Aussie Finch Forum

Was in shock!

Blujay, the bureacratic nonsense one would need to wade through in order to get permission to medicate wild endangered birds would be more than anybody could achieve. We were threatened with arrest if we medicated pelicans for tapeworm, even though it was killing them. We did it anyway but just never got caught

BluJay wrote:@Madhatter, thank you for your response. I am not versed in Australian law. Other than the books are published by Butterworth's, which humorously, is a pancake/waffle syrup.
It is my understanding, Gouldian finches, are most susceptible to the Airsac mite, and it is the number one killer thereof.
Why, isn't the Save a Gouldian foundation/fund, doing anything to assist with the paperwork needed, to make it readily available? It would further be my understanding, that orgainisation, spent 10,000 dollars, many time over, to have various, unbeknown others, egg and biscut formula's analyzed, only to find it was custard and biscut mixture, etc.. Then turn around and invent other feeds to package and sell. It would occur to me, that this medication would be unequivocally important. Dead birds, don't need nutrition.
What really backs me up, is to view various medications being sold, at astronomical prices. Some of the people selling them are making as much as 1,100.00 profit. Not that anyone can argue, as they only want to do right by the birds that are so precious and endearing. Such as myself!
I am in no way, making an attempt to bash anyone and/or anything, only to gain an understanding. Again, thank you!

Blujay,you are misunderstanding the role of the save the gouldian fund.They are not responsible for gouldian health in our aviaries.The role they play is the scientific and causes for the decline of gouldians in the wild and to try and rectify the problems.
You say you are not bashing anyone,the moneys spent in your top comment came from a well known aviculturist and it came out of his back pocket,nothing to do with the save the gouldian fund. So please before you make your silly comments, GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT

@crocnshas, I do not believe any comment to be silly! It would be apparently obvious, that the facts are presented as un clear. Rather, the funds come from an individual or an oraganization, is beyond me. But it has been stated, this has been done many times over. Let me ask you this, is the seed mix, sprouting seed mixes and/or the softfoods benefiting Gouldians of the wild...........or aviaries????????????????????????????? Is airsac mite, an issue of Gouldians in the wild? Or only a captive Gouldian issue?????????? It has been stated, there are only 500 in the wild, as well as, 2500. I don't feel anything I have inquired about or stated to be silly, or to cause generation of any anger, unless of course, there is something to hide.

Easy folks no need for heated debate here over the STGF.

I know as much as anyone about said body and trust me its all good!! If u search out the papers on ASM you'll find it is not a limiting factor in wild Gouldians therefore was not demeed necessary (or legal as Danny pointed out) to dose any wild birds. Simple as that................

Sales of softfood - not quite just royalties off such in fact as it was, and I stress WAS, made under license by a chap in Cessnock and the STGF received royalties ONLY not the full sum.
ALL the $$$ raised went back into research either at the Corranbong Facility or in the Kimberley and now Wyndham..............I was as involved as anyone and never received a cent (nor asked for one mind u!!) as all fund went into research..............yes, can 100% verify that.

The $$$ spent by said chap on egg n biscuit research was done well before there ever was a STGF I can assure you as the gent simply wanted the best available for his birds and, finding that out, got his own recipe made...............eeasy peezy no conspiracy theory there guys.
Then later on it was used as a small fund raiser..............

The avicultural spinoffs of the STGF sponsored research makes all our live easier.................unfortuantely ASM in the wild woudl make it an easier fix than the current multitude if Q's.................

Anyway............hope that helps and not makes it worserer!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Fincho for putting things back into prespective.

Blujay, there is no need to be worried about SCATT- there are plenty of other products that do the same job. That's because these have been registered for use in large animals and we have "borrowed them" to use in our birds. Only one product that I am aware of has been registered for use in birds- Moxidectin sold by The Australian Pigeon Company (Dr Colin Walker). We know that ivermectin and moxidectin are quite safe in finches including Gouldians so the STGF money can be better spent elsewhere.

Thanks, Fincho & Myzomela, I am aware of Colin Walker, DVM, very nice person, as is his staff, over there in Melbourne. As to Scatt, it is a crying shame that you cannot just go a pet store and get it when required, or even the aformentioned for that matter. As to the large animal medication, I can appreciate the use of it on birds. What I do not appreciate is people purchasing it, breaking it down into smaller qauntities and selling it at exuberant prices.
It is good to know STGF, is good organization, however, there are those that claim to be connected to that organization, that, in my opinion, give it a blackeye, and that is an overall shame on them. We left a family members estate totaling 300,000.00 to setup additional researh for small dogs, and I would hit the roof, if there was complete and utter nonsense to come of it.
Overall, good experience, comes from bad judgement!

I wouldn't waste my money on Scatt to be honest my friend. If u have an ASM problem that needs strong action this stuff - based on our research, which was extensive trust me - is next to useless. You want summat that gets to the spot and does the job quickly and efficiently so try the Ivomec in alcohol as its easy to mix and is excellent result wise.

Or maybe find a vet that will calculate the dose rate for Cydectin in alcohol????...............for the delivery agent in the alcohol certainly gets the job done.

Scatt may be great for keeping it at bay as Cydectin will do that but our findings suggest that the alcohol route is the only sure way of removing bad cases.

Again, if you're happy using that product so be it but at least now u are aware of an alternative that has been tested and found very true on stubborn cases.

@Fincho162, Thanks for the information. Not that I am a user of SCAT, just keeping in mind a comment made, "Keep it simple stupid." I was highly recomended. So I sought it out, as a couple of birds still in isolation, were noted to be beak rubbing, then came the clicking noise. Which thanks to this forum and youtube video's, it was easy to regconise the issue. My immediate steps were to move those birds into another area altogether, after spraying the area down with Mycodex dog shampoo, then rinsing, air drying and then spraying the entire room with a couple of bottles Aristo Pet Bird and Lice spray, as well as, new cages for the birds in question. After drying, I set the cages up with the intruments they are used to - I then took the birds, and Sprayed them down with same, placed in the new cages. They are doing much better. Later, of course, I used Moxidectin, one drop to the back of the neck.
I went on to spray the deck with Mycodex dog shampoo, leaving to dry, then rinsed entirely, again spray down with the mite spray, as well as, all the birds and cages and flights, annoying, as some are sitting, though these birds showed no symptoms. Once all birds, out on to the deck, I then bombed the house, sent the drapes to the cleaners, and thank goodness I have a steam cleaner and did all floors and carpets. Hopefully, when all is said and done, this will take care of all. As to ivermectin, that is some good stuff, with all of it's off the label uses, etc. Since I have started the other treatments, I do not believe I can do the ivermectin as of yet, but will do so in the future. I would rather have had done the systemic approach in the first place. Any further advice would be appreciated. This mite is certainly the Cheyletiella parasitivorax of the birds.

Sounds like you've dun all the right moves and covered the bases sir!!
Believe ivomec & cydectin are from a similar family............just that the alcohol gets to the spot quickly.
I also like to keep it simple but like "it" to do the hard yards too.................fussy I bee's!!

Good luck with it all.