INSECTICIDES
ILLNESS: See: Diseases
INFLUENZA
INSULIN
IMMUNE SYSTEM
First of all, Dr. Talaber tells us “that wheat germ oil is a good source of vitamin E. Along with the trace mineral selenium; vitamin E also helps to protect the membranes of body cells against degenerative changes caused by certain damaging form of oxygen called peroxides.” (Oh boy one of my friends will say again that it is too technical….LOL..)
Any way, may I keep on what Dr. Talaber wrote? “Vitamin E and selenium are highly important in the development and maintenance of the immune system. Like vitamin A, D and K, vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin and it can be stored in the body, in contrast to the B vitamins and vitamin A, excess amounts of which are eliminated rapidly.’’
“My attitude (still Dr. Talaber that tells us) is that not only should the birds receive vitamins E, but also the entire range of other water-soluble vitamins at the same time—hence my preference for a multi-vitamin mix in the drinkers one day or AT MOST two days a week.”
We should also add that wheat-germ oil is indispensable during the breeding season. It stimulates the libido, improves the fertility and helps the hen to come into lay.
It is suggested to mix it with the feed: 25 drops per pound of feed (50 drops per kg), 3 times a week from 14 days before mating until after the laying. You can then dry it up with brewers yeast, MVS-30, Global Bounty and/or AEV.
A great attention should be given about the quality of the cod-liver oil if you use it and it should be known that it becomes rancid very rapidly if not kept in ideal conditions. In the past, it has caused many problems to pigeons because the fanciers were not aware of this possibility.
A little more information about natural products for our pigeons: Since our birds are kept in an unnatural environment, these supplements are necessary to maintain proper health: (This was in my files but I can’t tell you who wrote it but it is an opinion that worth to be known!)
NATURAL SUPPLEMENTS: FRESH GARLIC, FRESH ONIONS, HONEY, FRESH SQUEEZED LEMON OR LIME, APPLE CIDER VINEGAR, SUGAR. All can be used in fresh water or teas all year. Also, they can be placed in water with medications, vitamins or minerals.
FRESH LETTUCE, CABBAGE, SPINACH AND CHOPPED CARROTS should be washed and placed in the loft.
VITAMINS / MINERALS: We prefer water soluble products because they assure us that all the birds will receive the same benefits and all the birds will take several drinks during the day. I like to use 2-3 different brands of vitamin and mineral mixtures, blended together, to ensure the best results.
VITAMINS / ELECTROLYTES: We prefer a water soluble nutritional balanced formula, premix containing vitamins, electrolytes, organic acidifiers and natural micro-organisms for pigeons and poultry: BREWER'S YEAST, WHEAT GERM OIL, NATURAL OLIVE OIL, MINERAL MIXTURES, OYSTER SHELLS, PICKSTONES, HERBAL TEAS.
Raymond Julien,
Canada.
IMMUNE PRODUCTS
IMMUNE BOOSTER
IMMUNITY
By Gord Chalmers, DVM:
Roger Mortvedt: Is the product you mentioned available through Dr Shetrone? If so, I'm vaguely familiar with the name. Thanks for the info - I (and I'm sure others as well) appreciate it. Do you have Warren's website address for his products?? Many thanks.
Other natural substances like the mineral selenium (in extremely small doses), and Vitamins C and E are also useful in supporting and giving a boost to the immune system. The wormer levamisole is also useful in this respect.
You raise a very good point about handling birds in a one-loft setup. I believe that because birds from so many diverse sources and environments are sent to these lofts, loft managers should really look seriously at some preventive approaches (such as those you've taken) to try to minimize the potential impacts that go with mixing young birds from so many different backgrounds into one common environment. These newly arrived birds bring a virtual zoo of bacterial, viral and parasitic agents with them, and with their undeveloped immune systems, these young animals are ripe for whatever is waiting to spread to them. Quite likely your approach to these facts, among others - vaccination where indicated, the use of pigeon-derived or other source of "friendly" bacteria, etc., is a major contribution to the health and well being of the whole flock. I'd encourage other loft managers in the off season to develop preventive and management programs to try to forestall major problems when all these young animals are brought together under one roof - I would hasten to add, without the constant use of antibiotics as preventives or treatments. We need to diminish the role of antibiotics whenever possible, only using them when absolutely necessary. Sorry, I'm on my soap box now and just getting into high gear, so will stop for now! Thanks again for your information.
IMMUNOSTIMULANTS
http://www.myrtlelofts.com/vet12.htm
IMMUNE SYSTEM
http://www.racingpigeonmall.com/loft/articles/immune-modulators.html
http://www.mnwelldir.org/docs/immune/immune2.htm
IMMUNE PRODUCTS.
http://www.racingpigeonmall.com/loft/products/immune-products.html
INBREEDING
INCUBATION
INDIGESTION
INDIVIDUAL BREEDING COOPS
INFERTILITY
INFLUENZA
http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vetext/INF-PO_AvianInfluenzaFS.html
INFORMATION (Important articles & inf0))
http://www.schaerlaeckens.com/
INHERITANCE
INJURY
INFERTILE EGGS
INFLUENZA
http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vetext/INF-PO_AvianInfluenzaFS.html
INFORMATION
INSECTICIDES
INSTINCT
INSULINE
INTELLIGENCE
Pigeons may not be so bird-brained after all, as scientists have found the birds’ ability to understand numbers is on par with that of primates.
Previous studies have shown that various animals, from honeybees to chimpanzees, can learn to count when trained with food rewards. In 1998, researchers discovered that rhesus monkeys can not only learn to count to four, but can also pick up on numerical rules and apply them to numbers they haven’t seen before, allowing them to count up to nine without further training.
With this finding in mind, psychologists at the University of Otago, in New Zealand, sought to find out if pigeons — another animal shown to count — have a numerical competence similar to rhesus monkeys.
“Pigeons are the perfect subjects for visual tasks, because their vision is really good and they’re really easy to train,” said psychologist Damian Scarf, first author of the new study. “It appears that you can train them on almost any task you can train monkeys on.”
Scarf and his colleagues first trained three pigeons to count up to three. On a touchscreen, they presented the pigeons with a set of images that had objects of various sizes, shapes and colors. For example, one set presented images with one yellow block, two red cylinders or three yellow rectangles. To receive a treat, the pigeons had to select the images in the correct object-number order, from lowest to highest.
Once the birds learned to count to three, the researchers began showing the pigeons images with up to nine objects. On average, without higher-number training or food rewards, the pigeons were able to correctly order the image sets over 70 percent of the time. The pigeons had an easier time discriminating between lower numbers and numbers that were further apart.
“Once you start getting up towards seven, eight and nine, it was very difficult for [the pigeons] to tell the difference between the images,” Scarf told LiveScience. Overall, the results of the study echoed those of the rhesus monkey research, though Scarf noted it took longer to train the pigeons than other researchers took training monkeys.
William Roberts, a University of Western Ontario psychologist who was not involved in the research, was surprised by the study’s results. “I didn’t anticipate that pigeons could have done that,” said Roberts, who has previously researched animal cognition, including pigeon intelligence.
Roberts is curious to see how widespread this ability is in the animal kingdom. “Can we find evidence for this type of counting in insects, particularly bees?” he said. Finding the same level of numerical competence as the pigeons (and rhesus monkeys) in other species would help scientists understand if the ability evolved across species separately, or if a common ancestor shared the ability.
INTESTINAL WORMS
INTESTINES
IODINE
Let's see what experts say about Iodine!
At first, we now on all know that a shortage of iodine for our
pigeons and the resulting of a poor functioning of the thyroid can
lead to a decrease in the sex drive and an upset in the metabolism of
fats. Even fertility can be adversely affected.
Of course, there is iodine in grain and pulses but the amount vary
tremendously. Grain crops growing near the sea will contain more than
those far inland. Some vegetables, such as lettuce and spinach, also
contain small amounts of iodine. Many breeders prefer to play on the
safe side and give a supplement of iodine, enough to loads up the
thyroid, once a month for a couple of days or every week one day a
week. In minute quantity (trace amounts) iodine supplies the thyroid
gland with sufficient iodine to regulate the rate at which the body
functions. Iodine also plays a key role in metabolic process, and a
large role in the development of a perfect plumage.
In the light of this, I feel that it is paramount that our birds have
access to a loose, wide-ranging mineral mix containing, among many
others, the trace minerals iodine and selenium. The old days of grit
and oyster shell alone are long gone, or at least I hope they are!!!
WATCH OUT FOR THE FACT THAT OTHER PRODUCTS: ELIXIRS, RED CELL, IODINE
GRITS, MINERALS PRODUCTS, SOME PELLETS ETC. ETC. THAT YOU MIGHT USE,
CAN ALSO CONTAIN IODINE. IN ANY CASE, DON'T GO COMBINING TWO OR
SEVERAL PRODUCTS THAT CONTAIN IODINE. Despite the importance of this
trace element, too much can only lead to tears.
Information taken in the Master Breeding book of Victor Vasalen and
from Dr. Talaber and Chalmers pigeon's articles. .
Researches made specially by Raymond Julien for the modena breeders
breeders.
Raymond Julien,
Canada.
IRON DEFIENCY
IVOMEC (Ivermectin)
- Description: Ivermectin is derived from the avermectins, a family of highly active, broad spectrum, antiparasitic agents.
- Usage: Ascarids, Capillaria, Tetrameres, Strongyles, and other internal nematodes. Also used for lice.
- Adverse reactions: None.
- Dosage: 500 - 1000 UG (Micrograms), which works out to be .05 - .1 millimeters or cc's./bird for internal parasites. 1 1/2 - 6 cc per gallon of water for internal parasites. 1 1/2 - 3 cc per gallon of bath water for lice. For internal parasites the higher dosage is needed in many cases of ascarids and tetrameres.
- Comments: This is a very effective and safe drug. Ivomec, the cattle preparation cannot be mixed well with water, thus birds must be individually dosed. Eqvalen, the horse product is water soluble and may be mixed with water. Wormer of choice for all worm's except tapeworms.
http://www.pigeoncote.com/vet/formulary/formulary.html
http://www.fortunecity.com/olympia/payton/238/page16.html