As a pigeon fancier, a firm look out and fast protection steps are needed in combating all pigeon diseases. Each disease poses a threat to your loft. While others are more manageable and easily corrected, there are others that are serious, deadly and need to be controlled as expediently as possible. Today’s post/article is in my opinion the most harmful pigeon disease, and that is none other than Paratyphoid Fever. Because of its severity, it deserves its own spotlight.
Paratyphoid in pigeons is caused by the bacteria Salmonella typhimurium var Copenhagen. In 99% of all cases, pigeon paratyphoid comes from other pigeons. What makes it so deviously dangerous is the non-detection. It can literally exist in your pigeons without any symptoms in the carrier, and can remain in your loft undetected, transmitting to each of your pigeons silently. Normally you will be able to isolate the sick pigeon and not let it in your loft to effect the others.
But, what do you do if it is undetected? You can have one racing pigeon effect your whole loft. Before answering that let me clear up some fallacies that some fanciers may have when it comes to this disease. It is not a bit of kind of disease. What I mean here is, your pigeon either has it or doesn’t have it. There is no half measures.
There is no antibiotic that is 100% effective in clearing up a paratyphoid outbreak, period!
What to look for
Symptoms vary from Diarrhea, stained greenish-yellow, wing swelling in the shoulder joint, with wing drooping and trembling in pain. You will also find infertility in both hens and cocks. Also most visible, is neck twisting. It is the surest sign that your racing pigeon has paratyphoid.
What to do
- Vaccinate your youngest birds with Baytril, as it is the best drug available to destroy the carrier status
- Put apple cider in the drinking water to lower ph levels to help prevent the disease
- Treat all birds with effective paratyphoid vaccine, strictly following the manufactures disease
- Clean your loft regularly