There might be many different methods in pigeon care. These methods might show variances depending on the experience or the knowledge obtained from master fanciers. For one thing, there is also the systems of prevention and treatment of  illnesses with medicines where with out correct diagnostics result in pumping your pigeons with many chemicals. As you also know, for many of the pigeon illnesses there really is no medicine in the market that is solely made for pigeons.

In my opinion the base of the pigeon health is prevention. I try to provide a level of prevention by periodic vitamin additives and some traditional methods. In reality, there may not be any understanding of why some of the traditional methods are used. I want to tell you about some of my methods, which I have not seen any harm from and have seen some functions of it in protecting the stability in my loft.

Foundation of the prevention is hygiene and cleanliness. To obtain this, I do a deep cleaning with floor and nest scrapers once a week. I use a "Dezen" brand solution to disinfect most used equipment in the loft, and wash the waterers with chlorine to kill microbes and prevent fungus growth. I watch internal and external parasites very closely, which are invitations to many illnesses. I use "Neguvon" brand internal and external parasite medicine to prepare bath water twice a week for my birds. Bath should be only given in the morning or noon. Birds should not be left damp in the evening. When Neguvon is used, no other medicine should be used. Otherwise the other medicine and Neguvon can get into a reaction and cause poisoning. If I have birds that get feces pieces dried up around the anal area or they are rubbing this region to the ground, I mix "Göktasi", which is used commonly in grape vineries, into their water. Now, it has to be in the size of an half a corn grain mixed in to 5 lt. (1.32 Liquid US gallons) water. I can also say the Göktasi is effective against illnesses of the beak region.

I let the pigeons gather the materials they need by grazing the garden. Also, there is always a sand pool available. During its season I never forget to provide them with purslane "Portulaca oleracea" and during the molting season muskmelon "Cucumis melo" seeds. For calcium reinforcement, I mix crushed egg shells and cuttle bone dust into the feed through out the breeding season. Once a month I give, for every 20 pigeons, one dessert spoon full of sugar. The rock salt "Halite" is always available in my lofts and there is always a block of adobe brick outside of the loft in a location where it won't get wet.I have tightly isolated wild birds from my birds since they can carry illnesses and parasites like horse flies. For every new pigeon coming into the loft, I maintain a three week quarantine. Since I use the methods I have mentioned above, I can say for a long time I have not experienced any illnesses in my loft.

I have tightly isolated wild birds from my birds since they can carry illnesses and parasites like horse flies. For every new pigeon coming into the loft, I maintain a three week quarantine. Since I use the methods I have mentioned above, I can say for a long time I have not experienced any illnesses in my loft. Instead being the reason for our pigeons to get sick by not providing the necessary care for them, I recommend practicing the prevention methods to avoid illnesses to all pigeon fanciers.