Doctors and vets both recommend against over-use of drugs, especially antibiotics. The logic is that overuse of antibiotics leads to diseases developing immunity to the drug. This is truer than vets or doctors know, because modern research has revealed that antibiotics are natural regulatory chemicals used by microorganisms for day to day functions.
the meat chickens wander around on Deep Litter. This super-dry bedding is composed of a 30cm (1 ft.) layer of pine sawdust and shavings. This dries out droppings very rapidly, preventing the spread of disease. As each batch of chickens leaves the barn at around 12 weeks of age, the barn is stripped out, cleaned out to “hospital cleanliness”, then new sawdust is put in and the process recommences. Layer chickens live in wire cages in quarantine with around 2 other chickens. All poultry are fed medicated sterilized food and treated water from special metal nipples. These barns do not allow the entry of direct sunlight, only light through clear
glass or fibreglass. Hence the need for disease protection. If diseases ever got in, all hell would break loose. Budgie Breeders
Some of the most successful budgie breeders do much the same. Inspired also by the European budgie breeders, they build totally enclosed aviaries and birdrooms – virtually a home away from home. Some use deep littler composed of pine shavings or similar. The aviaries are kept totally dry to prevent disease spread. Floors, walls and ceilings are kept cleaner than those in any house. Dust is ruthlessly removed. It mostly comes from the budgies’ feathers in the form of powder down. This dust acts to protect budgies’ feathers, but is also suspected of distributing diseases such as French Moult. One might worry that mite or louse eggs could move this way too. Wire budgie breeding cabinets, concrete or tiled floors and metal everywhere tend to stop disease spread. Wood is a known transmitter of diseases so it is avoided wherever possible. Water and seed dishes are relentlessly cleaned. The maintenance of these birdrooms and aviaries is very, very high indeed. But the system does work to a certain degree: breeders produce large numbers of healthy babies.
Drugs
Doctors and vets both recommend against over-use of drugs, especially antibiotics. The logic is that overuse of antibiotics leads to diseases developing immunity to the drug. This
08 30 BIRD SCENE
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