IPSC NEWSLETTER 8 Autumn 2023 (1)

Fancy Pigeon NEWSLETTER Newsletter of the Ipswich Pigeon Specialist Club Inc. Autumn Edition 8 2023 English Fantail FEATURE BREED Australian National Pigeon Show Ipswich Showgrounds - Friday July 21st to Sunday July 23rd 2023

2023 IPSC Office Bearers Railway St Rosewood Patron- Jeff Krahenbring The Ipswich Pigeon Specialist Club is a ANPA affiliated club President - Gordon Jones and a proud supporter of the Australian National Pigeon Senior Vice President- Charlie Zwoerner Association National Shows. Host Club for the Vice President Alan Needham 2023 Ipswich National Pigeon Show Treasurer - John Wiseman Show Secretary - Phillip Cleghorn The IPSC would like to thank the Ipswich City Council for its ongoing financial P.O.Box 864 sponsorship of our Shows. Park Ridge Qld 4125 Happily supporting the Ipswich community and local Clubs. 2023 Sub Committee Newsletter Editor Gordon Jones Facebook Admins Gordon Jones, John Wiseman, Alan Needham Ring Coordinator John Wiseman National Show Secretary John Wiseman State Show Secretary Robin McCoombes Canteen Manager Noel Gillett Chief Stewart Dennis Johns IPSC Life Members John Wiseman Nell Wiseman Heather Bennett Don Liriges Robin McCoombes Phillip Cleghorn Dennis Johns Membership Fees 1 year $20.00 3 years $55.00 Juniors $5.00

FANTAIL STANDARD Head Small, fine and free from peak or shell. Beak thin, flesh coloured and of medium English Fantail Scale of Points length. The upper mandible slightly curved at the tip. Carriage 25 points Eye dark hazel or bull with very fine flesh Body 20 points coloured cere. Tail & Cushion 20 points Neck thin nicely curved and tapering off Plumage 10 points towards the head. The legyh of neck Legs & Feet 10 points corresponding withthe legth of back so as to enable the head to rest closely in the centre of the cushion. Legs And Feet: 10points Legs short or moderately short and free from feathers below the hocks. Thighs to blend into the body contour. Legs should be fairly well forward and set well apart. Feet small fine and neat, bright red in colour. Colour: 10points awarded for each recognized colour Action 8 points Head & Neck 7 points 100points Carriage : 25points Action 8points The bird should stand on its toes and walk in a jaunty or graceful manner with head thrown back and resting in contact with its cushion. Body to be carried so that the chest forms the highest point of the curve and without any sign of reaching to break the symmetry of the body. Flights should be short, close fitting and almost meeting at the tips, and wing butts and should be blended evenly into the curve of the chest without showing any sign of openness Tail carried well up, not being allowed to drop or incline forward, with the bottom shoeing feathers touching or almost touching the ground. When nicely settled the bird should be steady and well balanced.

Brown Barless Fantail Outstanding Tail Formation Andrew Kerns USA Wildbriar Lofts USA Pied Dark Chq Fantail Ash red Cheq Fantail Zoran Knezevic Serbia Dirk Janke Germany Creme Bar Young Hen Andrew Kerns USA

Lyell 1890 Moore mentions having seen black, blue, red, and yellow pieds. Three old paintings in my possession, that appear to be about 150 years old, represent Fantails. The best is a completely Turbit-marked, or Saddle-backed yellow, while the other two are almond-feathered. The latter have low- cut white heads and bibs, and are partly white in the tail. The author of the treatise mentions an almond Narrow-tailed Shaker, which was purchased by a certain nobleman. My two paintings of almonds represent more than Narrow-tailed Shakers, but they do not come up to the yellow Saddle-back, which is a very good Fantail. The red and yellow pieds must have become extinct in England, but black and blue pieds still exist, I believe. They also existed in Scotland fifty years ago, and were found in Dundee and its neighbour- hood. From forty to fifty years ago, there was imported into Dundee—from where is not certain, though a fancier there, Mr. David M‘Intosh, who remembers the bird well, asserts that it came from India—a well- marked black Saddle- back Shaker hen, of high quality, which was the origi- nator of the breed known as Dundee Saddle-backed Fantails. This hen, crossed with the then existing breed of black and blue pieds, produced a race of pied Broad-tailed Shakers of the greatest excellence, which have, unfortunately, become very scarce. A fancier named Mudie, who was lame, and went by the name of “Cripple Mudie,” had the strain about forty years ago, and he bred many excellent specimens of red and black-sided ones. He possessed the original hen, which, when mated with a black splashed cock, produced one or more red pieds, which were the progenitors of the Red- marked ones, now nearly extinct. From recent inquiries I have made, I believe this to be the true account of the origin of these birds. The original black-saddled hen was first secured by a Mr. Alexander Dow, who told me, in 1880, that he sold her to the said Mudie. One of the first pigeons I ever possessed was a red Saddle-backed Fantail. This was thirty-five years ago, and about ten years afterwards I had another red-sided cock of extraordinary style. The latter could never breed while I had it, but when it became three or four years of age it began to breed. It was then in the possession of a fancier named Mure, or Muir, in Glasgow, to whom I sold it, and I believe its descendants are still to the fore in the West of Scotland. The reason the coloured-sided birds became so scarce about Dundee was, that pure white ones became the fashion. To obtain these, crossing with whites was resorted to, but splashed and saddle-marked ones long continued, and still continue, to come, even when breeding whites together, on account of the coloured strain there is in them. As far as I ever saw, the Dundee Saddle-backs were seldom marked quite so accurately as a Turbit, kut had generally more or less coloured feathers in the head, neck, and breast, and sometimes in the tail. The few good ones still in existence are marked more or less in the same way, though they do not appear so at shows. Careful breeding would, however, do much to rectify this, if even only a few persevering fanciers were to turn their thoughts to the breed. JI know one or two who are directing their attention to Saddle-backs, and hope they will be successful. There is no doubt in my mind that the bird or birds which originated the Dundee breed of Fantails came from India, because I had one of the same style in Calcutta. It was a red Saddle-back cock, the exact counterpart of the one I sold to the Glasgow fancier some twenty-five years ago. I bought it in the Tiretta Bazaar, Calcutta, about 1870, and it was the only one of the wonderful Shaking breed I ever saw there.

Milky Brown Saddle Fantail Recessive White Fantail Alan Needham Australia Zeljko Knezevic Serbia Dark Chq Fantail Dark Chq Fantail Perica Martinov Croatia Zeljko Knezevic Serbia Ash red White Tail Fantail 2022 Black lace frill stencil hen. Иванов Иван Bulgaria Andrew Kerns USA

ipsc AUGUST ALL AGE SHOW —- ROSEWOOD SHOWGROUNDS 370 entries Champion Pigeon of Show Champion Pigeon of Show Rodney Brown British Show Racer Rodney Brown Reserve Champion OF Show Showpen Homer Roy Gurdler THird Runner up Chinese Owl Grace Zwoerner Fourth Runner up Silesian Swallow Darren Rafton champion pigeon junior section Chinese Owl Grace Zwoerner Best of Breeds Best Pigmy Pouter John Wiseman Res Champion Pigeon of Show Best Norwich Cropper J & S Lau Roy Gurdler Best Brunner Pouter Charlie Zwoerner Champion Junior Pigeon Best Voorburg Shield Cropper J & S Lau & 3rd overall Grace Zwoerner Best Cropper AOV Charlie Zwoerner Champion Swallow & 4th overall Best Showpen Homer Roy Gurdler Darrien Rafton Reserve Showpen Homer Don Liriges Best British Show Homer Rodney Brown Reserve British Show Homer Rodney Brown Best English Dragoon Ron Pollock Best APT Graham Sengstock Res APT Graham Sengstock Best Long Faced Tumbler John Reid Best Limerick Tumbler Noel Gillett Best Shaker Pigeon J & S Lau Best Frillback J & S Lau Best Damascene Dennis Johns Best Swallow Darren Rafton Best Jacobin Gordon Jones Best Chinese Owl Phil Cleghorn Best Carneau J & S Lau

Queensland State Pigeon Show Sunday June 4th 2023 Rosewood Showgrounds All entries to be forwarded to the IPSC State Show Secretary:- Robin McCoombes 40 Old Toowoomba Rd, Ipswich 4305 email - [email protected] text or phone - 0490521460 Australian National Pigeon Show Friday July 21st to Sunday July 23rd 2023 Ipswich Showgrounds All entries to be forwarded to the IPSC National Show Secretary:- John Wiseman 1138 Pine Mt Rd, Pine Mountain. 4306 email - [email protected] 07 54643784 IPSC YOUNG BIRD CLASSIC Sunday 20th August 2023 Rosewood Showgrounds All entries to be forwarded to the IPSC Classic Show Secretary:- Robin McCoombes 40 Old Toowoomba Rd, Ipswich 4305 email - [email protected] text or phone - 0490521460

Brown symbolized with the lower case letter b is the first of three basic colors to be found in pigeons. Please bear with me for a minute as we must first wade through some genetic introduction stuff before we can begin looking at the color brown. It will only take a moment so stay with me. OK here we go. As I said above there are three basic colors found in pigeons. Sure we can see what looks like an endless list of different colors but these are all based upon one of these first three basic types. In addition to brown (b) the other two in their order of higher dominants are blue/black (B+) and ash red (BA). The genes for these basic colors are found on the Z sex chromosome. Since sex is involved, it naturally follows that there be a difference between cocks and hens. That difference is in the number of Z chromosomes present. Cocks have two Z chromosomes and while hens have only one. This major difference is shown in the symbols used to denote them. So how do we denote the color brown for cocks and hens. This is done using an alpha code with the letter b in lower case to denote one single gene for brown. Since the symbol b is in lower case we know it to be recessive to the other two in this same basic color grouping. In addition, since the gene for brown is located on a sex chromosome and since a hen only has one Z then brown hens are symbolized as b/- to denote only one color gene and /- one sex chromosome. To further clarify let me denote how a brown cock is symbolized. Here we use b//b to denote a pair of chromosomes and in this case they are both brown. Had we used b//+ or b//B+ or even b//BA then the symbols would be telling us that the bird was carrying the gene for brown but also carried a more dominant color of blue/black or ash red and would display the more dominant of the two. For now lets just remember that the symbols of (b//b) for a cock and (b/-) for a hen denote the same basic color of brown. Their difference is in the number of sex chromosomes and alternately the number of color genes to be found there. A single back slash with a minus symbol /- is only used to denote a hen. A double back slash // denotes a pair of chromosomes be they a matching set of sex chromosomes for a male or a pair of autosome chromosomes for either sex. Since a single color gene resides on each Z chromosome a cock will have two genes for color while a hen is limited to only one. The second set of symbols to the right of the sex chromosome symbols represents all the remaining autosome or non sex chromosome pairs. An example would be the pattern genes which are symbolized as (c//c) two genes for barless, (C+//C+) two genes for bar or (CL//CL) two genes for light checker. It is important to remember that the number of autosome chromosome pairs do not differ between cocks and hens. That translates to mean there are no differences between the sexes as it relates to the number of genes found there. Now were done with the basic stuff and we can begin looking at some of the various types of browns. Brown will fade into a cream color and then fray with age by the suns rays. This is why Brown is not commonly found in most racing lofts. Brown wing feathers do not hold up to the stress of racing. Brown as a color is often confused with the diluted form of blue. The two checkered birds, shown above, is an example of the difference between normal blue and diluted blue. When displayed on a bar or checker pattern, dilute blue is called silver. Please, do not confuse the tern Silver with an ash-red bar or mealy. The American practice of some racing enthusiast in referring to mealy as silvers is incorrect. To the rest of the English speaking world and this includes the US Show birds, the term for silver is in reference to a dilute blue bar or checker. Its usage predates the racing flyers miss use of the term. Dilute blue in combination with spread is correctly called a dun. Some t-checker blue dilutes because they are nearly solid in color may also be given the term dun check.

location. I then used gravel to provide a ceiling. To separate the compartment I firm high base to build on. Because we used a 2X4 wood frame with plywood on live in a northern climate I wanted the loft the bottom high enough so the birds can to face south to give maximum not see from the floor into the next sunlight. Because rodents and other compartment. Above this I used stucco animals can be a problem I wanted my wire. This allows the most light and air to loft to protect my birds so I built my loft flow between compartments and I am on poles up off the ground about three able to see from one end of the loft to the feet. This allows air flow and light under other and the birds will not climb as bad the loft which discourages intruders such on this as with chicken wire. as raccoons, skunks, rats, mink and the like. Having the loft up like this also Clint Robertson Canada ensures the loft will stay dry. Something I Before I put any of the wire up or do not like in a loft is a concrete floor. I placed birds in the loft I painted the entire When constructing a pigeon loft have just seen far too many of these that loft, nest boxes, perches and fly pen there are many things you must take into seem to result in health problems in the frames with a bright coloured quality birds. I believe a wood floor is the best. paint. I used white to make sure the loft stays bright and to make the loft more consideration. First is how much money My loft has a 6 inch insulated wood floor sanitary and attractive. you are willing to spend, how much with the surface made of fur plywood. space you have, and what kind of building codes you may have to take into I can keep different ages, sexes My fly pen is built on a gravel consideration. Then you will want a loft and varieties of birds separate. In the base with wire trenched into the ground that will allow your particular variety of end I decided to make the loft 40 feet around the outside edge to discourage pigeons to live comfortable, healthy lives long with 5 compartments for birds, each animals from digging in. The fly pen is and at the same time let you enjoy and one being 6 feet wide and the width of built as a lean-to onto the south side of care for them properly. I have seen a the loft (8 ft). The remaining 10 feet the loft. I have a roof on the fly pen which wide variety of lofts ranging from simple would provide space for an area for me is made of steel sheeting alternating with to elaborate that have worked well and to study and pen train my birds as well as clear sheeting so sunlight gets into the others not so well. store feed, shipping containers and so loft. I have the ends of the fly pen closed on. off with a large sliding window at each Over the years, through my own end which can be left open in good experience and by talking to many I constructed all my nest boxes weather or closed in windy or rainy successful pigeon men I have found that to face south so the north wall is the only weather. These windows are also covered with wire on the inside to there are some things you will want to do wall with no windows. I placed the doors prevent the birds from sitting on the when making a loft. There are some very that connect the compartments all along ledge or getting out and to keep important issues that effect pigeon health the south wall. The doors between the predators out. The front of the pen is that a loft must provide. compartments are framed so they are up covered by a heavy gauge 1 inch square off of the floor 4 inches so the bedding mesh. The bottom is solid for about 24 First, A loft must be dry. material I use does not interfere with the inches off the ground so passing animals Moisture and dampness breeds door opening and closing properly. I put cannot easily see in or frighten the birds. sickness. spring loaded hinges on all the doors so My loft is wired with lights in every no other clasps to hold them shut were compartment as well as in the fly pens. needed and I can walk about with my This way I can feed and water my birds Second, A loft needs fresh air hands full and not worry about opening whenever I want on the short winter without drafts. This is essential for the and closing doors. days. I leave the doors open into the fly health of both the birds and the fancier. pens year round. Third, A loft needs to be bright Make sure the doors are made and well lit - preferably with sunlight to open towards you when entering the when possible. There are other compartments so as not to crush birds or requirements but these three are a must. eggs that you cannot see on the opposite I recently built a new loft which side of the door. I am sure sliding doors incorporates all of the lessons and on rails would work just as well and have requirements I have learned over the the same effect. I also made sure my loft years. was not too high inside so the birds cannot fly above your reach and avoid being caught and become wild. I can First I selected a dry sheltered comfortably reach up and touch the

I have 20 very good Quality British Show Racers for sale. These birds are available in most colours & patterns. $20 each. Please contact Robin McCoombes Ipswich Queensland mobile 0490521460

Paratyphoid is one of the most familiar and important diseases for pigeon fanciers. Paratyphoid is caused by a bacterium called Salmonella. This is a disease that has been with pigeon fanciers since pigeons were first kept and yet, even in recent years, this problem is still revealing some of its secrets to us. Much of our understanding and knowledge, diagnostic methods and treatments have changed in the last ten years. This chapter is a summary of current knowledge about this disease and includes the current diagnostic techniques and recommended treatments. When pigeons are exposed to Salmonella, a variety of outcomes can occur. Some birds may clear the organism from their system without becoming unwell. Some will become sick. Even with effective treatment and apparent recovery. Not all birds will clear the organism from their system. Birds that appear normal but are carrying the infection in their bodies are called asymptomatic carriers. We now know that these are the main source of infection. These carrier birds intermittently shed the organism in their droppings. Further birds become infected, typically through ingesting food or water contaminated with these birds’ droppings. Asymptomatic carriers, although carrying the organism in their system, may appear completely normal or, at most, only show mild symptoms such as intermittent diarrhoea or, perhaps even more subtly, reduced race performance or reduced reproductive ability. A common belief among fanciers is that if some birds are unwell and there is evidence of rodents in the loft, then perhaps their birds could have paratyphoid. Until recent years, standard knowledge throughout the veterinary and pigeon community was that paratyphoid in pigeons was caused by the bacterium Salmonella typhimurium. This species of Salmonella was regarded as a widespread organism in nature. It was thought that the variety that infected pigeons also infected many other animals, particularly rodents. After all, the organism’s name ‘typhimurium’ literally means ‘typhoid of mice’. It is now thought that infection through rodents is unlikely. We still have a lot to learn, but our understanding of Salmonella infection in pigeons has changed over the past few years. Today’s technology enables us to type various strains of Salmonella very specifically. The Salmonella strains that can cause clinical disease in pigeons can be identified right down to the phage type. It is thought that these phage types are likely only to cause disease in pigeons. This means that Salmonella strains found in other animals such as wild birds, chickens and other mammals, including rodents, do not cause disease in pigeons. It seems likely that Salmonella in pigeons is a pigeon-to-pigeon disease, the source of infection being asymptomatic carrier birds or their droppings. Non- infected birds can be exposed to asymptomatic carriers in the race basket or in the home loft if carriers are introduced by the fancier. Effective antibiotic treatment. Once Salmonella has been diagnosed by your vet it is always best to have the actual strain identified in your birds tested by your vet’s lab against a number of antibiotics to see which antibiotic is most effective at treating it. With today’s multi-resistant strains of Salmonella, it is possible to spend a lot of money and put a lot of effort into using an antibiotic that just will not work. Don’t be cheap. Have the testing done. That way you will be confident that the antibiotic you are using will be effective in your loft. Most common Salmonella strains are sensitive to either the fluoroquinolone antibiotics for example, enrofloxacin \"Baytril\" or sulphur-based antibiotics for example, trimethoprim/ sulphadiazine, \"Sulpha AVS\". Some are sensitive to tetracyclines e.g. doxycycline. Few are sensitive to the penicillins for example, amoxicillin. Once the antibiotic to be used has been selected, this needs to be given as a long course. Treatment times of 10 to14 days are usual. Thorough cleaning. While the antibiotic course is proceeding, the loft needs to be thoroughly cleaned. A diagnosis of Salmonella is one of the few indications for actually wetting the loft with a disinfectant. Choose the morning of a warm day. Thoroughly clean the loft. Move the birds out. Spray the diluted disinfectant F10 or Virkon on to the scraped surface and into the nooks and crannies. Another disinfectant agent recommended by vets is chlorine dioxide. A common brand name is \"Oxine A.H.\" This is useful to help control not only bacterial but also viral problems. When using this, citric acid is added to make ‘activated oxine’. The resultant solution will turn yellow and give off a faint odour of chlorine. This is diluted in water 5 ppm for the drinking water and 200 ppm for loft fogging e.g. with a ‘Fog Master’. After adding water the solution can be used for seven to ten days and does not lose potency. The birds can be left in the loft during fogging.

All rings sizes are sold in lots of 10. This ring order form can be posted or emailed to the IPSC Ring Co-Ordinador:- 7mm Size A _________________ 8mm Size B _________________ Mr. John Wiseman 1138 Pine Mt Rd, Pine Mountain 4306. 9mm Size C _________________ email:- [email protected] 10mm Size D _________________ 11mm Size E _________________ Direct Debts payments can be made to the follow account:- 12mm Size F _________________ IPSC. Bendigo Bank 633000 - 117884114 13mm Size G _________________ Name............................................................... Total Rings Ordered _________________ Street.............................................................. Town......................................PC..................... Postage if required ($10) _________________ email............................................................... phone............................................................. Total to pay @ 50c per ring $_________________ 2024 Rings will be released on the 1st of June 2024 2024 ring orders need to be received by the 1st of NOVEMBER 2023