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THE HEAT & PIGEON RACING

In recent years much debate has taken place on whether or not pigeon races should be conducted during hot weather. Some of those in favour of sending the birds and putting them up regardless of the temperature often raise the instance when, “Back in 1965 (or whenever) we released from Cook in 100 degrees F and had an excellent race”. Well that may have been the case but we have no idea what-so-ever of the actual circumstances that prevailed, other than it was 100F along the route home & possibly 100F at the home end. Clearly there must have been other favourable conditions that led to the good result that do not normally occur during hot weather. The birds probably did not have a tail wind because, as far as I am aware, it was a two day race and the winning birds didn’t arrive home until late morning on day 2. Quite possibly they had a side wind, a southerly or south westerly which from Cook would have been off the sea and the temperatures along the coast would not have been as high as further inland where many may have expected the birds to have been. The sea breeze could have kept the humidity at just the required level for the pigeons, not too high and not too low. There may have been sufficient surface water along most of the route and the pigeons could go down periodically to rehydrate. We will never know as these things were never recorded and there are probably no more than a handful of members who competed in that race who are still racing today. One thing that is known and that just about every race flown in hot conditions since then, probably Australia wide, has either been a disaster or one bordering on a disaster. The question is at what maximum forecast temperature for the day en-route to the race point should the race be called off and if the day of travelling was completed in satisfactory temperatures with the birds suffering no visible ill effects, what maximum temperature forecast for along the route home should the birds not be released. I think there is one answer for the first instance i.e., the day of travelling, and at least two answers to the second question. But before any specific temperatures are mentioned regarding the above mentioned instances I would like fanciers here in Australia to know the thoughts of well known Melbourne veterinarian and long distance pigeon flyer Dr Colin Walker who wrote a featured article on this subject for the American Pigeon Digest. Colin writes, quote “pigeons do not have sweat glands and so cannot lose body heat through sweating. In birds, body heat is lost by evaporative cooling from the air sacs. When birds become hot, they start to pant. This increases airflow over the air sacs, in the process increasing evaporative loss, leading to cooling. Lost moisture is replaced by drinking. In this way, a normal body temperature and normal level of hydration are maintained. What we do know is that at 25 degrees C, if deprived of water, pigeons become 5% dehydrated in only 24 hours. To put this in perspective, birds that are 5% dehydrated become quiet and fluffed up and will readily drink if water is provided. When 10% dehydrated, these symptoms become more exaggerated. When 15% dehydrated, there has been such a reduction in the circulating blood volume that various organs are inadequately perfused with blood to function normally and there is interference with the level of consciousness. Over 15% dehydrated, deaths will start to occur. We also know, importantly, that at 25 degrees C no dehydration will occur if birds are provided with water. On races conducted on days over 25 degrees C, it can be assumed that unless birds drink along the way, they will arrive at their lofts suffering a degree of dehydration. Upon return, in health, a bird will drink readily, in the process replacing lost fluid reserves and a normal hydration status quickly reestablishes. Problems arise in a number of situations: High temperature – Temperatures over 25 degrees C require larger amounts of fluids to be evaporated from the air sacs to maintain normal body temperature, leading to a quicker onset of dehydration unless drinking occurs. Either very high or very low humidity – Low humidity has a similar effect on the air sacs as high temperature. Low humidity tends to more readily dry the air sacs, leading to a more rapid fluid loss. Conversely, high humidity decreases evaporative cooling, leading to hyperthermia, (high body temperature). Head winds – The extra exertion involved in flying in to a head wind leads to an increased level of carbon dioxide in the blood stream, which increases respiratory rate. This increases fluid loss from the air sacs and also predisposes the birds to dehydration. No surface water – Races conducted in areas where surface water is not available to competing birds – Normal hydration cam be maintained under quite extreme levels of temperature and humidity provided the birds have access to water. Lack of surface water means the birds have no way of replacing lost fluid reserves if they become dehydrated. The combination of hot winds that are also dry and face the birds, with no access to water is a deadly one for pigeons. With exertion and heat, large amounts of fluid are lost from the system through evaporative cooling, leading to dehydration. As fluid reserves become depleted, evaporation from the air sacs can no longer occur. This means that the pigeon has lost its only method of cooling itself and so secondary hyperthermia starts to occur. As dehydration levels approach 15% normal metabolic systems are disrupted and a decreased level of awareness occurs. In this situation, heavy losses can be expected. It is worth noting that even on cool days the temperature within a race unit can quickly reach 25 degrees C because of the heat that the pigeons generate (normal body temperature is 41.8 degrees C). This means that birds, if not offered water from the start of basketing until arrival at the race point the next morning, will already be suffering some degree of dehydration. The importance of insuring that birds have access to water wherever possible so they are fully hydrated at release cannot be overstated”.

One often hears of birds in Europe competing in the Barcelona 700 mile race, and other long distance races for that matter, being released in 36 degrees C temperatures and having quite good and normal returns from these distances, so why can’t we do the same in Australia? Well there are a number of differentiating circumstances between long distance racing in Europe and that in Australia. Firstly the vast majority of birds competing in European long distance events are at least two year olds with most being race hardened, wily & cunning 3, 4 & 5 year old birds. Not many young birds. Long distance racing in Europe is conducted in the middle of summer when the hours of daylight are at their longest and the nights are short and can be quite pleasant. Here in Australia it can be 40 degrees C in the desert during the day and around zero overnight for many hours. The humidity is usually high in Europe during these races whereas, particularly in the southern & western states in Australia, the humidity is low. But the big difference between Europe and Australia is surface water. There is absolutely no lack of it in England and Europe. Rivers, lakes, streams, dams and canals abound. The pigeons are continually flying over them all way home and can and do rehydrate whenever they feel it necessary. Thus they can fly the whole race at the top pace that a well hydrated bird can, only losing a little time to stop from time to time for a drink. In fact it has been observed in America that some birds will skim the surface of a lake to take in water while still in flight. However, prolonged periods of extreme heat can still be a problem over there. I was in Holland in 1994, just one month after that country had experienced 4 successive weeks of temperatures between 36 to 40 degrees C. Both the Dutch & Belgian pigeon authorities suspended all long distance racing in those countries for four weeks. This is despite having access to the very latest in pigeon transporters. Although these transporters are air conditioned, it is not a refrigerated or evaporative system. They are temperature controlled by a forced air circulation system i.e., the used hot air is extracted from each basket and replaced by fresh air drawn from outside. This system cuts in when the inside temperature reaches a pre-determined setting, 25 degrees C or less I would imagine, and also when the unit is stationary and heat tends to build up. But when the outside temperature is well into the 30’s it is really a matter of replacing hot stale air with hot fresh air. The European transporters are by far better than what most of us have here at the moment but they still won’t prevent a fair degree of dehydration on very hot days. Certainly, the features on the modern European transporters would be of a tremendous benefit to all Australian fanciers in normal racing conditions but don’t ever think they will completely solve the problems of transporting pigeons on very hot days to long distance races. The fact that their watering systems are designed so that they can travel with water continuously before the birds would be of tremendous advantage when the outside temperatures rise to 30 degrees C. This allows all birds to drink and rehydrate whenever necessary.

Well know Dutch pigeon Veterinarian, the late Dr “Pim” Stam states that racing pigeons perform at their best when the temperature in transporters is held between 21 degrees C and 26.5 degrees C. Never should it be over 35 degrees C. Nor should the relative humidity exceed 80% and the air exchange rate should not be greater than 5 feet (1.5 metres) per second. If the transporter is stationery, whether it be held up in traffic or waiting at a race point, and the outside temperature is in excess of 28 degrees C then the transport vehicle must be capable of reducing the internal temperature. His point is that if the outside temperature is 28 degrees C then it will not take long for the inside temperature to build up to 35 degrees C, or more, inside the transporter. So you see the problem our pigeons face while the transporter is sitting stationary at Marla in 30 degrees heat with no adequate fans and air exchange system fitted to reduce the internal temperature. He goes on to say that should pigeons be forced to spend an extended period of time in an area where the temperature is above 30 degrees C and the relative humidity is higher than normal, they will experience difficulty in the metabolism of their feed. The consequence is a deterioration in their condition. They will lose weight despite proper feeding and adequate water. It takes a long time for the pigeons to recover from this. Many pigeon fanciers have had birds returned to them in an emaciated condition when a transporter has been forced to bring the birds back home following a cancellation of an event. The owner then suspects that the pigeons have not been fed and watered properly. But the cause of this dilemma lies in their prolonged exposure to high temperatures.

The SAHPA race release guidelines have a rather bland heat policy. Simply, “birds are not to be released in above average temperatures, 32 degrees Celsius”. Nothing about headwinds or travelling to the race point the day before. To be fair though, consideration has been given to travelling in the recent past and basketing has been abandoned if the forecast temperature is expected to exceed a maximum of 32 degrees C. However, taking Colin Walker’s article into consideration, dehydration will start to occur within the transporter once the inside temperature exceeds 25 degrees C. Birds may be able to be successfully rehydrated along the way and at the race point right up until the time of release in temperatures up to 30 degrees C if water is available to them at all times from basketing, throughout the journey and at the race point. Most transporters in Australia do not have the capability to have water before the birds while travelling without slopping and spilling it everywhere and making one hell of a mess within the baskets and centre corridor. It seems it would be unwise to transport pigeons in such units to long distance races if the forecast temperature for the travelling day was to exceed 25 degrees C along the route. Another scenario is what happens if the birds are successfully transported to the race point and very hot conditions occur on the day of the race? If there are headwinds, the temperature is forecast to exceed 25 degrees C and little or no surface water, returning them home may be the best option. If the convoyer or other officials have good evidence of an abundance of surface water, or if it is general knowledge, a release could be affected. If there are tail winds and the temperature is forecast not to exceed 30 degrees C, once again a release could be affected even if surface water was sparse. In most instances a tail wind will see the birds flying higher in cooler air, dehydration should not be so much of an issue and the birds should make it to areas where there is water available before temperatures get too high. Final scenario, tailwinds, temperature forecast to exceed 30 degrees C, little or no surface water; a release would be unwise.

It should be noted that in my experience, birds that have been transported in excessive heat to a long distance race point and then it has been decided to bring them back to a considerably shorter distance due to either the birds having been observed as having travelled poorly or temperatures on the day of release have been considered too high to release at the scheduled race point, rarely has a satisfactory race eventuated from the shorter distance. One can only assume that the damage has already been done travelling to the race point or maybe even when returning them back to a shorter race point. This is consistent with Dr Stam’s metabolism of feed as explained above. If a race cannot be affected from the original race point then perhaps it may be better to bring them all the way back home.

Editor John Hofman Submit Your Information email bhofman@hotmail.com	Informative relevant articles relating to racing pigeons. THE HEAT & PIGEON RACING In recent years much debate has taken place on whether or not pigeon races should be conducted during hot weather. Some of those in favour of sending the birds and putting them up regardless of the temperature often raise the instance when, “Back in 1965 (or whenever) we released from Cook in 100 degrees F and had an excellent race”. Well that may have been the case but we have no idea what-so-ever of the actual circumstances that prevailed, other than it was 100F along the route home & possibly 100F at the home end. Clearly there must have been other favourable conditions that led to the good result that do not normally occur during hot weather. The birds probably did not have a tail wind because, as far as I am aware, it was a two day race and the winning birds didn’t arrive home until late morning on day 2. Quite possibly they had a side wind, a southerly or south westerly which from Cook would have been off the sea and the temperatures along the coast would not have been as high as further inland where many may have expected the birds to have been. The sea breeze could have kept the humidity at just the required level for the pigeons, not too high and not too low. There may have been sufficient surface water along most of the route and the pigeons could go down periodically to rehydrate. We will never know as these things were never recorded and there are probably no more than a handful of members who competed in that race who are still racing today. One thing that is known and that just about every race flown in hot conditions since then, probably Australia wide, has either been a disaster or one bordering on a disaster. The question is at what maximum forecast temperature for the day en-route to the race point should the race be called off and if the day of travelling was completed in satisfactory temperatures with the birds suffering no visible ill effects, what maximum temperature forecast for along the route home should the birds not be released. I think there is one answer for the first instance i.e., the day of travelling, and at least two answers to the second question. But before any specific temperatures are mentioned regarding the above mentioned instances I would like fanciers here in Australia to know the thoughts of well known Melbourne veterinarian and long distance pigeon flyer Dr Colin Walker who wrote a featured article on this subject for the American Pigeon Digest. Colin writes, quote “pigeons do not have sweat glands and so cannot lose body heat through sweating. In birds, body heat is lost by evaporative cooling from the air sacs. When birds become hot, they start to pant. This increases airflow over the air sacs, in the process increasing evaporative loss, leading to cooling. Lost moisture is replaced by drinking. In this way, a normal body temperature and normal level of hydration are maintained. What we do know is that at 25 degrees C, if deprived of water, pigeons become 5% dehydrated in only 24 hours. To put this in perspective, birds that are 5% dehydrated become quiet and fluffed up and will readily drink if water is provided. When 10% dehydrated, these symptoms become more exaggerated. When 15% dehydrated, there has been such a reduction in the circulating blood volume that various organs are inadequately perfused with blood to function normally and there is interference with the level of consciousness. Over 15% dehydrated, deaths will start to occur. We also know, importantly, that at 25 degrees C no dehydration will occur if birds are provided with water. On races conducted on days over 25 degrees C, it can be assumed that unless birds drink along the way, they will arrive at their lofts suffering a degree of dehydration. Upon return, in health, a bird will drink readily, in the process replacing lost fluid reserves and a normal hydration status quickly reestablishes. Problems arise in a number of situations: High temperature – Temperatures over 25 degrees C require larger amounts of fluids to be evaporated from the air sacs to maintain normal body temperature, leading to a quicker onset of dehydration unless drinking occurs. Either very high or very low humidity – Low humidity has a similar effect on the air sacs as high temperature. Low humidity tends to more readily dry the air sacs, leading to a more rapid fluid loss. Conversely, high humidity decreases evaporative cooling, leading to hyperthermia, (high body temperature). Head winds – The extra exertion involved in flying in to a head wind leads to an increased level of carbon dioxide in the blood stream, which increases respiratory rate. This increases fluid loss from the air sacs and also predisposes the birds to dehydration. No surface water – Races conducted in areas where surface water is not available to competing birds – Normal hydration cam be maintained under quite extreme levels of temperature and humidity provided the birds have access to water. Lack of surface water means the birds have no way of replacing lost fluid reserves if they become dehydrated. The combination of hot winds that are also dry and face the birds, with no access to water is a deadly one for pigeons. With exertion and heat, large amounts of fluid are lost from the system through evaporative cooling, leading to dehydration. As fluid reserves become depleted, evaporation from the air sacs can no longer occur. This means that the pigeon has lost its only method of cooling itself and so secondary hyperthermia starts to occur. As dehydration levels approach 15% normal metabolic systems are disrupted and a decreased level of awareness occurs. In this situation, heavy losses can be expected. It is worth noting that even on cool days the temperature within a race unit can quickly reach 25 degrees C because of the heat that the pigeons generate (normal body temperature is 41.8 degrees C). This means that birds, if not offered water from the start of basketing until arrival at the race point the next morning, will already be suffering some degree of dehydration. The importance of insuring that birds have access to water wherever possible so they are fully hydrated at release cannot be overstated”. One often hears of birds in Europe competing in the Barcelona 700 mile race, and other long distance races for that matter, being released in 36 degrees C temperatures and having quite good and normal returns from these distances, so why can’t we do the same in Australia? Well there are a number of differentiating circumstances between long distance racing in Europe and that in Australia. Firstly the vast majority of birds competing in European long distance events are at least two year olds with most being race hardened, wily & cunning 3, 4 & 5 year old birds. Not many young birds. Long distance racing in Europe is conducted in the middle of summer when the hours of daylight are at their longest and the nights are short and can be quite pleasant. Here in Australia it can be 40 degrees C in the desert during the day and around zero overnight for many hours. The humidity is usually high in Europe during these races whereas, particularly in the southern & western states in Australia, the humidity is low. But the big difference between Europe and Australia is surface water. There is absolutely no lack of it in England and Europe. Rivers, lakes, streams, dams and canals abound. The pigeons are continually flying over them all way home and can and do rehydrate whenever they feel it necessary. Thus they can fly the whole race at the top pace that a well hydrated bird can, only losing a little time to stop from time to time for a drink. In fact it has been observed in America that some birds will skim the surface of a lake to take in water while still in flight. However, prolonged periods of extreme heat can still be a problem over there. I was in Holland in 1994, just one month after that country had experienced 4 successive weeks of temperatures between 36 to 40 degrees C. Both the Dutch & Belgian pigeon authorities suspended all long distance racing in those countries for four weeks. This is despite having access to the very latest in pigeon transporters. Although these transporters are air conditioned, it is not a refrigerated or evaporative system. They are temperature controlled by a forced air circulation system i.e., the used hot air is extracted from each basket and replaced by fresh air drawn from outside. This system cuts in when the inside temperature reaches a pre-determined setting, 25 degrees C or less I would imagine, and also when the unit is stationary and heat tends to build up. But when the outside temperature is well into the 30’s it is really a matter of replacing hot stale air with hot fresh air. The European transporters are by far better than what most of us have here at the moment but they still won’t prevent a fair degree of dehydration on very hot days. Certainly, the features on the modern European transporters would be of a tremendous benefit to all Australian fanciers in normal racing conditions but don’t ever think they will completely solve the problems of transporting pigeons on very hot days to long distance races. The fact that their watering systems are designed so that they can travel with water continuously before the birds would be of tremendous advantage when the outside temperatures rise to 30 degrees C. This allows all birds to drink and rehydrate whenever necessary. Well know Dutch pigeon Veterinarian, the late Dr “Pim” Stam states that racing pigeons perform at their best when the temperature in transporters is held between 21 degrees C and 26.5 degrees C. Never should it be over 35 degrees C. Nor should the relative humidity exceed 80% and the air exchange rate should not be greater than 5 feet (1.5 metres) per second. If the transporter is stationery, whether it be held up in traffic or waiting at a race point, and the outside temperature is in excess of 28 degrees C then the transport vehicle must be capable of reducing the internal temperature. His point is that if the outside temperature is 28 degrees C then it will not take long for the inside temperature to build up to 35 degrees C, or more, inside the transporter. So you see the problem our pigeons face while the transporter is sitting stationary at Marla in 30 degrees heat with no adequate fans and air exchange system fitted to reduce the internal temperature. He goes on to say that should pigeons be forced to spend an extended period of time in an area where the temperature is above 30 degrees C and the relative humidity is higher than normal, they will experience difficulty in the metabolism of their feed. The consequence is a deterioration in their condition. They will lose weight despite proper feeding and adequate water. It takes a long time for the pigeons to recover from this. Many pigeon fanciers have had birds returned to them in an emaciated condition when a transporter has been forced to bring the birds back home following a cancellation of an event. The owner then suspects that the pigeons have not been fed and watered properly. But the cause of this dilemma lies in their prolonged exposure to high temperatures. The SAHPA race release guidelines have a rather bland heat policy. Simply, “birds are not to be released in above average temperatures, 32 degrees Celsius”. Nothing about headwinds or travelling to the race point the day before. To be fair though, consideration has been given to travelling in the recent past and basketing has been abandoned if the forecast temperature is expected to exceed a maximum of 32 degrees C. However, taking Colin Walker’s article into consideration, dehydration will start to occur within the transporter once the inside temperature exceeds 25 degrees C. Birds may be able to be successfully rehydrated along the way and at the race point right up until the time of release in temperatures up to 30 degrees C if water is available to them at all times from basketing, throughout the journey and at the race point. Most transporters in Australia do not have the capability to have water before the birds while travelling without slopping and spilling it everywhere and making one hell of a mess within the baskets and centre corridor. It seems it would be unwise to transport pigeons in such units to long distance races if the forecast temperature for the travelling day was to exceed 25 degrees C along the route. Another scenario is what happens if the birds are successfully transported to the race point and very hot conditions occur on the day of the race? If there are headwinds, the temperature is forecast to exceed 25 degrees C and little or no surface water, returning them home may be the best option. If the convoyer or other officials have good evidence of an abundance of surface water, or if it is general knowledge, a release could be affected. If there are tail winds and the temperature is forecast not to exceed 30 degrees C, once again a release could be affected even if surface water was sparse. In most instances a tail wind will see the birds flying higher in cooler air, dehydration should not be so much of an issue and the birds should make it to areas where there is water available before temperatures get too high. Final scenario, tailwinds, temperature forecast to exceed 30 degrees C, little or no surface water; a release would be unwise. It should be noted that in my experience, birds that have been transported in excessive heat to a long distance race point and then it has been decided to bring them back to a considerably shorter distance due to either the birds having been observed as having travelled poorly or temperatures on the day of release have been considered too high to release at the scheduled race point, rarely has a satisfactory race eventuated from the shorter distance. One can only assume that the damage has already been done travelling to the race point or maybe even when returning them back to a shorter race point. This is consistent with Dr Stam’s metabolism of feed as explained above. If a race cannot be affected from the original race point then perhaps it may be better to bring them all the way back home.