Hey all -

I have been stewing on a few things lately and the main thing is how People "Quarantine" their NEW ADDITIONS

 

Not just members on here but other breeders I've been too and talk too ( wouldn't call them that now Grrr )

 

IT IS NOT AS SIMPLE AS PUTTING A BIRD/S IN A SEPERATE CAGE FOR 30 DAYS

 

If you don't want your flock to get sick or worse die, there is more to it...

 

I personally follow the BUDGERIGAR QUARANTINE PROGRAM and have found it effective

 

I haven't yet loss one bird or gotten and sick ones ...

 

If you are a "Breeders" and not a "Egg Hatcher" you put the health of your budgies / birds first !! Before Eggs

Below is what Kaz has written and pinned in the Health section and it is also located in the FAQ'S

 

So I am posting this again so that New members and vistors can see the IMPORTANCE of QUARANTINING

 

Here is the quarantine practices most show breeeders use

 

BUDGERIGAR QUARANTINE PROGRAM

The following list outlines the steps that should be taken to safely and effectively quarantine new arrivals to protect

your existing flock from potential infection.

1. EXTERNAL PARASITES (LICE AND MITES)

Spray or treat birds thoroughly with a recommended treatment before putting into quarantine.

2. INTERNAL PARASITES (WORMS)

Treat with an effective worm treatment program on the second day of quarantine. Treat for two days. All aviary birds

should be treated for worms at least four times per year.

3. CANKER

Treat canker with a suitable product of your choice. Treat for five days. There are a number of recommended canker

treatments available over the counter or you may consult your avian vet. Mix solution fresh daily.

4. COCCIDIOSIS

Treat Coccidiosis with a suitable product of your choice. Treat for five days. There are a number of recommended

Coccidiosis treatments available over the counter or you may consult your avian vet. Mix solution fresh daily.

5. MEGABACTERIA

Treat with a recommended medication for ten days. Mix solution fresh daily

6. NUTRITION

Supply extra vitamins, minerals, Probiotics and protein for the entire quarantine period.

7. QUARANTINE PERIOD

Quarantine your birds for a period of not less than 30 days. Always handle your own birds first, wash your hands with an

antibiotic hand wash, or wear disposable gloves prior to handling your quarantined birds. It is also advisable to wear

different footwear with the quarantined birds.

8. CAGES

Minimum size for budgerigars is 600mm x 450mm x 350mm.

9. POSITION

· Inside conditions; separate air space.

· Outside conditions; At least five meters from other birds.

10. PREPARATION

· Clean and disinfect quarantine cages.

· Place paper on the bottom of cage and change regularly.

· Wash and disinfect all food and water containers.

· Be careful not to carry droppings, feathers, or any other waste back into your existing aviary.

· Wash hands after caring for quarantined birds.

11. OBSERVATION DURING QUARANTINE. WHAT YOU SHOULD LOOK FOR.

· Prolonged inactivity.

· Eye or nasal discharge.

· Weight loss.

· Soiled vent or diarrhoea. Cages lined with paper make observation of droppings easier.

· Wheezing or gasping.

If any of these signs occur, separate the affected bird(s) from the other quarantined stock and contact your avian vet.

In the event of a disease outbreak, keep a record of dates the disease was first detected and the type of disease and

notify your club secretary. Do not allow other club members to come into contact with diseased birds and always

assume strict hygiene.

Do not sell - auction or trade diseased birds.

 

Note: Elly added to FAQ

Thanks for posting again Neat I think we should also put a "signs" for these issues up as well. Eg how to tell if you think your bird has X. It's one thing to say treat it with this method another for people to spot the differences. I am sure there is a list here somewhere will have a look.

We have a lot of information in the FAQ about Telling if a Bird is Sick etc..., if you don't find an article that you feel would be useful here and as long as you write it up feel free to submit to the FAQ through the ADD CONTENT button

Av i wrote up a heap of stuff on the sickness and diseases and what the symptoms MAY be cause by

Elly added it the FAQ's

Yeah Neat that was the one that I was thinking of! See I knew there was one!

okay Neat, I agree with what you've posted HOWEVER I do not believe in treating your new arrivals for everything especially if they're not showing any symptoms.

 

For example, you bring in a new bird and place it in your quarantine area. And then you watch it for 4 weeks. If it's not showing any symptoms I would not treat it for canker, cocci or mega. Why administer antibiotics ad lib, you're only going to knock it's immune system around?

 

In my case, my birds are treated regularly for cocci and parasites and mega as part as their normal routine. First couple of day of the month: S76 for parasites and then around the 15th 3 days of carlox which interrupts the cocci cycle and is preventative medicine, and naturally apple cider in the water daily for mega control. All birds are given a 45 day Doxy treatment in the summer.

 

If a couple of birds that look a bit off chances are I'll separate them and give them Doxy for a couple of weeks.

 

Sometimes a bird will be a carrier of something and not show any symptoms, and that has happened to me before I introduced the monthly preventative treatment routine, but it's impossible to tell until birds around it start to come down with whatever it is.

Renee - It is a a quarantine program that MOST SHOW BREEDERS and alot of them are the Top notches use .....

 

 

But I'd rather Treat all birds as if they had it ....

Most illness are underlying Yes ... Some Bad ones have Carriers ...

 

So i do treat so that the Carriers ( that look fine and healthy) do not contaimante my food ans water supplies

along with infecting other

Edited October 20, 200816 yr by Neat
added more

Thankyou Neat for bringing this topic up again. Its actually the quarantine programme that was put out by my budgie club, Metropolitan Budgerigar Club, in their club magazine.

thankyou , this is the quarantine program i will be using in future :bliss: as opposed to my flawed previous one . now i just need to put together a list of medications i need to have at hand incase .

There is some info in the Health section .... If you need any help with which ones to get or use ... Just ask ... There are plenty of member here that use their own programs that work for them - and I am sure that we all will be happy to share with you and others