All Gouldian Breeders

[hurlz1000]

Vetafarm have an airsac mite treatment, I have used it and found it works well, and doesn't knock the birds around too much even if you accidently give them more than one drop. Ivomec works well can add it too the water, not sure of the ratio, or drop it onto skin, but you have to be carefull where you get it from, I got some once from a birdshop and lost a few birds, must have been stronger than the batch I previously had, like the other members said, coopex and spraying aviary with low irritant flyspray seems to work well, I haven't had airsac for a long time now.

[Pete Sara]

i actually cheat with this stuff. i get ivomectin mixed from my local vet (who is an avian vet tim oldfeild over here in wa) to the right ratio its thinned with a bit of surgical spirit or alcahol still smells like mineral turpintine to me though it works well.its handy to have good for treating scaley mite aswell .they do get a bit groggy if u give them to much thats why should keep them in a small cage to moniter there progress with no water that they could drown in while there in there drunken stuper . but 99% time if they die afterwards usually means they had it pretty bad and these not much you could have done .but prevention is always better than the cure.hope this helps....pete

[Pete Sara]

also one more thing . using some pestine which is a mite killing powder etc in your nest box placed under the nesting material helps keep the buggers out to, because thats when your birds are more likely to get infected while there young but like every else spray your nest with coopex when there empty ....pete

[FINCHIE]

Thanks for all your posts. They are routinely treated with Moxidectin through their drinking water (from the Australian Pigeon Company) which apparently also treats for air sac mites but it hasn't been very successful for me and I had to treat them with a Ivermectin treatment made up by the vet (which I now have reserves of). I just dont want to have to keep catching them and treating them routinely with this solution! Very frustrating, maybe I will try the vetafarm product if any further problem arise.

Thanks again for your posts.

[GregH]

I can't advise you as to what is best but I can tell you of my experience here in the Philippines as Air-Sac Mite (ASM) is widespread in the Gouldians here. Other finches are apparently asymptomatic, consequently I treat ALL new bird with 0.1% Ivermectin in mineral oil, applied as a single drop to the skin on the back of the neck. Birds must be retreated after 2 weeks as it is not ovicidal so that although the adult ASM will be killed by the initial treatment the eggs survive and these must be treated after hatching in order to eliminate ASM from your birds. After treating the aviary where ASM manifested, it hasn't reappeared in around 18 months. Prophylactic treatment during the quarantine period for ACM, coccidia and worms has, with luck, kept me largely disease free. The only other Gouldian problem I've had is with a single bird that developed a fungal beak infection which I'm treating with Amorolfine nail lacquer. I hope it works

[FINCHIE]

Thanks for that. They all seem to be in full health again and hopefully will remain that way!

[Page0044]

Glad to here you got on top of it, its a good feeling to know that the treatment has worked.

[hurlz1000]

Hi There,

I had airsac problems years ago, I would spray your aviary with Coopex mixed with water as per packet, it won't hurt the birds, I also give them a fine spray. At least twice a year.

Change the nesting material, give them a spray with low irratent fly spray, put Inca Pestine in box and roll in around and put new nesting material in there.

You can either get Rob Marshalls S76 or Moxidectin etc. and put in in the water for 2 days then a repeat treatment in 10 days.

That should cure your airsac problems!

Cheers
Steve