pOINTING IT OUT TO YOU!!! HOW TO CONDITION WHEN CONDITIONS CHANGE
As the weather turns warmer, there are changes that occur in our flocks and some things need to change to make this transition from cold to hot weather a better experience for conditioning.
There are only a few things that can cause overheating in these birds during competition, the main culprits are Ferrous Iron and Nux Vomica. Both can be quite problematic if used incorrectly.
First let’s talk about the multivitamins, we all use them in conditioning and on the yard and when the warmer weather comes in, we still need them, because the birds are physically getting ready for the molt, these changes start long before the first feathers start to drop. Frankly, I discontinue any products that contain Ferrous Iron as that particular type of iron can cause problems as the days get hotter. There are better options for your vitamins than the ones containing Ferrous Iron (Red Iron). There are vitamins that contain Peptonized Iron (Black Iron) and ones that contain Ferric Ammonium Citrate (Green Iron) and these do not cause overheating in the warmer weather.
So, in summary it is advantageous to discontinue your vitamins containing the Ferrous Iron during the warmer months. We recommend switching to a product like Black Mamba, which is a dropper style vitamin that contains the black iron or Vitalyte Capsules, these capsules contain the milder green iron, as there are not many options for injectable multivitamins that do not contain Ferrous Iron. For the yard you can use Vitamin/Electrolytes with no problems in regards to overheating.
On to the strychnine-based products. Few products cause more problems than Nux Vomica when it comes to overheating. That distinctive chirp is a dead giveaway during competition. There are summertime formulas that can be used in the heat, the best of those available is Stroud’s IQS Formula, this strychnine-based formula also contains, Quinine for cooling and the Ferric Ammonium Citrate. This old-time formula is in a dropper bottle and also contains Orange, Oil, this aids in drying the birds out when the humidity reaches over 80%. There is no such thing as a strychnine-based injectable for summertime use. The cooling-agent that is Quinine must be ingested and can never be injected. Quinine is a serious poison as an injectable.
There are other stimulants that can be used in the warmer weather, products like Red Viper, Pure Aggression, Stimlamine, Caffeine Sodium Benzoate, The Juice, ACTH and my personal favorite Dymine-2000. Some are injectable, some dropper, and some in capsules.
Feeding in the summer doesn’t have to be difficult, feed softer feeds and stay away from feeds that have a lot of popcorn in them, this popcorn takes a lot of energy to digest, energy that you may want to save for the show.
If you have further questions on summertime feeding, drop me an email or gimme a call, always here to help.
