BIRD HEALTH... WE START WITH MITES... TOO LATE WHEN YOU SEE THEM!
The AIR SAC MITE
The air-sac mite does not necessarily mean death to your bird but if it is not dealt with immediately on discovery then it can indeed be fatal. Without treatment, a bird infected with air sac mites will eventually die, as the mites proliferate and eventually cause a complete blockage of the air passages resulting in death by suffocation.
Learning about the mite and the treatment will save you and your birds a lot of problems.
Air-sac mites live in the respiratory tract (trachea, air-sacs, bronchi and lungs) of birds. The female mite lays eggs in the lungs the eggs when they hatch become nymphs and then develop into adults. Females move to the air-sacs while the males remain in the lungs to mature. The females tend to occupy the air-sacs, nasal cavity and trachea and move to the lungs to lay their eggs. The life cycle may be completed within 6 days
Even after treatment there is every possibility the infection will reoccur from either dormant mites or from un-hatched eggs.
Once the bird is infected it is almost impossible to completely eradicate the mite. The nymph stage does not always mature immediately. Often it remains in dormancy within the respiratory tract for extended periods of time and because the 9 air sacs have very thin walls with little blood flow it is extremely difficult for insecticides to kill the air-sac mite thru the blood and thus cause no initial harm to the nymph stage. These immature forms become active when the bird is ill, stressed or during hot weather.
The problem can reappear suddenly and spread throughout the flock again quickly. Regular scheduled treatments of insecticides should be maintained to keep the adult number of mites under control.
When large numbers of adult air-sac mites are killed off at the same time they may cause a blockage in the respiratory tract which, can cause suffocation.
Once inside the bird's respiratory system the mite causes inflammation, haemorrhaging and lesions, leading to pneumonia and ultimately death if not treated. The air sac mites attach themselves by embedding their legs into connective tissue. A mucus coat secreted by the bird's immune system covers over most of the mites. Which combined reduce the internal volume in the trachea affecting the birds ability to breathe. As the mite infestation grows, the trachea narrows even further and the bird will begin breathing with an open beak in an attempt to bring more air into the lungs. The harder it becomes for the bird to breathe the more body movement you will notice. This explains why "tail bobbing" is often stated as a symptom of the mite infection.
WARNING: BEFORE you commence treatment, the real cause needs to be established. There are several diseases and health conditions that can cause similar symptoms to those birds infected by air sac mites; for example, respiratory infections or a vitamin A deficiency could be the real cause.
DIATOMACEOUS EARTH
DIATOMACEOUS EARTH is a natural product and are the remains of a single celled plant called diatoms. It lived millions of years ago in the oceans and lakes that once covered various parts of the world. These deposits are now mined from the bottom of the now ancient dried oceans and lakes and are now sold in a fine powder form and have numerous veterinary uses. And for us aviculturists they offer excellent opportunities for pest control (mites) and a as a source of rich minerals & calcium. There are two forms Pest control and food supplement.
Pest control. (Grey/brown powder)
It can be used as a natural and very effective insecticide. This is due to this particular grade & quality of Diatomaceous earth. Under a microscope the edges of the diatoms are razor sharp and when the Diatomaceous earth comes into contact with insects & bugs it lacerates the waxy exoskeleton and then the powdery diatomaceous earth absorbs the body fluids causing death from dehydration. And not a harmful chemical insight!
Lightly dust or brush the dry powder around the aviary in corners and areas where mites may hide. When setting up nest for your birds it can be included in the nesting material, but BEFORE the hen starts laying. The added advantage here is that when the birds fly in and out of the nest they will inadvertently collect some of the powder in their feathers, which will eventually kill any mites on their body.
Supplement (‘Animal’ quality- White powder)
Used as a feed additive for livestock, birds, pets, and even humans it has shown incredible results for the elimination of many (but not all) internal parasites and additionally offers 14 trace minerals to the system. What this actually does is remove any harmful bacteria from the upper intestinal tract and reduce fly hatch.
Apply a very small amount to the seed once or twice a week throughout the year. An easy way to do this is to place seed in a lidded container add about ¼ teaspoon of the diatomaceous Animal in with the seed and then shake rigorously to coat all the seed. It gives a ‘dusty white’ appearance to the seed; it doesn’t put the birds off their food. (VISIT OUR BIRD BISTRO) ( BACK HOME)
Pest control. (Grey/brown powder)
It can be used as a natural and very effective insecticide. This is due to this particular grade & quality of Diatomaceous earth. Under a microscope the edges of the diatoms are razor sharp and when the Diatomaceous earth comes into contact with insects & bugs it lacerates the waxy exoskeleton and then the powdery diatomaceous earth absorbs the body fluids causing death from dehydration. And not a harmful chemical insight!
Lightly dust or brush the dry powder around the aviary in corners and areas where mites may hide. When setting up nest for your birds it can be included in the nesting material, but BEFORE the hen starts laying. The added advantage here is that when the birds fly in and out of the nest they will inadvertently collect some of the powder in their feathers, which will eventually kill any mites on their body.
Supplement (‘Animal’ quality- White powder)
Used as a feed additive for livestock, birds, pets, and even humans it has shown incredible results for the elimination of many (but not all) internal parasites and additionally offers 14 trace minerals to the system. What this actually does is remove any harmful bacteria from the upper intestinal tract and reduce fly hatch.
Apply a very small amount to the seed once or twice a week throughout the year. An easy way to do this is to place seed in a lidded container add about ¼ teaspoon of the diatomaceous Animal in with the seed and then shake rigorously to coat all the seed. It gives a ‘dusty white’ appearance to the seed; it doesn’t put the birds off their food. (VISIT OUR BIRD BISTRO) ( BACK HOME)