what is it and how do i treat it?

[DJ]

two of my yb,s started coughing up their corn yesterday after eating and today they are refusing to eat at all they have now developed dark green/white runny dropping and one yb has a spongey feel to his crop?  they are still quite lively but im worried that this is the start of yb sickness? what do you think and is there anything i can do or give to them today to help them or ease their symptoms? isnt bicarbonate of soda meant to help? any advice would be much appreciated :-/  debbie

[pjc]

first sign of illness with any bird isolate it to prevent any spread.

Sounds like youngbird sickness but not having had it here others may give better cures!

 

Phil

[Guest dibble]

sounds like you have ybs debbie if you isolate the sick ones make sure you treat all your young with a antibiotic as it looks like they have a secondry infection,personally i wouldnt isolate because if 2 are showing the symptons the others will have it

[Diydave]

I had young bird sickness , three week back, one died on perch so it needs treating fast , i went to vets who gave me baytril 2.5% , treat for a full seven days . the dosage was 4 ml  to 8 ml (for 20 birds)in the water twice a day, instant recovery , but do the full course. £28  was the cost of the baytril to give you an idea of cost

[pjc]

more impotantly is don't forget the aftercare as strong antibiotics strip the birds of there natural imunity!

 

Phil

[peterpau]

Sounds like young bird sickness to me too. Table spoon of cider vinegar in the water and a table spoon of natural yoghurt on the corn for a week. This will help by keeping cocci and kanker levels lower preventing a secondary infection. The birds natural immunity will then fight the YBS. I would always flock treat and never isolate. This way all birds build immunity of there own. Every time you race, your birds are gonna drink from the same drinkers as 20 possible strays.

[Guest]

Sir,

 

I Have found that if you email or contact a qualified vet they are usually able to assist you more and should be able to suggest next course of action rarther than guessing.

 

Try contacting Gordon A. Chalmers, DVM - Who has always been very helpfull to myself

 

gacdvm@telus.net <gacdvm@telus.net>

 

All the best, hope you get it sorted quickly

 

Andrew Hitchcock (DCLOFTS.CO.UK)

[DJ]

thanks for the advice guys  ive put cider vinager in their water tonight as peterpau recomends and i will phone around some vets tomorrow morning  i was told to try liquidised banana via a syringe on the birds not eating or able to keep corn down and so far it seems to have worked  i also mixed some multi vits in for good measure so hopefully that will help?  thanks again   debbie

[Guest IB]

Agree with the cider vinegar, 5 ml per litre of water. You want to acidify the gut. Bicarb is an alkali and is likely to make matters worse by creating an environment in which these pathogenic bacteria and yeasts thrive;

 

Go for isolation every time. Easier to treat one bird than a loft full, but put cider vinegar in the loft drinker too to stop spread thro water. Think the main spread is thro brought-up grain, so keep your eyes peeled, clean it up as soon as it comes up and make sure none of the other birds eat it.

 

Lastly, don't forget to lighten the sick birds diet. You want to withhold feeding maybe for a day till the crop empties, then starting with seed or easily digested food, build up gradually over 72 hours to normal ration. As droppings form up, add more grain to diet.

[THE FIFER]

whatever you do DONT MIX VINEGAR WITH BI-CARB, you will blow your birds up, if you want to try it do so in a glass and see what happens, or get an empty camera film box put some bi-carb in it and a little vinegar and put the lid on and see the lid fly.

[peterpau]

Cider vinegar, Honey, Yoghurt, and Milton, Always in use here. YBS is a non event for me. Still waiting for my Palamos birds though.

[DUBLINFLYER]

could be a fungi infection!!!! dont give any water for 24 hours ad try on get ur hands on mycrostatin 5ml to 1 litre of water for 5 days

[jimmy white]

FIRST OF ALL DEBBIE, I WOULD REALLY CLEAN THE LOFT FROM TOP TO BOTTOM, THEN SPRAY THE WHOLE LOFT WITH VIRKON  S, THIS IS A VERY STRONG DISENFECTION APPROVED STRONGLY BY DEFRA,, THIS WILL DO NO HARM, WHATEVER IT IS,,BUT IT DOES SOUND TO ME LIKE THE START OF THE DREADED YB SICKNESS , USUALLY FOLLOWED ON WITH SECONDRY INFECTIONS ETC. ANYONE CAN GET THIS PROBLEM NOWADAYS ,,SO YOUR CERTAINLY NOT ALONE WITH THIS , ITS SOMETIMES VERY DIFFICULT TO GET A REALLY GOOD AVIAN VET , WHO , WOULD HAVE TO SEE THE BIRDS , AND OFF COURSE THIS WOULD COST,,,E,MAILING GORDON CHALMERS MAY HELP , BUT AGAIN ITS GUESSWORK OVER THE INTERNET, IM NOT ONE FOR ADVOCATING ANTIBIOTICS [i THINK ONE OF THE CAUSES OF THIS THROUGH THE LAST TEN YEARS IS THE MIS_USE OF ANTIBIOTICS, AND  THROUGH THIS WE HAVE ACTUALY CAUSED THIS WEEKNESS ] IF ITS JUST THESE TWO BIRDS I WOULD TRY THE CIDER VINEGAR IN THEIR WATER ,FLOCK TREAT THEM ALL [bUT SEPERATE THESE TWO YB,S] IF IT GOT ANY WORSE IE MORE BIRDS GOING LIKE THIS , I THINK I WOULD HAVE TO GO AGAINST MY PRINCIPALS AND TREAT WITH BAYTRILL [AS MENTIONED IN A POST ABOVE ] IF YOU FEEL YOU NEED THIS ,,PM ME ,,LETS JUST HOPE THAT ITS A ONE OFF THING WITH THESE TWO YB,S BUT I MUST SAY I HAVE MY DOUBTS ,I HOPE YOU CAN GET THIS RESOVED WITHOUT USING ANTIBIOTICS ,AND WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK [sPRAYING THE LOFT WITH VIRKON S IS A GREAT THING AT ANY TIME , TO KEEP ANY NASTIES AWAY]

[just ask me]

in a sitation like this anti bio are the only way to go as to save all your birds

[DJ]

thank u IB,fifer,peterpau,dulin flyer, just ask, and jimmy white for the new postings   i drove down to gems in chichester yesterday to buy some adenosan for the birds and they had the first dose mixed onto their corn last night   the birds seemed perky enough when i checked them again about 4 pm and their droppings have definately firmed up so thats a good sign the pigeons that i hand fed with small seeds and banana mixed with adenosan have slightly improved and they now seem to be keeping their food down so fingers crossed they are on the mend  i didnt expect to see any signs of improvement just yet so im well pleased:)     thanks again everybody for your help and advice      debbie

[peterpau]

Bugger it does annoy me when people say this is the only way. If you buy The flying vet by Dr Colin Walker and read you will find there are many ways to solve your problems whatever they are. Me I don't like to use antibiotics. I never seperate even strays. My methods would make most cringe but from a very tough Pau last year 634 mile I dropped 1 from 5 and none localy can live with my birds at that kind of distance.

Best o' luck Debbie. Cider vinegar wont do any harm just kills the secondary infections of kanker and cocci  

[just ask me]

i have read colin walkers book cider viger is a brillant thing for pigeons but these sounds like yb sickens and this needs to be hit on the head straight away as most likelly the cocci levells have gone up in the sky cider vinger i use weeklly great thing ok but probally needs something a bit stronger

 

 

dj one more question have u had them vaccanited yet

[Guest IB]

i have read colin walkers book cider viger is a brillant thing for pigeons but these sounds like yb sickens and this needs to be hit on the head straight away as most likelly the cocci levells have gone up in the sky cider vinger i use weeklly great thing ok but probally needs something a bit stronger

 

I agree with what you say about hitting everything on the head straight away. That's why I look over my birds at least twice daily, looking to make sure everything is as it should be. If it isn't I pop the suspect bird in a box for 24 hours out of harms way , without medication, and most times there's been nothing wrong with it and its out a day later, so there's no harm done.

 

I think Debbie caught 'this' in its early stages long before it had a chance to develop into a problem for her. There's a world of difference between a bird bringing up corn and birds by the dozen dropping off perches dead, as some have reported on here. Cider vinegar, garlic etc won't be much help when things get to that stage, but their use does help stop it ever getting that bad .. so always be on the watch for signs of something working on the birds.

 

 

[just ask me]

 

I agree with what you say about hitting everything on the head straight away. That's why I look over my birds at least twice daily, looking to make sure everything is as it should be. If it isn't I pop the suspect bird in a box for 24 hours out of harms way , without medication, and most times there's been nothing wrong with it and its out a day later, so there's no harm done.

 

I think Debbie caught 'this' in its early stages long before it had a chance to develop into a problem for her. There's a world of difference between a bird bringing up corn and birds by the dozen dropping off perches dead, as some have reported on here. Cider vinegar, garlic etc won't be much help when things get to that stage, but their use does help stop it ever getting that bad .. so always be on the watch for signs of something working on the birds.

 

what u say is true should have addded to treat the 2 birds really that are sick but i have seen cases where this spread so fast not in my own thank god

 

[WulDon]

me personally wouldnt reach for the antibiotics initially and wouldnt isolate the young birds showing signs, starve your entire team for a minimum of 24 hours (36 if needed) then gradually feed them up on a depurative, start of with a quarter feed then half unitil you get up to a full feed, then slowly switch them over to a light mix (gerry plus) and you will find most will pull through if you nab them in the early stages.

 

every morning if you have say 36 young birds then pick up 6 at random and feel there crops, all being well should be empty.

 

but i do agree that you will have to be aware of the secondry infection, if using any products then belgica de weerdt would be my first choice.

 

if you still have a youngster that hasnt responded to this then i would mix up some baytril in a small tupperware dish and syringe 2-2.5ml down the throat twice a day for 7 days all the while the youngster still mixing with the team.

 

i did this with a young bird last year, he flew young bird programme out to 204 miles and last week was my time in from eastbourne as a yearling 419 miles, he finished 1st Club,7th Fed, 27th Section,82nd Open SNFC... 3841 birds

[DUBLINFLYER]

thank u IB,fifer,peterpau,dulin flyer, just ask, and jimmy white for the new postings   i drove down to gems in chichester yesterday to buy some adenosan for the birds and they had the first dose mixed onto their corn last night   the birds seemed perky enough when i checked them again about 4 pm and their droppings have definately firmed up so thats a good sign the pigeons that i hand fed with small seeds and banana mixed with adenosan have slightly improved and they now seem to be keeping their food down so fingers crossed they are on the mend  i didnt expect to see any signs of improvement just yet so im well pleased:)     thanks again everybody for your help and advice      debbie

 

JUST COURIOUS WOTS THE ACTIVE INGREDIENT IN THIS PRODUCT

[DJ]

well my birds have now had 2 days treatment of adenosan (harkers) and will be getting their 3rd tonight  they are much improved today with droppings almost back to normal and all birds looking much better   in reply to dublinflers question: adenosan contains cruziferenpulver 4640mg and immunglobuline 130,oomg  if u can understand that then u are a better person then me ;D   in reply to just ask me,s question: no my birds havnt been vaccinated yet as i still havnt started racing but they have all been treated for worms,cocci and canker in the last 2 months before the ybs started   i also usually put garlic bulbs in their water but run out of garlic for about 5 days and this was when the ybs came to my notice so im wondering wether the garlic kept the ybs at bay? :-/   debbie

[just ask me]

just be on the watch when there not vacinated know of a few fanicers that had paramyxo[bad spelling] this year

[Guest IB]

well my birds have now had 2 days treatment of adenosan (harkers) and will be getting their 3rd tonight  they are much improved today with droppings almost back to normal and all birds looking much better   in reply to dublinflers question: adenosan contains cruziferenpulver 4640mg and immunglobuline 130,oomg  if u can understand that then u are a better person then me ;D   debbie

 

I’m always interested in active ingredients, Debbie. Immunoglobulin is part of the body’s natural defence – the immune system. It’s a protein secretion, for example IGA is secreted by the tear glands which will normally kill anything, including the avian flu virus.

 

I think you would have a hard job finding the ‘cruciferwhatsit’ because although its Harkers that’s selling Adenosan it’s actually a Chevita product, and I think it’s a Belgian word? Well always into natural remedies and found out it’s a load of cabbage.      Cruciferae include the crops broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, and kohlrabi - the Brassicaceae or mustard family. But don't ask for your money back just yet,    there’s been interesting studies in humans:-

 

“Studies suggest that brassica vegetables are protective against cancers of the lungs and gut. Cruciferous vegetables are the dietary source of glucosinolates, a large group of sulfur-containing glucosides. These compounds remain intact unless brought into contact with the enzyme myrosinase by pests, food processing, or chewing. Myrosinase releases glucose and breakdown products, including isothiocyanates. Isothiocyanates inhibit mitosis and stimulate apoptosis in human tumor cells. “

 

The cancer thing loosely translated means it stops the cancer cells multiplying, and induces early death in the tumour. The sulfur thing and the enzyme thing also sounds just like how garlic works, so sounds pretty handy!

 

Think I remember someone posting a while back that he boiled up these kinds of vegetable plants and gave the birds it to drink? Looks as if he was spot on with his thinking.