Evaluation 2

In the last newsletter I mentioned a seemingly harmless bacteria in pigeons, what can explain the bad form of the pigeons in practice. As I pointed out last time, we could notice that pigeons who had this bacteria (largely) on them performed only moderately during the flights. In the last months we continued the inventory and did not find the bacteria on lofts who performed well or very well this season. In one way or the other, this bacteria effects the form of the pigeons. Although he can not be placed directly in connection with disease symptoms in racing pigeons.

Evaluation

Every year there is something that makes the year special. For this year we can say the long wet and cold spring time what was followed by the first heat wave since 2006. As result that the weather conditions during the pigeon flights can be called exceptional. Especially during the heat period the conditions for the pigeons where hard. Because of that there were a lot of losses at several places.

The youngster flights in Germany, Belgium and The Netherlands can be called catastrophic when we look at the big losses. But not only during the heat period there were more losses than normal, also the experienced older pigeons. But we could see this already months prior the heat period. In first instance you want to say it is coincidence, but of course coincidence can play a big part. But also many other causes were suggested by pigeon breeders and others what could be the cause, you can think of pesticides, radiation, eclipse by the youngsters, east wind at a blue sky, insufficient experience and natural diseases.