jnyce
831 posts
Dec 18, 2009
2:13 PM
|
Went out to feed my birds this am to feed and one of my hens were dead this is the first time i lost a bird in three yrs im hoping it was the cold and nothing else
jerry t
|
Pinwheel
113 posts
Dec 18, 2009
2:42 PM
|
What part of the country are you from and what have the temperatures been? Did you notice anything abnormal about the hen other then being dead i.e. matted vent, nose discharge, smelly?, mouth odor/discharge, skinny.
- Healthy pigeon can withstand extreme temperatures on both sides of the scale.
I have literature that says domestic pigeons can withstand temperatures from 40 degrees C to minus 40 C(104 F to -40 F) with their body temperature maintaining about (102-109). Will begin to shiver at 68 F regardless if they are use to the cold.
----------
Flying in someone else's backyard: Portable Kits
Last Edited by on Dec 18, 2009 2:52 PM
|
pigeon pete
456 posts
Dec 19, 2009
3:52 AM
|
We have had day temps of -2 and night time of -5 centigrade this week. If any birds are at all down in condition or "under the weather" then this will finish them off.
2 days ago I had my old birds out and it was a crisp cold calm sunny day then I saw a wall of white rolling in from the hills about 2 miles away.
I shook the can and whistled and one bird put his wings back like a hawk and dropped in, the rest disapeared 3 minutes later in the front of a High speed blizzard. The snow comming along was horizontal.
It was quite surreal as there were wild birds wheeling around at the front of this storm.
A group of buzzards where tossed around like paper bags, obviously disoriented and vainly struggling to fly. It was over in 15 minutes and I got one bird back an hour later and 8 more before nightfall and two the next morning. I lost 4 or 5. Last year when the same thing happened with a sudden feirce weatherfront, I lost most of my old bird kit.
That time I could see them disapear into the distance.
This week was just sudden whiteout and I could see nothing.
Last week I was getting ice on the water, this week there is no water, just ice,lol.
Oh and my wash basin waste pipe is iced up this morning. Roll on Summer,
Pete
|
harrison
1293 posts
Dec 20, 2009
1:07 PM
|
Over here in the UK it is verry cold indeed and thick carpets of snow.
I also whent to my loft PM yesterday to find one of my red 09 birds dead on the wire of the kit.
Ihavent no other reason for this appart from the cold weather?
All my birds are well and OK.
Some have lost a little waight but I will just keep feeding them heavy corn.
MAIZE,PEAS ect..
I had this bad weather last year and couldnt crack on with breeding untill march as the young were just frozen in the mornings.
So if this is the case thats one more year I wont be able to compete in the young bird flys as they will be to imature come comp time.
I send everyone the best for crhistmas and newyear and also hope that we all have a good breeding year and not setbacks bcause of the weather.
Yours in roll and christmas spirit.
Harrison
H.K.R ROLLER LOFT HULL UK
|
wishiwon2
253 posts
Dec 21, 2009
7:33 PM
|
Jerry,
It is unlikely that it was 'just' the cold temperatures. Birds are capable of withstanding some extreme temps both high and low, if in good health and given sufficient feed and water. Cold weather pulls birds down quickly and they need considerably more calories to maintain themselves. If they lose body conditiont hey are stressed and vulnerable to disease and sickness. I would guess there is something latent in your loft environment that with onset of cold (stress) your bird succumbed to.
I regularly have temperatures around zero F with overnight lows dipping to -20 F and lower. I rarely lose birds during these times of year. If a bird gets behind in condition in cold environs, it is very difficult to build it back up physically because so much of the nutrition goes to maintianence vs growth.
One bird in 3 years is very good. I dont wish for anyone to lose any, but thats part of having live animals.
----------
Jon
If it were easy, everybody would do it
|
old guy
47 posts
Dec 22, 2009
6:12 AM
|
Many times a marginally healthy bird can survive in the kit box or the loft but the onset of very cold weather can provide the additional stress that puts them over the top (or under the top). Survival of the fittest strikes again.
|