UkPigeonRacing

Great post Neil, good stockman would be on top of there game & be on it straight away.
But not so easy if you aren't & struggle or not being aware there is a problem in the first place & thing get out of hand.
Eyes & ears listening would be a good start would tell you something is amiss, that's why I thought that a mentor would of been good.
As you said it would be good if this was something that could be used as a reference to maybe get some idea as to what's maybe wrong from those that have year's of experience.

First sign is loft is quite
Shit on feet and tail
Legs go from pink to blue
Sometimes u get a grease wattle or a wet eye if its one bird alone just cull it
Dropping that stick to scarper big no no
Wet Droppings are different if you fed birds for 100 mile tail wind race there be different to birds Droppings for 300 mile race nose wind so wet Droppings means nothing if you know how u have fed ,if there hopper fed barley n beans n there wet ya in trouble but a stockman sees everything in seconds.

So would you hear any sneezing if you went out late when they are roosting, or is that with the ears Mike right at the start, would the wattle be discoloured.
I take it that's upper respiratory so what would you treat with or go to

NeilA wrote: Wed Dec 31, 2025 4:47 pm Hopefully a few with good understanding of the subject will
Make it worthwhile
I know Steve is handy with the microscope so I would think Steve has put symptoms to issues through his search and findings

I really wish I could enlighten everyone but I doubt anything I write isn’t common knowledge. Slightly sticky droppings feathers feeling a little dry very little or no down feathers pigeons yawning nearly always go with an elevated canker count. Coccidiosis is a strange one, firstly just from my observations checking one sample might be a waste of time especially if it’s Sunday after the race. I’ve heard fanciers say the stress of the race elevates the count, personally I don’t believe that, I think it’s down to them missing a meal. Tuesday would be a better day to check once their digestion has settled down. Pigeons with a high count can feel heavy, I’ve have seen birds with a moderate count race well. I’ve never seen any of the one pill coci treatments clear it. I’ve seen birds with medium round worm counts look fine, with high hair worm count they’re normally obviously ill. You can also do what’s call a Grams Stain test, to get an idea of the bacterial load.it’s fairly crude but can give a good gauge as to whether a professional culture is needed. If just their dropping are soft or wet, a heaped teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda in a litre of water, if that sorts it it’s likely a feed issue.

Around the loft I like to see the birds active and disputing with one another, when I open the loft i want them out and gone in seconds and the higher they fly the happier I am. If I take the old birds training I like them to leave instantly, nearly always a respiratory issue when they don’t.

I often think it’s easy to see they’re a little off much harder to work out why sometimes.

NeilA wrote: Wed Dec 31, 2025 6:32 pm

Anthony webster wrote: Wed Dec 31, 2025 4:58 pm First sign is loft is quite
Shit on feet and tail
Legs go from pink to blue
Sometimes u get a grease wattle or a wet eye if its one bird alone just cull it
Dropping that stick to scarper big no no
Wet Droppings are different if you fed birds for 100 mile tail wind race there be different to birds Droppings for 300 mile race nose wind so wet Droppings means nothing if you know how u have fed ,if there hopper fed barley n beans n there wet ya in trouble but a stockman sees everything in seconds.

What’s with the Legs Anthony i can’t say I have noticed them like that

I notice first drop in form the legs go from beautiful pink with love white circles in skin on legs and feet to a off colour of pink going blue ish there feet ain't hot like normal this I hate to see ,,people part chest feathers to see skin colour but if feet are pink skins pink ,feet of colour skin off colour
OK pal.

Another little sign for cocci...bubbles in the eye

NeilA wrote: Fri Jan 02, 2026 9:06 am

NeilA wrote: Wed Dec 31, 2025 7:28 pm What’s people’s views on birds that open there beak like there talking for 5/6 seconds

Any views on this like the birds are talking or chewing I have heard this explained in a few ways
What’s members thoughts

I say canker 1st herpes 2nd

NeilA wrote: Fri Jan 02, 2026 9:06 am

NeilA wrote: Wed Dec 31, 2025 7:28 pm What’s people’s views on birds that open there beak like there talking for 5/6 seconds

Any views on this like the birds are talking or chewing I have heard this explained in a few ways
What’s members thoughts

Normally see if after the eaten seed Normally canker ,,

Don't no if its me or how I was fetched up but all these thing ,if its 1 or 2 birds doing it and rest are good I cull em there gone for good ,,all I can say and hand on heart my best birds over the year's I can never remember them ever being unwell even if I had ybs I cab never remember the good ones unwell some are 16 yrs old now not once ever seen them with grease wattle ,wet eye ,fat eye, yawning, spots in throat they had zero illness there whole life .

Think they gape with air sac mites similar to a bird loft flying in heat ,but ivermectin, moxidectin clears air sac mite