What do members use for canker.

[Murray]

Bloody predictive txt Spartrix not

I wondered how separating them by colour cured canker, but you learn something new every day.

[Andy]

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

I only race a small team of widowhood cocks but yes they hold their own against big teams without any treatment.

[Andy]

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

I use garlic and ACV in the water every so often even during the racing season. I can’t say I’ve ever noticed a reduction of water intake because of it.

[Murray]

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

I agree. Every pigeon carries a natural number of canker germs and i think it's best to leave that alone. As goose says, if they develop clinical canker things have gone seriously wrong.
I use freshly crushed garlic and apple cider vinegar in the water a couple or times a week and the pigeons are always well. It has to be dilute or after a few hours it really starts to bite. I put my finger in a drinker and tasted it. Strangely the pigeons get a taste for it and suck it down.

[goose1]

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

I use garlic and ACV in the water every so often even during the racing season. I can’t say I’ve ever noticed a reduction of water intake because of it.

Few year back now I measured the water consumption over 3 weeks, first week clean, second week garlic added and third week clean again. I'd be lying if I said I could remember what the difference was but it was surprising. Could just be ours of course. Although probably does go for most things when added to water so during racing season we try to add nothing to the water where possible. Although we do like garlic in tbe off season, our old birds and stock currently have it in at the min. ACV is one we maybe should use more regularly, it's highly recommended by a couple of top vets for being effective at reducing salmonella bacteria. Although I suppose anything that lowers the PH would have the same effect.

[Diamond Dave]

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.

What is the difference between wet canker and I guess dry canker please King.
Would you treat differently for either or mate?

[goose1]

King will no doubt answer but my understanding is you won't see 'wet' canker as such. A pigeon with this will usually consume large amounts of water and as a result will have very watery droppings, the pigeon will also look in awful condition. Dry canker if we want to call it that usually presents as cheesy growths in the mouth/throat.

But again you absolutely 100% do not want to be seeing clinical canker in your loft period. However knowing how to identify a pigeon that may be carrying enough canker to effect racing performance while not actually appearing ill is far better. With that for me I would be looking for pigeons that drink even a small amount more than usual, sometimes you'll notice them go for the drinker after exercise even on cool days. They'll sometimes stretch their necks almost looking like a snake while eating. Sometimes at roost you'll see them almost look as if their trying to chew something very subtly. These pigeons certainly aren't ill with canker but they'll be in the second flock and not the first. As has been mentioned by a few above their are ways to lower it without treatment. And if I was thinking of treating me personally I would always have them tested to confirm first.

[Spieker-Loft]

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)

In my opinion the only way to go. treat them once a year with anything like rondiazole, dimetridazole etc. EVERY pigeon has canker inside of them. And you can even go to the vet with 3-4 and be lucky and they dont have much at all but that wont mean that the rest has non.
We took our whole racing team to the vet this season and out of 48 birds 43 had almost nothing but 5 had quiet a bit of it. Thats why about 2 months before first race we treat the whole team with rondiazole. Depending on weather then in the middle of the season after 6-7 races we give each bird 1 Spartrix aswell.

[king]

King will no doubt answer but my understanding is you won't see 'wet' canker as such. A pigeon with this will usually consume large amounts of water and as a result will have very watery droppings, the pigeon will also look in awful condition. Dry canker if we want to call it that usually presents as cheesy growths in the mouth/throat.

But again you absolutely 100% do not want to be seeing clinical canker in your loft period. However knowing how to identify a pigeon that may be carrying enough canker to effect racing performance while not actually appearing ill is far better. With that for me I would be looking for pigeons that drink even a small amount more than usual, sometimes you'll notice them go for the drinker after exercise even on cool days. They'll sometimes stretch their necks almost looking like a snake while eating. Sometimes at roost you'll see them almost look as if their trying to chew something very subtly. These pigeons certainly aren't ill with canker but they'll be in the second flock and not the first. As has been mentioned by a few above their are ways to lower it without treatment. And if I was thinking of treating me personally I would always have them tested to confirm first.

Yes goose is right Wet canker is rarely seen as it's almost always internal. I've only seen it once in a YB that was still in the nest. It can be spotted by the rear end of the YB becoming bigger than normal and feeling spongy, the YB was smaller than it's nestmate which did not seem affected.

[Andy]

I certainly wouldn’t treat everything in the loft because of one or two poorly birds. I think it’s all about observation and knowing your pigeons.