Evaluation 2

We infected our test pigeons with the bacteria, what is very easily done by a crop flush. The infected pigeons don't get any symptoms but carry the bacteria from the day they got infected. The pigeons who got infected, stay infected. Without treatment, the infection rate doesn't get less.

This month some information reached me that this bacteria was found 20 years ago in the chicken farm sector.  Also at this sector they have troubles with this bacteria during a period of  high humidity and cold. In short also here weather conditions have to be good, to see this bacteria. One of the pigeon breeders who emailed me, took some time to research if the Spring months this year were actually colder than in other years. His research showed that the months of March, April and May were several degrees colder than the average of previous years. And everyone will still remember the humidity that was accompanied with this. So the conditions do indeed seem to have been in favour for this bacteria to spread out. During the period of heat who followed this moist period seemed less severe in research than earlier in the year.

After the publication of the newsletter I got quite a few questions how this bacteria can be determined. Normally I would say that by doing a bacteriological examination you can find a lot. But this does not count for this bacteria, because it often seems to weaken during transport and is therefore bad to detect. In order to grow the bacteria needs special circumstances, so that they are generally missed by a routine research.  All in all, this infection is so often missed. In many cases you get the results of E. Coli bacteria or staphylococcus or streptococcus. That could be true, but the named bacteria can be missed this way. In co-operation with a microbiology laboratory we are trying to work on the possibility to discernible the bacteria using fluorescent dye. The bacteria has namely three flagella which make it possible to develop great speed in the crop, windpipe and so on. These flagella have some affinity with the dye.

Maybe by this way we can make the bacteria visible in the throat swab without the risk that the bacteria goes away during the bacteriologic research. I'll keep you informed of developments.

Should we organize a witch hunt on this bacteria. I don't think so. I think he can be used as a measure for the shape of the pigeons during the season. Whether this bacteria plays an important role in it staying behind of the young (and old) pigeons during the season is still a little premature to say. But what was remarkable last season is that the pigeons breeders who had this bacteria on their pigeons, lost a lot of them during the season. A phenomenon which stopped after it was contested. But even with this particular data, it is too premature that one follows the other. In the previous newsletter I indicated that there was a pigeon breeder with extraordinarily beautiful youngsters, with a serious infection of this bacteria. They looked so good that you wanted to give them a 9. But nevertheless half of them got lost when they flew out the first time. This seems less but it makes you start thinking. Totally different factors could of bin responsible for this. But still..

Their where a pair of pigeon breeders who had a severe infection with this bacteria and after treatment they were back at the top with their results. (Provincial) I have decided to expand the basic research on pigeons during the routing inspections and determine this bacteria during the guidance. And even though this bacteria on itself may not really be a causative disease for pigeons, but then I think with this bacteria we have a tool whether indicates or the pigeons are in shape at the time of examination. For Trichomoniasis we keep a scale of 0-4 plus. At this moment I keep bacteria at a scale of 1-10. Where infection of 5-10 plus till now stud for the guarantee for (substantial) losses among the pigeons.

With regard to the treatment. We see that the bacteria is fairly persistent and often a 8-10 days treatment is necessary to declare the pigeons completely clean. Probably, application of antibiotics in drinking water is less effective than the application of the drugs over the food. The bacteria appears, with a high doses of antibiotics in a short period of time to die out.

Moreover, the impression is that pigeons with moderate resistance seem more susceptible to infection than pigeons who are in good health. In addition, this bacteria also been reported in many youngsters and growers, while the pigeons appear healthy. During observation of the trail pigeons we have ascertain that the infection does not go away by itself. The pigeons stay infected. Remarkably was that pigeons during a treatment with Bony SGR virtually had no detectable infections on them. But about 14 days after stop giving Bony SGR the bacteria was fully loaded. The same applies to other acidifying products we have tested.

Possibly it may still be wise to ensure that the infection of this bacteria is reduced significantly during the breeding. What still needs to be investigated is if a serious infection by the youngsters causes/contributes the nest mortality. Also there we find streptococcal or E. Coli by bacteriological research. It could be possible that this bacteria is missed again during research as we mentioned earlier.

We got a lot of questions the last month or this bacteria can be shown in the pigeon droppings.

Possibly is this the case by bacteriological research. We show the bacteria with a dark field microscope by a throat swab. There is no use of sending in a swab, the smear has to be examined straight away.

You may wonder why the name of the bacteria is not mentioned here. The reason behind this is simple. Every bacteria has a "First name" and a "Surname". The precise name is still under discussion. Releasing the name is therefore only considered once the "surname" is certified. This to avoid misinformation.

All in all I do not think we can blame this bacteria for all the losses during this season. But I do not exclude that it is a contributing factor.

Moulting

"The prices for the following year should be made ​​now," is an old saying. And that is how it is. We must ensure that our birds are now well over the moult. Supporting the pigeons during this period by giving them good tea with Muidzaad whether or not accompanied with a treatment that supports the liver is not a unnecessary luxury. For this there are more products on the market. Colombine has a good Tea, as well as Verhellen and Bony. Also for support of the liver there are several products on the market. Biochol, Bonychol, Sedochol.  A good moulting vitamin and complement with a sulfur-containing amino acid mixture is therefore a good addition.

From the perspective of preventive health is it good to collect dropping for 5 days. To mix this and let it examine for coccidiosis and worm eggs. But the most important thing in this period an investigation for the presence of Salmonella bacteria. Once these bacteria is established, it is advisable to make a plan of action. A good approach to a Salmonella infection consists of giving a good active treatment with antibiotics in sufficiently high doses and long enough. Next to that the defence of the pigeons needs to be optimized but should also be vaccinated against this bacteria. Only in combination this plan of action works.

Only giving antibiotics such as been widely deployed, in the event of a real infection the secretion of these bacteria are usually only a few weeks up to two months, slow, depending on the agent used for that purpose. But then yet again the bacteria usually found in the droppings.  A proper disinfection of the whole loft with a good product like Virkon-S should be part of the treatment. In view of the prevalence of the bacteria discussed above is the combination of an antibiotic therapy which is effective against both bacteria possible to recommend in the event that the infection is established. Next to that  autumn is eminently a period to support the intestines by giving probiotics and prebiotics intestines. In short, the autumn period is ideally suited to initiate preventive health care with your pigeons.

Good Luck!