Bird stamping and kicking feet

[Elvan Willgrass]

I have some birds that are pecking themselves here and there including there feet and stamping and kicking. I have ruled out Red Mite, Northern Mite and they have no feather lice as they have been done with the drops, the loft has also been blow torched. I have seen this behaviour over the years but it has mainly been outside the loft and did not last long but this is both and seems to lasting a long time.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

PS i dont think they have Leg Mite as the scales on the legs look normal.    

 

[THE FIFER]

try ur birds with a bath with plenty garlic in it.

[Guest]

its fleas lad thats what it is fleas  

[THE FIFER]

its fleas lad thats what it is fleas  

 

 

yes agree with u sammy its some kind of pest, like mite or something, but not the usual red mite as i believe they only come out in the dark,

[Guest]

Have seen this too in my own loft, seems to affect only an odd bird, and only during the day.

 

Thought fleas were supposed to be host specific - cat flea, dog flea etc. - and I would expect to see something, but can't see anything.

 

Have picked up that there are two species of biting midge which 'prey' on birds, one of which has been found in birds nests in the wild.

 

But to be honest I'm stumped for an answer to this behaviour.  :B

 

 

[Elvan Willgrass]

I have sprayed the effected birds ( three in the whole loft) with garlic makes no difference. Nothing I know of is any good, maybe as Bruno says it might be midges but they must be very small as I have scraped there legs and put sticky tape on the them to try and get a microscope sample but I got nothing.  

[majorpet]

I have sprayed the effected birds ( three in the whole loft) with garlic makes no difference. Nothing I know of is any good, maybe as Bruno says it might be midges but they must be very small as I have scraped there legs and put sticky tape on the them to try and get a microscope sample but I got nothing.  

you say it is only 3 birds-take them to the vet if you can afford it.

 

majorpet

 

[Guest anthony]

If that happens in a Maltese loft it will most of the time be pigeon fly, it will give you no time to see it and when you hold the bird in your hand it will fly away the minute it feels the grap of your hands

[lofty]

Yes

If the bird suddenly preens itself with a  sence of urgency its usualy pigeon flies

they move so fast you hardly see them.

pigeon droppings on the compost heap is a good place for the larva to develope and

they then fly back to the loft.

Interestingly the fly has a chemical in its saliva that causes squeakers to develope diarrhoea - this increases the larva's chances of survival by preventing them drying up!

Lofty

[Guest]

: apart from the suggested garlic bath , are there any other treatments ??                                          andy

[Guest]

Don't think it pays to jump to conclusions. Have seen just the odd bird do this, going back as far as 1960s before pigeon fly had been invented in UK I think.  

 

The point is its just one pigeon, not the whole lot. In addition to weekly bath, have sprayed the current 'victim' and have used easi-tox on him, still get the same behaviour from him on an odd occasion since.

 

If you are bitten or stung by an insect, you know fine well where, and can go straight to the spot. The bird just doesn't seem to know where this 'bite' is, and it is a standard behaviour - left rump, right rump, preen gland area, under right wing, under left wing - kick both legs backwards - all over in milli-seconds.

 

Somehow don't think it is down to 'Lonesome Fly' and I am not that sure that the cause is external or an insect.

[Ronnie]

could it just be something as simple as pruning itself?

[THE FIFER]

just looked out my OLD HANDS book, "THE AILMENTS AND DISEASES OF RACING PIGEONS" quote, sitting birds are constantly driven off their nests etc, perched birds can be seen to scratch and kick violently,  he puts this down to the DREADED RED MITE

which he compounded specially for this purpose, that,s from his book, if BILCO comes on site he will tell you about it and give some info, but i would try the harkers loft compound if you can get it, i always use colombovac floor white all the time. hope this helps,

[retired]

sent you a pm if that product dont cure the problem i really dont know what will

[Guest]

Fifer I have both Harkers Loft Treatment and Stalosan mixed in my deep litter, both are supposed to keep insects in check, and the loft is clear of them, and in other threads on this, red mite is discounted because it is night-time feeder, while this behaviour is day-time only..

[THE FIFER]

Fifer I have both Harkers Loft Treatment and Stalosan mixed in my deep litter, both are supposed to keep insects in check, and the loft is clear of them, and in other threads on this, red mite is discounted because it is night-time feeder, while this behaviour is day-time only..

 

yes i agree as i said in my first post red mite was out as it is a night time pest, but i got the other info from old hand book, there are lots of other mite around, i once got some sand from the beach and put in the loft, it was infested with sand mite, so always give sand and grit from the beach a good rinse before use.

 

 

[DOVEScot]

 

yes i agree as i said in my first post red mite was out as it is a night time pest, but i got the other info from old hand book, there are lots of other mite around, i once got some sand from the beach and put in the loft, it was infested with sand mite, so always give sand and grit from the beach a good rinse before use.

 

 

Going to get coarse sand for aviary floor tomorrow from the quary about £10 a ton, then going to put Stalosan through it, and lime underneath it, any comments appreciated

[THE FIFER]

give it a good rinse with water and it will be good, although the lime should keep it ok.

[EAGLEOWL]

vermine ex  is a belga vet product this will stop it ,sounds like red mite

[Guest karl adams]

i had the same thing with my birds and it was some kind of a lice i thought i may of been worms as the birds would do a short tap dance but i was told by a friend to hold birds wing up to a light and look for small pin holes and he was right he then told me to get a flight fether and look at it thro a microscope . along the quil so i did and the flight infested in lice they were running about at a good speed to  then he told me i would need to dip all by birds in  a worm bath of duramitex and then spray the whole of my loft to 2 days latter i checked birds again and they were all clear

[Guest]

maybe its scailly leg mite tickiling the birds toes  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[polly]

I use Colombine spray - insecticide for from boddy and ridewood for real strays, and occassional spot use for the birds.This deals with feather lice, tail bone lice,fleas, ticks and red mite.

Otherwise I use jeyes fluid to the correct concentration for the loft.

I always have a mild solution of garlic both in their drinking water and bath water. And get 'ivomectin?' (was a dilution of sheep dip I believe) from the vet 'spot on' treatment annually.

So far not had a specific problem with red mites.

[Guest Hjaltland]

Now then annie... wots a 'real' stray?!!  

[David Home]

Try worming the bird.

[weecunny]

paint legs witrh meths or creasote