Common health issues during hand-rearing

Symptoms to be concerned about​​

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Seek veterinarian attention for any of these symptoms and any other concerns you might have.

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• Weight loss

• Respiratory disease

• Diarrhoea of any colour and/or vomiting (wet head)

• Slow crop emptying

• Firm abdomen

• Overstretching of the crop

• Lethargy

• Discharge from the eyes

• Crusty lesions on the face and/or legs

• Bumblefoot

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Ducks

• Splay leg

• Angel wing

• Mud balling

• Trauma

• Bumblefoot

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Magpies

• Aggression between birds

• Stress and/or boredom

• Bald head (normal moult especially in captivity)

• Feather damage

• Respiratory disease

• Dehydration

• Weight loss

• Pox

• Eye problems

• Feet (first digit, bumblefoot)

• Metabolic bone disease

• Trichomoniasis

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Sparrows & finches

• Slow crop emptying

• Over feeding (especially finches)

• Retained feather shealths

• Trichomoniasis

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Starlings, Song Thrushes & Blackbirds

• Parasites

• Trichomoniasis

• Pox