Racing Pigeon Laboratory Testing

Respiratory Health & Racing Performance

Respiratory health is one of the most important factors in racing performance. If early signs of respiratory infection are missed, it can lead to poor race results and reduced performance.

A throat swab test is a vital test before racing to ensure that no upper respiratory infection is present. This test includes an antibiotic sensitivity report, which helps ensure that, if infection is detected, the correct antibiotic is prescribed for your birds.

Laboratory results show that birds can develop resistance due to the continuous overuse of certain respiratory products. When resistance develops, treatments may have little or no effect on the disease.

Even a small loss of performance can make a major difference. For example, if a pigeon loses just 3 seconds per mile over a 200-mile race, that equates to 900 seconds — or 15 minutes lost.

Clear respiratory tracks are essential for strong racing performance.

Advanced Respiratory Testing

We test for important respiratory infections including:

• Mycoplasma gallisepticum
• Escherichia coli
• Salmonella enteritidis
• Salmonella typhimurium
• Pasteurella multocida
• Bordetella bronchiseptica
• Streptococcus species

If your birds show signs of respiratory disease, they must be treated correctly using the correct antibiotic, based on laboratory testing and sensitivity results.