My babies STINK!

[BirdVice]

You may have read my post in Housing about how to best cut down on bird smell. Well, I think I figured out where the vast majoity of the stench is coming from: my "nursery" cage. This is the cage I use after the birds have fledged and are feeding themselves (supposedly, though experience has taught me to rotate two Societies into the cage to act as nursemaids since I once had a fledgling die the day after I put him in the cage and, though I'm pretty sure he had an underlying defect, I've always blamed myself for moving him to soon, so long story longer, now I keep nursemaids in with them in case some decide they suddenly want to be "babied" a bit more.)

Anyway, I was sitting my the cage last night and noticed it reeked despite the bedding being new and the droppings being relatively few. Could it be that dust from pin feathers from molting is what's stinking? I would often help my parrots by rubbing the sheaths of their pin feathers off where they couldn't reach them and know this makes a lot of dust. Or could they just not be bathing enough, you know, like teenage boys do?

[ac12]

My last batch of fledglings (zebras and gouldians) came out of the nest covered in POOP. YUK !!! It was hard to NOT spray them with water, to give them a bath, and clean some of that poop off.

I have a HEPA filter next to the bird cages, and it does collect a LOT of dust on the pre-filter. And I have to vacum the floor almost daily, to pick up the feathers, seed hulls, and dust.

[Domenic]

I had the same problem, and it stank so bad I didn't care anymore and removed the nest with fledgling sized chicks in it. I thought it was poop collecting, but on closer inspection there was actually a dead bird in the nest. It can be anything that smells, you really just have to give the cage a really good inspection.

[annague]

I'm assuming you are talking about parrots?

If your birds bathe like finches at all try providing them with fresh water that has several drops of Listerine in it. Listerine "kills the odors that cause bad breath" (to quote the ads!)

In other words, it terminates odor causing bacteria -- if your birds will bathe regularly in it they will smell (personally) better -- if it IS the birds.

An added bonus -- listerine discourages mites on the birds as well -- I have been using it for over a year on my finches bathing water with great results.

Hope it helps!

[Mozelle]

If your birds bathe like finches at all try providing them with fresh water that has several drops of Listerine in it.

Now That seems like a neat idea! Obviously you've been using it with success - minty fresh birds! (would that appeal more to - or repel - my cat?? )

Anyone else tried this? My concern is that there is alcohol in Listerine, but in a few drops it's probably fine?

[ac12]

I put listerine in some of my baths.
1/8 teaspoon to 6oz of water.
I primarily do that because some of the zebras seem to be suseptible to bumblefoot. So I want to discourage foot disease, to the degree that they will go into the bath, some of them don't bath.

[CandoAviary]

Breeders have been using this for ages. I discovered it back 20 years ago when breeding canaries. They didn't have all these fancy water cleansers then. It repels mites, clears infections, tightens feathers and keeps the water clean..... funny never really thought of it as a deoderizer

[annague]

I am very conservative with the Listerine because it goes everyday into their bathwater (that they also will drink from sometimes) -- I put 2 drops of listerine in for every cup of water.

The birds can't wait to bathe/drink this water -- I think Listerine has a little sugar, too. It seems to reduce any problems with mites and minor infections as well (as Candace and ac12 mentioned).

Plus it is super cheap and lasts a long time!

[BirdVice]

What if you use the Listerine trick in a zeeb population in which hatchlings are being fed? They are, in effect, getting a teeny dose of ETOH (sorry, nurse talk) alcohol, too. That's scary to me in such a tiny body.

Have you who have used Listerine used it when there have been hatchlings about?

[ac12]

I only use the Listerine in my same sex zebra community cages.

Birds with chicks (hatchlings/nestlings/fledglings) get:
1-1/2 drops of ACV per 1 oz of bath water, and.
1 drop of ACV per 1 oz of drinking water.

[BirdVice]

Mine get apple cider vinegar, too. Still stink. Didn't think it was for the stink, though, but for yeast control.

[BirdVice]

Well, since these are actually juveniles and I know ONE is a male for certain (quite difficult to tell with the three light mutations that aren't totally molted out yet,) perhaps I should just do what adolescent boys all seem to resort to: Axe body spray and other products!

[CandoAviary]

It is probably not the birds themselves that stink but the poop in the nest? Or is it the poop in the cage? Ususally normal finch poop does not have a smell unless your birds are carrting a bacterial infection/ overload. Protozoan infections can produce some putride smells also.
Clean cages, water, foods, etc will help control unwanted bacteria. Sometimes antibiotics are necessary. Here is a link to a good poopology site....

http://www.avianweb.com/poopology.html

[BirdVice]

Nope. They definitely smell like birds and when it comes down to it, I actually sort of likethe way birds smell, but I know others don't appreciate it. I think they just need to get their little butts into the bathwater I put out for them, but they ignore it. The little gang may be in for a spritz bath if they don't get their act together soon.

[annague]

My finches get the Listerine water every day and many of them are raising babies all summer-- the babies do fine, haven't had any problems -- they are healthy as can be and when they fledge they take their turn bathing in the same type of water, too.

So... a drop or two of listerine in each 8 oz's of bath water does not appear to hurt baby finches if ingested. In fact, it probably kills bacteria that WOULD hurt them.

I trust it in the small quantities I have been using it.