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Zebraman

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Posts posted by Zebraman

  1. Posted

    Hi Tillysmum,

    You are getting good advice from Andy and Stewart, if your birds are a little stressed in their new environment this could be the cause of their loose droppings.

    Try them with some granulated charcoal it's a really good remedy for gut problems in birds, it also helps to settle the digestive system.

    Think of it this way, It's like you moving into a new house, everything is new and you don't know where anything is, moving house is said to be the most stressful thing to do so your birds feel the same at the moment.

    Hope this helps.

    Gary

  11. Posted · Report reply

    Hi and welcome to Zebra Finch Forum.

    It's good to see another member returning to the hobby after 14 years. I'm sure you will enjoy what we have put together.

    They're a great bunch of people and I'm sure everyone will help you with all your questions.

    Nice garden and outbuildings, please keep us posted on how things progress.

    Good luck.

    Gary

    • Like 1

  13. Posted · Report reply

    Hello Jon

    Welcome back to keeping Zeb's and I hope you enjoy the forum.

    As Andy has said Stafford Sale is in July, which is a good place to get stock and there's also a good auction at Wigan on a Thursday night. You could also post a wanted advertisement in the for sale and wanted section

    I normally have a few to go at this time of year, but my birds just don't want to know at the moment so I've got nothing to go.

    Good luck with the birds.

    Gary.

  22. Posted

    Here’s something I put together on Air Sac Mites.

    This mite is most commonly found in the Gouldian Finch and Canaries, but can affect most other species. The main things to look for:

    1. Constant tail bobbing.

    2. Wheezing

    3. Birds making clicking noise from the beak.

    4. Constant wiping of the beak on perches and other resting places.

    5. Birds gasping for air.

     

    Infection and transmission:

    The mite enters through the nasal cavity in to respiratory tract and the life cycle then begins. Infestation can be picked up from nests, perches, seed, water and any other area that the bird’s nasal area may come in contact with.

    Cures:

    There are several treatments available on the market, Scatt, S76, and Iverlux are just a few, which contain Moxidectin or Ivermectin. Unfortunately these medicines can only be obtained from outside the UK, but are available to purchase from a number of good websites.

    Scatt is a spot on treatment, which means that you will have to catch all your birds to administer the medication, where S76 and Iverlux are both diluted in water, which will allow you treat all your stock at the same time.

    Amazon are currently selling Scatt via Pets-Megastore, but please allow for delivery as the product is imported from the US. There is also a product called Harka-Mectin from Harkers, which is used primarily by pigeon fanciers. This contains Ivermectin and is used for controlling mite infestations in pigeons. A word of warning here though, this product contains more than three times the normal dosage of Ivermectin. After saying all of this, death may still occur, as birds heavily affect with mites can die from asphyxiation due to an accumulation of dead mites obstructing the airways, after the medicine has been administered.

    Finally please don’t rush out and start dosing your birds up with drugs, my advice to anyone who thinks their birds may be affected with Air Sac Mites, would be to seek the advice of an avian vet.

    There have also been many papers and studies written on this subject, just Google Air Sac Mite to read more on this subject.

    Hope this helps.

    Gary