External Parasites

[jimmy white]

i think maybe ges is thinking of condies crystals

and snowy we used to use a week solution of sheep dip,, or even a week solution of duramitex, but i think that is maybe too strong for the birds, i think nothing beats the ivomec.

[Guest speckled]

;D Talk about rubbing "SALT" in the wound.Ah. ;D Speckled. :-/

[MsPigeon]

IVOMEC

 

Promised to come back on Ivomec / Ivomectrin.  

 

Posted elsewhere that the company that produce Ivomec products do so for CATTLE only - they don't do anything for poultry, for pigeons or for any other bird species.

 

And to highlight MsPigeon's point that she only gives her birds the correct dose - how can you possibly give any animal or bird the correct dose of any manufactured product NOT made specifically for that type of creature?

 

Ivomec 'pour on' and 'injectable' products can be see at :

 

http://ivomec.uk.merial.com/products/dairy/dairy.asp

 

You are right; the manufacturer does not give the dosages for any other animal because it has not been officially approved for other animals. But you will find in a simple web search that it is effectively and safely being used for most every type of critter. I use it for goats, dogs, canaries, and chickens, even my snake and have taken some myself. Cats are the only pets I know of that have had adverse effects. Even if you ask your vet, I'm sure he or she will tell you how safe and effective it is. And if you check in the pigeon supply catalogs that sell it you will find that they usually also give the dosage for pigeons. But with anything given as a flock treatment in the water, how could you possibly know that they are getting the right amount. If you think it is too much trouble to handle each bird then you shouldn't have so many. How can you even know your birds, their state of health or what they need if you don't handle them? And when it is determined that they need something, such as lice or worm treatment it is worth the time or trouble to handle each and give it the correct amount individually so that it will effectively do its job.  

Respectfully

Carol

[Guest]

What about copper sulphate crystals desolved in warm water.  

 

we've used this for a 5 day treatment, like a Double diamond, works wonders

[Guest]

I was told by someone on the UNC website that if you put Malt Vinegar or Garlic water in the bath (once a week) this kills any lice, so I tried it and mine no longer have any lice, simple but very effective.

[Guest]

I DIP ALL MY BIRDS IN CHLORCARB WORKS A TREAT HELPS KEEP THEM FREE OF LICE WHEN RACING.

[stucky 1]

Up untill this year used chlocarb as it was best i had used, but this year used easytox from pigeon pharmacy and it worked a treat, so no more dipping for me.

[Guest]

Well, trust that 'Old Salt',  JW , to spit in m' eye.  

 

Er, salt in the bath to bathe in, James, not fer drinkin!   ;D  Makes you sick (er, the salt, Jimmy    ;D  )

 

To back up Rose's point on ivomec poisoning collies, MsPigeon, the web is full of stuff like that. From the following web address, I see that your FDA haven't authorised its use in birds. I would take that as a warning not to use it. It's also not authorised in the UK for use on birds either. Why take risks when there's safer alternatives?

 

http://shilala.homestead.com/ivomec.html

 

And I couldn't agree more with you MsPigeon on flock treatment, especially 'chemical' treatment. That's why I like the Feather Drops, individual birds done as required.

 

And still on the 'Keep It Simple' theme. If you already use garlic, malt vinegar, etc in your routine; and you have proof that they are safe and effective bath additives which will keep the birds clean and free of lice, what's the point of using anything else?  

[Guest]

I agree with your reasoning, Rose. But if you take it a stage further, this is a company which trades in the farming industry: there's poultry in there worth billions to every country's economy, trillions of birds world-wide. If Ivomec 'cattle parasite' products were safe for birds, they'd be on sale in the poultry market, and earn $millions for the company.

 

The fact that they aren't on sale in farming (the company's main market) is highly suggestive of two things: (1) past research work done on poultry shows unacceptable risks given that these birds are for human consumption; (2) that the product's use in birds is unsafe and the FDA, DEFRA etc., won't license its use in birds because of that.

 

 

[martinalison]

Could somebody describe the methods they use for putting Garlic in the pigeon bath.

[Guest shadow]

personally I have always used pottassium permangamate was given the tip years ago you only need a pinch of it enough to turn the water a light purple in colour it will not harm the birds they will drink it. Years ago it was used to cure respiratory infections but that involved a stronger mix in a cup and dunking the birds head under the water til it swallowed. I tried it once but did not like the way the bird looked distressed for a couple of days afterwards, would never do it again. it has been used by the medical profession in times gone by as a disinfectant

 

fly hard fly fair

[Silverdale Lofts]

Mine get pottassium permangamate in the water every bath time must have bought it at least 5 years. Shadow your right was used on chickens with roop  i used to dip the birds with ectophen but was taked off the market.

[Guest]

Martin, I cut up two cloves of garlic, twice a week, into a one litre jug of water, Mondays and Fridays - most of the sliced cloves go straight into the bird's drinking water, either drinker or jar, where they always sink to the bottom and are left for one whole day and changed the next.

 

I leave what's left of the cut clove in the jug for two days (until Wednesdays and Sundays) when the litre of garlic water (minus cut clove) a capful of malt vinegar and a drop of washing up liquid are added to around 5 litres of ordinary tap water for their twice a week bath during the moult.  They certainly enjoy and benefit from it.

[jimmy white]

would watch the washing up liquid, too much would be a bad thing

[Guest Silverwings]

I used a  nit comb from boots to get rid of my lice ....? as for the pigeons i have vapona bars hanging around the loft and tobacco stalks in the nest bowls in the breeding season if they get past this i dip em up to the neck in a weak solution of duramitex........ i know this is wrong but i still do it !

[Guest]

Jimmy, just a single drop of antibacterial washing up liquid. Cold water and the malt vinegar stop it going into a lather. Think it's more for their plastic bath than for the pigeons!   ;D

 

Certainly left with a lot of whitish gungy bloom etc afterwards, so whole lot seems to give them a good clean. Now about that spin drier should I ............  ;D

[Guest speckled]

powerfull cleaning action,cut through greese & grim.long lasting bubbles.Also caution not suitable for the use of clothing & fabrics& if swallowed harmfull So do thay bath in rubber gloves ah Says nothing about lice & there removal.Thought that some people used washing up liqiud on there pigeons to stop them from flying.Just a thought  Speckled.

[Guest speckled]

Oh but the way ya get all that whitish gungt bloom, from a pure water as well even a puddle ,if ya pigeons are healthy Speckled

[jimmy white]

really a lot of sense spoken by speckled, the pigeon has an oil gland at the base of the back, and when preening, stimulates the gland to release, this oil ,which is spread over the feathers, to help  water proof them. you can see this gland quite easy , and if you rub it slightly with your finger youll see the oil, on your finger. but this is not resistent to detergents, better to use the detergent after the birds have finished their bath, to wash the bath out, rinse and let dry,,,but to use fairy liquid and salt, youll have   gay, thirsty,and clean lice .  ;D ;D ;D

[Guest]

Points well made and well taken, Jimmy & Speckled.  

 

No more washing up liquid.

 

Now, about my gay pigeons.............  

[snowy]

talking of squeeky clean pigeons, was speaking to a local the other day & talking about clipping some of my prisnors wings & he said dont clip there wings, use washing up liquid so he did one for me to show me. is this ok or not? as i was going to do 2 more? all advice welcome

[Guest]

Snowy, neat washing up liquid straight from the bottle onto the bird's primaries? I've never heard of this, but I assume when it dries it cakes the feather 'thingies' together like a board, and they eventually break off leaving just the shaft? Can you confirm that?

 

What happens when the bird tries to preen itself while the stuff's caking?

 

For ze record. Got the washing up liquid 'tip' from a workmate, Paisley Wull who showed prize budgies. Before the show he would 'bath' each of his candidates using an old shaving cream brush dipped in a cupful of warm water and washing up liquid and lather them up! He was a champion in those days (late 70's) and swore doing this gave them a shine. Big, heavy bloke, slow on his feet, he caught birds in his aviary by throwing his 'bunnet' over it. Mind you, looking back on this, I wonder if he was having me on.

 

 

[jimmy white]

your probably right bruno the budgie men used to also spray with glycerine and rose water. to also put a shine on them but again these birds were for showing, but the pigeons have to race in all weathers and need their good jaikit on, or if you are in england, need their natural macs on.

[Guest]

dear snowy,

              i used to use a normal cake of toilet soap on the last four flights of each wing when trying to break birds,saved on the drastic step of clipping their wings.

              wet the flights then rub on the soap,tease the flight webbing towards the tip forming a sort of spear shape,the soap will hold the flights in this position as it dries. birds will still be able to fly but not very far.as the bird bathes over time & the breaking progress continues the soap will gradually wear off and the flights return to normal.

              another less drastic way of stopping the birds from flying away when trying to home is to rubber band together the last four or five flights on each wing i"ve also found this to be sucessful. Billy

[Guest]

I didn't pay close enough attention to those wild life programmes, Rose, to be able to tell if it was ordinary washing up liquid or a special detergent used to clean oil off sea bird feathers.

 

Would welcome some guidance on how best to go about cleaning up the bird should something drastic like oil contamination happen to it. Obviously last thing we want to do is to damage the feathers further.