For the purpose of providing a correct diet, the pigeons in a loft can be divided into four groups based on their nutritional requirements. The nutritional demands of each of these groups is well documented and listed below. The groups are: 1. Birds in a racing loft that are being actively trained and raced. These birds require a diet containing approximately 12–14% protein, 5–11% fat, and total energy of 3000–3200Kcal/kg. 2. Young birds in a racing loft that are growing, moulting and training around the loft but are not being forced to fly or actively tossed or raced. These birds require a diet containing protein of 14–18%, 5–7% fat, and 2900–3200Kcal/kg. 3. Adult birds confined to the breeding loft that are not breeding. These birds require a protein level of approximately 14%, fat 5–7%, total energy 3000Kcal/kg. 4. Adult birds confined to the breeding loft that are breeding. These birds require total protein of 15–20%, 5–7% fat, and approximately 3000Kcal/kg in their diet.
Each group has similar requirements for vitamins and minerals but, as can be seen, their requirements for protein, fat and energy differ. The requirements for amino acids also vary slightly for each group and, although the exact requirements are more fully documented in species such as chickens and turkeys, it is reasonable to assume that the same basic trends can be extended to pigeons. Nutritionists developing supplements need to consider, however, the variable amino acid requirements for each group.
Increasingly, more and more fanciers are finding it easier to provide a complete diet for birds that have relatively stable nutrient requirements, such as confined breeders and exhibition birds, with formulated pellets. Some fanciers, however, prefer to use grain blends. Also grain blends (that can be altered) make it easier to accommodate for the changing energy needs of birds actively racing. Providing a grain blend that is completely balanced can be challenging but it can be done. This chapter explains how this is achieved.
The above figures, although useful to know, do not help the active fancier unless they can be related to actual grain blends. What a fancier really needs to know is, for example, what proportion of his birds’ diet should be peas or corn, etc.
In addition to the energy, protein and fat requirements of pigeons, we have a good understanding of the requirements for all of the other nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Also, the nutrient levels in all of the commonly used grains are accurately known. It therefore becomes possible to match various grain blends to each group’s dietary requirements.
Computer modelling allows for the exact nutrient values of any grain blend to be quickly calculated. When all of the nutrient requirements for a pigeon, however, are entered it very quickly becomes apparent that no blend of the commonly-used grains can meet all of these requirements. Although grain blends can be formulated to meet any specific nutrient requirement, grain blend manufacturers normally enter total protein, fat and energy requirements as the limiting factors. The computer then quickly calculates what levels of each of the available grains would be required to meet these specifications. At the same time, the computer lists what other nutrients are provided and, as the essential levels of these are known, deficiencies can be identified and therefore the nutrients that would require additional supplementation to make the diet complete and balanced. An example of a grain blend is set out below.
As can be seen this mix provides 13.4% protein, 5.2% fat and total energy of 3159Kcal/kg. This would be an acceptable grain blend for racing, with appropriate vitamin and mineral supplementation. If the formulator wanted to reduce the level of protein for sprint racing, but keep the level of energy and fat the same, then the level of peas could be reduced. Entering this requirement into the computer program leads to the following specifications for that grain blend.
If the fancier wanted to introduce some canola as a trapping ‘tit bit’ as 2% of the mix, what effect would this have? The results are shown below. The energy is a bit higher, the fat is a bit lower, protein remains unchanged. This, therefore, would not sufficiently alter the nutritional value of the grain blend and would be satisfactory.
In this way an appropriate blend of grain can be calculated. The grain blend below meets the fat, energy and protein requirements for racing.
It provides total protein of 12.3%, fat 5.2% and total energy 3000Kcal/kg. As can be seen various nutritional deficiencies are identified. This is a similar grain mix to that in the previous mix but a supplement containing the various nutrients highlighted in green would need to be added to this grain blend to provide a complete diet.
Computer modelling identifies accurately the need for supplementation when using grain-based diets to provide a complete diet. One can understand how difficult it must be for pigeon fanciers and frustrating for nutritionists and veterinarians looking at the plethora of supplements available. A lot of these are not based on science. A lot of these are simply a pinch of this, a pinch of that, or come with the advice that ‘this is what a particular well known fancier used and he won a good race and therefore hopefully its use should be ok’.
These days, fanciers should critically review any supplements they give their birds and should only consider using supplements with full veterinary and nutritional information available. Because the correct levels of the various nutrients that require supplementation can be so accurately calculated and because of the fact that over supplementation can, at times, be as damaging as under supplementation, only supplements with this sort of information should be used.
To calculate a breeder diet the appropriate requirements for protein, energy and fat, as listed earlier, can be entered. Using the grains, peas, corn, sorghum, safflower, wheat and canola, the following blend can be calculated.
In the following formulations a vitamin, mineral and amino acid supplement (termed a pigeon diet balancer) has been added to make a nutritionally complete diet. This balancer does not affect the level of protein, fat or energy, but simply provides the nutrients that each formulation lacks. These slightly different blends illustrate how altering the level of one or more of the grains affects the levels of protein, fat and energy and also how accurately this can be calculated.
Palatability Apart from providing the correct levels of protein, fat and energy a grain blend must meet other requirements. When formulating a blend of the common grains for a grain mix, apart from its nutritional value, palatability is important. For race birds in particular, food is a major incentive to return quickly. The birds need to relish their diet. Pigeon don’t like grains with a rough texture (for example, barley). Taste is not a well-developed sense in birds, although it is still important to them. For example, pigeons don’t like grains that taste bitter, such as brown peas or brown sorghum with a lot of tannin. Pigeons also prefer grains of particular colours – most select lighter coloured grains over darker coloured grains. Most birds prefer to eat grains with higher fat levels, such as safflower and, in particular, peanuts. Size is also important. Pigeons don’t like overly large grains or very small grains. The perfect grain blend therefore not only needs to be nutritious but also palatable.
Developing a complete diet It can be hard to provide a diet that is balanced and nutritious and also something that the birds enjoy eating. For birds such as non-breeding stock birds and exhibition birds, that have stable nutrient requirements and where food does not have to be an incentive, formulated veterinary pellets are an excellent way of providing a complete diet.
For race birds, with variable energy requirements (based on the amount of work they are taking and the environmental temperature) and the strong need for the birds to see their food as an incentive to return, grain-based diets are used. To make a grain blend complete nutritionally, a supplement or balancer must be added. Some companies produce a pellet to be added to a grain blend at a recommended proportion in an attempt to achieve this.
This can have several problems. Pellets tend to be less palatable than grains and so birds leave them until last. Unless all birds eat the right amount of the pellets they fail to achieve their purpose. Later birds at the feed tray may take in more pellets that could actually oversupply limiting nutrients and be harmful. Uneaten pellets left lying in the tray, which birds can eat at any time, can make control of the birds and conditioning difficult. A very palatable pellet that was formulated as an additive to a particular grain blend would, however, be very useful.
The other way of providing a balancer would be by providing a water- or oil-based supplement that could be added to the grain prior to feeding. This would eliminate the problem of grain selection over pellets when pigeons are feeding. The Australian Pigeon Company currently has such a product, "Nutrivet", which is designed to be added to the average grain race mix. The Australian Pigeon Company is also working on supplements to be added to a breeder mix, and a young bird mix.
An example of a grain balancer – a nutritional supplement to be added to a grain blend at a recommended percentage, to make a complete diet. The nutrients it contains are ascertained through computer modelling.
Grain blends At the start of this chapter I mentioned that it is important to actually calculate grain mixes that can be used by fanciers. There is no point in a lot of science if it cannot be used by the pigeon fancier. The following grain blends have been formulated, using computer modelling, to meet the recommended levels of protein, fat and energy for various stages of the pigeon year.
Five commonly-used grains (peas, corn, sorghum, safflower and wheat) along with a small seed mix (containing 1.25% rice, 1.25% linseed, 1.25% millet, 1.25% canola and 1.0% peanuts, to make up 6% of the total diet) have been used and, although each blend provides the recommended levels of protein, fat and energy at the suggested levels, appropriate supplements such as a formulated balancer will need to be used to make a complete diet. If fanciers specifically wish to include other grains such as barley or vetch, etc., it should be possible for your avian vet to organise a nutritionist to computer model alternative formulas.
Group 1 – Birds in a racing loft that are being actively raced Peas 25%, corn 20%, sorghum 15%, safflower 20%, wheat 14%, small seeds 6% Group 2 – Young pigeons in a racing loft that are growing and moulting and flying the roof but are not being forced to fly or actively tossed or raced Peas 34%, corn 20%, sorghum 12%, safflower 18%, wheat 10%, small seeds 6%
Group 3 – Adult birds confined to the breeding loft that are not breeding Peas 28%, corn 20%, sorghum 14%, safflower 18%, wheat 14%, small seeds 6% Group 4 – Adult birds confined to the breeding loft that are breeding. Peas 48%, corn 16%, sorghum 9%, safflower 13%, wheat 8%, small seeds 6%
These blends meet the protein, fat and energy requirements set out at the start of this chapter and fanciers will find the birds do very well on them. To provide a complete diet, the bird should also have continuous access to a good quality grit, a good quality pink mineral (look at the label and see what nutrients it contains) and either be provided with a veterinary formulated multivitamin amino acid supplement (that lists its nutrients) made specifically for this purpose in the drinking water one to three day per week, or a formulated balancer for that grain blend.
This chapter was co-written with Condor Laucke of Laucke Stock Feeds. Condor is a nutritional adviser to the Australian Pigeon Company.