2 Questions: supplies and bird fairs

[artgecko]

Hello all!

I am getting a supplies list of items that I need together and was wanting some input from you. I have read some articles on recommended cage supplies, but would like to know your thoughts on what necessities I should start out with. So far I have the following: cuttlefish bone and mineral block, 3-4 perches (natural wood, rope, and pedi-perch), maybe a toy or two, and at least 2 water and food dishes. If you have any feedback about adding something or anything I should avoid, please let me know. I am planning on ordering my seed online, but if there are any other supplements or medications I need to add to my list, please let me know (I am planning on looking at gouldians and possibly canaries).

I am also going to a bird fair next weekend in hopes that I can get a good deal on some of the supplies I need there. I am not intending to purchase birds at the fair, but I would appreciate your feedback if you have had any experience with any of the vendors selling supplies or birds so that I know to avoid someone or make an effort to stop by their booth. The link to the fair’s vendor list is bird fairhere. It is near Atlanta, GA.

Also, if you know of any supplies that I may be able to get at the fair that might be hard to get otherwise, I would love your feedback. This will be my first time attending a fair, so I am unsure about what they usually carry.

Thank you for your time and help!

[cindy]

if you do buy supplements and meds/preventatives check the expiration dates on them, most vendors keep current fresh stock some do not. Morningbird products have a sticker on the bottom with the suggested expiration date.

A good vitamin, mineral, amino acid supplement is AviTech AviVita Gold... sometimes you can find AviTech at shows, it can be ordered online too.

I suggest picking up Ronex 12% or Ronivet S 12% (6% is too weak for finches)

Either Scatt topical), Iverlux or s76 or Moxidectin(covers mites,worms except tape) or Moxidectin Plus (covers mites and all worms including tape)

Liquid Calcium, Calciboost is good as is the one by morningbird...Calcium Plus (believe that is the name)

Tri sulfa (usually do not find that at shows but can be ordered (Glamorous Gouldians) covers cocci and bacteria (can be mixed with ronex or Ronivet safely) good to have on hand and safe to use on hatchlings as well

Quick Stop...to stop bleeding

Electrolytes are good to have on hand for birds in shock

De-wromer... Worm-Away by Morningbird.If you use Moxidectin Plus this is not needed.

Baycox is always good to have on hand

Morningbird makes a generic form of baytril called Enrotex...good to have on hand for upper respiratory issues. (can not be given to baby birds or youngsters...use tri sulfa instead). Medistatin to the beak should be used if dosing with baytril since baytril can bring up fungal and yeast in finches.

These are just some of suggestions based on what I keep on hand and we see others need when treating with preventatives or medications with sick birds.

[Shannylee]

artgecko, the only thing that I can think of that you didn't list is a bath. They all LOVE a bath.

I just attended the bird fair in Orlando a few weeks ago. I didn't have a good or bad experience with any of the vendors but I was just there to look anyhow. I'm sure that some of the long-time bird folks in this forum can PM you with some recommendations or warnings. Have fun at the fair. I had a great time looking at all of the different species, and there are a LOT!

[lem2bert]

artgecko, that was a very good question , and the answers also helped me !! You may also want to purchase a small wire scrub brush made to clean perches.

Cindy would it also be a good idea to have something on hand to clean wounds ? If so what is the name ?

[cindy]

What bird Fair are you planning to go too? Is it the two day one in Forrest Park? I know of a few of the vendors that have been around for a long time and do the shows in Florida and Georgia too

[Sally]

If you are near Atlanta, you have one of the best Lady Gouldian breeders available to you in Laraine McGinnis www.ladygoudian.com. She always was a vendor at the bird fairs at Norcross, GA (north side of Atlanta), but there haven't been fairs there much this year. I don't know if she attends the one at Forest Park. I would contact her, and she also sells Morning Bird products. She may be able to steer you to some good vendors if she does not go to Forest Park.

I personally would not recommend stocking up on a lot of medications. I did this when I first started, I stocked up on about every medication for every possibility. These things sat on the shelf and finally were thrown away, a lot of money wasted. Laraine can get whatever you need very quickly, and she is also a great source of advice on illness.

Everyone is different, but I only keep a few things on hand now. When I quarantine new birds, I treat them with Scatt in case of air sac mites and a wormer (especially for birds that have been outdoors, exposed to wild birds) and that is it. I watch them carefully, not only for signs of illness, but to make sure they are drinking and eating. New birds may not be used to the same water/seed containers and can actually die of dehydration because they didn't know to use a tube waterer. I do use a product called NV powder (Laraine has it) that is basically an electrolyte mixture designed to help new birds get through stress. I use this product any time I have a bird under stress, such as going to a bird mart or going to a bird show. A liquid calcium, such as Calcium Plus, is a must if you have any hens. It can be a lifesaver in case of egg binding.

Your first bird fair will probably be mind-boggling, there will be so much there to see, so much temptation! Usually, supplies such as cages, nests, nesting materials, supplements will be cheaper at a mart/fair. As Cindy mentioned, if you do buy any meds or supplements, look for expiration dates, as you don't want to start out with old whatever.

[cindy]

Sally I just suggest keeping Ronex or ronivet on hand as well as Tri sulfa.... a lot of times if buying from multiple vendors that you have no idea of the conditions the birds were raised in it is a good idea... the birds may look great when you buy them but the stress of the show, a new home, environment will bring issues out...like cocci, internal parasites, protozoa.... best to have these on hand because once a bird goes down it could take days to order in meds and often in some situations the birds do not have days to wait especially if no avian vet is available.

[cindy]

Having been a vendor at some of the Florida shows I will suggest that if you do buy from some of the bigger brokers keep in mind most the birds are brought in from other breeder, suppliers and as witnessed trader between vendor to vendor.... look at the surrounding cages, droppings, cleanliness, crowding.... look at the cages next to the species you are looking out... anyone with discharge from the eyes, swollen eyes, fluffed.

They use to have vets at the doors checking for ill birds and not allowing them into the show but they do not do that at most of the shows here...think Georgia is a bit more stricter... the vendors have to come up the night before and have a vet certificate at the sellers expense in order to do the show. I was going to do the Forrest Park show at one time and check into details... had a family emergency and could not attend.

[Sally]

Sally I just suggest keeping Ronex or ronivet on hand as well as Tri sulfa.... a lot of times if buying from multiple vendors that you have no idea of the conditions the birds were raised in it is a good idea... the birds may look great when you buy them but the stress of the show, a new home, environment will bring issues out...like cocci, internal parasites, protozoa.... best to have these on hand because once a bird goes down it could take days to order in meds and often in some situations the birds do not have days to wait especially if no avian vet is available.

It is curious, though, many of the birds I have purchased at fairs have been waxbills that were wild-caught. They have been through being caught, shipped from Africa to the U.S., quarantined for a month, then sent out to brokers, then shipped to my area, then brought to the fairs, where I have purchased them. Brought them home, gave them Scatt and wormer, along with the NV powder, and I can't recall ever having one get sick or die (eventually they die, of course). I guess the ones that have survived all that are the really tough ones!

[cindy]

You are lucky Sally, some have not been so lucky. Sad really.

[Stuart whiting]

If you are near Atlanta, you have one of the best Lady Gouldian breeders available to you in Laraine McGinnis http://www.ladygoudian.com. She always was a vendor at the bird fairs at Norcross, GA (north side of Atlanta), but there haven't been fairs there much this year. I don't know if she attends the one at Forest Park. I would contact her, and she also sells Morning Bird products. She may be able to steer you to some good vendors if she does not go to Forest Park.

I personally would not recommend stocking up on a lot of medications. I did this when I first started, I stocked up on about every medication for every possibility. These things sat on the shelf and finally were thrown away, a lot of money wasted. Laraine can get whatever you need very quickly, and she is also a great source of advice on illness.

Everyone is different, but I only keep a few things on hand now. When I quarantine new birds, I treat them with Scatt in case of air sac mites and a wormer (especially for birds that have been outdoors, exposed to wild birds) and that is it. I watch them carefully, not only for signs of illness, but to make sure they are drinking and eating. New birds may not be used to the same water/seed containers and can actually die of dehydration because they didn't know to use a tube waterer. I do use a product called NV powder (Laraine has it) that is basically an electrolyte mixture designed to help new birds get through stress. I use this product any time I have a bird under stress, such as going to a bird mart or going to a bird show. A liquid calcium, such as Calcium Plus, is a must if you have any hens. It can be a lifesaver in case of egg binding.

Your first bird fair will probably be mind-boggling, there will be so much there to see, so much temptation! Usually, supplies such as cages, nests, nesting materials, supplements will be cheaper at a mart/fair. As Cindy mentioned, if you do buy any meds or supplements, look for expiration dates, as you don't want to start out with old whatever.

Totally agree Sally, well said,

Exactly what I now do, I just have a few of the important items,

I to have bought loads of medical formulas in the past only for em to be thrown away and money waisted,

I'll have yer regular anti mite sprays and powders, sulphur drugs, witch hazel, scaley creams and some multivitamin and calcium supplements etc that I add to me live food and this is all I tend to keep most of the time as stated before that I'm not a believer of drugging birds just for the sake of it,

I'll only apply medication if a bird is I'll, with the exception of sulphur drugs with certain types of birds that are known for going light, this I'll give to youngsters as soon as they fledge,

I believe that pumping drugs into birds to often IE the use of tonics etc the birds become immune to em and end up realieing on them to much which in tern I feel weakens the birds immunity

I also fully agree about the movement and shipment of what is regarded as delicate waxbills, I've often bought waxbills in the earlier years prior to the import ban and very rarely lost a bird, maybe one or two out of about possibly 90-100 birds , simply didn't need the use of booster tonics and what have you, these birds did all just fine bar I think two birds,

Not bad I think only losing Two birds and those birds probably never see a drug in them days unlike now

[cindy]

A lot of times if a bird is ill say with cocci or parasites, trichomonas... it is also wise to treat the cage mates and sanitize the cages... some birds are carries and do not show any symptom at first but spread it

[cindy]

One thing we are seeing is a lot of imported cordons and twinspots coming in ill... two people lost twinspots to the same symptoms/cause.

[Stuart whiting]

cindy oh yes I can totally agree, very true, that to me would be a must

[Stuart whiting]

cindy yep we've seen a few cases like that aswell with the bleus and twinspots aswell as a few other waxbills over here in England