Aussie Finch Forum

The Gouldians have finished breeding so I was planning to do a round of worming. I have finches in with softbills (redbrows and painteds in with the superb wrens, longtails in with the crimson chats).

Do the softbills also need worming? If not (coz of their gut biology) is it safe to dose them via the drinking water anyway or do I need to move the finches out first and worm them in a different flight (I'm not good at hand dosing to beak because of the arthritis).

Bump.. Cause I want to know too. Myzo, Danny??????

I've never had a problem dosing any of the softbills with moxi plus from memory, either in-water or direct to the beak.

Many people don't bother worming softbills much but I have seen several types of internal parasites in them so I would worm them with the finches.
Just do it on a day when you can keep an eye on them. If they appear in any sort of distress just replace with fresh water & reworm the finches in a week or two.
I don't expect you'll have any problems.

Perhaps Danny can add his experiences also.

I use it in my mixed aviaries without any problems.

Haven't had any problems here, Wrens, Chats, Silvereyes, all have had it. Haven't seen the Honeyeaters drink it, but probably would if left long enough.

I may have my facts wrong, but isn't moxidectin less effective against tapeworm? And would tapeworm not be your main concern with softbills due to their propensity for ingesting the intermediate hosts?

Yes moxidectin is less effective. Moxidectin plus is effective the plus being the praziquantel component effective against a broader amount of internal and external parasites once combinined then one or the other alone. So for those who don't know there is a straight moxidectin and also a moxidectin plus (praziquantel) the tape worm component among other parisites.

Right you are Gomer.
Reading fail on my part.