DEB'S BIRDS Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

We hope you find this info helpful. Simply click on a topic below or scroll down to browse the entire page. Best of luck with your birds! :o)

Supplies
Diet
Quarantine Procedure
Health Program (Vaccinations, Lice/Mites, & Worms)
Handfeeding Finches
Chicken Basics

Q: What supplies do you use?
A: Supplies - Here is a list of everything we use for our birds.
- QUARANTINE & FIRST AID SUPPLIES
  AIL (Avian Insect Liquidator)
  Scatt
  GSE solution (mix 5-10 drops GSE in 1 Tbsp. water & dap on legs/feet)
  Guardian Angel
  bleach solution (1 drop regular bleach to 2 oz. of distilled or bottled water)
  Worm-Out Gel
  Ronivet-S
  Bio-Plus
  Vaseline
  styptic powder
  bird claw clipper
  band cutter
  hydrogen peroxide
  small scissors
  Q-tips
  pipettes
- FEED & SUPPLEMENTS
  - CLEAN WATER:
    Lix-It water bottles (yes, the kind for hamsters & rabbits -- they are best!)
    Saniclens
    GSE (grapefruit seed extract -- 1 drop to each 4 oz. - 8 oz. drinking water)
  - BIRD SEED:
    finch seed mix
    Zu Preen finch pellets
    hulled sunflower seed (during winter)
  - CHICKEN FEED:
    Purina Flock Raiser (Silkie Bantams)
    Purina Game Flight Conditioner (Modern Game Bantams)
    chick starter crumbles (chicks under 4 months old)
    chicken scratch grains (fed as treat only for all chickens over 1 month old)
  - FRESH GREENS:
    Spinach, romaine lettuce, broccoli, carrots, corn, peas, celery, etc.
  - ALSO AVAILABLE TO AVIARY BIRDS:
    Insectivorous Feast
    spray millet
    mineral block
    grit with oyster shell
    cuttlefish bone
    Deb's Eggfood-
    
    hard-boiled eggs w/ shell
    Petamine Breeding Formula
    Calci-Boost
    Daily Essentials 3
    Feather-Up
  - ALSO AVAILABLE TO CHICKENS:
    oyster shell
    hard-boiled eggs w/ shell (mashed fine)
- AVIARY SUPPLIES
  wooden parakeet nest boxes ( http://nest-box.com )
  wooden Gouldian Finch nest boxes ( http://nest-box.com )
  coco fiber
  jute fiber
  sisal fiber
  bands ( www.redbirdproducts.com )
- HATCHING SUPPLIES
  2007 Brower Top Hatch incubator #TH120 (auto-turner not working -- using as a hatcher)
  2009 GFQ Hova-bator w/ window top & fan #1583 & Hova-bator universal auto-turner #1611
  2009 Little Giant Circulated Air Incubator #10200 & Hova-bator universal auto-turner #1611
  Hova-bator plastic quail egg racks #1686 (fits auto-turners)
  Deb's simple brooder-
  - Sterilite clear storage bin (2 foot long, $6 home store)
    clamp lamp ($8 home store)
    60 watt white light bulb or ceramic reptile heat emitter
    shavings for bedding (3.1 cu foot bale, $6 feed store)
    Mason jar chick feeder ($3 feed store or poultry supply)
    Mason jar chick waterer ($3 feed store or poultry supply)
Q: What is that used for?
A: Most products have a good description at the stores' websites. You may also wish to review our Diet and Quarantine Procedure below to review our procedures.
Q: I am overwhelmed by this huge list! Where do I start?
A: It's really too much $$$ to get everything at once, so just add to your supplies little by little. We have accumulated our supplies over the years. Here's what we recommend as you begin:
1. Start with your bird's diet of clean water, a quality seed mix, fresh greens, & boiled egg. These basics are most important.
2. Keep your bird's environment clean by removing droppings and seed mess often. For dishes, etc; hot water will do a fine job of cleaning, but you may wish to add a bit of chlorine bleach or white vinegar for added cleaning power.
3. Plan your own Quarantine Procedure and make the purchase of those supplies a priority. Use your procedure EVERY TIME you bring home a new bird.
4. Add supplies to make up your own Health Program, First Aid Kit, Breeding Supplies, etc. as you are able. Give yourself time to find out what products you like as you create your own procedures.

Q: What do you feed your birds?
A: Diet - This is what we feed our aviary birds:
- FRESH WATER
  in Lix-It bottles with; liquid GSE (grapefruit seed extract) or Saniclens.
- FINCH SEED MIX
  often mixed with one or more of the following; Zu Preen finch pellets or hulled sunflower seed (in the winter).
- FRESH GREENS
  spinach, romaine lettuce, broccoli, carrots, corn, peas, celery, etc.
- EGGFOOD
  My recipe; 1 boiled egg w/ shell, 1/4 cup Petamine Breeding Formula and the following supplements; Calci-Boost, Trace Minerals, and Daily Essentials 3 or Feather-Up. Chop all in food processor. Feed small amount in shallow dish. Do not allow to spoil! Make large batches and freeze for daily use.
- ALSO AVAILABLE; Petamine Breeding Formula (dry) , Insectivorous Feast, spray millet, mineral block, grit with oyster shell, & cuttlefish bone.
  - NOTE TO THE OVERWHELMED: Please don't let this list overwhelm you. Start with the basics in your birds' diet of clean water, a quality seed mix, fresh greens, & boiled egg. These are most important. Then you can add variety and supplements to your birds' diet as you create your own feeding procedure.

Q: What do you do with new birds?
A: Quarantine Procedure - Before entering the aviary, new birds go through this extensive quarantine procedure:
- Day 1:
  FOR BUGS: Mist birds & carrier with Avian Insect Liquidator, apply 1 drop Scatt to each bird, apply GSE solution (mix 5-10 drops GSE in 1 Tbsp. water & dap on legs/feet)
  FOR STRESS: Guardian Angel in water
- Days 2-3:
  FOR BACTERIA: Bleach Solution: 1 drop regular bleach to 2 oz. of distilled or bottled water. (For explanation, refer to "Problems With Finches" by Robert Black)
- Days 4-5:
  FOR WORMS: Worm-Out Gel in water (you may wish to add Nestles strawberry syrup so they will drink it)
- Days 6-12:
  FOR PROTOZOA: Ronivet-S in water
- Days 13-14:
  ADD BENEFICIAL BACTERIA: Bio-Plus in water

Q: What about vaccinations, mites/lice, and worms?
A: Health Program - We have a regular health program for our aviary & coop as detailed below:
- AVIARY:
  - FOR BUGS: alternate AIL, Scatt, GSE, or 5% Sevin Dust every other month (Jan, Mar, May, Jul, Sep, & Nov)
  - FOR WORMS: Worm-Out Gel for 2 days, every 6 months (Jun & Dec)
  - FOR PROTAZOA: Ronivet-S for 4 days, every 3 months (Mar, Jun, Sep, & Dec)
- COOP:
  - FOR FOWL POX: Chic-N-Pox vaccine via wing web stab every Spring/Fall, approx. 20 day before mosquitoes are present (Mar & Sep)
  - FOR MAREK'S DISEASE: Marek's Disease vaccine injected subcutaneously into all chicks at hatch since July 2008.

Q: Have you ever handfed a day-old finch?
A: Handfeeding Finches - On Thursday, February 28, 2002 two tiny canary chicks hatched under Gabrielle, a lovely first-time canary mom. On Friday, March 1st, Gabby left her infant canary kids for some reason. When I found them, they were ice cold and still. I cupped them in my hand and breathed warm air over them, and the white one stretched it's tiny leg and thus began my first adventure on handfeeding finches...
- THEY WERE ALIVE! I quickly took them and laid their cold bodies over my heart. Wiggling and gasping, they came back to life. Using a plastic pipette, I fed their little gaping mouths a few drops of warm water mixed with a tiny bit of Nutri-Start hand-feeding formula by Lafeber. Warm and fed I returned them to their momma, but she was done with them. After 2 hours they were hungry and a bit cold, so I took them and warmed them, and then fed them again. This time I put them in my incubator (which was half full of button quail eggs) to keep them warm. After that, I continued to feed them the thin solution of formula every 2 hours from 6am to 12 midnight. I added a light sprinkle of Ornabac (beneficial bacterias) to the solution a couple times daily. I used a whistle to get a feeding response out of them, since I have never been able to whistle myself and the parents whistle and peep to their chicks to get them to gape their mouths for feeding.
  - Chicks at 3 days old
- On March 4th, the gray one stopped eating. I used a crop feeding syringe to feed him during his morning feedings, but sadly he died just after noon. I buried his tiny body in the front flower bed under the shade of the Petunias. The white one continued to eat heartily. I thickened the formula so that I was able to spoon it with a flat tipped toothpick. I also began using infant electrolytes (generic Pedialyte) instead of water. Since the electrolytes must be used within 48 hours of opening, I froze it into ice cubes so that I could use just a small amount each day. I also moved "Peep" to an old incubator set with a temperature of 85-90 degrees F and covered him with a piece of dark fleece between feedings.
  - My hand feeding supplies (from left to right) paper towel pieces to line nest, paper & pencil to record each feeding time, whistle to get feeding response from chick, bowl of hot water to warm formula, metal bowl with formula, "Ornabac" beneficial bacterias, Nutri-Start hand feeding formula, flat toothpicks to mix & spoon formula, and small Tupperware with infant electrolytes & plastic pipette. (Also Enviroclens as a disinfectant, not shown.)
  - Peep at one week old *I guess I should note here that as we got into our routine, I began to chirp in a high voice "Peep! Peep!" while feeding instead of using the whistle, and so he was thus named "Peep." :o)
- On March 8th, Peep's right eye began to open. By the next morning both eyes would open just a bit each time I would wake him for his feedings, which were now about every 3 to 3 1/2 hours. White feathers began to show on his wings. On the 9th, I banded Peep with a closed band.
  - Peep with his new band on at 9 days old
  - Peep eating from the toothpick "spoon" at 11 days old
- As his eyes continued to open, Peep began looking around more and more. On March 13th, I moved Peep out of his canary nest in the old incubator and into a clear plastic tub (shoebox sized) with a bed made of pine shavings in a volcano shape and a paper towel over that for easy clean up. I put the tub on a heating pad set to low, covered it with a dark towel, and continued to monitor the temperature. During the day I folded one end of the towel up so that Peep could look out and see what was going on around him. However, most of the time he just slept.
- On March 14th he began showing a dark patch below his right ear. It seems he will have some blue feathers like his daddy. He also began to peep more when I would wake him for his feedings. The whistle was no longer needed, as it seemed my voice and the sight of me was enough to get him to eat.
  - Peep at 15 days old, looking around and sleeping in his new "nest"
- My, how he grew! The prickly quills began opening into soft, white feathers. He was just amazing! On March 16th, he stood and stretched and flapped his wings for the first time. What a big kid!! On March 17th, he continued the stretching and flapping before each feeding. Later in the day he crawled up out of his little "crater" over to the edge of the clear container he lived in and was looking out. I smoothed out the shavings under the paper towels for him so that there was a trench that went to the edge. He seemed to like that he could see out and began exploring his little living space more.
- It seemed like overnight and my Peep was all grown up! I offered him water, Petamine Nestling Formula, eggfood, fresh greens, and a mixture of finch and canary seed daily. In no time at all he was eating on his own. He still begged for food a few times a day, and I continued to feed him, but not because he was really hungry anymore... mostly just because we both loved it so much. He begged less and less until finally the toothpick was not something he wanted any longer.
- As an adult, he was so curious and playful! He wanted to taste just about everything he saw. He was into everything and I really had to keep an eye on him. What more can I say? He completely stole my heart! My sweet baby canary!!! A HUGE THANK YOU to all who gave advise and encouragement and to God who gave life to that tiny miracle in the first place. What a blessing it is each day to have the privilege to work with these lovely birds! Smiles, Deb :o)
  - Peep all grown up!

Q: What are the "Chicken Basics?"
A: Here are a few things we think everyone with chickens should know...
- SAFELY TREATING CHICKENS FOR MITES & LICE:
  When they have access to dry sand or dirt, chickens take regular “dust baths.” While it may look like they are making a filthy mess of themselves, the dust actually helps keep their feathers healthy and free of mites & lice. Even with regular dust baths it is important to treat your chickens regularly for lice and mites. We treat our flock every 3-4 months, paying special attention to times when the ground is wet and the weather is warm. Early Spring is always a tough time since the bugs quickly infest the birds who cannot bathe since all of the regular dusting spots are mud puddles. Also keep an eye on broody hens who may not get out to bathe regularly. To check for lice and mites, part the feathers under their vent so that you can see the skin. Infested birds will have eggs on the feathers below their vent and may be bloody or have scabs on their vent. We use and recommend AIL & DE to safely treat your chickens for mites & lice.
  - AVIAN INSECT LIQUIDATOR (AIL for short) –
    I've been using this spray directly on my aviary birds and around the flights for years and I love it. I had never used it on the chickens, but I'm not sure why not. It's safe enough to use even on the teeny, naked finch babies and it smells nice. Here are some helpful comments regarding its use on chickens, used by permission by the author.
    “I use AIL because I feel totally safe if some gets on the food or in the water, or on the little babies. I have been using it for so long now, about 20 years I think, that mites rarely raise their irritating little heads anymore. Recently I rescued a little white Silkie hen from a feed store where she was naked and beaten, close to expiring from the battering of about eight huge roosters housed in the same cage with her. Well, she introduced mites to the whole group. ...aaaack! So I treated all the warm, breathing chicken bodies with Scatt, another Vetafarm product. I just smear a drop or two under the wing as close to the jugular vein as I can get. And I retreat in two weeks with the Scatt. Then I mix the AIL concentrate in a sprayer container and empty all the covey holes as much as I can of debris, so the rotten little mites can't hide under stuff, and whale away on spraying the whole place as much as I can. I watch for any that have lived, and if they have, I spray again as soon as I see one. That usually takes care of it for at least 3 months.” (Willow Morningsky July 9, 2008)
  - DIATOMACEOUS EARTH (DE for short) –
        PLEASE NOTE: this is “fresh water, food grade DE” and NOT the stuff used in swimming pool filters. I have used this stuff since I was a teenager with all kinds of critters. Willow details its use perfectly, so I’ve just posted her comments below. Also used by permission by the author.
        “I have used the DE since my early 20s and I am in mid 60s now, so it is a staple around my place. But I use it with great discretion as it is a non-specific product, and I am greatly concerned about the loss of our honeybees. Diatomaceous Earth is the skeletal residue of teeny-tiny sea creatures called Diatoms. When these Diatoms die, their almost microscopic skeletal systems fall to the bottom of the body of water and form a sediment much like that of limestone. The edges of these skeletal systems are very sharp and puncture the waxy coating of insects. The product is completely safe for humans, pets, and wildlife in that it has no toxic properties at all, and the little sharp-edged skeletons are so small that they go right through the cell walls of humans with no disturbance whatsoever.
        “Now, an important caution!!! The diatomaceous earth product that is sold for swimming pool filters has been heated and is not the same, safe stuff at all. The little skeletal pieces turn to silica when heated and everything about it is completely altered. I do not know much about that product, except that the same standards of safety no longer apply after it has been heated. As for the natural product, not heated, I give it to all my animals if I suspect any internal parasites. I mix it in their food. I have gotten huge tapeworms out, dead, with the DE. And there has never been a single side effect. It's a powerful wormer.
        “In 1961, when it was first discovered and marketed as Perm-Gard, there were ads on TV where the man would drink a glass of water with DE in it, and put a similar amount in a glass with scorpions, spiders, etc. After 15 minutes he would come back on and all the insects were dead, but he was unaffected. LOL! He even brushed his teeth with it. It worked on me! I became a distributor. heh, heh. BUT -- it is NOT good to inhale, as the particles can get lodged in the lungs.
        “The insecticide properties were discovered by a man who was working on the Indian reservation outside of Phoenix, AZ. He was using the gentle abrasive properties of DE to polish turquoise for the jewelry he made. One day he noticed that, although there were flies everywhere else, there were never any flies in the little shack where he made his jewelry. Voila! He found a way to market it to control insects. So. It will kill all the lady bugs, praying mantises, and any other beneficial insects as long as they are constructed with a waxy coating covering their body which can be punctured and allow them to dehydrate. I love the idea of using DE for dust baths, but I will be sure not to use it near a fruit tree or flower bed where the bees are frequenting.” (Willow Morningsky July 9, 2008)
- SAFELY TREATING CHICKENS FOR WORMS:
  Worming does more to keep birds healthy than just about anything else you can do. It is safe and very easy. It is given orally; either directly to the beak or in their water, so don’t let the mention of syringes scare you. We use and recommend Ivomec to safely treat chickens for worms.
  - Ivomec (Merial) is the brand name. Ivermectin is generic. Feed stores usually carry it. DO NOT GET POUR ON. Pour on is oil based and will not mix with the water. Get 1% Cattle/Swine IVOMEC INJECTABLE. Ivomec controls most intestinal parasites with the exception of tape worm (tape is rare in chickens). It also controls lice and mites. (If you are treating with Ivomec for lice/mites, you will need to re-treat in 14 days to break the mite/lice life cycle.) Parasitic insects suck the blood of the host (your bird) and are poisoned. Ivomec can also help prevent gapeworm (picked up from eating earthworms). It will not treat gape worm if a bird is already infected, that requires a different course of therapy. We worm 3-4 times a year, usually at the beginning of each season.
    - TREAT EACH ONE INDIVIDUALLY—
      (Deb’s Method) Dosage is 0.125 ml or 1/8 cc for bantams and 0.25 ml or ¼ cc for standard breeds. You can purchase a syringe at the feed store to measure with. Use the needle to draw out the Ivomec, then remove needle from the syringe and squirt Ivomec directly into each chicken’s beak. Since it apparently tastes terrible, I immediately close their beak for a moment or two so they don’t shake it out, and then set them down by their water. Done!
    - OR TREAT THEM ALL TOGETHER—
      In their drinking water mix 1cc Ivomec per quart of water (or 4cc Ivomec per gallon of water). The mixture is the only water the birds get for 2 days. Mix small batches to retain freshness as more of the solution is needed.
- TAMING THE SILKIE POUF:
  Show Quality Silkies are bred to have big, thick, round poufy tails and enormous crests on their heads to match. They are indeed beautiful, but all these feathers can cause the birds a couple problems.
  - TOPS—
    Once that entire pouf grows in, most of our hens (and a few of the roosters) cannot see very well. So if you are not showing them please let them see! I take a pair of baby nail scissors and clip all the feathers below & above their eyes. Imagine if they were to wear a pair of goggles or sporty sunglasses – that’s the area to trim. It helps if you hold the crest up on top of their head like a ponytail. You will know you are done if you can see their sparkly little eyes looking back at you when you let the crest back down.
  - BOTTOMS—
    All those soft feathers around their vents can be a bit of a hygiene problem for many Silkies. Too much fruit or veggies might give them a runny poop – which for hard feathered chickens would just roll off -- but on Silkies becomes matted on their bottoms. Not only does this look nasty, but it may also become a nesting site for fly larvae that will feast on the chicken’s flesh as they grow. ICK! So we constantly pick off dry matter and wash off wet matter. Baby shampoo and a 5-gallon bucket with a few inches of warm water make for the perfect dirty bottom bath. I often let them stand in the water to soak a bit first. I also take a few extra minutes to clean their fluffy feet and check for any overgrown toenails, so they can have the full “spa” treatment. Then dry thoroughly with a towel. If it’s cold out, I finish them off with a hair dryer so that they don’t get chilled.
- BIRDS EAT MORE THAN JUST SEEDS:
  Here is another excerpt from my email with Willow that I had to pass on. Used by permission by the author.
  - FRESH GREENS & PROTEIN –
    “As for greens, if you watch poultry that has free range on large acreage, they go almost exclusively for bugs and the leaves of various plants. They are pretty much omnivores. Mine follow me around begging for their daily treat of hard-boiled egg with the shells still on but mashed up. They also love dry cat or dog food that has been soaked. Another word of caution-- Once inside the bird, the moisture of the body can cause dry food to swell. So be sure to soak all dry treats before feeding them to members of the avian population! I soak bird seed (dove mix and canary mix are what they like best) and rinse the seed each day and night for about three days. They will kill for the sprouts!!! I also had a permanent broccoli patch that they ate down and there is no longer anything but dust there. I have two rose bushes in their yard, and they have eaten all the low leaves and branches. It is a scream to watch them place themselves under the rose bush and jump into the air, leaping to reach just one more bite of leaf. In my own experience, I would think one is facing health issues sooner or later if the birds don't get a large portion of their diet as fresh greens and protein.” (Willow Morningsky July 9, 2008)

Got lots of questions?
Join a free discussion group!

OurBirds (California Breeders)
"WELCOME! We are a group of bird owners and breeders. Most of us live in California, but every bird lover old and new is welcome here! Feel free to ask questions, share information, post birds for sale, or just talk about birds."
California Chickens
"This is a Group for the people of California that are interested in poultry. This group is for discussions, advice, sales, and other poultry or California related talk. Everyone is welcome to join."

Frequently Asked Questions

Supplies Diet Quarantine Procedure Health Program (Vaccinations, Lice/Mites, & Worms) Handfeeding Finches Chicken Basics

Got lots of questions? Join a free discussion group!

Supplies
Diet
Quarantine Procedure
Health Program (Vaccinations, Lice/Mites, & Worms)
Handfeeding Finches
Chicken Basics

Got lots of questions?
Join a free discussion group!