Disaster In The Baby Aviary

[splat 0]

I am loosing my babies one by one. 2 weeks ago I lost my first baby 3months old, all fluffed up on the floor put her in the hossy cage dead the next morning, Greg called it going light so I researched it and they call it megabatera. *** I have always isolated any new birds into my aviaries where did it come from.

Well I thought it was an isolated case but I have have another a full sister to the first one that died 3months old also. A few more look sick I rang the av vet they are on Sulfur D till Monday Then straight to Moama to have their droppings checked, but the one in the hossy cage will be dead by then. It is so sad to watch. I have never seen any thing like it. I would like greg to put her out of her misery but he has done some type of vetinary course and he will be doing a autopsy on her once she passes away, to destroy her now might hide any symtoms, the vet told him to check the lungs and for bleeding spots etc. but she is hanging in there but you can see she won't make it.

The vet will do the next autopsy but it has to be fresh not frozen. I know this sounds grim but it needs to be done so I know what's happening.

I have some really nice type babies this year great improvement, but I feel I am not meant to have them because it seems the really good ones are the ones that are sick. All I want to do is CRY.

 

I have never really had a sick bird till now and I have being breed for 3 yrs. I am totally beyound myself. :fear

I hope all you guys can understand this because I am so stressed that I have had 6 UDL cans, very outer charater for me so I am a bit tippsy. and VERY WORRIED and VERY SCARED....SORRY

[**KAZ** 0]

I am so sorry, Splat. You know megabacteria is a secondary infection that strikes when something else knocks them down ? So, there is something else at play here.

Very recently, I and a couple of other breeders bought microscopes that we can hook up to the PC to check our birds droppings. It helps you find things ahead of time and get them treated for it. Megabacteria is quite easy to spot under a microscope as is a lot of other things once you are educated to what to look for. Major help.

What ages are they going into the flights ? Some young ones that are cracking seed and doing all the right things when we put them into the flights, suddenly get depressed and stop eating well too.

They need worming as soon as their bodyweight is right.

I know you probably know all these things anyway. Just trying to help you problem solve. Hopefully you can find an answer and stop the sadness and losses. PM me for any help any time.

Cheers Karen

[KathyW 0]

"Going light" can be caused by a lot of things, not just "megabacteria" (although that is the current fad).

 

With the one still alive - is the hospital cage heated? If not do so immediately. 28 - 32 degrees C if at all possible.

 

Have they been wormed? That can kill and it can be introduced really easily as most wild birds carry worms. Any unwashed greens from the garden or exposure to outside can infect them.

 

More serious infections (psittacosis or {hope not} ND) are best diagnosed by your vet.

 

Keep the ill birds in controlled conditions (warm and confined so they cannot spread whatever it is).

 

I lost 2 baby Gouldians within 24 hours to a bacterial infection, but two others in the same brooder survived thanks I believe to antibiotics from my vet. I have a hunch that bacterial infections are rife at the moment - perhaps a climate related thing. That's old fashioned ordinary run-of-the-mill bacteria - not megabacteria. You are in southern Australia and not that far away from here on a global scale (Albury) so climate conditions will be somewhat similar. For that reason I would recommend antibiotics immediately if you have some on hand. Otherwise talk to your vet ASAP.

 

Good luck and keep us posted please.

 

KathyW.

Edited August 4, 2007 by KathyW

[splat 0]

It seems to be attacking the ones going through their first molt 3 months plus. They have been happy as larry before then I have another 4 down now and they are all molting. All the same age. I think thier molt must be hard on them and it makes it easy to catch what ever going around, who knows. the aviary is like an in door one. not open at all.

Yes I wish I has a microscope, have to try and get one. Thanks Kas might PM you if I get really down Cheers Julie

[Daz 0]

Spat go to your Chemist tomorrow and see if you can get some fungalin losingers (sp?) for a sore throat. 4 tablets to 320ml water Crush the tablets first. Take all the water away from the birds and only give that, with their seed. See the av vet on Monday. This is totally harmless to the birds, but is the treatment for Mega.

 

I give this to the birds for 10 days once a year. It is cheaper than Megabac S but is the same thing. A bottle of 20 will do 40 birds for 10 days. Costs about $20au

Edited August 4, 2007 by Daz

[macka 0]

Gee I hope they will drink,in this weather,they might give it a miss.Iwould crop feed the fluffed up ones.

[Norm 0]

Really sorry to hear of your problems Splat. It can be devastating to have things like that happen & your powerless to know what it is. I was going to suggest to make sure that there is no dampness in the aviary, but you say it's completely under cover. Daz is right about the treatment for Mega, not a bacteria but a yeast, the experts say basically all flocks carry it, but stress can bring it out. Moulting time is always an added stress. I know it's no consolation, but in situations like that I try to look at the only positive thing that you can & that is that any birds that survive, must be stronger & from them you can hopefully breed a stronger line. I fully believe that the one & only long term answer to disease problems are like natures, breed birds that can handle the conditions that we have to keep them in. I have had the same trouble as you suggest, mostly it's the birds I like the best or think that have the greatest potential that I seem to loose.

 

Good luck Splat & I hope the problem is soon solved or stops, the few birds that I lost this year mostly came from two families.

Edited August 4, 2007 by Norm

[splat 0]

Spat go to your Chemist tomorrow and see if you can get some fungalin losingers (sp?) for a sore throat. 4 tablets to 320ml water Crush the tablets first. Take all the water away from the birds and only give that, with their seed. See the av vet on Monday. This is totally harmless to the birds, but is the treatment for Mega.I give this to the birds for 10 days once a year. It is cheaper than Megabac S but is the same thing. A bottle of 20 will do 40 birds for 10 days. Costs about $20au

Thanks Daz, going to Shepparton shortly to buy those tablets, our chemist here does not open on Sundays. Let you know how I get on. I forgot to mention the the droppings were lime green and runny and after treating with sulfur D started going back to normal but then 24 hours later all white and this morning lime green and watery. It is so sad to watch, she is hanging in there, the other bird died within 24 hours of me noticing her. :(No Norm there is no dampness, I totally disinfected the flight yesterday. All the sick ones are isolated.Yes KathyW hossy cage heated.Thanks everyone for your help will keep you all posted on how they are going. Edited August 5, 2007 by **KAZ**

[Daz 0]

Best of luck Splat I have my fingers crossed.

[splat 0]

Sick bird died Sunday at 4o'clock, it was a slow painful death. Horrible to watch.

Greg did an Autopsy and found that she had slight pneumonia on one lung and she had the diarrhea, a tarry like droppings, in the autopsy she had a lot of tarry like stuff in intesine. We sent the intesine and the tarry like substance to the vet (bird) in Moama. we get results tomorrow. But in the mean time have them on the Funglin tablets Daz. I you sure it is the same treatment as Mega.

Will keep you all updated when I hear more but there are 3 more birde looking crook. :ausb:

[Norm 0]

Sorry to hear your problem is still ongoing Splat, was just thinking about it…hope it runs it’s course soon, even if you don’t find out what it is. Best of luck.

[birdluv 0]

l'm so sorry for your loss

[Daz 0]

Hi Splat How are they going to day.

Information on Mega

[Elly 0]

hugs on everything going on here

[splat 0]

Hi Guys, just spoke to the vet but nothing conclusive yet. He is now waiting on another bird to die so he can do the autopsy. But he has three things in mind because the samples we sent over were blood in the lower intesine, which was the black tarry stuff, but the intestines had no bacteria at all. but he did say it can hide up higher in the stomach. He also needed to see the spleen. :hap:

But he is looking at coccidiosis which he is putting them on Trimidine Powder. The second is comendia ( can't spell) which is a differnet treatment and the 3rd was something like polmoli something any way there is no treatment for this one, he said it just takes its coarse. I will have to get Greg to ring him later seems he won't be able to understand what I wrote. But he does suspect mega but wants me to treat the coccidiosis first.

I do not know if all this will make much sense to you all, seems I have it a bit muddled.

[**KAZ** 0]

When you said about the dark droppings I thought coccidiosis as that makes droppings browny, rusty old blood coloured. Mega bacteria happens after something else is at play ( being the secondary infection ) so mega comes along after the coccidiosis ( if that whats going on ) and then knocks them off.

[splat 0]

Mostly likely Kas. But the vet Dr Doug Black said from what I sent him there was really nothing there but the dark blood, No bacteria, but like he said there is something but he needs another bird. The secretary told me if it died on the weekend itwould be no good for him as I would of had to feeze it. But doug told me because it died Sunday I could of put her in thr fridge down the bottom then posted her over, but he did say that some of the things he would of been looking for might of been ruined by then. So he wants a fresh dead bird and he will autopsy it with Greg and I there explaining each step to what he finds. But he said with Mega bacteria birds don't die as fast as these ones have, he said they noramlly eat crazely and linger on for weeks even months before they die. But he is not crossing it out yet. :hap: But will keep you all informed. Oh he also said because it seems to be attacking the ones that are going through their first molt, they have got some infection which could be quite small but because they are molting it is taking it's toll on them. Because all the younger ones are fine. It seems to be once they start the molt BANG, they're down and gone.

[Daz 0]

I hope that he can get to the bottom of it quickly for you.

[splat 0]

Yeh, me too Daz, but the only sad thing is I have to wait for another bird to die.

[birdluv 0]

Yeh, me too Daz, but the only sad thing is I have to wait for another bird to die.

that's so sad, again l'm so sorry that you are going thru all this with your flock ((((splat))))

l really l'm hoping your vet can figure out what is happening to them

[KathyW 0]

I wouldn't be waiting for the next one to die ... I'd be doing something!

 

Blood in the intestine could also indicate some sort of poisoning causing internal bleeding. Is there anything the young birds might have gotten at that is different from the older birds in the aviary? Check the older birds droppings as well. Are they unusually tarry? Could they be affected but not suffering as badly as they are not under the stress of moulting?

 

There was an awful story on RSPCA Rescue during the week about 37 wild Magpies in one street somewhere all dropping dead - falling out of the trees and dying in agony. They had been poisoned by someone using some sort of industrial pesticide although they did not say what it was, how it was administered to the birds and have not found who did it.

 

You say your aviary is completely covered - but is it inside or outside? Have any of your neighbors (or yourselves) had their houses sprayed for spiders, cockroaches or termites etc recently? Has any mouse or snail bait been used anywhere near the aviary etc?

 

I'd be isolating any ill bird inside in a warm room, away from any possible contamination. Get fresh seed and store it separately from the rest of your seed. Same with any greens, grits, sand or supplements you might offer them. Make sure all the fruit and veges offered are well washed to remove pesticide residue.

 

If any older birds show signs of trouble I'd be replacing their seed and water, and checking to be sure the aviary could not be interfered with. I had a bad neighbor once who kept "accidentally" tearing the aviary mesh on the boundary fence. Fortunately my birds did not want to leave "home", but I had to move them all inside when he started spraying Zero weedkiller ("accidentally") over the fence.

 

KathyW.

[splat 0]

Update Report

Today all young are looking very good, I know I am not out of the woods yet , because when the first one died everything was good for a couple of weeks then bang, So I am still waiting but they are on medication and all is looking good.

 

Kathy no one has interfered with my birds our closest neighbour is about 100mts away and she loves the birds.

We thought first it was something to do with the new avairy but no it is not.

There is no poisons near it and have checked food and water which gets replaced fresh every day and all green foods and veges are washed very well.

The avairy is cleaned out and vacuumed everyday now since they have been sick but before that it was twice a week.

I have isolated all birds that look unwell and that is 8 at the moment. BUT they are looking good now but they will stay there until the medication is finished and talk to the vet.

[Daz 0]

Are they on the Fungalin or some thing else?

[splat 0]

Daz they are on Trimidine, the vet wants me to treat them for that which is the coccidiosis and then if know improvement it will more than likely be mega. I told him about the funglin losengers and he says he knows about them and said there is also something from veta farm and it wasn't the mega s or what ever it was called. He siad mega is really hard to treat.

Any way I went to my local chemist and asked him about the tablets, I told him waht they were for and I can get them off him with out a priscription because they are for birds. I thought that was really good of him :sad:

But at this moment in time all birds are looking good, I have my fingers crossed. Still early days yet.

[splat 0]

Just found another sick baby, full sister to the 2 we have lost but from the next clutch, will watch closely and keep you all inform. It must be heriderty(can't spell). Going nuts here.

She looked all right this morning and now all fluffed up in a heap. :sad: