FINCHforum

Someone suggested that one of my birds may have feathermites, because he looks ratty. He's a cordon bleu, an older one that I inherited from a breeder, and he also has a very long dark beak. Can I use ivermectin in the water for this, as I can't catch him. He is puffed up as well and has been for a couple of months since I got him.


Thanks

Ivermectin is for worms and/or air sac mites or scaly face/leg mites. It won't work for feather mites.
But, most feather mites are visible to the naked eye, so if your bird had them you would probably know.
Ratty feathers don't immediately suggest feather mites.
What kind of cage is he in? Is it uncoated metal? If so, the action of landing on the sides of the cages can mess the feathers up and damage them.

Can you post pictures of him?
The puffed up thing could mean an illness but if he's been puffed up for months I highly doubt it because if it was an illness you would suspect he would have died by now.

Like nixity say's , Ivermectin work's well for worm's , asm and scaly face/leg mite's . Feather mite's I dont think so
When I use this product I place a drop on the back of the bird's neck where they cant reach with their beak to preen
When you say he is puffed up since you got him has his condition worsened , any idea what age this bird is
Does he get to bathe regularly
Regards , Mick M.

I ended up taking her to the vet (she is a female actually) and the vet put her on antibiotics and ivermectin just in case, but said she may just be very old. I put her under a heat lamp and she's been under that for 10 days now. Today I tried taking the heat lamp away, and she puffed up again. So back on it goes. Is this what happens when birds get old - do they just need a smaller cage and more heat? The aviary is at 22C but that's not warm enough for her obviously. Meds are doing nothing so obviously she wasn't ill...

Sound's like your bird is aged , all you can do is keep it comfortable and hope it improve's .
Sometime's an odd finch of mine would be puffed up on it's perch , I end up putting it into a small cage and give it some min/vit's in it's water and some eggfood and millet spray as well as it's regular seed , probably the best thing for ill bird's is heat , good luck with your bird
Regards , Mick M.

Older birds often look ratty, with poor feather condition. They may become less active and puff on a regular basis. It becomes more difficult to keep them in good condition, even though they are receiving the same nutrition they've always had. I've often wondered if this is comparable to humans who, as they age, become less tolerant of colder temperatures.