March/April 2025

15 – Purebred PIGEON 2. I am planning on getting new birds soon, and want them to acclimate as well as possible. The water at my house comes from a limestone cave (the joys of rural living!), and though it’s filtered and UV-sanitized, I am always worried that newbies will not react well to it. Sounds like your water is perfectly acceptable for the new birds. People get worried about water changes with their birds, but I find that unnecessary. The bottom line, if it’s safe for you to drink, the new birds will take to it immediately without any problems. Your birds will not be impacted if your water supply has an odd odor or color, as long as it is safe for human con- sumption. Whether your water originates from an individual well or a large municipal water supply that is chlorinated, your birds will readily consume it. I often see people at shows that transport water from home in an effort to reduce stress on their birds. There is no data that shows any negative impact on birds when water sources are changed, as long as the water is safe for human consumption(potable). What can be stressful to the birds are water sources that have been treated by the keeper with medications or other products in an attempt to provide health benefits. Many med- ications have a noxious taste which can reduce water con- sumption by the birds. This is not beneficial during stressful times and should be carefully considered for benefits versus the risk of their use. Pigeon keepers often use water additives that have been promoted to be beneficial to the health of your birds. Things like garlic, apple cider vinegar and disinfectants (household bleach & Nolvasan) come to mind. While the efficacy of any of these products is debatable, most common dosing suggestions are not harmful to the birds. The issues oc- cur when people are not appropriately measuring the quantity or feel that if a little is helpful, larger quantities can be more effective. This is rarely the case with most things. Exercise caution with any of the products that you add to your birds water and don’t exceed any recommended amounts. Providing a clean fresh source of water to your birds(old and new) is an important aspect of pigeon keeping. A water source that is safe for human consumption is always safe for your birds and requires no acclimation by the birds. What they really require is ready access to clean drinking water in an en- vironment that is least stressful. May your upcoming breeding season be successful and I look forward to seeing your best birds at the shows later this year. Tim England DVM is a veterinarian at the Animal Medical Center of Chicago. He is a graduate of Michigan State Univer- sity and has a special interest in birds and avian medicine. He is a founding member and a director of the Komorner Tum- bler Association. He raises Komorner tumbler pigeons at his farm in Southwest Michigan. He welcomes your questions at TimEDVM@gmail.com © 2025 Tim England DVM All Rights Reserved