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Trichomoniasis in Budgerigars
How do we recognise Trichomoniasis or as it may be known sour crop, when it infects our birds.
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| Firstly the bird will appear to be regurgitating food as if it were going feeding a partner, they are in fact vomiting. They will sit regurgitating a mixture almost black in
colour, of liquid and seed that will stick to the feathers around their head and face. This mixture sticks like tar, in the two cases that I have had in my aviary I have not yet found anything that will remove it from the feathers of the bird. |
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As the symptoms progress the bird will appear to froth from the mouth as it is vomiting. It will sit hunched up on the perch with its feathers fluffed up. By watching your birds carefully at this stage and you will see them rubbing their face back and forward on the perch. This can be a source of future infection and hygiene in the aviary at this time is most important. Wash your perches down daily until the infection is clear. |
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Now that we know what to look for, What is the cause and What is the cure. |
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Trichomoniasis is caused by a parasite that gets into the crop of the bird. Left alone it will almost certainly manifest itself to a stage where it can be seen from the above symptoms, although there are some birds which carry the Trichomoniasis parasite in their crop without showing any signs of illness. These birds are known as carriers shows the need to treat the whole of the stud of birds the following way. |
| Harkanker
when purchased from pet shops etc. is sold at the strength
used for dosing pigeons for Trichomoniasis,
so the strength should be cut down accordingly. Divide
the sachet into eight taking notice of the warnings and
precautions. Place one eighth of the sachet of Harkanker Soluble
into two pints of water. For those who have not read the
warnings and precautions in the picture on the right,
care should be taken Not to get this on your hands whether it is in the powder form or diluted in water and it should be stored out of the way and reach of children. The diluted solution should be place in the drinkers in the cage or flight and all other water should be removed. This solution should be given to the birds for five to seven days, then fresh water only for five to seven days. A further five to seven days with the
Harkanker Solublel solution should be given. The birds should then be clear. The
Harkanker Solublel in the water is only active for a short while and a fresh solution should be made up ever other day. |
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While treatment is in progress, hygiene in the aviary should work alongside in the hope that the birds are not re-infected. A lot of budgerigar breeders like to use
Harkanker Solublel once a year in their stud of birds. GREAT CARE MUST BE TAKEN NOT TO OVER DOSE THE BIRDS, STICK TO THE REQUIRED AMOUNT OF POWDER IN THE WATER. |
