december 2012 - aviculture europe 2012. for next or previous ... and even a skeleton budgie looking...
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VARIOUSVARIOUSPart 1a
December 2012
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A word from the editor ……
Above the roof the pigeons flyIn silver wheels across the sky.The stable doves they cooed to them,Mary and Christ in Bethlehem.
From: A Child's Song of Christmas, by Marjorie Lowry Christie Pickthall
The Team of your digital magazine Aviculture Europe thanks you for your interest during the past year and will continue in the next year in the same line as before, giving an account of the fancy in a timely and positive way.
Seasons Greetings and a happy, prosperous and most of all healthy 2013 to you and your family!
With thanks to all contributors and advertisers,on behalf of the team of Aviculture Europe,
Nico van Benten
Dear reader,
THE UNFEATHERED BIRD
If you’d expect a book about bird anatomy to be an academic textbook for a specialised audience, think again. The Unfeathered Bird, described by The Scientist magazine as “a magnificent - and accessible – monograph on biodiversity” is a unique combination of art and science aimed at anyone with an interest in birds or bird art. Jargon free and easily accessible to any reader, the entertaining text explores birds in their natural environment, relating their anatomy with their lifestyle and evolution. The book is the magnum opus of Katrina van Grouw and has been 25 years in the making. A graduate of the Royal College of Art, a qualified bird ringer, former bird curator at London’s Natural History Museum and a successful fine artist, Katrina’s background is living proof that art and science do mix.The artwork, reproduced in sepia and in sumptuous large format, is reminiscent of the very best historical illustrations of anatomy. But with a slant: all the birds are shown in lifelike positions, engaged in behaviour typical of the species.
Christmas giftTip!
From a fish’s-eye view of a swimming Red-throated Diver skeleton, to an unfeathered Sparrowhawk plucking its prey, and even a skeleton budgie looking in a mirror – The Unfeathered Bird is, conversely, more about living birds than dead ones.The book contains well over 300 exquisite drawings of 200 species from bird families throughout the world; living and extinct. Domesticated varieties are also very well represented and, indeed, provide many of the more surprising revelations in the book. Do you know, for example, what goes on under the fluffy topknot of a Polish Fowl? …or a Crested Duck…? Published this month by Princeton University Press, this magnificent coffee table book is already being talked about as one of the top Christmas gifts for any bird lover.
For more info, please see http://press.princeton.edu/titles/9843.htmlThe book can also be ordered on www.amazon.com or your bookstore.
Left: Pouter skeleton. Below: Jungle Fowl skeleton.
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NOORDSHOW3 , 4 and 5 January 2013
The Noordshow is a national exhibition with international participation. Exhibitors come from all over the Netherlands, but also from Germany and Belgium.As usual, the National Poultry Show of the KLN will be hosted by the Noordshow, and also a special Junior Show is part of the Noordshow.
Nearly all standardised breeds of large fowl poultry, bantams, ornamental and waterfowl, can be admired here, plus
many rabbits, cavies and pigeons.
There are many club stands and displays where the public can obtain information on the many breeds. There is a great variety of commercial stands as well.
About 15.000 visitors come to th e Noordshow.
For more info, please contact H. Mulder, e-mail: [email protected]
Or visit www.noordshow.nl
DISAPPEARING COLOUR . . .Anja Dolstra sent us some photos with the following question:"It started very slowly, I recall it was in spring when I firstly noticed that one of my old gold pencilled hens got more and more white feathers. In the one photo you can see her along with her sister, and in the other photo just her, almost white now. The two old hens are most certainly 10 years old. The last patch that still has gold penciled feathers is getting smaller every week now. Her eyes are still dark coloured. Do you have any idea why this is happening? "
We asked one of our team, Hein van Grouw, who has been researching phenomena like this for some time now. Hein informed us: "The white feathers of the chicken are almost certainly due to age. Not necessarily 'gray with age, but probably by a physical defect as a result of old age. So far I name this “Progressive Greying” and it is very common in the bird world. The exact causes of progressive greying are not yet known. Vitiligo may also be grouped under one of the possible causes for progressive greying. Given the age of the hen, however, old age - in combination with a related defect - is seen as the main cause. "
Thus it's not just old age - otherwise her sister would have become white too - but a combination of factors. If her physical condition would improve, could she after moulting regain her beautiful gold pencilled plumage? Time will perhaps tell ...
Right: The whitened hen together with her gold pencilled sister.
On the next page you will see another picture of the (almost) white hen.
Photos: Anja Dolstra.
And next a hen in the USA that also shed her black coloured plumage for white …
More mysteriously whitening chickens:
Carol Werner, USA, wrote:In 2009, I also had a black Marans pullet, who, while moulting, has shed her black plumage for white.
I was told this was caused by lack of pigment, which I suppose wasn't much of an explanation, she was black to begin with, however she was hatched with white legs, or sort of light grey.Finally this hen turned completely white, and remained that way for an entire year, until she molted again, then surprisingly enough, to me, she turned black again! This time, she retained a few white feathers for a few months, then went completely black. She never changed again, and I couldn’t tell her from the others. Later I had an older cuckoo Marans hen molt out with white feathers, but very mottled, then changed back. There were no bloodlines in common. This hen was at least 5 years old when this happened. I attributed this to age, but don’t really know. BTW, the hen was still alive as of July this year.
Hein van Grouw explained as follows: Temporary discolouration could be caused by a (physical) 'defect' during the moult. If the 'problem' is later resolved and the pigment cells in the skin are still present, then the normal colour will return again.
Carol Werner is also an artist, see her watercolor chickens on www.facebook.com/OldCrowTracksArt
MORE COLOUR PUZZLES . . .By Mick Bassett
This is mother and son, Saxon Priest.This breed can be very weird concerning colour! Mum on the left had just a couple of tiny coloured feathers behind the eye on the other side of her Cap marking; this is her 3rd moult with me and with this one she has developed a coloured patch on the top of her head!! That was never there before and her Cap had never been 'trimmed'.It worries me not a jot, as genetically she would be what she was, in the first year, it is just unusual for where white feathers were, the next moult to come through coloured! With most breeds this never happens!
INTERNATIONAL SHOW for fancy pigeons, rabbits and guinea pigs,
chickens, bantams, waterfowl & ornamental fowl
17, 18 en 19 January 2013 Home Boxx Exhibition Center
Symfonielaan 1, 3438 EW NieuwegeinThe Netherlands
www.championshow.nl
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December 18th 2012 !
VIDEO SUNSHINE STATE PIGEON FANCIERS 2012 SHOWThe biggest little pigeon show in Florida
By Bill Burnside
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAPwP7Z3BeE&feature=youtu.be
SKELETON OF A WWII CARRIER PIGEON FOUND IN AN ENGLISH CHIMNEY
When David Martin in Surrey (GB) was cleaning an unused chimney whilst renovating his fireplace, he found - amongst twigs and other debris - the remains of a dove. He thought it was just a dead pigeon, until a leg with a red tube came down from the chimney. The tube still contained a note with codes, combinations of numbers and letters. The dead pigeon turned out to be one of the many pigeons that Great Britain used during the Second World War to deliver messages from the battlefield to the headquarters in England. Code Breakers from the British government are now trying to decipher the code.
You can view the story in the accompanying movie:http://www.abcnews.go.com/International/video/home-chimney-yields-wwii-carrier-pigeon-message- 17617425
In our February 2010 issue we have published an article on these brave war pigeons,see http://www.aviculture-europe.nl/nummers/10E01A11.pdf
YOUNG BIRDS SHOW HANNOVER 2012Click the link for a photo album of the famous German photographer Rudi Proll, with beautiful poultry and pigeon photos of this large National Show in Germany:http://www.tierfotograf-proll.de/Saison2012/Hannover/index.htm
The photo numbers refer to the cage numbers, so with help of the catalogue you can find the name of the breed or the fancier. Download Catalogue: http://files.messe.de/cmsdb/D/000/26744.pdf
Make sure you do not under-dose medications, especially antibiotics. At too low doses, resistance is a serious problem. When administering medication via the feed or water it is difficult to dose, because there are chickens that will ingest too much and others who pick up nothing. To be certain each chicken is getting the full dose of medication, it is best to give the medication in a paste.
CHICKENS AND MEDICINESBy: Ron
First mix the drug into the mash and then add some water and stir to a crumbly paste. Or make a special paste, ideal e.g. porridge, bread crumbs or something. First mix in the medicine and then mix in water, yogurt or a raw egg. You can make this "paste" as fancy as you want, so that even spoiled chickens will eat it. For really fussy eaters you could add some sweet lemon syrup concentrate.
The chickens will eat it all quickly without leftovers. Make sure that the feed bowl is large enough for them to eat all at the same time.
This can also be done with vitamins or probiotics.
Photo: Buff Wyandotte bantam roosters are fed mash with cod liver oil and multivitamins.
NEW EDITION:PIGEON HOUSES OF MIDI-PYRÉNÉES
Book Review by Mick Bassett
I would like to review a new book with an English re- print, "Pigeon Houses of Midi-Pyrénées", by Philippe Poux and Claud Carrier (South West France)Soft cover, 50 pages, all colour, good quality gloss paper, excellent and descriptive photography.
There is a comprehensive three page introduction to the theme 'Pigeon Houses' in this particular region of France, the English translation is not so 'perfect' but for me this adds to the Charm of the Book and does nothing to decrease the enjoyment of this lovely example of an oft neglected aspect of pigeon keeping, the maintenance of pigeons as important food and fertiliser producers in the country landscape.The layout I found excellent and all pictures well titled, also the book gives a good impression of the Region and Landscape in which these Pigeon Houses are to be found and as stated, the pictures are excellent.Also a nice added touch, on pages 10 and 48 are two lovely watercolours by the Artist H.Gleyses.A book not only worthy of a place on any Pigeon lover’s library shelf but also any lover of the Countryside.
Christmas giftTip!
The book was published in March 2012 and is available in the French and English. The French edition ISDN 978-2-907380-52-2 The English edition ISDN 978-2-907380-53-9
You can order this book through Aviculture Europe. The price, including postage/shipping in Europe is 13,90 Euro. We have only a few books in stock, so if you are interested, please contact Nico van Benten at [email protected] and he will confirm your order and inform you about how to pay.