Why Early Feeding Elevates the Health and Performance of Your Racing Pigeons
Why is the moment of launch the defining factor between success and failure? Many fanciers ask when they should start using BergerPearls No.1. My counter question is simple: why wait when the decisive advantage lies in an early start?
BergerPearls No.1 is far more than just a supplement. It is a scientifically backed, functional nutritional concept that combines energy, gut health, immune modulation, and antimicrobial stability. These mechanisms of action only reach their full potential if the pigeons are familiarized with the pearls early and regularly.
More than 40 years of experience in breeding and product development, combined with current scientific data, show a clear truth:
Those who start in the winter will win in the spring.
Starting too late means throwing away performance and stability.
In this article, you will discover why the right starting time is a hidden performance factor in pigeon racing and how to use BergerPearls No.1 optimally.
Redefining Modern Racing Pigeon Nutrition
BergerPearls No.1 combines several functions that were previously only available through many separate products. Each pearl contains:
An energy rich peanut base
Probiotics and prebiotics
Digestive enzymes
Beta glucans and colostrum
MCT fatty acids
Toxin binders such as bentonite and zeolite
Essential vitamins and trace elements in chelated form
Herbs such as carvacrol (oregano extract)
The gentle pelletizing process protects heat sensitive substances like probiotics or plant extracts. This ensures the pearls remain fully active, providing a major advantage over traditional pellets or extrudates.
Why Winter is the Ideal Time to Start
The best time to introduce BergerPearls No.1 to your loft is right now during the resting phase. Here is why:
Hunger intensifies learning: Pigeons are most likely to accept new feed when temperatures are low and their metabolism rewards food intake.
No racing load: Without training or competition flights, the birds are calmer and less stressed, making the acceptance of new feed components significantly higher.
The resting phase creates ideal conditions: The loft is quiet, allowing for a controlled introduction of the pearls.
Microbiome and immune system benefits: Probiotics, beta glucans, and MCT fatty acids require days to weeks to fully develop their effects.
Easier transition to breeding: A stable gut leads to fewer fluctuations in form, faster regeneration, and lower infection pressure.
In short: starting early means starting the pigeon year with a head start.
The Introduction Strategy: Feeding BergerPearls No.1 Correcty
Phase 1: Separated Pre-Feeding (2 to 3 days)
This phase determines long term success. Offer a small amount of pearls in the feeding trough before the grain mixture in the morning. Pigeons will eat reliably due to their hunger instinct. They must learn to recognize the pearls as an independent and attractive component.
Phase 2: Mixed Feeding (5% during the resting period)
Once the entire loft is eating the pearls safely, mix them at a rate of 5% with the grain feed. This should be done daily or at least 5 to 6 days per week. No extra mixing with oils is required.
Scientific Insight: Continuous small doses of probiotics and MCTs are physiologically more effective than high single doses. Probiotics need daily stimuli to form stable colonies, while beta glucans modulate the immune system through constant activation of receptors rather than peak loads.
Phase 3: Increase for Breeding Preparation (10% for 7 to 10 days)
One week before mating, increase the amount to 10%. This covers the rising physiological needs during this sensitive phase. The energy rich peanut base provides quick energy and high quality amino acids, while vitamins and minerals support hormonal regulation and egg quality.
An additional benefit is that well nourished parent pigeons produce more immunoglobulins in their crop milk. This provides a decisive start advantage for young birds in terms of vitality and growth.
Why an Early Start is Biologically Superior
Probiotics need colonization: Strains like Bacillus subtilis and Enterococcus faecium need time to establish themselves in the gut to provide pH stabilization and mucosal protection.
Beta glucans train the immune system: The immune “awakening” requires regular stimuli rather than a one time shock. Starting late during the racing season means the immune system is not yet fully “awake.”
MCT fatty acids build pressure: These acids provide selective germ control through membrane dissolving activity against pathogens. Daily management creates a constant antimicrobial environment.
Toxin binders need time: Bentonite and zeolite relieve the liver and digestive tract by binding mycotoxins. This positive effect is created over weeks of constant binding capacity.
The Bottom Line
By introducing BergerPearls No.1 during the quiet winter phase, you take advantage of a biologically ideal moment. Your pigeons are relaxed and ready to learn. Early, regular feeding strengthens the microbiome and activates the immune system before the stress of training or breeding begins.
Starting early gives you the lead. Starting late means you are always chasing the form.
Alfred Berger
