Abstract
The high demands placed on the performance of carrier pigeons are often reflected in their health and reduced immunity. Therefore, it is important to take sufficient care of their health from the hatching throughout the rearing of future competitors. The aim of the study was to monitor the development of the bacterial microbiota of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) during the first month of their life. Two examinations of young pigeons involved taking of swabs from crop and cloaca at 5th day after hatching and 30th day of weaning, when exposure of young pigeons to stress was expected. The results of the study suggested that crop microbiota of young pigeons until weaning is dominated by lactobacilli, such as L. fermentum, L. mucosae or L. agilis, and host-specific bacteria, namely enterococci and streptococci. From the cloacal swabs, E. coli, Ent. faecalis and Str. faecalis were most frequently detected during the two samplings. Commensal bacteria, particularly Str. gallolyticus and Str. sanguinis, which are part of the gastrointestinal microbiota, can act as opportunistic pathogens, mainly under stress conditions resulting in susceptibility to various diseases.
Highlights
IntroductionHigh demands are placed on the performance and health of carrier pigeons. Neat appearance and the ability to give top performance are the two most important traits that breeders try to achieve [1,2].If a breeder wants to succeed with his pigeons at races and shows, he must give them adequate care starting from hatching
Today, high demands are placed on the performance and health of carrier pigeons
Examination of 30 young carrier pigeons during the first month after hatching detected 10 different species of bacteria from crop and cloacal swabs with the highest abundance of Escherichia coli. This species was found in almost 90% of cloacal swabs taken from the examined birds
Summary
High demands are placed on the performance and health of carrier pigeons. Neat appearance and the ability to give top performance are the two most important traits that breeders try to achieve [1,2].If a breeder wants to succeed with his pigeons at races and shows, he must give them adequate care starting from hatching. High demands are placed on the performance and health of carrier pigeons. Neat appearance and the ability to give top performance are the two most important traits that breeders try to achieve [1,2]. If a breeder wants to succeed with his pigeons at races and shows, he must give them adequate care starting from hatching. A healthy pigeon can give maximum performance according to its abilities and present oneself to good advantage at shows attended by the breeding public. The breeders make an effort to ensure the best possible health of young carrier pigeons by developing and implementing suitable prophylactic programs and providing the birds balanced feed rations and a wide range of nutritional supplements. Every breeder should realize that the various stress factors to which an individual is exposed during its life weaken the organism and make it more susceptible to diseases [4]
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