bird fairs are they safe?

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spn1979
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bird fairs are they safe?

Post by spn1979 » Sat May 23, 2015 10:53 pm

I was thinking of attending the bird fair in buffalo new york in a couple of weeks. After networking with a few other new gouldian keepers there extremely scared of airborn illnesses and vendors just getting rid of there sub par inventory and wont attend. Are there worries waranted?

THX STEVE

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cindy
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Re: bird fairs are they safe?

Post by cindy » Sat May 23, 2015 11:46 pm

I have been a vendor at many shows.... being a smart consumer is key... learn to look at the birds you are buying, talk to the vendor. There are vendors at shows that buy birds from others in quantity then flip them at the shows.

I personally try to bring good birds, different mutations to sell, whether it is zebras, finches, grasskeets... my birds represent who I am as a breeder. I do not consider my birds that I sell sub par. Not all vendors sell sub par birds at shows.

As far as illness, there are more hookbill illness that are airborne... viral disease can be spread also. I would be more concerned with parasites, coccidia, etc that can be spread in cramped cages full of birds, look for signs of illness... puffy bird, nasal discharge, wet runny droppings.

Upon arriving home, remove your shoes outside, shower and change your clothes before going near you flock... this is a preventative so you do not carry anything in on you, your clothing and shoes that could make your flock ill. Example Parrot Beak and Feather Disease if transferrable via dander, dried dropping..it floats through the air and can land on clothing, hair, etc.

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Sally
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Re: bird fairs are they safe?

Post by Sally » Sun May 24, 2015 1:22 am

Bird marts are no different than many other venues for buying birds, there are good and bad vendors. Look at the birds that are being sold, look at the cages--they should be clean and not overcrowded. The birds should look healthy. Any visible signs of illness should be a red flag. The vendor should be able to tell you a bit about the birds he/she is selling.

Quarantine after a mart is a must. The best quarantine is in a separate building, but most of us can't do that, so we make do with a separate room.

Let's be frank, most breeders are keeping their best birds for themselves, to put back into their breeding program, or possibly to keep as show birds. There is nothing wrong with that, a breeder would be foolish to sell off all the best birds and keep only average birds for his/her breeding program.
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MiaCarter
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Re: bird fairs are they safe?

Post by MiaCarter » Tue May 26, 2015 4:51 am

Agreed with Cindy and Sally.

All very practical tips and recommendations.

I'd also add that bird marts, bird shows where they're selling lots of birds, etc. get a bad wrap because many people take a bird home and lo and behold, it falls ill.

What many fail to realize is the role that stress plays in the equation. Even the healthiest, best bred bird (or dog, cat, etc.) can suddenly fall ill after a full day of stress, followed by the stresses of arriving home to a new, frightening and unfamiliar environment. (In fact, it always happens to me! After a big stressor, I always seem to get sick.)

So even a bird who is totally healthy and isn't exposed to anything at the mart can still get sick when he arrives home.

I see this occur ALL the time with rescues and fosters who come to me. Maybe 1/3 show some suffer from some physical ailment within 72 hours of arriving home (and not just birds; dogs and cats too.) Some it's just a bit of minor diarrhea, a bit of fluffyness and an affinity for the heatlamp, or not eating to well for a couple days. Others it's more dramatic, like an acute respiratory infection and in one dog, addisonian shock.

Even healthy animals can get sick due to stress. The chances are even higher for animals who are less than perfect in terms of their health.

So it's just important to remember this whenever you bring a new animal home. They are several times more apt to get sick than they would normally be, simply due the stress and trauma of moving to a new home (and in case of some of the more intelligent birds, they have psychological effects too - some get very upset and agitated emotionally, especially if they've left a former owner with whom they were bonded.)

Quarantining is always smart. It protects your flock and it lessens the damage both financially and physically if an illness arises.

Any situation where you're viewing stressed animals, whether it's a bird mart or an animal shelter or elsewhere, it's important to remember that you're not seeing the animal at their best. So I don't put too much stock in first impressions.

Of course it's best to choose the bird who's looking healthy and lively, but not everyone displays or "shows" that well.

And to be honest, I'm the person who buys the sick bird in the cramped cage - the one that nobody wants because I'm good at nursing animals back to health and I feel like they all deserve a chance (though you can sure bet I negotiate a discount and get that vendor's name, contact info and a written documentation that I'm taking a sick bird in case they die....Though I've never lost one and had to ask for a refund/exchange.)

I suppose I'm not such a "savvy" buyer when it comes to animals. I routinely buy "damaged goods" because I believe they all deserve a chance at a healthy, happy life. The healthy bird and the unhealthy bird both have an equal value to me (especially because unhealthy birds usually don't stay that way forever! And even if they do, you can usually still enjoy them.)
But I suppose the difference is that I KNOW I'm buying damaged goods and I'm okay with it. It's no fun thinking your animal was healthy, only to realize they're not (and perhaps you overlooked something.)

And while I don't hesitate to take a less than perfect bird, it's super important to quarantine and have the resources to treat appropriately if you do that!

My big recommendation would be to research the going rate for the bird s you wish to buy so you don't get taken advantage of. (And with the beauty of mobile phones, it's super easy to google that info at the event if need be!) It's easy to get wrapped up in a beautiful bird and only after do you realize you paid too much!
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cindy
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Re: bird fairs are they safe?

Post by cindy » Tue May 26, 2015 8:22 am

I do suggest prior to purchasing a bird (I see this often at shows) avoid the impulse buy. Stand back and watch the birds for a bit, look at the vendors cages next to the birds you are watching. Birds will even if slightly ill will perk up and look alert, appear healthy , bounce around the cages when someone approaches them.

Try to observe the birds resting, eating and sitting, a sick bird after it calms down may fluff up, sleep with the head tucked. Observe the droppings... anything that looks like yellow mush (diarrhea) could be signs of coccidian or illness. Check beaks and feet for signs of scaly mites (birds can have them from 6 months to a year before you actually see signs of the infestation. Watch for signs of throat clearing, the bird stretches their neck out and opens their mouth, looks like it has trouble swallowing.... could be signs of yeast or trichomonas. Nasal discharge and watery eyes could be respiratory issues, gooey eyes conjunctivitis.

Quarantine should be 60 to 90 days with preventatives such as Scatt or ivermection 1% topically a dose of 1 drop for 3 doses, each dose 14 days apart. A round of ronex 12%, Wormout or Worm away and coccicare, Baycox or Endocox.... this is an excellent guide to quarantine protocol our vet dose recommend a 3rd dose of treatment for mites as I mentioned earlier http://www.gouldiansgalore.com/quaranti ... ocols.html

Avoid the "I really want the bird, I can cure it/rescue it" Chances are if you re seeing the illness and the bird does not perk up when the cage is disturbed the bird is pretty far along and may not recover easily or at all. Sick birds in a cage may be spreading it to others. Bear in mind some illnesses are viral, easily passed from bird to bird....if buying birds from multiple breeders/brokers have a few separate carriers with you to keep the separate cages at home for quarantine.

I as a vendor at shows walk the show room floor and see illness in cages or see the conditions that are less than desirable.... people still buy the birds, take them home and do not quarantine and later pay the price of now trying to treat their flock or save their flock.

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Re: bird fairs are they safe?

Post by dunker817 » Wed May 27, 2015 12:20 am

I wish I had this post to read when I went to our bird mart. It has a lot of good recommendations. I bought 6 birds at the mart. I am happy with all of them. There is one with a bum foot but it was so active and lively I didn't think to really examine the feet. When I go to the next mart in October, I will be better prepared.
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jamezyboo21
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Re: bird fairs are they safe?

Post by jamezyboo21 » Wed May 27, 2015 1:40 am

I never thought about the Many many diseases that are possibly being spread at these fairs or marts. I am however very particular when it comes to choosing birds. i will sit and stare at a cage of finches for an hour if I have to just to make sure the one I want looks healthy and active and I like to ask questions to see how knowledgeable the breeder actually is. I always ask the age and if they're related and where they were kept. If im trying to get a pair ill watch who sings and which two seem to get along the best. But I love it and I always feel content when I bring them home.
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spn1979
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Re: bird fairs are they safe?

Post by spn1979 » Thu Jun 04, 2015 1:52 am

I wanted to thank everyone for there advice and tips there very helpful. The fair is this saturday and im getting excited to possibly find my little hen a boyfriend. Now they recently posted theyre raffling off a pair of gouldians wish me luck lol.

Thx steve

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