BY Steve Clayton

The Moult is a natural process by which the pigeon replaces its old feathers with new ones. Youngsters begin moulting at six weeks of age, early hatches usually completing a full moult, and late hatches could stop moulting with onset of cold temperatures. Mature birds moult annually in late summer and early fall. This process could take as long as six months, and is completed with the moulting and replacement of the 10^th primary (flight) feather. The time of the moult is influenced by many factors and varies in cases where identical conditions exist.

Flying birds in the moult is something that we all do, and why not, as long they want to. Sometimes a bird may act a little crazy and get promoted down a kit, or get put up for a few days. More experienced pigeon fanciers than myself have dealt with the moult for many years in many ways, and have had good success flying and competing during the moult. As I began researching articles on the moult I found, in great detail, lots of scientific and medical facts and explanations. With out a doubt I know what the moult is, but I found very little information relating to the affects of the performing pigeon flying and performing in the moult.

With the beginning of the NBRC FALL FLY, and the NBRC STATE CHAMPION YOUNG BIRD FLY, I felt the urgency to dig deeper for useable information on the moult that I could utilize myself, and pass on to others. I wanted information that I could use to help condition and prepare me and my birds for flying and competing during the moult. Rather than bore you with statistics I will try to stick to the facts that I believe to be beneficial to anyone that has not yet acquired this knowledge.

Although we cannot control or manipulate the moult and we have very little control over the factors that influence the moult, there are certain standards that we as the loft manager must provide to ensure that our birds moult as quickly and efficiently as possible. I believe that the less stressful the moult the better the performance you will get during this period and the less problems you will have managing your birds during the moult.

Health seems to always be my #1 consideration, and is a major factor in the moulting process. Disease or injury will most likely cause an abnormal or delayed moult. Therefore it is vital that your birds are all healthy or they could be adversely affected by the moult and their performance as well. This can be a more stressful period for some birds than others, so in conjunction with your regular health program you may want to include something to help them with stress. The stress focus is on replacing major flights. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies could contribute to poor health, and therefore should be included in your program. Vitamin A, D, and E are beneficial to stress and feather development. A quality health grit should provide the necessary mineral requirements. Since health can affect the performance of your birds as well as the moult, if you had to put all of your eggs in one basket, a good sound heath program would certainly be where to place your money.

Feed would be my next factor to consider. Feeding a competition kit of birds is an art that very few ever master. As you strategically plan your feeding schedule for your competitions during the moulting season remember that you must supply sufficient food for your birds to maintain their athletic condition, perform the proper length of time, and rapidly grow new feathers. The birds energy requirements increase 25-40% during the moult. Protein plays the the biggest part in the development and growth of new feathers. The optimum diet affords just the right quantity of protein required at the time for peak performance and growth of new feathers, that’s the tricky part. Depending on what you are feeding your birds you may want to add more protein during periods of heavy moulting. Hemp and Flax seeds are beneficial during the moult, but are high in fiber and should only be used in small amounts with your other feeds(5% or less). I prefer Peas which are high in protein with less fiber, and most have carotene which is good for pigeons. Seeds that are high in oil content are generally beneficial since they aid in softening the feathers, and some like canary seed are also high in protein. While 10% protein may be enough for maintenance of adult birds, up to 20% may be beneficial for birds moulting out their major flights. As I stated, this is the tricky part, and too much protein for too long can be harmful to your birds. There are no exact formulas to follow, the variables change with location, strain of birds, climate, ect. This is where management comes in, through careful observation and a few notes you can find what diet helps your birds go through a smooth, even moult.

Baths are very beneficial for the birds and especially during the moult. Bath solutions seem to be one of those products that all pigeon suppliers have plenty to choose from. My concerns when choosing a bath solution are; one that helps control external parasites, and conditions the feathers. The softer and better the condition of the feather, the easier they moult. Although mites and external parasites may not directly affect the moult, they do contribute to stress which does.

When flying or preparing for a competition during the moult it could pay off to keep an eye on birds moulting their 9^th and 10^th flight, especially the hard spinning ones. This could be a dangerous time for them, or a DQ on a competition. They are generally considered safe when the last two flights are over half way in.

All in all, I believe that all of this relates to basic sound pigeon raising practices and management. Management is the key to achieving peak performance. With a little extra consideration and observation you should be able to bring your birds to that peak performance during the moult.