The health of racing pigeons is crucial for winning competitions. Pigeon enthusiasts often observe physical traits such as feather luster, cleanliness of the beak, eyelid glands, and foot skin based on their breeding experience. However, some diseases in racing pigeons cannot be detected by appearance alone, such as Salmonella and Polyomavirus. So, how can we accurately determine if a racing pigeon is truly healthy?

Common Methods for Observing Pigeon Health

Physical observation is still necessary as it directly reflects the pigeon’s condition. Besides essential measures like ensuring proper ventilation and dryness in the pigeon loft, regular cleaning of feeding troughs, and necessary vaccinations, timely observation of racing pigeons is crucial. You can spot issues from their appearance and address them promptly.

How to More Accurately Detect Diseases in Pigeons?

I recommend using genetic testing to determine if your racing pigeon is infected with diseases. These genetic testing techniques are well-developed, and you can immediately screen all your racing pigeons. Genetic testing can detect infections before symptoms are visible to the naked eye, allowing us to take preventive measures against harmful bacteria and viruses in racing pigeons.

Why Use Genetic Testing?

• Modern genetic testing is highly accurate, with accuracy rates exceeding 99%.
• It is convenient; you only need to provide a blood or feather sample from the pigeon without requiring a veterinarian’s visit.

Genetic testing can confirm the presence of viruses in pigeons, providing a basis for veterinarians to diagnose. Rapid test strips at home cannot serve as diagnostic standards. Even if you use quick test reagents at home, you still need to confirm with PCR testing at a pet hospital.

The Necessity of Genetic Testing

Many pigeon fanciers, especially those who breed racing pigeons, might ask, “My racing pigeon looks healthy. Do I still need to do genetic testing?” We strongly recommend it, and here’s why:

• Virus Incubation Period: Viruses can have an incubation period during which they do not show symptoms, generally ranging from 1-3 weeks or 2-4 weeks, sometimes even longer. For instance, the Circovirus might not cause symptoms until 6 weeks later.
• High Contagiousness of Some Viruses: Certain viruses are highly contagious. For example, Pigeon Paramyxovirus Type I can spread through the air, direct contact, and contaminated water and food. Its high contagiousness often leads to large-scale outbreaks. For instance, one customer’s loft showed that after testing, six out of eight lofts were infected overnight.

These points illustrate the critical importance of regular genetic testing for racing pigeons. Detecting viruses during the incubation period can reduce the incidence and mortality rates, preventing significant economic losses.

How Much Does Genetic Testing Cost?

Compared to having a veterinarian visit, genetic testing is much cheaper. For example, in my city, a veterinarian’s home visit costs at least $30, which is just the call-out fee, excluding service and testing fees. Sending your samples by mail costs only about $2-4 per test, plus a small postage fee (depending on the country, but usually under $20). We even offer one free test. This is much cheaper than local vet clinics. For example, a Salmonella test costs nearly $20 in the USA and £48 in the UK.

How to Send Samples and Make Payments?

You only need to extract 4-5 fresh feathers from your pigeon’s abdomen or a blood sample, seal them in a ziplock bag, label them, and send them to us in an envelope. We recommend using feathers as they are non-invasive, unlike blood sampling which can harm the pigeons.

Payment is straightforward. Please visit our payment page and choose to pay by credit card.

How Long Will It Take to Get Results?

From the day we receive your samples, it will take 3-7 dias laborables (the time may vary depending on the number of samples and tests) to email you the test report.

Which Diseases Can Be Detected?

We currently offer tests for six viruses:

• Herpesvirus
• Polyomavirus
• Circovirus
• Salmonela
• Adenovirus
• Pigeon Paramyxovirus Type I

Circovirus is particularly important as it weakens the immune system of racing pigeons and is the most commonly detected virus among pigeon flocks. Salmonella can cause chronic respiratory diseases, leading to poor performance in competitions.

How Often Should You Test to Ensure Pigeon Health?

For Pigeon Fanciers

We recommend testing every 3-4 months to ensure the health of your pigeons. Since ornamental pigeons are relatively inexpensive, kept in smaller numbers, often in good living conditions with minimal stress, and a simpler diet, and are less likely to encounter wild pigeons, the risk of infection is lower.

For Racing Pigeon Breeders

We suggest testing every 1-2 months. Regular testing can ensure your racing pigeons remain healthy. Compared to ornamental pigeons, racing pigeons are more expensive and numerous, making it harder to detect infected wild pigeons. They are often kept in lofts, live in relatively crowded conditions, undergo frequent outdoor training, and have higher exposure to viral-carrying insects. The stress from training and competition can significantly impact their health. Commonly detected viruses include Paramyxovirus (APMV-1), Circovirus (PiCV), Adenovirus, Herpesvirus, and Poxvirus. Parrot fever and chlamydia virus (cps) are also sometimes detected.

Can Genetic Testing Detect Anything Else Besides Diseases?

We are dedicated to avian genetic testing research. Besides diseases, our other products include avian sex determination and testing for racing pigeon flight capabilities.

Conclusion

The health of our racing pigeons is the foundation of our success in competitions. Regular and periodic genetic testing can save us time and money and is essential for keeping our racing pigeons disease-free and healthy.