Hello every one - I am Zurie a 10 year old female African Grey with great manners! My flock are going away for a while and I need a friendly home to look after me. My flock say they will return the favour with compensation. Please call us on 01308-862963 or 07831-496598. We live in the Beaminster Area but are prepared to travel with my travel cage or even bring my bigger day cage!

I was booked into a very nice Birdline members home but his birds have just been diagnosed with psittacosis and I do not want to catch it as well.

I look forward to hearing from someone soon!!

My flocks name is Peter and Julia  Roberts (The real one!)

If people had attended the training they would know that one blood test will not confirm pssitacosis. If you contact the person I am guessing you will find that they are having to collect fecal samples for 5 days, the person in question has contacted us today saying he had had his bird at the vets yesterday !

It is impossible to say the bird has pssitacosis in 24 hours!. If the person has taken the bird to an avian vet this is the advice they would have been given by the vet to collect the samples.

People who have birds should know about bird diseases and will then know that psittacosis is treatable.

Looks like certain people are trying to cause problems again.

Please members do not believe all you hear!

They may have been welcome to attend, but the details were only on the Members Area of the forum and sent to SHs, ACOs and Members. Peter only shows as a 'Registered User' for the forum, so only has access to non-members area posts and announcements.

I definately would have gone to the training..but alas..i had to work been a member for almost a year now and only met 3 ppl

I second what Helen is saying

Peter..Ill gladly house your grey whilst you are away..but im a fair distance from you..but im here if u need me

I think the training was a difficult one to call numbers wise, and initially the main target was ACO and safehouse people. I would expect the one requirement being that persons attending were from a member household (I may be wrong, but think that is quite reasonable). I am sure no person in this category was turned away, and I would be surprised if anyone expressing an interest had been.
For example as soon as the training details were published I let it be known that I would like to attend. As it turned out, there was plenty of space, and I went along for the afternoon session which was based around diseases. (the food was pretty good!!!!, sorry VERY good).
Its heartening to hear people expressing an interest in finding out more about diseases, but to an extent we have to all take responsibility for educating ourselves, and taking advantage of opportunities when they become available.

Peter good luck with finding the holiday home, I feel sure that even if Olga (Miku) can't help someone else will be able to.

Happy new year to everyone

For those of you who dont know testing for Chlamydiophilla is a FECAL test!! this takes 5 days of collecting fecal samples this then has to be tested on a PCR test , IF the bird IS shedding at that particular time. Testing for Chlamydiopilla cannot produce definative results in a 24 hour blood test that can only show raised or reduced blood level which can indicate ANYTHING!.NOTHING cn be positive for at least 10 to 15 days once the blood tests are sent in.

Yes Di, people are panicking without true fact.

Peter is doing the best for his bird and no-one would wish for more, and fully understand that anytime you holiday your bird with people who have birds, you are putting your bird at risk as we know some diseases lay dormant for many years in birds without symptoms. Do as Di and Sheila have said, please read as much info as you can.

My issue is the same Di people panicking people without true facts, all we wanted to do was to stop the panic and advise that these tests could not be possitive in 24 hours they need time to be sent off and time for fecal to be collected.

Yes quarantine is the only option when any bird is being tested for any contageous disease.

I agree with Sheila and Di, if you cannot attend these sessions, please when you have time read about diseases.

Please anyone who can attend the training, try, it will make you more aware and have understanding of the diseases out there.

Posted By Sheila Downes on 30-12-2011 02:02 PM
Helen

The reason this is being posted on this thread is that somone is posting on face book that thier birds have psittacosis WHITOUT a prope rdiagnosis which has caused this issue.

Sheila,

The reason for my response is that, to those of us that don't/won't use Facebook, this looks like an aggressive response to a Registered User of the forum (not a BL Member) asking, quite reasonably, for an alternative holiday home. He has only taken as read the information he has been told and is caring for his own bird.

The responses of Directors/Management to the issues are available for all the public to read, hence my attempt to actually introduce some balance in the discussion. It is also the reason for my contradiction to Ann's comments regarding cancer - it sounds like a scare tactic.

However, I totally agree that we are all responsible for ensuring we have the necessary knowledge to care for our birds and I think the divergence of the topic to who is entitled to attend training days has distracted from the issue.