All Entries in the "Health" Category
Cocks unwell and not Hens and Vice Versa
“Going light” – two examples of sound procedural advice on what are mysterious problems for even the most experienced of us.
Ultra Violet Lighting Scare
A leading Red Eye breeder built a new aviary and installed UV lighting. To his dismay, he found some red eyes going blind with these lights.
Drinking Water – Chlorine
Chlorine is a halogen – these can be killers above a dose of 100 parts per million in birds and small mammals.
Drinking Water – Fluoride
In the United Kingdom, the question of fluoride being added to the water supplies has been raised by fanciers in the Salisbury area, as in nearby Southampton fluoride has been added to the tap water.
Going Light
The item that causes more distress and problems within our aviaries is the matter that we term “Going Light”.
Reducing Stress Due to Transportation
The stresses of long journeys are obvious involving crating, unfamilar noises en route, changes of seed and water on arrival in new premises
Tails You Lose! – Part 3
As readers may already be aware, I am trying to establish if the loss of tail feathers can be attributed to nutrition, feather mite infestation, lice or another unknown cause.
Nigel Tonkin on Bird Health
In this article, Nigel Tonkin (President of the Budgerigar Council of South Australia) discusses products he uses to maintain budgerigar health.
Jos Reynders & Daniel Lütolf on Feather Problems
Select wide and long feathers on the head region, but shorter feathers below the spot line on the wings and tails. Difficult, but not impossible. Attention must be paid to looking at all the primary, secondary and tail feathers when you are buying a bird and of course looking for developing cysts at the same time.
No Danger When the Chips are Down
Gold Chip sawdust is supplied to laboratories – where it has to be ultra clean and sterile when medical testing is in process. Added to that, it is great for us fanciers because it does not scatter as the birds fly – and furthermore, it goes further than many other baled varieties and is far easier to lift each bag.
Tails You Lose! – Part 2
Avian Polyomavirus (APV) infection, otherwise known as Budgerigar Fledging Disease, is the primary cause of tail feather loss although other factors are often involved. Budgerigar breeders recognise symptoms of APV in their birds as French Moult. Prevention is the only cure as there is no treatment for APV.
Tails You Lose! – Part 1
You can breed a super bird with all the right head qualities, depth of mask and so on, until it gets to 5-7 weeks of age and suddenly it loses its tail feathers! It can be earlier or later. The bird is what I have always thought – a borderline French Moult victim. The reasoning is that the tails are the longest feathers in the budgerigar body, and thus require a perfectly nutritious metabolism to sustain these feathers soundly to full growth and permanence, until the first normal moult.
Yeast & Cod Liver Oil?
Do remember that “Best in Show” was written by myself in 1974 and I would strongly advise you obtain “The Challenge” from me first so that all that you read is fully up to date.
Budgerigar Health Part 5 of 5 – Problem Solving
A systematic physical examination of the sick or dead budgerigar helps reveal more subtle symptoms and improves the accuracy of self-diagnosis, but when in doubt contact your avian veterinarian. Individuals that display distant signs of failing health or disease should be caught and examined more closely in order to identify the exact nature of the health problem.
Budgerigar Health Part 4 of 5 – Medicines
Budgerigars are particularly susceptible to environmental diseases that may cause catastrophic losses and illnesses that affect their wellness and ability to breed. Medicines are needed to cure and prevent these diseases such as coccidiosis, worms, lice and mites.
Megabacterial Infection
Weight loss over a prolonged period is consistent with Megabacterial infection. Megabacteria as a secondary disease related to immune suppression. So we have to look for another primary infection which may be a genetic weakness, but more often inherent Polyomavirus infection and / or stress related psittacosis.
Budgerigar Health Part 3 of 5 – Self Diagnosis
For breeders, an ability to detect the first signs of an illness is essential as many budgerigar diseases are rapidly fatal with the best quality show birds often being the first to die. Changes in the behaviour or physical appearance of an individual bird may indicate the beginning of an illness or an inherent weakness. [...]
Budgerigar Health Part 2 of 5 – Medicine Selection
Sick birds are given their best chance of being saved by adding an appropriate medicine into the ER/Quik Gel formula and administering it directly by crop needle.
At the same time, whilst waiting for the final outcome of veterinary tests, adding Quik Gel to the drinking water may temporarily protect healthy in-contact birds.
Budgerigar Health Part 1 of 5 – Emergency First Aid
The first response to failing health should be to isolate any sick bird(s) to a hospital cage. The hospital cage should be pre-heated to 25-30 degrees Celsius, possess a perch, fresh seed and have Quik Gel in the drinking water. The floor should be lined with clean paper so that the droppings can be clearly viewed.
Quik Gel
Quik Gel provides an immediate and sustained source of energy to sick birds and is also used during critical times such as breeding. The disinfecting qualities of Quik Gel help protect against the spread of infection.
Quik Gel is a high energy emergency gel also containing vitamins and disinfecting agents. It is used to accelerate recovery from illness and temporarily prevent an infection from worsening while waiting for the results of culture tests. Very sick birds may need crop needle feeding.
Dr Robert Marshall
Any fancier can easily find an emergency solution, via a step-by-step diagnosis of any sick bird, to see exactly the right course to follow and drug(s) to give.
Dr Marshall is also arranging for supplies of the relevant approved drugs to be available within the UK for distribution worldwide.
Avian Influenza
In 1997, the first reports of a human death from avian influenza originating in the Far East appeared in the press. By 2003 it reached a more noticeable level.
This was attributed to a specific avian flu form in poultry which also occurs periodically in wild birds. The particular strain of avian flu involved is called the H5N1 variety and is pathogenic.
French Moult and Why You Get It
I am one of those breeders who believe in the old fashioned tried and tested methods of feeding. When it comes to feeding, it is THE vital factor to success. If it (the feeding) is out of balance by the smallest amount and by that I mean it is changed frequently and has an absence of essential vitamins to support the seed input, then failure will result in the number of chicks bred and FM will arise easily because YOU have allowed to do so!!
