head shaking still

[jimred]

one of the girls was sneezing and head shaking, trip to the doc and a weeks medication of Baytril (4 weeks ago)cleared the sneezing but she still head shakes from time to time plus a couple of the other girls are head shaking from time to time.

they all seem to be healthy and eating well they were wormed with Flubenvet 2-3 weeks ago.

could it be some sort of mite, but i have had a good look round her but couldnt find anything

thanks

jim-newbie

[Bramble-Poultry]

very common to see birds shaking their heads when they have mites. The mites look for a site with good blood flow near to the surface and the neck area is a prime target for them.

Have a good look over the birds, especially at the base of the feathers for any "hitch hikers". If you see any (in fact it wouldnt harm if you didnt) spray the birds with a good mite spray around the back of the neck, under each wing at the junction to the body, along its back and under its bum. These are all the hot spots for mite activity.

Good mite sprays are available from most poultry stores, but we use Frontline (that kitten and puppy type that sprays, not the drop on) as it kills anything that crawls and sucks blood, its not selective in that way, so its good to use on scaly leg, lice, mite etc etc.

You quite often see it at local bird shows and at auctions. in fact, we went to a specialist auction in June as a well know (and until then respected by us) breeder was selling some birds. we thought that adding their bloodlines would be good. We walked away when the birds were shaking their heads like mad. They didnt stop all night and you could actually see some lice running over the feathers!

So check for "hitch hikers". you might not see any as a good vet would have checked for them when he did his examination as any creature that sucks blood etc can transmit disease and infection from one bird to another so its a tranmission route that should be eliminated at the first stage.

[jimred]

thanks for the fast reply, i have some Barrier louse powder, would that be OK or would the frontline be better?

thanks

jim

[RichmondHens]

I use Barrier and find it ok. Just be careful not to get it in their eyes when dusting their necks.

[jimred]

Our local farm shop stocks Johnson flea spray for pigeons,would this do the job?

How big are these things i assumed that louse where quite large!

jim

[RichmondHens]

Adult lice are 3-4 mm long and amber coloured. "Baby" lice are whiter and smaller. The main areas they like are around the vent and between the legs, sometimes under the wings and around the neck and head. Crested birds are more prone to head lice. If you part the feathers down to the skin you will see lice scuttling away from the light. In a bad infestation there may also be eggs cemented in clumps to the base of the feathers next to the skin. These are usually found under the vent/between the legs.

I've never used sprays of any sort. I find louse powder effective enough. You have to apply it more often but used correctly it works fine, and the Barrier Healthcare one with citral and tea tree oil is completely safe for both bird and environment. I know others on here prefer Frontline as it doesn't have to be used so frequently. However it is more expensive and the jury is still out on how safe it is. It is all down to personal choice.