If you ask any experienced flier what health problem, he fears the most, then if it is the breeding season, he will say canker, but if it is the race season, he will say respiratory infection. Respiratory diseases are quite common in pigeons. They are the major cause of inferior performance and pigeon loss during the race season.
Young birds under stress are most at risk of contracting respiratory diseases, although healthy old birds can fall ill when exposed to respiratory diseases in the race basket. Race birds with respiratory infection can be difficult to detect and yet, like a human athlete with flu, cannot compete. When some fanciers talk about respiratory infection, they give the impression that they are discussing a single problem and, yet several organisms can be involved and often simultaneously.
Clinical respiratory infection in pigeons referencing our Pigeon vet is the result of the interplay of several factors but the type of infective organism and the vulnerability of the birds to infection are important. The respiratory system can be infected by Chlamydia, Mycoplasma, bacteria (E. coli), fungi, viruses, and mites. The control of some of these starts, in certain lofts, not only before racing and not even during breeding, but right before the stock birds are paired. Stress is always a key factor. The vulnerability of the pigeon is affected by what stress it is under. Stress weakens the bird, enabling infective organisms to cause clinical disease. The control of respiratory disease is therefore two-pronged.
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