What do members use for canker.

Want to know anything about feeding or the health of your birds post it here.
Devo1956
Posts: 995
Joined: Thu Jun 11, 2026 11:30 pm
Gender:
Great Britain

Just for other new members to pick up some tips. So what do members use for the treatment of canker?
Rdhd Danny
Posts: 481
Joined: Thu Jul 23, 2026 2:46 pm
Location: Flamborough
Gender:
Great Britain

Harkers spartrix 👌
Murray
Posts: 309
Joined: Mon Jun 15, 2026 10:48 pm
Australia

I don't treat mine for anything unless it's required.
I haven't treated for canker for years, preferring to let the birds keep their own natural balance with the Trichomonas. As we know every pigeon always carries a certain number of the little bugs and I think it's best to leave it alone.
I do give them fresh garlic and apple cider vinegar and fresh vegetables and yoghurt and fish oil and various things to keep them healthy, and healthy pigeons should stay on top of canker.
My youngsters are popular because they are strong and vigorous. They are bred from pigeons that have had no medications for generations.
Murray's Loft
"Well THAT didn't work". :D
User avatar
king
Posts: 1007
Joined: Thu Apr 04, 2024 12:48 am
Location: York
Gender:
Great Britain

Only treat for Canker once a year. A couple of weeks before pairing at the start of the season. I use Emtryl Soluble (40% dimetridazole)
Andy
Posts: 263
Joined: Sun Jun 14, 2026 7:35 pm
Gender:
Great Britain

In my 50 odd years of keeping pigeons I’ve only had canker in a handful of pigeons, probably no more than 4. These were removed from the loft and nothing else treated. Like Murray I never treat for anything.
User avatar
king
Posts: 1007
Joined: Thu Apr 04, 2024 12:48 am
Location: York
Gender:
Great Britain

Andy wrote: Sun Aug 23, 2026 8:48 am In my 50 odd years of keeping pigeons I’ve only had canker in a handful of pigeons, probably no more than 4. These were removed from the loft and nothing else treated. Like Murray I never treat for anything.
I too have only seen it once in a bird of mine, wet canker in a YB. Can't remember the year but the I remember the sire was a 1970 bird.
randywatson
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Sep 11, 2026 4:39 pm
Gender:
Curaçao

Andy wrote: Sun Aug 23, 2026 8:48 am In my 50 odd years of keeping pigeons I’ve only had canker in a handful of pigeons, probably no more than 4. These were removed from the loft and nothing else treated. Like Murray I never treat for anything.
If you don't mind me asking, are you successful without treatments?

I never canker during the off season, but before racing, I try to use emtryl if I can get it. Then treat for it every 3 or 4 weeks.

I didn't have emtryl this season and after getting a fairly light dose of youngbird sickness my birds had a high canker count.

Ill admit we found it very difficult to shift though. It was only once I got my hands on some emtryl did we finally get the birds clean
Bowbroom
Posts: 556
Joined: Thu Apr 04, 2024 11:06 am
Great Britain

Birds can have canker without having viable signs but it can still affect performance
We used before pairing and again after racing
Bowbroom
Posts: 556
Joined: Thu Apr 04, 2024 11:06 am
Great Britain

Bloody predictive txt Spartrix not
goose1
Posts: 376
Joined: Fri Apr 05, 2024 8:53 am
Great Britain

Devo1956 wrote: Sat Aug 22, 2026 6:14 pm Just for other new members to pick up some tips. So what do members use for the treatment of canker?
Treatment of canker? Are we talking a pigeon with the clinical signs of canker? If so I don't think I've ever seen it. Something would have had to have gone massively wrong with your general management to see a pigeon showing clinical canker. In these cases and as a general treatment (which I'm not a big fan of) Ronidazol (first choice), Spartrix, or emtryl would do the job. However if your pigeons aren't giving you cause for concern I personally would stay clear of treating for treating sake. I actually think it's not a good thing to reduce the canker count in a pigeon to zero. My own personal preference for keeping on top of canker is the yellow drops. However garlic has also been proven to be quite effective at keeping it under control but I'm not a fan of using it in the racing season, particularly in the drinking water as the birds don't drink the same. Often fanciers say they use garlic in the drinking water and the down falls out the pigeons it will do but its due to dehydration ;)
Post Reply