Protein or amino acid requirement?

Proteins are the body's building materials. Depending on their function in the body, proteins can be divided into structural components of feathers and cell walls - for the development of muscles, enzymes and hormones - for optimal functioning of the immune system - as transport vehicles in the blood. Proteins are made up of amino acids: essential, non-essential and semi-essential. The body cannot produce the essential amino acids. They must therefore be supplied through food (pigeon food mixtures or supplements). A biologically complete protein contains all the essential amino acids in sufficient quantities to meet the pigeons' protein needs. In sufficient quantities, because pigeons do not create an amino acid reserve, as there is a first-limiting amino acid, namely the one whose content in the feed is lowest and which determines how much “new” protein can be built up (cf. Liebig's minimum ton ). The following amino acids are found in the crop milk of pigeons: tryptophan, methionine, phenylalanine, isoleucine, arginine, leucine and lysine. The limiting essential amino acids in pigeons are lysine, methionine, tryptophan and arginine. Grain and seed mixtures sometimes contain too little methionine and lysine. You can supplement these essential amino acids with a supplement and thus improve the quality of the protein source used, instead of trying to compensate for the deficiency by using more of the “poorer” protein source.

Vitamins: the more, the better?

Vitamins are vital organic substances that the body only needs in small quantities. Each has a specific function, and they are important for building enzymes and coenzymes. Vitamins cannot be produced by the body itself and must be obtained through diet. The daily vitamin requirement can increase in pigeons when they have to work hard (when rearing, moulting or during the racing season), after an illness (diarrhea, intestinal inflammation) or after taking medication. The vitamins that play a role in (fat) metabolism and (fat) burning are sometimes referred to as sports vitamins (B vitamins, vitamin E and biotin). Vitamins that support growth and resistance are called breeding or moulting vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin C and some B vitamins). Since vitamins are essential for metabolism, they must be consumed daily, preferably from natural sources (high-quality grain mixtures or brewer's yeast) or well-balanced supplements (especially the B vitamins) in recommended doses.

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