Common health issues during hand-rearing

Symptoms to be concerned about

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

• 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

Ducks

• Splay leg
• Angel wing
• Mud balling
• Trauma
• Bumblefoot

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

Sparrows & finches

• Slow crop emptying
• Over feeding (especially finches)
• Retained feather shealths
• Trichomoniasis

Starlings, Song Thrushes & Blackbirds

• Parasites
• Trichomoniasis
• Pox