UkPigeonRacing

MIke Lycett wrote: Wed Oct 08, 2025 9:56 am Point No. 4 (to come)

MEDICATION / SUPPLEMENTS

MIke Lycett wrote: Wed Oct 08, 2025 2:20 pm Point 4

MEDICATION / SUPPLEMENTS

If you're an experienced fancier you already have your ideas on how relevant this is to you
I'm not here to persuade you any differently to the ideas that you already have
My view was we look after our birds 365 days a year, but for 12-13 weeks (OB) and about 8 weeks (YB) I wanted performance
Excuses don't help you climb any further up the ladder. Actions do


I've seen guys after 4 races without a card and at that point they still aren't asking the question "what's wrong?"
Remember, I'm thinking like a sprinter here
After 4 weeks? Congratulations - that's a 1/3rd of the OB season down the toilet straight away


If you're racing in strong competition (I'm not talking club level here) it's really hard to win every week
If the competition is strong that means there's "x amount" of really talented fanciers all readily capable of taking the 1st Open place
By "talented fanciers" I mean people who are knocking about week in week out year in year out making themselves hard to beat
Those guys have to be respected



I'm a big believer in "supplements" and I'd readily use "medication" IF i felt it was necessary
As experienced fanciers you learn over the course of time little things you can do and things to avoid
For instance, "if" you have to or want to treat for Cocci then if you're using Baycox you really want to be hitting them on the Saturday night with it
If you give it say Monday/Tuesday you'll find it does "knock them" a bit



You can easily spend a fortune on supplements if you choose to - or there's other options available too
For instance, there's no real need to treat for canker if you're giving your birds iodine on a fairly regular basis because iodine suppresses it
If you're treating for fungal or respiratory then I'd say "why not use Virkon S instead"?
Virkon S is highly effective against both fungal and respiratory
I used to bathe my birds in it weekly too


You may "poo poo" the idea of supplements - and that's your choice.
When I talk to Gary and Niall Gordon (daily) in the racing season all you'll hear during the conversation is "churn, churn, churn"
He's forever administering products onto the feed. And I mean every single day
When someone comes along and shows me performances that are better than theirs without the use of supplements maybe then I'll have a rethink


There's "protein powders" like Immunol for instance that you can give the birds on the return of a race
Protein repairs muscle damage - we know that
An alternative is to just crack an egg into the feed and mix thoroughly (I used to use a powder to act as a drying agent too if time was limited)


One product, for me, that's stood the test of time but has largely fallen off the radar is Johnson's Pigeon Tonic Gold
If you're using that on a regular basis you're doing a good thing in helping to keep your birds in good order

At the end of the day it's about winning pigeons
I've never seen an unhealthy pigeon win.
With health you can build fitness.
With health and fitness you can get condition
With health, fitness and condition you can get form
With health, fitness, condition and form you get results


If results aren't important to you then trust me, you and I are polar opposites because I was performance driven
That was all that mattered. I'd take a deal that said "stay up all night and i'll give you an extra yard on a Saturday"

Held2025 wrote: Wed Oct 08, 2025 2:38 pm

MIke Lycett wrote: Wed Oct 08, 2025 2:20 pm Point 4

MEDICATION / SUPPLEMENTS

If you're an experienced fancier you already have your ideas on how relevant this is to you
I'm not here to persuade you any differently to the ideas that you already have
My view was we look after our birds 365 days a year, but for 12-13 weeks (OB) and about 8 weeks (YB) I wanted performance
Excuses don't help you climb any further up the ladder. Actions do


I've seen guys after 4 races without a card and at that point they still aren't asking the question "what's wrong?"
Remember, I'm thinking like a sprinter here
After 4 weeks? Congratulations - that's a 1/3rd of the OB season down the toilet straight away


If you're racing in strong competition (I'm not talking club level here) it's really hard to win every week
If the competition is strong that means there's "x amount" of really talented fanciers all readily capable of taking the 1st Open place
By "talented fanciers" I mean people who are knocking about week in week out year in year out making themselves hard to beat
Those guys have to be respected



I'm a big believer in "supplements" and I'd readily use "medication" IF i felt it was necessary
As experienced fanciers you learn over the course of time little things you can do and things to avoid
For instance, "if" you have to or want to treat for Cocci then if you're using Baycox you really want to be hitting them on the Saturday night with it
If you give it say Monday/Tuesday you'll find it does "knock them" a bit



You can easily spend a fortune on supplements if you choose to - or there's other options available too
For instance, there's no real need to treat for canker if you're giving your birds iodine on a fairly regular basis because iodine suppresses it
If you're treating for fungal or respiratory then I'd say "why not use Virkon S instead"?
Virkon S is highly effective against both fungal and respiratory
I used to bathe my birds in it weekly too


You may "poo poo" the idea of supplements - and that's your choice.
When I talk to Gary and Niall Gordon (daily) in the racing season all you'll hear during the conversation is "churn, churn, churn"
He's forever administering products onto the feed. And I mean every single day
When someone comes along and shows me performances that are better than theirs without the use of supplements maybe then I'll have a rethink


There's "protein powders" like Immunol for instance that you can give the birds on the return of a race
Protein repairs muscle damage - we know that
An alternative is to just crack an egg into the feed and mix thoroughly (I used to use a powder to act as a drying agent too if time was limited)


One product, for me, that's stood the test of time but has largely fallen off the radar is Johnson's Pigeon Tonic Gold
If you're using that on a regular basis you're doing a good thing in helping to keep your birds in good order

At the end of the day it's about winning pigeons
I've never seen an unhealthy pigeon win.
With health you can build fitness.
With health and fitness you can get condition
With health, fitness and condition you can get form
With health, fitness, condition and form you get results


If results aren't important to you then trust me, you and I are polar opposites because I was performance driven
That was all that mattered. I'd take a deal that said "stay up all night and i'll give you an extra yard on a Saturday"

Another good read again Mike and seeing this kind of info is what forums are all about people sharing information and knowledge with like minded people and I know there is that competition to it and some may not be happy sharing that’s fine but do appreciate people sharing years of knowledge and trial and error hopefully allowing new fanciers like myself to make less mistakes but that’s all part of learning.

Held2025 wrote: Wed Oct 08, 2025 2:38 pm

MIke Lycett wrote: Wed Oct 08, 2025 2:20 pm Point 4

MEDICATION / SUPPLEMENTS

If you're an experienced fancier you already have your ideas on how relevant this is to you
I'm not here to persuade you any differently to the ideas that you already have
My view was we look after our birds 365 days a year, but for 12-13 weeks (OB) and about 8 weeks (YB) I wanted performance
Excuses don't help you climb any further up the ladder. Actions do


I've seen guys after 4 races without a card and at that point they still aren't asking the question "what's wrong?"
Remember, I'm thinking like a sprinter here
After 4 weeks? Congratulations - that's a 1/3rd of the OB season down the toilet straight away


If you're racing in strong competition (I'm not talking club level here) it's really hard to win every week
If the competition is strong that means there's "x amount" of really talented fanciers all readily capable of taking the 1st Open place
By "talented fanciers" I mean people who are knocking about week in week out year in year out making themselves hard to beat
Those guys have to be respected



I'm a big believer in "supplements" and I'd readily use "medication" IF i felt it was necessary
As experienced fanciers you learn over the course of time little things you can do and things to avoid
For instance, "if" you have to or want to treat for Cocci then if you're using Baycox you really want to be hitting them on the Saturday night with it
If you give it say Monday/Tuesday you'll find it does "knock them" a bit



You can easily spend a fortune on supplements if you choose to - or there's other options available too
For instance, there's no real need to treat for canker if you're giving your birds iodine on a fairly regular basis because iodine suppresses it
If you're treating for fungal or respiratory then I'd say "why not use Virkon S instead"?
Virkon S is highly effective against both fungal and respiratory
I used to bathe my birds in it weekly too


You may "poo poo" the idea of supplements - and that's your choice.
When I talk to Gary and Niall Gordon (daily) in the racing season all you'll hear during the conversation is "churn, churn, churn"
He's forever administering products onto the feed. And I mean every single day
When someone comes along and shows me performances that are better than theirs without the use of supplements maybe then I'll have a rethink


There's "protein powders" like Immunol for instance that you can give the birds on the return of a race
Protein repairs muscle damage - we know that
An alternative is to just crack an egg into the feed and mix thoroughly (I used to use a powder to act as a drying agent too if time was limited)


One product, for me, that's stood the test of time but has largely fallen off the radar is Johnson's Pigeon Tonic Gold
If you're using that on a regular basis you're doing a good thing in helping to keep your birds in good order

At the end of the day it's about winning pigeons
I've never seen an unhealthy pigeon win.
With health you can build fitness.
With health and fitness you can get condition
With health, fitness and condition you can get form
With health, fitness, condition and form you get results


If results aren't important to you then trust me, you and I are polar opposites because I was performance driven
That was all that mattered. I'd take a deal that said "stay up all night and i'll give you an extra yard on a Saturday"

Another good read again Mike and seeing this kind of info is what forums are all about people sharing information and knowledge with like minded people and I know there is that competition to it and some may not be happy sharing that’s fine but do appreciate people sharing years of knowledge and trial and error hopefully allowing new fanciers like myself to make less mistakes but that’s all part of learning.

NeilA wrote: Sat Oct 11, 2025 5:24 am All very interesting to read