Lady Gouldian Finches | Health | Quarantine Procedures

Meadowlark Farms

Lady Gouldian Finches - Quarantine Procedures

Quarantine is extremely important for the health and safety of your entire flock. You
should perform a full quarantine on each new bird you add from an outside source, and at
least once per year on all of your birds to keep them in peak health! If your bird looks a
little worse for wear after bringing it home, you may choose to wait a day or two for the
bird to acclimate before beginning this procedure as the stress of the move can be a bit
much for less robust birds and the added stress of quarantine could weaken them further.

Remember, each of these steps must be completed individually. The medications cannot
usually be combined and the entire course for each medication must be completed in
order to remain effective and not allow the "bugs" to build immunities. A typical complete
quarantine runs between 3 - 5 weeks depending on the "brand" of medications you use
and the instructions they give.

WHERE TO BEGIN - Setting up your new bird

Hopefully you've set up a cage before you brought your new bird home - this makes for less stress for both you and your new
bird!

You will want to set your new bird(s) up in a relatively quiet area where they can acclimate to their new surroundings in a
somewhat calm environment. Unless you have no other choice, you should not keep the new arrivals in the same room as
any other birds you may be keeping. Rule of thumb...do not keep new arrivals in the same "air space" as the rest of your
flock.

A roomy cage is best, but if you are only adding a single bird, a smaller cage will do for this procedure. Remember, if you
have purchased several birds from different sellers, do not place them all in the same cage for quarantine. You will run the
risk of infecting a potentially healthy bird!

TYPICAL LENGTH OF TREATMENT: 1 - 2 DAYS

The very first thing you should do when you get your new bird home is to eliminate the possibility of external parasites. A bird-friendly spray, such
as Pestex, Scalex, or Avian Insect Liquidator (Pyrethrin) are best for killing potential pests. You want to spray the birds down fairly well - not totally
soaked, but wet enough that any skin or feather parasites are killed in the process.

Keep the birds warm (about 80 to 85 degrees) until they are thoroughly dry - a small heat lamp like those used for reptiles works well if placed in a
corner of the cage where they can come and go as they need to.

You can also use S76 (an Ivermectin solution), both in a bath solution or in the drinking water, but it will take a couple of days to take effect. In my
humble opinion, it is best to use a spray combined with the S76 to completely eliminate external parasites. In other words, spray the birds down
with the spray and use the S76 in their water. Remember, you can use most medications in combination with their usual water based vitamin
supplements (calcium, iodine and vitamin supplement), but not with other medications. Be very cautious when combining meds!

Another product, though not without controversy, is Sevin (Carbaryl). To use Sevin, place a teaspoon of Sevin in a small paper bag. Place the
bird in the bag with the Sevin for a mere few seconds. The bird won't like the bag and will flop around, effectively disbursing the Sevin onto it's
feathers and skin. I prefer not to use Sevin because I'm always concerned the birds will get too large a dose, though many of my breeder friends
use it regularly - even swear by it - during breeding season, dusting it into nest boxes before placing nesting hairs in the box. You will want to
repeat the spray procedure in about 3 to 5 days. This will kill any external parasites that may have hatched after the initial spraying.

NOTE: Be sure to read all directions for the medication you are using and for the actual length of time it is recommended. Each type or brand of
medication has different instructions so I cannot in good conscious give dosing information here.

STEP ONE - External Parasite Control

STEP TWO - Internal Parasite Control

TYPICAL LENGTH OF TREATMENT: 1 - 2 DAYS

Administer an internal parasite control in the form of a wormer. I use WormAway or Worm Out gel (Praziquantel/Oxfendazole). It is mixed into the
bird's water and is typically a one day treatment (but read the directions to be sure!). It can be used a second day if necessary or if you think your
birds did not get the full dose (maybe they didn't touch the water in hopes that you'd put fresh in the next day!).

You will want to mix just enough for one day and eliminate other sources of water or liquid such as bath water, fresh greens, and/or fresh fruit.

While many manufacturers put a fruit flavored attractant in worming medications, your birds really won't like it and may not drink. They will eat
anything else that contains liquid instead of the medicated water if these items are available. Because of this, I usually run the worming medication
for two full days.

STEP THREE - Protozoan Infection Control

TYPICAL LENGTH OF TREATMENT: 7 - 10 DAYS

Protozoa are microscopic "bugs" that swim around in your birds' intestines wreaking havoc where they go. If left untreated, protozoa can cause
liver and kidney damage, loss of apatite, quick weight loss and diarrhea. An infestation can lead to secondary infections therefore masking the
initial problem.

As far as I can tell, there are only a very few medications that protect against protozoans. In addition, it has been commonly expressed that once
your birds are infected they cannot always be cured and will remain carriers the rest of their lives. Whether this is true or not remains to be seen. I
do not have the answer. However, it is still extremely important that you protect your birds against protozoan infections. I use Ronex or Ronivet
(Ronidazole) and administer it in their water at this point in the quarantine. It must be made clear that while Coccidiosis is a protozoal type
infection, Coccicare (Amprolium/Ethopabate) does not cure the ailment but merely slows it down, allowing the bird to build up an immunity against
the Coccidiosis. Also, Coccidiosis is typically found in birds that are stressed or ill. In an average aviary, unless there is very high humidity, you
should not see Coccidiosis in a healthy flock. I guess the best way to explain it is most birds have a few Coccidia in their systems. It only becomes
a problem when the bird has something else going on that has suppressed or lowered its immune system!

Again, it is important to read your labels and get a good understanding of what you are administering before doing so!

For more severe cases, your Avian Veterinarian may prescribe Doxycycline - but do NOT administer this medication without first seeking the advice
of your Veterinarian. Tetracycline products, if used improperly, can cause severe liver and kidney damage and even kill your bird and must be
used with extreme caution!

STEP FOUR - Broad Spectrum Bacterial Control

TYPICAL LENGTH OF TREATMENT: 5 - 7 DAYS

While there is some controversy about whether we should be using antibiotics unless our birds are actually ill, I always give them a full dose of a
broad spectrum antibiotic during quarantine. If they have contracted a bacterial infection prior to purchase, the antibiotic will nip it in the bud. I
prefer Amtyl, but can no longer find it. The replacement is Amoxitex (Amoxicillin). It is a good substitute.

STEP FIVE - Probiotic

TYPICAL LENGTH OF TREATMENT: 3 - 5 DAYS

Antibiotics aren't choosy about what kind of bacteria they kill - they take the good with the bad. Any time you use an antibiotic or give your birds
any type of medication, you should always administer a probiotic afterward. This will replace the normal gut flora (tummy bacteria) that may have
been killed off by the antibiotics. There are many probiotics on the market but I prefer to use Benebac, a gel type probiotic, or Acidophilous which I
grind from pill form and sprinkle over seed or soft food. Because I oil my seed and allow it to soak a few hours before I feed it to the birds, I like the
Benebac. I squeeze the appropriate amount over my seed (in my case, 1/2 tsp to 2 cups of seed), then mash it in with a fork until the seed is
coated and no "balls" of seed are seen. I then feed my birds as usual, but make sure to make this up fresh daily and replace any leftover seed
from the day before.

Alternate view on probiotics - Sterile Bowel theory - Dr. Rob Marshall

STEP SIX - An Extra Week in the Clink!

Just to be on the safe side, I always keep my new arrivals separate for an additional week after completing the entire quarantine process. This way
if I've missed any nasties, they are bound to show up and I won't have subjected the rest of my flock to the illness!

Better to be safe than sorry!

SCREENING NEW ARRIVALS - Becoming a "Poopologist"

When I bring a new bird home, I set it up with newspaper in the bottom of the cage and spend a few days "screening" its droppings and observing
the birds actions closely. To screen poo, I pick up a portion of the poo on a cotton swab or toothpick and place it on a glass slide, smearing it until
thin enough to see through. I add a drop of sterile saline and a cover slip. I then view the poo under the microscope. When I do this, I'm looking
for things like worm eggs, protozoa, bad bacteria, large amounts of budding yeast, Coccidiosis, etc.

Each of these nasties looks very different to the trained eye and helps me to determine if there are additional quarantine procedures I should run
before allowing the bird into my flock. Again, it has taken me years to know what is right and what is wrong - and I still misdiagnose from time to time
and require the aid of my Avian Vet! Great care is to be taken if you attempt to perform your own smears. I would not advise treating your bird for
something you suspect until you've spoken to an Avian Veterinarian to have them verify your findings!

Now I want everyone to know that I've been raising birds for many, many years. It has taken nearly all of these years to get a good understanding
of what makes my birds tick, what good poop and bad poop looks like, and how to test for certain health problems myself. Unless you are
comfortable with performing this step yourself and have a solid understanding of how to identify bad bugs, I suggest skipping this step and moving
on to STEP ONE of the Quarantine procedures below!

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