Post by Sam on Dec 1, 2017 5:38:51 GMT -5
It is to me anyway. My House Finches have contracted Mycoplasmal conjunctivitis or avian pox. Unless caught and treated it is fatal. I can't catch the finches here, most have already gone blind or nearly blind. I spent the day yesterday taking down and cleaning the feeders, cleaning up any spilled seed. I sanitized the feeders and the water bowl. They will be stored for at least ten days. The only thing I can do it to force ALL the birds to disperse to lessen the chance of more birds getting the disease.
To be cleaned.
To be stored.
Cleaning up spilled bird seed.
All feeders including the suet basket and water bowl were washed in mild detergent, disinfected with bleach, rinsed and let air dry.
Straw was put down under the feeders to further discourage birds from searching for spilled seed I might have missed. The spilled seed was cleaned up and disposed of in my old wood cook stove.
Cleaned, disinfected, air dried and stored until I think it's safe to put them back up. Research indicates at least ten days.
One of the lesser graphic photos of an infected female.
If you see unusual behavior in your birds, especially House Finches please monitor them closely. If they appear to have water or crusty eyes or if growths start to appear around the eyes take steps to protect your other birds. Another symptom as the disease advances is that the birds have trouble flying (they're blind or their sight is severely affected). They'll appear to try and hover in flight particularly when trying to land. (They can't see the perch or branch).
This is not your fault or the result of something you've done wrong. This disease is wide spread across the eastern United States and in fact has been studied since the early 90's. Please pass along this info to your friends who may be birders or just, like me, enjoy helping the birds by feeding.
To be cleaned.
To be stored.
Cleaning up spilled bird seed.
All feeders including the suet basket and water bowl were washed in mild detergent, disinfected with bleach, rinsed and let air dry.
Straw was put down under the feeders to further discourage birds from searching for spilled seed I might have missed. The spilled seed was cleaned up and disposed of in my old wood cook stove.
Cleaned, disinfected, air dried and stored until I think it's safe to put them back up. Research indicates at least ten days.
One of the lesser graphic photos of an infected female.
If you see unusual behavior in your birds, especially House Finches please monitor them closely. If they appear to have water or crusty eyes or if growths start to appear around the eyes take steps to protect your other birds. Another symptom as the disease advances is that the birds have trouble flying (they're blind or their sight is severely affected). They'll appear to try and hover in flight particularly when trying to land. (They can't see the perch or branch).
This is not your fault or the result of something you've done wrong. This disease is wide spread across the eastern United States and in fact has been studied since the early 90's. Please pass along this info to your friends who may be birders or just, like me, enjoy helping the birds by feeding.
