In the Netherlands, when you think about the moult, you quickly think of September. The races are coming towards the end, the days are getting shorter, the pigeons become a little quieter, and suddenly the loft is full of feathers. For many fanciers, that feels like the end of the season. For me, it feels more like the beginning of the next one.
Because during the moult, no prizes are won, but the next season is already being built.
A pigeon that comes through the moult well starts the new year with a different body than a pigeon that only half gets through it. New feathers, new covering, new flights, a fresh coat. You will see it later in the shine, the suppleness and the appearance. That is why I have never seen the moult as a lost period. It is a period where you, as a fancier, must stay calm, but still pay close attention.
September in the Netherlands
In the Netherlands, the heavy moult usually fits nicely with late summer and the beginning of autumn. The days become shorter, the season is over or almost over, and nature more or less gives the signal that the body may recover and renew itself.
That makes sense. A pigeon cannot stay in racing mode all year round. After breeding, training, racing and sometimes a lot of tension, the body has to rebuild. The moult is not a side issue in that process. It is a major biological renovation.
And anyone who has ever handled a pigeon moulting well knows what I mean. Such a pigeon may feel a little softer, a little calmer, less sharp than in the middle of the season. That is not a problem. That is part of it.
And in other countries
What I like about the international pigeon sport, especially now that I am also involved with One Loft Races and foreign fanciers, is that you see nature does not use the same calendar everywhere.
In Europe, September is the classic moulting period for many countries. Also in large parts of Asia and North America, autumn, roughly from September to November, is the natural period in which the moult often really starts to move through.
But when you go to the southern hemisphere, the story turns around. In countries such as South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and large parts of South America, autumn falls during our spring months. There, the natural moulting period can therefore be much earlier in the year, often more towards March, April and May.
Around the equator, it becomes even more interesting. There, the difference between long and short days is much smaller. Rainy periods, dry periods, breeding rhythm, feeding, light schedules and management can then play a bigger role in the rhythm of the pigeons.
That is why you should never look only at the calendar with pigeons. You have to look at where they are kept.
A pigeon in the Netherlands lives in a different rhythm than a pigeon in Spain, South Africa or Thailand. Nature is in charge everywhere, but she does not speak the same language everywhere.
Moulting is not illness
I sometimes hear fanciers say that their pigeons “are not right” during the moult. That can of course be true, but you have to make a distinction.
A pigeon that is moulting is not sick. It is renewing itself.
But that renewal costs energy. Feathers do not grow from thin air. The body needs building materials for that. Good proteins, fats, minerals, trace elements and enough rest. A feather is a beautiful piece of nature, but it is also a product of feeding, health and metabolism.
That is why I always find it strange when fanciers start feeding too carelessly during the moult. As if the season is over and it all does not matter anymore.
This is exactly the period where you have to take good care of them.
Do not make them fat. Do not exaggerate. But feed with common sense.
What I want to see
During the moult, I mainly look for regularity.
Are the flights coming through nicely? Does the pigeon keep a fresh eye? Are the droppings normal? Does the skin look good? Is there shine on the new feathers? Are they sitting relaxed? Are they not becoming too heavy? Is the loft dry and fresh?
That last point is often forgotten. Moulting and a poor loft climate do not go well together. Many feathers, more dust, sometimes a little more moisture, and then a loft that does not breathe properly. That is asking for problems.
A pigeon does not need draught during the moult, but it does need fresh air. No wet floor, no stale loft, no thick layer of dust.
The moult asks for rest, but not neglect.
Do not interfere too much
During the moult, a fancier must also be able to let go a little.
Do not try something different every week. Do not constantly treat the pigeons because you think they are a little quieter.
Observe. Help. But do not disturb unnecessarily.
A good moult needs rhythm. And you do not get rhythm when the fancier keeps changing everything.
Bath water is important to me in this period. Pigeons visibly improve from a good bath. It helps them take care of their feathers, and you often see immediately how much they enjoy it. You can also learn a lot from that. A healthy team in the moult enjoys a bath.
My advice
When September starts, do not only look at what is falling out, but especially at what is coming back.
The old feathers on the floor tell you that the season is behind you. The new feathers on the pigeon tell you something about the season that is coming.
Give your pigeons rest, good moulting feed, fresh air, a dry loft and regular bath water. Be careful with unnecessary medication, especially dewormers and sulfonamide-containing products, such as some treatments used against coccidiosis, and above all look at the whole picture.
A pigeon that comes through the moult well does not have to look like a champion in October or November. But it must renew itself in a healthy way.
Because the moult is not a pause | The moult is preparation.
And whoever understands that is already one big step ahead of another fancier. It already starts between the feathers on the floor.
Until the next blog,
Gerard Schalkwijk
Schalkwijk Speaks ️
