Out of Hibernation (1)

11/03/2026

At the time of writing, it is cold here in Odoorn and there is snow everywhere. At night it freezes and during the day the temperature is around the freezing point. Typical unsettled winter weather. In the south of the Netherlands it is sometimes ten degrees warmer than here. Big differences — and that will certainly also be the case in the pigeon lofts. There is activity here as well, but it mainly takes place inside the pigeon loft.

And yet it has become February. Time to slowly start looking ahead to the upcoming racing season. No time to stay in hibernation. Even though there are plenty of birds of prey around, the pigeons must be brought into a good basic condition for the racing season. For this you need about six weeks.

Cold muscles

Of course, the weather can change quickly. But it is also possible that it will be a cold spring. It is clear that pigeons can suffer from this. Therefore, it is wise to make the loft a bit more comfortable the evening before you start training the pigeons, so the muscles can warm up a little. It is also advisable to do this when the pigeons return from a training or exercise flight. Too high humidity is also bad for our pigeons. It does not promote good performance.

Loft heating

What can you do about it? For example, you can install underfloor heating in the loft. On the bare floor you first nail wooden slats and place a heating cable between them. It is very important to calculate exactly how much cable you need, because you must never shorten it. If you do, the fuse will immediately blow. The cable should be laid about 15 centimeters apart along the slats.

After that, cover the cable with sharp sand or bird sand up to the height of the slats. Then place the floor panels on top. Afterwards connect it to a control box that can be set to regulate humidity. I would set it to: below 60% and above 80% humidity.

The big advantage of this system is that the floor becomes warm and stays warm for a long time. This is in contrast to the well-known infrared heating plates. When you switch those off, it immediately becomes cold again. With the underfloor heating mentioned above, the loft does not really become warm, but it does become more comfortable and the floor stays nicely dry. It is also ideal for drying the floor quickly when you give the pigeons a bath there.

Starting the training

It is advisable to build up the condition very gradually. First simply let the pigeons fly around the loft, and later basket them and take them away yourself. Caution is also necessary here, because they have usually been confined all winter. Therefore, increase the distances gradually to prevent “crooked flyers.” In that case, the muscles have been overloaded. The best remedy is rest — but of course that is not what you want.

During training, give magnesium daily and a small amount of mineral mixture with a lot of calcium over the feed. Calcium and magnesium belong together. Calcium contracts the muscle and magnesium relaxes it again. It is not a guarantee to prevent muscle injuries, but it does help speed up recovery, especially when it is still cold.

Why not in the drinking water? When it is still cold, pigeons drink little water, and then you will not benefit from it. The same applies to any treatment you may need to give. It will only work if the pigeons actually take in the necessary amount of medication. Otherwise, it is useless.

Crooked flyers

If you still discover pigeons with drooping wings, people often think of streptococcus. According to many veterinarians, however, this is correct in only about 5% of the cases. How do you know whether it is streptococcus?

Take some morning droppings from the pigeons with a drooping wing and rub it between your thumb and forefinger. Do you feel pieces of undigested feed? Then I would go to the veterinarian. If a pigeon does not digest its feed properly, it may indicate streptococcus. In most cases, however, it is simply muscle overload.

Examination

Measuring is knowing — and that also applies to pigeons. Have the pigeons examined a few weeks before the first race to make sure they are healthy. A good pigeon veterinarian can give valuable advice on this.

It is also important to check a few weeks before the first race whether the pigeons still have old down feathers. Old down often occurs due to overweight and lack of condition, usually caused by too little exercise. It can also occur due to poor nutrition during the winter period.

A good winter rest feed contains very few legumes, sufficient carbohydrates and enough fats. It should also contain enough maize, because maize provides warmth to the pigeons. A good winter mixture is low in protein, high in fiber and relatively rich in fats.

More about the start of the season in “Out of Hibernation Part 2.”

Willem Mulder
Tel: +31 – 648 71 74 75
E-mail: matador@xs4all.nl

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