Daz

Nerwen you have the sister.

Here is a 2 month old chick. Spangle Light green hen

okay here are the parents today. Cock's back Hen Four of the chicks. There 7 in all the other three have been foster out.

The hen has thrown another one. 32 days old. As you can see a skyblue bird with a white tail. The wing markings will change over the next few months to look like this. Older Half sybling.

I couldn't see any opaline in the hen.. Half will be normal half will be Spangle, half will be yellowface, half will be dominant Pied. All these traits are dominant so half the chciks will have a chance to get the dominant gene. As you can have more than one dominant gene on a bird you can get a yellowface dominant pied spangle. So I would ecpect the same in single dominant genes. ie Yellow faces, Dominant Pieds, Spangles, and Normal blues. Add to this the possible splits and anything could come up.

I have had 3 FMs this year out of 27 chicks. All three have been from different parents and their other chicks have been fine. There is a thought that they grow an imunity to the disorder as they grow older and can give this imunity to their chicks. I have culled (gave away) two of the FMs but still have one to see how he goes. This is sook he is 6 months old now. The photo is a few month old. As you can see he is a big bird so I have plans for him in the Breeding Program.

The only way to prove Fm is DNA testing. Bloods need to go to South Africa, we can't do it in Australia. $120.0o0 for the test. I have had it done on one of my birds. Fluffy. This bird has FM. No it's not contagious between adults.. It might have a chance to grow the feathers back. Try Olive Leaf extract. Use a cotton bud and drip in the liquid and dab on the quills.

I mix 5ml per 500gms of seed. I leave it 24 hours before feeding it to the birds.

The grey green cock is the best of the three. Pair him to the Spangle Hen. Yes you will get Double Factors but not that many. The next pairing will be The grey green cock to the skyblue. She is a big hen but not good in the head area. He could improve that.

Splat, sorry but you are at least 10 degc too low. The box should be up to our body temperature. Budgies use a lot of energy to kepp warm and this is needed to fight the illness. I would test it with 40w and 60w lamps. Besides that, I love it. Is the design up for sale :budgiedance:

Well I realised today that the aviary is basically up and running. I have four chicks in the nursary, 7 breeding boxes ocupied with chicks in 6 of them. The flights have the birds and there are 3 birds in the culling cage. Every day there is something new or at least something to do. I am hoping to surprise everyone soon. As some know I have melinistic spangles. Well I have now 6 chicks from a Melanistic to melanistic pairing. I am hoping for a DF Melanistic Spangle. A very beautiful bird. In the blue series it have skyblue/cobalt/mauve body colouring and pure white wings. Green series has lt green/green/olive body with pure yellow wings. Melanistic pairs is the same as normal pairings. 25% normals, 50% SF melanistic and 25% DF melanistic.

NOTES TAKEN AT A LECTURE BY DR DAVID PHELAN DVM, PhD, Dipl. ABVP (Avian) Director, Wildlife Health and Conservation Centre 425 Werombi Road Camden, NSW, Australia 2570 (Given at the Open Day held by Wynnum Redland Budgerigar Society Inc. on Sunday 25th March 2007) Message on the original invitation from Wynnum Redlands From David - " I graduated from Cornell University with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1983. I was then in practice until 1989 when I went back to school at Texas A&M and did a PhD. I became Board Certified in avian medicine in 1997. I have been an avian veterinarian since I graduated veterinary school. I taught and still teach avian and exotic animal medicine to veterinary students and do research in the field of infectious diseases of cage and wild birds. Currently I am the Director of the Wildlife Health and Conservation Centre at the Camden Campus of the University of Sydney. We will be opening up our clinic at Camden that will exclusively see birds and other exotic pets in early February. Much of my research has focused on diseases that affect budgerigars. My PhD work resulted in 5 publications on avian polyomavirus and other papers on this topic have followed. For a detailed article on avian polyomavirus, you can down load Avian Polyomavirus: My Thoughts off the web. Attached is a summary of what I presented last year at the World Budgerigar Organisation & BAA Grand National in Las Vegas. I have worked with bird clubs for the past 18 years and have always been particularly fond of budgerigars. I look forward to meeting you and your membership. Yours, David Phalen BELOW ARE NOTES MADE DURING THE LECTURE BY DR DAVID PHALEN AT THE OPEN DAY – THEN QUESTION AND ANSWERED AT THE END. NUTRITION & MALNUTRITION · PROTEIN · CARBOHYDRATES · FAT MICRONUTRIENTS · Minerals Ca P K Na C1 Fe Cv Zn · Vitamines – Fat Soluble & Water Soluble (B15 – Thiamine & Niacin) There is a need to be careful in using these as too much Vitamin D can be poisonous so if using things like Cod Liver Oil – take care not to over use and use only small amounts of seeds such as Sunflower. If there is not enough Vitamin D then the body cannot make use of the Calcium. Histologically too much phosphorus and not enough calcium was a problem – Now with the modern trends towards usual an all pellet feed has caused problems as all birds are different and need a mixture of seeds. After many tests it was found that a Pellets only & Poultry food diet caused an increase in calcium deposits in the kidneys which caused renal failure & death. When switched to a mixed seed diet the deaths stopped. Calcium or Vitamin D Toxicity is a major problem that needs to be worked on in designing your birds diets. This was shown in an experimental designed as follows: 12 groups of birds were used in a control study for 2 yrs And it was found that in testing chicks at 12, 24 & 28 days bone structure and internal organs showed weakness & deterioration on a pellet only diet. When given a prepared mixed diet the tests showed normal bone growth and parathyroid. Seed Only diets showed that soft eggs & soft bones developed. Results with calcium at: .3%. there were no deaths .7% .. no deaths in 40-50% of birds 1.5%... severe renal failure and death Millet Exclusive diet showed it was not sufficient for good bone growth & Very high calcium diet shows renal deposits & death. = Calcium Toxicity is more of a problem than Vit. D Toxicity in these cases. Budgies require 0.3% to 0.4% only of calcium in the diet. The birds know how much they need and eat accordingly from cuttlebone & calcium blocks etc. placed in their cages. Other birds may be like budgies in regards to Calcium Sensitivity Cockatiels Some finches Blue & Gold Macaws Insect eating birds. With Vitamin D · Minimum concentration - Not determined · But less than 500 iu/kg · Not toxic even at relatively high concentrates · May have some synergistic toxic effect with high calcium levels · Safer than we thought Megabacteria was first found to be a yeast fungus by Dorrestein et al Then called a bacterium by Van Herck & Scanlan S C & Graham D L But now confirmed to be a fungus (but not know which one) By Fillipich L J – Perry R A Ravelhofer – Rotheneder et al Tomaszewski et al And found that it was susceptible to a fungicide (Amphotericin and not an antibacterial antibiotic. Analysis of rDNA proved it a fungus (yeast) Identify - Detection - Treatment & Growth of the organism formerly known as MEGABACTERIA Now know as MACRORHABDUS ORNITHOGASTER (in Greek means Long Rod from a Birds Stomach) Also know as AGY or Avian Gastric Yeast Macrorhabdus ornithogaster Tomaszewski, Logan, Snowden, Kurtzman & Phalen sp. nov. We thank Lucio Filippich, Nancy Keller, Pat Holman and John Roths for technical assistance and Brian Berridge for supplying the bacterial PCR primers. We also thank Jason Millership, Laurie Jaeger and Larry Wadsworth for excellent photographic assistance, Christie J. Robnett for rDNA database compilation, Christoph F. Konrad for providing the Latin descriptions and Susan W. Phalen for her assistance with the Greek derivations. This project was supported by the Schubot Exotic Bird Health Center, Texas A&M University, Central California Avian Society, the Georgia Cage Bird Club, the International Parrotlet Society and the Peninsula Caged Birds Society. Dr Phalen showed pictures of slides showing the long narrow rod – and indicated that that is how Macro looks. Macro is found in the Isthmus (Tiny Neuro Zone) between the glandular & grinding stomachs) Species that have been detected with Macro are: Canaries Finches Budgies Parrotlets Galahs Other birds – Ostriches & Poultry Detection – is done by strapping the Isthmus but Best result was 5 days of regularly checking of the droppings- But tests showed poor correlation and not as effective as they would like. Sick birds shed lots more and easier to detect and these birds are more likely to be infectious to others – possibly best to cull these birds if they do not respond well to treatment. Treatment for more than 10 days is recommended Amphotericin B is still the best treatment found for Macro (Mega) When treated the for 10 days the numbers went down but did not go away completely So it best given for more than 10 days for effectiveness. To grow the fungus needs: A Low oxygen environment Narrow range of above Ph 3.0 to 4.0 starts to grow & above rapid growth Needs serum to grow (product from the host bird-feeding each other etc) An experiment showed that if the babies were removed from the egg just prior to normal hatching time and reared in an isolation area and hand reared the babies showed no sign of the fungus – so this shows that it is passed on from the parents feeding and that it only grows inside the bird in a strong acid of 3 to 4.0% upward If acid was introduced then the growth will increase. Treatments are: Amphotericin B –is very effective if given for more than 10 days. Fluconazole – is too strong for small birds. Nystatin – also effective in some birds to start but then they build up resistance. Some tests have been made with the chemicals used on fruit to make them look shiny & keep longer (Only early studies at this stage) they are Simple & inexpensive: Sodium & Potassium Benzonate Sodium Sorbate Gentian Violet (but bird throw up purple) As Macro is a yeast fungus it is hard to detect unless the bird is sick. Q & A Q. David Ganzer asked- if a bird is under stress, would Macro then come into the picture? A. David Phalen said that stressful situations could add to the problem. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q. Member - How is the Ph made higher? A. D.P. We know that acid products increase the Ph. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q. Camelle Lamb - As apple cider vinegar has been used for years to try to stop Mega getting a hold on the birds –should we now stop using it? A. D.P. As it increases the Ph it may be advisable, but in the low dosage used (5mls-6mls to litre of water) this should not effect it greatly. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q. Jacki Jansen found Chilli’s lowered the acid in her & Husband who had been diagnosed with Helicobacta Pilori (that caused stomach ulcers)-could this be used for birds? A. D.P. No study has been done to show this that he knows of, but it may work and some parrots like chilli. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q. Member . Fungilin lozenges help with mouth & stomach ulcers, could these help birds? A. D.P. As these are made from Amphotericin – yes. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q. Camelle Lamb. The baby birds that were hand raised from the shell in isolation and had no Macro(Mega)in their system, when introduced back amongst other birds – would their resistance be lower (ie their immunity)? A. D.P. Macro is in the birds intestinal system and no antibodies as such are built up – but they could pick it up from the serum from the host birds(feeding each other etc.) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q. Jack Jansen. As many of the Australian aviaries have more access to sunlight than say the UK or Europeon aviaries could this help with the Vit.D intake for the birds without giving additive. A. D.P. The sunlight has to be direct and not reflected, then it would work. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q. Natalya Taylor. Is artificial lighting sufficient. A. D.P. Some UVV light are good but they have a UV life span ofabout six months and are expensive. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am going to replace the pavers for a little metal stand, the type you put pot plants on. It's just to try and keep the seed out of the water. Some hang them up but have problems when the birds fly into them.

Well Done Kaz. But you should have give him a go. I pulled a hen from the culling cage on Monday and put in the table show. The judge put her first... hey what do I know. ( as it was after the nationals, i was the only competitor)

Good to hear no more deaths in a while.. Not a lot of people realise how expensive it is to care for many animals.. Hope your luck changes to the better.

Brings back memories. With all the birds I've had in 2 and a bit years, I have only lost 4 birds. A Skyblue Spangle (Alex), an Opaline hen (Opal), a Goldenface Spangle (Spangle) and a recessive pied (Fluffy). The poem was for Spangle.

There are shows every month between February and October in my region. Some people go toevery show with the same bird (especially if it wins). I have changed birds every show this year but will bring the winners back for the next show.

Well my birds didn't get through but I'm not disapointed. The Big News is that My Club Pine Rivers has won the Interclub Selection Challenge for the first time. Pine Rivers has 20 birds representing the region in Adelaide next weekend. So Nerwen you did see the best in the region yesterday.

Yes but you will sence the excitement and be apart of it. Next year will be even bigger.

Thanks guys.. As far as I'm conserned I have won. At my stage as a novice, tomorrow will be a bonus. I have beaten the open breaders to be selected...and the great thing is they have succeeded in helping me get there. Isn't that what's it all about in a club.

We had our Club Preselections today.. It was great to see nerwen there. Have have three birds representing my club in tomorrows Interclub Challenge (Regional Preselections for the Australian Nationals). If they place tomorrow they will be going to Adelaide on Friday to compete in the Nationals. I am happy that at this stage in my hobbie (novice) that I can represent my club. That in it's self is a great honour.

Well done Kaz... You'll have a bigger day tomorrow.

Thats sounds good. I give 66 birds 1/8 cup of pellets crumbles each day.

If they are on a pellet diet, becareful of the calcium and vitamin D levels, It can lead to Kidney disorders. Hath did a post on it from an extract out of the WBO.

Nice to meet you neat and feathers.. There is a photo of me here some where.. It's a bit like where's Wally... Lets find Daz.