Bourke Parrots - Help Needed

[Myzomela]

That's not much fun Natamambo,

Hope you got rid of the bug and don't have relapses.

Most GPs dismiss psittacosis as causing your flu-like symptoms until you've been sick for a long time.
To be fair to them it is an uncommon cause for most people. I just wish they'd take notice when you say- "By the way, I keep birds and they've been dying lately- could I have psittacosis?"

Doctors can test for it and it is relatively straightforawrd to treat if caught reasonably early.

[jemappelle]

This is an interesting thread.

i bought a Rosa Burke late last year and she didn't have any tail feathers and as it was a reputable bird shop never thought any more of it. She does appear to have some tail feathers growing now, but it is a slow process, so I am waiting to see what develops. Her mate has beautiful tail feathers.

If there is no progress in the next few weeks I will take her to the vets for a diagnosis.

[jusdeb]

I recently visited a pet shop in another town which was selling budgies , bourkes and finches . Not one of the budgies or Bourkes had a tail feather ( 20 or so birds ) .

Quickly got out of there .....

[jemappelle]

Just thought I would post that I did take my Rosa Burkes to the vet for testing for beak and feather and the results have come back positive. It's very upsetting as I am quite attached to these lovely birds. Luckily they have had absolutely no contact with my budgies.

I have learnt a valuable lesson here.

[malibu_birdie]

I had one baby zebra finch fledge with one wing normal and the other had no flight feathers at all. The bird is almost a year old now and lives on the bottom of the avairy with the quail. It cannot fly at all. I don't know if the parents are related as I bought them at the same time from a pet shop. This is the only time I have ever come across a defect like this in my birds. Even from the same clutch the other 3 young fledged fine. Could this be a disease like the ones you are discussing?

[jemappelle]

My vet did say that Finches have their own form of beak and feather disease which is different to the parrot form.

[thehammer]

Just thought I would post that I did take my Rosa Burkes to the vet for testing for beak and feather and the results have come back positive. It's very upsetting as I am quite attached to these lovely birds. Luckily they have had absolutely no contact with my budgies.

I have learnt a valuable lesson here.

Sorry to hear the bad news. Other than the circovirus test were they tested for anything else?

You could buy from a private breeder and still end up with a bird carrying circo

[BENSONSAN]

far out!! is this common in parrots!!?? Ive only got my pair of masked and there fine but this is a bit distressing would be horrible to have something nail all of your birds. Do many aussie parrots get it? And finches cant?

interested.

[jemappelle]

Sorry to hear the bad news. Other than the circovirus test were they tested for anything else?

You could buy from a private breeder and still end up with a bird carrying circo

Yes they tested for the polyama virus but the results have been delayed due to a problem with the testing.

[jusdeb]

Its getting worse Bensonsan . Here in Dubbo 1 in 6 wild Sulphurs had B + F . Thats not the bad news yet , the Corellas are buggers for stealing nesting sites thus they contract the disease .

Apart from that Galahs will often nest in hollows used by both the above as well as Rainbow Lorries and a number of other parrots that like hollows to nest in .

Parents pass it on to young , who pass it on to mates ..it goes on and on and on .

Then there's the breeders that will sell birds with it unwittingly . Its every where and getting worse .