| Author: Bob Rowland | Title: Proteins |
| Date: 2003-06-13 21:52:28 | Uploaded by: webmaster |
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About 2 years ago I did an article explaining proteins and how this is a word that is really abused or misused. The proteins we are talking about that do the repairs are actually the amino acids and it goes deeper than this. There are (to the best of my knowledge) 28 known amino acids and of these there are 8 that are called essential amino acids. From these 8 the other 20 can be made and the essentials must be present or several of the other amino acids cannot be produced. Perhaps more amino acids have been discovered but I am not aware of them so I will stick with 28 known amino acids.
Amino acids are commonly called proteins but we need to understand that proteins are also referred to as "The Building Blocks" for repairing and development of the system. All too often we refer to dietary protein as PROTEIN so what are we really talking about? Is it the amino acids or is it dietary protein??
This is just a quick note to let others know that there is much for us to study to determine what to feed and how to feed it and when!!
Another thing we do not pay enough attention to is vitamins and minerals and especially the minerals so we keep the electrolytes in the proper balance. There are many ways to use the system to the best advantage but we make some major mistakes that can cost the pigeons their life. For example: when a pigeon returns from a real hot day race and we allow them to bury their head in the water pan, we may be creating a severe potassium depletion which if this is done, the pigeon could have a stroke or heart attack and die. This has happened to the best fanciers because in our attempt to treat our birds well, we make the mistake that nature may not have allowed.
I have friends that think a nice cool drink is just what the birds need upon return from a trying race but in reality they need to let the pigeons calm down and balance their system and their electrolytes before we allow them to drink more than they would naturally. In nature in the heat the water would be ambient temperature and not cooled down with ice or some other means of refrigerating it. We need to realize that supplemental electrolytes in that water is also very important.
Just a few tricks that could help you get more mileage out of your birds when you race in the heat. Here in Florida, we not only have heat but we also have a very high % of humidity so we have the double whammy. Not only that but as the heat increases so does the number of headwind races we get so everything in the pigeon must be in proportion or the pigeon can not perform to it's potential. As our temperature increases so do the number of headwind races and as the winter is coming, the races get faster from the cooler winds coming upon us from the north.
After we get a grasp the above, we need to learn about what to feed! The fuel for pigeon racing is fat but there are two different types of fats and they are referred to as omega 3 or omega 6. The proper relationship for the feed to be effective is 2 parts omega 6 to 1 part omega 3. Most of the standard feeds we have are as high as 30 parts omega 6 to 1 part omega 3. What this means is that the pigeons are not racing at their best potential because a diet that is so far out of proportion puts the immune system into what is known as TH-1 response which is a negative response to the immune system. What we need to do is to get the immune system to a TH-2 response, which is a favourable response. So with this little knowledge, we can immediately improve the system we use to race our pigeons. More on these issues at a later date!
Hope this helps:
Bob Rowland
SpringHill, FL USA
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