FINCHforum

Hi

What do you make of these wriggly critters? What are they? http://youtu.be/Uk0B7CBH0hY

Please click "Show more" under the video to get the whole story.

Thanks for any suggestions.

I'm sorry to hear you're losing so many birds to this. That's awful.

I wish I could offer help, but I have no experience with microscopic analysis. I think this is going to be one for the DVMs in the crowd.

I hope you find an answer soon so you can treat your flock!

Stephanie.....just checked your other topics. ...I noticed your avairy has a natural floor ....how do you keep it clean

I think that floor is the reason you are losing so many birds

Possibly so, but what is this organism?

The floor has a thick layer of mulch which I replace. That has been working well, evidenced by zero deaths of adult birds due to infectious illness for several years, so the floor is not the problem by itself.

I think it's the incredibly successful breeding season I've had which lead to temporary over-crowding, at the same time as this unidentified parasite that doesn't respond to common drugs turned up. I need to figure out what it is.

Stephanie.....I thought you said you were losing a number of birds. ....a lot of young. ...how many birds in total have you lost this year?

Please read under the video Dutch. The info is all there.

Stephanie.....ok 10% a month is huge losses......

In 6 month's I haven't had a single loss......

You need to clear that floor.....it's not working anymore

Concrete the whole thing and wash it down with vinegar each week. .....

I know other breeders who lost whole flocks because of floors like yours.....I really do believe thats whats killing all your young

Stephanie,
I would contact Vonda from http://www.finchaviary.com/Maintenance/FecalSmear.htm she is also the owner of the yahoo group, https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/avi ... scopy/info

Another good source for microscope help is Kristen Reeves. Though her site is being updated and lots of links are broken, if you contact her via email I'm sure she could help.
http://www.mfgouldianfinches.com/

Please post any findings as I would be very interested to know what was concluded.
Nothing is really jumping out at me but I do find it hard to "see" other peoples slides.

Thanks Debbie, I will.

I agree with Debbie, Vonda is the one to contact with this problem, she and her group are experienced in microscopic analysis.

Stephanie,
Debbie and Sally are correct. I hope you get a hold of Vonda and then, let us know what she thinks. I would suspect mold or fungal problems with that type of floor, especially if it gets wet. But, not sure what the little bugger is called. Interested in learning on this one. I hope you don't lose any more birds.

Yes, I would love to learn the outcome of this. I hope you find the answers you need!

Active Enterobacter infection - E.coli - is the consensus.

I never would have guessed that bacteria would be so motile. I was fully expecting a parasitic/protozoal diagnosis. Learned something.

I believe it was originally caused by water contamination, but I did not anticipate a lasting problem, never mind an increasing one, from that incident. Wrong!

Recommended remedy to try is Trimethoprim + Sulfadiazine.

Thanks for the follow-up, best of luck