Tony Chavarria
Site Publisher
2339 posts
Apr 09, 2008
4:54 PM
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Sent To Me By A Site Member:
03-26-2008 Pigeon predators face foul taste
BBC NEWS
The UK's pigeon fanciers have come up with a plan to protect their birds from predators - make them taste foul.
The Royal Pigeon Racing Association said it had been spurred into action after growing numbers of birds were being eaten by birds of prey.
The organization told the Sunday Telegraph it plans to spray them with chemicals or feed them special diets to make them unpleasant to eat.
Pigeon numbers have dropped after conservation efforts to save predators.
Costly pigeons
Pigeon owners say they have no choice but to try "taste aversion" if they are going to keep racing their birds.
"I get members phoning me up saying: we can't bear the
losses any more," Peter Bryant of the Royal Pigeon
Racing Association told BBC News Online.
"For retired people, pigeon racing really keeps them
going. A substantial reason why they are losing the
birds is because of the peregrines."
He said pigeon fanciers - who number 55,000 in the UK - have tried all sorts of strategies to stump falcons, including painting "eagle eyes" on their birds or attaching sequins to their feathers.
But research carried out at Lancaster University showed neither tactic has had much effect, he added.
Meanwhile, Britain's peregrine falcon population has boomed and is now thought to total almost 3,000.
"A fancier may pay £1,000 to £3,000 for a racing bird. To lose one of those birds to a peregrine is not very economical," Mr Bryant continued.
But he stressed that research would be conducted to ensure a
pigeon's racing ability was not impacted by the sprays or supplements.
Some of the sprays, which have been tried out on hens in Canada, are a bit like Kentucky Fried Chicken coating, he said.
"This may not work... as the birds' plumage needs to be in tip-top condition."
Grahame Madge of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds welcomed the new tactics.
"As long as they are non-lethal to the peregrine and the pigeon and there are no welfare concerns, this sounds like a significant step forward," he told the Sunday Telegraph.
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FLY ON! Tony Chavarria
"Discussion is an exchange of knowledge...argument is an exchange of ignorance". by unknown
Support This Site With Your Pigeon Product Purchase-Over 100 Pigeon Products!
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silver tail
132 posts
Apr 09, 2008
5:18 PM
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Tony great info looks like there may be a silver lineing after all.
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PR_rollers
867 posts
Apr 09, 2008
5:27 PM
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Silver there is one already on your tail..
Hope is a good thing ,,Its on its way..
Thx Tony good looking out..----------
Ralph....
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silver tail
133 posts
Apr 09, 2008
5:31 PM
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Pr not sure what you mean but i'm sure i'll find out.
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Ty Coleman
191 posts
Apr 09, 2008
5:33 PM
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Theres a rollerman in the U.S already doing this im just waiting to hear the results.
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Ty
Vapor Trail Lofts
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silver tail
134 posts
Apr 09, 2008
5:40 PM
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OK I knew I would find out thanks for the info. Taking life in stride
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Electric-man
1416 posts
Apr 09, 2008
6:12 PM
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Thanks Tony! Your the only one that I know of collecting info and reporting on the BOP issues! Knowledge is power!
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Val
"Site Moderator"
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Hector Coya
87 posts
Apr 10, 2008
9:28 AM
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Let me tell you,the person that come up with a non toxic spray that will give the pigeons a bad taste or smell,will make alot of money.
Hector Coya
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Steve_uk
434 posts
Apr 10, 2008
10:14 AM
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1st we give you the Birmingham Roller and now we will give you a hawk cure what you gunna do for us America LMAO!!!!!
Steve...
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Tony Chavarria
Site Publisher
2341 posts
Apr 10, 2008
10:27 AM
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Hey Steve, I think its called payback for saving the Brits and Europe in WWII? ;-)
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FLY ON! Tony Chavarria
"Discussion is an exchange of knowledge...argument is an exchange of ignorance". by unknown
Support This Site With Your Pigeon Product Purchase-Over 100 Pigeon Products!
Last Edited by on Apr 10, 2008 10:28 AM
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Steve_uk
435 posts
Apr 10, 2008
10:37 AM
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WWhahahaha Good 1 T man
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Oldfart
590 posts
Apr 10, 2008
11:13 AM
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I wonder if the taste of garlic would deter the B.O.P.? Humans that eat large amounts of garlic excrete the taste and smell through their skin. We know that our birds will drink garlic laced water. Would they eat dried minced garlic mixed with their food? Could we gradually increase the amount of liguid garlic into their water? At this point I'm willing to try anything! Garlic repels a large number of insects, and mammals, why not predators?
Just musing, Thom
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bigwilly
504 posts
Apr 10, 2008
11:17 AM
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Good question you old fart.lol
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BA Rollers
4 posts
Apr 10, 2008
11:32 AM
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We already have something like that now. I heard conflicting results on whether it works or not. Never tried it myself.
http://www.nixalite.com/ropel.aspx?gclid=CJmN6qmQ0ZICFQ4JPQod5jGWUA#How_does_Ropel_work
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elopez
1014 posts
Apr 10, 2008
12:11 PM
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Thom,
I think Garlic would just make them taste even better...lol
Maybe Vinegar? or the spray they use to repel dogs and cats from chewing on furniture?
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Efren Lopez
SGVS
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elopez
1015 posts
Apr 10, 2008
12:12 PM
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BA Roller,
This looks like something I am willing to try.
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Efren Lopez
SGVS
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Oldfart
594 posts
Apr 10, 2008
3:44 PM
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Elopez, dosen't sound Italian, must be a learned thing! ;-))
Efern, Maby Cayenne, my mother used to paint it on my fingernails to stop me from chewing them! ;0 Truth is it gave me a taste for Cajun food. Just funning my friend.
bigwilly, stay upwind, the nick-name is accurate! ;-)
Thom
Last Edited by on Apr 10, 2008 3:47 PM
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JMUrbon
419 posts
Apr 10, 2008
5:48 PM
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I tried the Ropel in the past and didnt notice any difference. My dog actually liked it. Joe
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J.M.Urbon Lofts
A Proven Family of Spinners
http://www.freewebs.com/jmurbonlofts/
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