Selecting A Bird
Before getting a bird, it is important to take in to consideration the below points:
1. Birds must be active and their eyes clear from any discharge/cloudiness and does not look sleepy.. Ask the pet shop/breeder if the bird has been sick before and when was the last time.
"If a finch looks healthy, it is healthy"
The truth is a healthy looking bird can carry
pathogens capable of destroying your entire flock!
"Care must be taken to ensure the health
of any new bird before you introduce it to your flock,
or the results can be deadly."
By Joanne McGinnis
How to Select a Healthy Bird
If you can select your new birds in person, select a bird that is "clear eyed" with no discharge from the eyes or nostrils. The bird should have 'tight' feathers. The feathers should lay tightly against the body with absolutely no sign of 'puffiness'. Give the bird time to settle down from your entrance into the bird room before making your selection. Excited birds will display tight feathers. Only when a bird is relaxed will you see whether it has tight or puffy feathers.
Look at the vent feathers for any signs of current soiling. This would be a clear indication of diarrhea and a possible intestinal problem. You will also want to physically hold the bird. Feel the breast area for fullness. You should be "slightly" able to feel the breast bone, but only slightly. Any bird with a pronounced breastbone is 'going light' and wasting away. You definitely want to stay away from this and any and all birds that are in direct contact with this bird.
Purchase Birds Sight Unseen
If you purchase birds that you haven't seen but have had shipped to you, give them several hours after placing them into their new home to settle down before evaluating. Remember that birds that have spent 24 hours inside a shipping box may have soiled vent feathers unless they have had perches on which to stand during shipping. They may also be stressed, so peace and quiet will be greatly appreciated until they acquaint themselves with their new surroundings. If you are at all unsure of the birds' health, make an appointment with an avian vet to have them checked out. All reputable breeders will allow a veterinarian to check their birds.
2. Find out more about their history and background, especially for older or 2d hand birds.
3. It is also important if you have other birds and would like your new bird to adapt with them, you must first find out if they are compatible especially in characteristic.
The most important aspect to note about compatibility in having different species of birds in one same space is to know and understand their characteristics. The birds in the big aviary are all compatible due to the fact that they are all tame and gentler. Before we transferred and mixed them, we checked first with various vets and our "bird uncle". It is always wise to get several professional opinion from various Doctors and the original breeder and cross check their information besides your own observation of characteristics.
In our big aviary, we've mixed the bigger birds, Cockatoos, African Gey, Cockatiels, Malaysian Parrot and Finches together as they are loners or more gentler compared to the Sun Conures who are very aggressive, active and likes to bully other birds. Hence the Conures are in the smaller aviary.
4. You can try to quarantine your new bird first before transferring them to their new environment if you wish. This will is a precaution method so that we can be thoroughly sure the new bird is well and does not have any diseases or ailments that can spread to the rest of the birds in your aviary.
Quarantine of New Birds
First thing first, find a Quiet Corner
1. Set up the new arrivals in a quiet corner of a room for quarantine. The new birds should remain away from any other birds for 30-45 days. Offer your new arrivals fresh birds seeds, egg food, and any other extras you normally feed your other birds.
2. Offer fresh greens, spinach, romaine, lettuce, parsley, turnip greens, beet or carrot tops etc; the darker the green food, the better. From here you can also observe the types of food they prefer and like.
3. Ensure the cage the bird is in quarantine has enough toys and mirror to keep them occupied! When night fall, place a towel over the cage to cover him so he will feel warm, safe and know it is bed time.
4. During this quarantine period, we need to take samples of their faeces for the vet to go through a few teast to ensure your new bird is healthy and is not carriers of any types of decease/parasite! If they suffered from feather plucking, to also take a piece of their feather that has dropped for the vet. Bring it to Dr. Vellayan for testing.