# Rehydration after a Race?



## white flight (Oct 19, 2008)

Hi All!

Hot or not Hot!

What do you recommend in the drinker after a race from say from 180 miles to 500 miles?

Electrolytes, or glucose, or fructose or plain water in the drinker to rehydrate the pigeon? OR what is working for you?

white flight ZA


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## whitesnmore (Sep 9, 2004)

I use electrolytes on day of return and follow up with Virkon S on Monday to rid of any possible negatives they may have picked up while racing. On tuesday and wednesday they get repiratory every other week and on thursdays they get ACV and probotics. On fridays they get vitamins in the water in the am and wins more in all the PM's tues thru Fridays. Saturday they get clear water and something "Special" in the Am only and clear water in the evening prior to basketing. Only changes are every other week we use Nolvasan instead of Virkon S on Mondays. 
Ken


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## ace in the hole (Nov 27, 2007)

whitesnmore said:


> I use electrolytes on day of return and follow up with Virkon S on Monday to rid of any possible negatives they may have picked up while racing. On tuesday and wednesday they get repiratory every other week and on thursdays they get ACV and probotics. On fridays they get vitamins in the water in the am and wins more in all the PM's tues thru Fridays. Saturday they get clear water and something "Special" in the Am only and clear water in the evening prior to basketing. Only changes are every other week we use Nolvasan instead of Virkon S on Mondays.
> Ken


Most of the top fliers will not tell you everything they do before or after a race. The " Special" things they do in training and so on. Those are the things that help keep them on top of the sheet. I to have "Special" things that I do and that I give to my birds. Your best bet is to find a mentor who is willing to teach you "All" he knows.

As for upon the return from a race honey & green tea in their water is a good way to go.

Ace


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## Bluecheckard (Jun 23, 2008)

ace in the hole said:


> Most of the top fliers will not tell you everything they do before or after a race. The " Special" things they do in training and so on. Those are the things that help keep them on top of the sheet. I to have "Special" things that I do and that I give to my birds. Your best bet is to find a mentor who is willing to teach you "All" he knows.
> 
> As for upon the return from a race honey & green tea in their water is a good way to go.
> 
> Ace


yup that's right ace.


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## Matt D. (May 12, 2007)

If your birds are healthy I just give a low dose of electrolytes and if they aren't healthy why'd ya send em?


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Matt D. said:


> If your birds are healthy I just give a low dose of electrolytes and if they aren't healthy why'd ya send em?


Are we in a bad mood tonight????
Rehydrating your birds after a race has nothing to do with whether they are healthy or not.


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## Matt D. (May 12, 2007)

Lovebirds said:


> Are we in a bad mood tonight????
> Rehydrating your birds after a race has nothing to do with whether they are healthy or not.


Bad mood... eh.. I'm not sure. But I have noticed something with my birds. I can tell which birds are in superior health by how fast they recover from a race. If I see a bird that is still tired by Sunday night from a (saturday) young bird race I know that something is up. Usually after a race The next morning they are all out flying, especially in young birds. I've experimented with this. If I see birds that don't 'bounce back' as fast as everyone else; i held them over the next week. Then the week after, they went back into the shipping basket. They had more rest, less stress, a good recovery time; not only did they come home and recover just as fast as everyone else. This time they were in better time than before. I've found that healthier birds will bounce back much quicker and with less 'stuff.' This is why I said what I did. And I actually think that everything has to do with whether they are healthy or not.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Matt D. said:


> Bad mood... eh.. I'm not sure. But I have noticed something with my birds. I can tell which birds are in superior health by how fast they recover from a race. If I see a bird that is still tired by Sunday night from a (saturday) young bird race I know that something is up. Usually after a race The next morning they are all out flying, especially in young birds. I've experimented with this. If I see birds that don't 'bounce back' as fast as everyone else; i held them over the next week. Then the week after, they went back into the shipping basket. They had more rest, less stress, a good recovery time; not only did they come home and recover just as fast as everyone else. This time they were in better time than before. I've found that healthier birds will bounce back much quicker and with less 'stuff.' This is why I said what I did. And I actually think that everything has to do with whether they are healthy or not.


Well, I feel like we're hijacking this thread (sort of)......but I don't agree with everything you said. Doesn't make you OR me right or wrong...........all birds are not alike. They don't all fly the same, they don't all eat the same, they don't recover the same. All humans are not alike. For instance, how many of the swimmers in this years olympics do you think could have performed day in and day out like Michael Phelps did? He's one special human being. It made me tired to just watch him. Were the other athletes not as "healthy" as he was? I'm sure they trained as hard as they could and ate all the right stuff, etc..........bottom line was, they weren't built like MP.
It's the same with our birds. Just because they all have wings and feathers, doesn't make them all alike and doesn't mean they should all perform the same and if they don't, it doesn't mean they aren't healthy. Just means they are different.


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## Matt D. (May 12, 2007)

Lovebirds said:


> Well, I feel like we're hijacking this thread (sort of)......but I don't agree with everything you said. Doesn't make you OR me right or wrong...........all birds are not alike. They don't all fly the same, they don't all eat the same, they don't recover the same. All humans are not alike. For instance, how many of the swimmers in this years olympics do you think could have performed day in and day out like Michael Phelps did? He's one special human being. It made me tired to just watch him. Were the other athletes not as "healthy" as he was? I'm sure they trained as hard as they could and ate all the right stuff, etc..........bottom line was, they weren't built like MP.
> It's the same with our birds. Just because they all have wings and feathers, doesn't make them all alike and doesn't mean they should all perform the same and if they don't, it doesn't mean they aren't healthy. Just means they are different.


First off, Michel Phelps is the '019' of the Olympic swimmers. 

Second off, Nothing I said had to do with time. I was talking about the fact if 40 hours after the birds trapped they were still tired, then their bodies weren't up-to-snuff. Most likely because of how hard I push my birds. I do a huge amount of training and I expect a lot out of my birds. Some of them have a bad day that seems to 'snowball' into bad health. That is what I meant. If birds are late, some times its connected to this. Sometimes to inferior genetics. Sometimes to a mistake the birds make. And the rarest of all, is because of a mistake.... I made.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Matt D. said:


> First off, Michel Phelps is the '019' of the Olympic swimmers.


Agreed.



Matt D. said:


> And the rarest of all, is because of a mistake.... I made.



Ok Matt. Hope you have a better day tomorrow. I'm going to leave you alone now.


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## Matt D. (May 12, 2007)

Lovebirds said:


> Ok Matt. Hope you have a better day tomorrow. I'm going to leave you alone now.


Haha. I had a good day. Just poking fun at some of the stupid... very stupid.... Okay REALLY stupid things I've done in the last 15 years when it comes down to wanting to beat grandpa. So please, keep grilling me all you want.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Matt D. said:


> Haha. I had a good day. Just poking fun at some of the stupid... very stupid.... Okay REALLY stupid things I've done in the last 15 years when it comes down to wanting to beat grandpa. So please, keep grilling me all you want.


LOL........how many stupid things COULD you have done when you were 1 year old????????? How about maybe the last 10 years. LOL
Just pickin'.........I've had a long day so I'm calling it a night.


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## Matt D. (May 12, 2007)

Lovebirds said:


> LOL........how many stupid things COULD you have done when you were 1 year old?????????


Ohhh, You'd be surprised.  Goodnight.


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## george simon (Feb 28, 2006)

*Read The Latest*

*Well I recieved the DEC 1 issue of the Racing Pigeon Digest, and there is an artical by Dr.Gordon A Chalmers DVM, that you all should read [Biochemical Changes in Racing Pigeons During and After a Race.] The answer to this thread is in that artical. In a a few words I will tell you he said do not give eletrolytes to returning birds but give plain water.READ THE ARTICAL. *GEORGE


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## DEEJAY7950 (Dec 13, 2006)

A nice treat "GATORAID G2" Grape Hmmm soo good!


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## white flight (Oct 19, 2008)

Hi all!

Dr Gordon Chalmers has onced again confirmed in an article called " Biochemical events in pigeons during and after a race" that after numerous experiments were conducted it can be stated "... electrolytes are simply not needed - either beore or after a race." 

However, when pigeons become dehydrated from diseases such as paratyphoid where diarrhea is common, electrolytes should be given! (Extract from: S.A. World Pigeon News, p6.)

Once again - "Each to his own" - I say! 

George Simon you already mentioned this earlier, I am only confirming what I/you have read!

white flight ZA


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

That is good to know. I think it may be the same with vitamins and minerals in that as long you feed your birds different grains you don't need to give them separate vitamins and minerals.

In human rehydration may be the opposite compared to pigeons. Those gatorade helps mostly likely because we sweat those electrolytes out. I love science. It gives us unexpected view.


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## white flight (Oct 19, 2008)

Hi all!

What about "tying-up" the next day, i.e. unforced light exercise to rid the muscles of toxins and lactic acid? 

I've tried it before but some birds don't move from their perches, they seem so stiff if the race was especially taxing.

Perhaps it should be more of an "open-loft" with a bath? 

white flight ZA


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## george simon (Feb 28, 2006)

white flight said:


> Hi all!
> 
> What about "tying-up" the next day, i.e. unforced light exercise to rid the muscles of toxins and lactic acid?
> 
> ...


 I agree a warm bath and let them relax. GEORGE


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