The use of ECG in performance monitoring of sporting pigeons
2012
Zalaš, M., University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice | Molnár, L. | Freilichman, R.
The aim of this study was to use electrocardiography (ECG) as a non-invasive method to determine indirectly the performance of sporting pigeons. We assumed that the condition and performance of the heart muscle determined the performance of the pigeons which depends particularly on the exertional work load itself but also on heredity factors. We strived to determine whether the ECG examination might be useful when selecting the highest performance individuals and thus support the breeding aims or improve the breeding. The study was carried out on 30 clinically healthy pigeons, 10 pigeons of somatic type, 10 flying and 10 racing pigeons. We investigated differences between individual parameters obtained by a standard ECG system. We observed particularly those values which indicate changes in size and position of the heart; namely, amplitude values, duration of P wave, QRS complex and its individual components (R wave,S wave). The values obtained serve as an unambiguous proof of the fact that of all three investigated groups, the heart of racing pigeons was the biggest and one may assume also, the most efficient. The most marked difference was in the amplitude of which reached –1.627 mV on average (–1.3 to –2.06 mV), while in the other two groups this amplitude was lower. We concluded that the use of an ECG examination for monitoring the performance of pigeons in practice is justified and its routine application should be beneficial to pigeon breeding.
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