Guest IB Posted December 30, 2009 Report Posted December 30, 2009 Found this on a New Zealand forum on birds. Hope our members find it helpful. I was Down the Vet today so took the opportunity to ask.. How To.... Yes its very simple. TOOLS: Kids microscope that has a range around 10x to 20x Most go up to 250 to 750x The best is the sort that has an electric blub for light, and a little screen attactment for veiwing rather than looking down thru the eye peice. Slides and slip covers for the above.... 2 15 to 20 cc Test tubes.... A fine eye dropper or a small syringe Saturated common salt sol'n (brine)....(or epson salt magnesium sulphate make this by warming water, dissolve as much salt as u can in it, then let cool, drain off and keep the sol'n. Fine mesh filter...or bit of gauze the best setup is a filter that works like a coffee plunger in test tube scale. Small spatula to get your sample and to be able to stir inside the above test tube... a slim metal nail file does the job. HOW TO: 1/Make sure all your equipment is clean 2/ 1/2 to 2/3 fill your test tube with the salt sol'n 3/Obtain your fresh 'poo' sample (that can be identified which bird is the source) with your nailfile ....I mean... spatula, a good sized 'blob' on the end will do. 4/ Put it in the test tube, a stir it around really well. 5/Filter thru your fine mesh filter into the other test tube (Or see coffee plunger filtering method below) 6/ Top up with more salt sol'n until it is full.. so that the level bulges above the top of the test tube and let stand for 20 to 30 mins. longer time allows more eggs to float to the surface giving more accurate results. 7/ Carefully place the slide slip on the surface of the sample , pulling a very small amount off 8/ Place on the glass side, put slide under the microscope and look for little round or oval eggs. Some times they are like rings other types have a darker centre. 9/Compare to pictures Below So there u go...chances are, the cost of 1 check with the vet would buy the whole 'kit' AND the time it takes less than what it would to take a sample to the vet, AND u have your results immediately. Coffee plunger method: obtain a small piece of very fine stainless steel mesh. Using a metal hole punch that is very slightly larger than the inside diameter of test tube, punch out your filter. Coffee Plunger Method to filter: only have the test tube about 1/2 full, so it doesn't over flow (do a practise to establish a good level 1st) Put your sample in as above, stir it up, carefully place the filter into the top of the testube. Use a round object with a flat base (about the size of a pencil) then carefully press the filter to the bottom and leave there. Fill test tube as in 6/ above and carry on. BACK GROUND: 1/U use saturated salt sol'n cause that has a higher Specific Gravity than the worm eggs, therefore they float 2/A bird may have worms, the above is not 100% , so a couple tests over a couple days is best , espec if u want to get worming in early before breeding season. Worming can bring on moult, and birds are infertile during moult. http://www.kakariki.net/ftopict-59.html Please read further detailed and far more informed info in post under heading "Veterinary Advice on Wormers" for what wormer to use, when and dosage. http://forum.pigeonbasics.com/m-1262169939/
andy Burgess Posted October 6, 2013 Report Posted October 6, 2013 this may help for viewing "microscope images " as requested . please note this is a locked topic.
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