How to Prevent Bird Diseases in an Aviary
The effective management of an aviary requires ongoing and meticulous attention to detail. To ensure the proper care and keeping of a flock of birds, you must prevent the spread of infectious disease within the population by ensuring proper sanitation, adequate diet, compatible bird groupings and appropriate housing. By taking a proactive approach to the application of preventative medicine, you can minimize the odds of your flock coming down with the most common bird diseases.
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Things You'll Need
- Water bottles
- Commercial bird food (pellet style)
- Vaccinations
- Several unconnected birding areas
- Sealed plastic storage container
Instructions
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Change from water bowls to water bottles. Birds will habitually submerge their food in a water bowl, creating the perfect environment to encourage the growth of bacteria and algae. The water dish may even end up being a safe harbor for parasites as bird droppings may land in the bowl. The contaminated water can then be ingested by the birds, leading to any number of infections and illnesses.
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Offer your birds a diet based primarily on commercially prepared pellets. Malnutrition is a major problem in aviaries and close attention must be given to all birds in a community. Malnourished birds are more susceptible to illness and less able to combat common airborne viruses. However, no one diet is prefect for all species, so the appropriate research must be done prior to introducing any new breed into an established aviary to ensure adequate nutritional requirements can be met without compromising the other birds.
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Set up a quarantined area and a holding area in unconnected sheds, rooms or out buildings. Position these areas as far from the aviary as possible.
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Make sure all the birds have been vaccinated against polyomavirus prior to introducing them to the aviary. There are two shots in the series given at specific intervals. Birds should be kept isolated from the rest of the community while waiting to receive their vaccinations. As a general rule, all new birds should be housed in the holding area for 60 to 90 days to ensure they are in good health before introducing them to the aviary
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Place birds that are ill, but can be cured with proper medication, in quarantine. When taking care of the birds, the quarantine building should be serviced last to prevent cross contamination.
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Cull any birds that become incurably ill, particularly if the bird is infected with a contagious disease and could potentially infect the rest of the flock. This sounds harsh, but you must put the health of the flock ahead of the needs of the few.
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Keep the food in a separate storage area, away from the general vicinity of the aviary. The food should be situated so that the passing foot traffic and exposure to the elements is kept to a minimum. Plastic containers with secure lids can help to ensure that food supplies are protected from bugs, pests and weather.
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Tips & Warnings
If you're new to aviculture, it is best to begin with only one or two species of birds.
Take proper precautions when handling a sick bird. Wear gloves, goggles and a face mask to physically handle the bird. Once the bird has been treated, sanitize your equipment and place any clothing into the laundry immediately. Wash exposed garments in the hottest water possible. It may sound extreme, but this is to reduce the risk of possible exposure to zoonotic illnesses, or those that can jump from animals to people, such as the bird flu.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit wikimedia commons
