order to improve their breathing frequency. Increasing the respiratory rate can increase the evaporation of water vapor in the lungs, thus achieving the purpose of cooling and maintaining normal body temperature (about 40 degrees Celsius). It can be concluded that the pigeon's diet can directly absorb the sugar (starch) used. Therefore, the proportion of cereals should be increased. We often find that when the weather is very hot, the interval between main feathers of pigeons is shorter than usual. First of all, we should get rid of the idea that pigeons with irregular stripes can't win prizes, because two adjacent main feathers fall off in a few days. This molting shows that pigeons are in good physical condition and have the ability to perform well, but only if the pigeons themselves are of good quality. However, in some dovecotes with strong sunshine, a large number of pigeon feathers fall off, which affects the rest of the season. Although the breeding season is coming to an end, pigeon lovers should not take it lightly. High temperature will lead to dehydration of pigeon eggs and contraction of intima. Pigeons that haven't hatched themselves are dehydrated and can't break out of their shells, so they die in their shells. Therefore, pigeons need to take more baths, and the wet feathers of the parent pigeons can ensure pigeon eggs to absorb water. In addition, the high-value pigeon eggs can be soaked in water for several minutes every day.