Mute testing

[Sniper]

does any of the lads on the forum have there birds mute tested for worms, if so what is the process apart from the obvoius. i.e will any vets do this?

[North East Harris Hawker]

i know of people who get it done annually, get the bird on the fist and cover the carpet in cling film, when the bird leans forward to slice, get her into a position so that it is caught, take the sample along with that mornings casting to your local vets who will have it sent away for analysis, alternatively if there is a hatchery nearby, pop in there and ask them what facilities they have and whether or not they can help you.

[Kornie]

hmmm worth thinking about.

[Sniper]

cheers for that NEHH..you really know your sh*t :D

Do you have yours done on a yearly basis and if so have there been any infestations? ( the birds mute that is) :P
i know of people who get it done annually, get the bird on the fist and cover the carpet in cling film, when the bird leans forward to slice, get her into a position so that it is caught, take the sample along with that mornings casting to your local vets who will have it sent away for analysis, alternatively if there is a hatchery nearby, pop in there and ask them what facilities they have and whether or not they can help you.

[North East Harris Hawker]

cheers mate,
ive only had my bird checked out the once when her mutes did'nt look quite right, i wasted my time as there was nothing wrong with her. i now use stuff called "panacure" in paste form when the bird comes out of the moult and before she goes into it, there may be other products out there but this one works for me 8)

[Hawkmaster]

Mmmm, but treating for worm, without them being there is not as good idea as though in past times, as it will help the parasites build up imunity, by the drug in the birds body building up and various drugs only treat specific worms.

[North East Harris Hawker]

so whats your reccomendations hawkmaster?

[Hawkmaster]

Mute sample to confirm what worms your bird does have, and use the appropriate drug that is recommended at the time, and it will be fresh then too, therefore you know it will work. Remember to use dosages to suit hawks, not pheasants as most vet will recommend.

[Sniper]

Thanks for the advice and direction HM, there is not a problem with the hawk its just that its worth testing at least once a year just for the birds sake. Mute sample to confirm what worms your bird does have, and use the appropriate drug that is recommended at the time, and it will be fresh then too, therefore you know it will work. Remember to use dosages to suit hawks, not pheasants as most vet will recommend.

[Hawkmaster]

Yip and most the time it is only a tenner! John Chitty is very good. See the Vet section.

[Sniper]

a tenner for a load of worms..sounds a bargain
just another question, waht part of the slice do you take the white urine stuff or the actuall lumpy stuff....this is a great topic

:lol: Yip and most the time it is only a tenner! John Chitty is very good. See the Vet section.

[Hawkmaster]

It must be the freshest mute you can get and put ALL of it in a small container.

[Jiff]

hi guy"s good topic,i"m going for twice a year before she"s put down and before we start our murderous rampage in gods larder,the reason for this is you need to know the level of infestation,most if not all will have some infestation not just from worms but bacterial gut infections,by sending you"re mute sample you"ll get back a report of what is present and in what concentration,the report will also tell how to treat and with what.(or not to treat)so you"re in a win/win situation,if you"re bird has a too larger concentration of worms dont think its like you"re dog and you"ll see them,hair worms cant be seen in mutes,when you"re out and you"re hawk just doesnt seem to have that edge,although its fit maybe it just doesnt have the energy because of worms creaming off the best of her neutrition,for a few quid there"ll be no guess work and you can fly you"re hawk as hard as you like(if its fit)and no that the food intake is charging her batteries not breeding worms,next the moult,who"s having a slow moult but feeding the best food available,maybe the problem is internal which is why i"ll send off a sample before she goes down,eliminating as much guess work will make the job of getting every ounce out my hawk and insuring she"s happy,they can"t tell you they"ve got gut ache. :wink:

[Jiff]

sorry guys,not trying to double post but i forgot to mention my samples will go to neil forbes from lansdown vets,i"ve been intouch with him by mail on several occations about various subjects and he knows his stuff,

[Sniper]

sounf advice jiff..cheers

[North East Harris Hawker]

Mute sample to confirm what worms your bird does have, and use the appropriate drug that is recommended at the time, and it will be fresh then too, therefore you know it will work. Remember to use dosages to suit hawks, not pheasants as most vet will recommend.
thanks for the advice HM how often do you take mute samples in? once or twice annually?

[Jiff]

Lee mate im currently organising with neil forbes to have mutes sent twice a year.before the moult and before you hunt,it"s 7.50 .once you send a sample you then phone for the results,i"m waiting for exact instruction,once finalised i"ll let you know.....if you"re interested, there"s also another company we used to use with the pigeons,they send you a kit with sample bottles and instructions you then send off you"re sample.they send you a report back with the results,they check for all nasties not just worms but they charge something like 30 quid a shot.
i"ll get more details and post them.

[Sniper]

has anybody on the forum had birds that are infested and what are the early symptoms..cheers

[Hawkmaster]

Different things for different worms. Some are in the mutes, some in the back of the throat, some you can't see. So test to be sure.

[North East Harris Hawker]

Lee mate im currently organising with neil forbes to have mutes sent twice a year.before the moult and before you hunt,it"s 7.50 .once you send a sample you then phone for the results,i"m waiting for exact instruction,once finalised i"ll let you know.....if you"re interested, there"s also another company we used to use with the pigeons,they send you a kit with sample bottles and instructions you then send off you"re sample.they send you a report back with the results,they check for all nasties not just worms but they charge something like 30 quid a shot.
i"ll get more details and post them.

hey, well done jiff, remind me about this at the next club meet, may as well let everyone in on it

[Hawkmaster]

Using the above service from Neil Forbes may also be good just to get on his books, as it were, that way you can always ring for advice.

REMEMBER TO MENTION THE FORUM! Soon they will know where the additional custom is coming from.

[Sniper]

Cheers for all the advice, i am sure it has raised awareness on the forum to other falconers about the importance of your birds health

[North East Harris Hawker]

lets just hope that people pay some attention to the advice given, i wonder how many birds have an untimely death that could so easily have been prevented?

[BFC 007]

[quote="Jiff"]Lee mate im currently organising with neil forbes to have mutes sent twice a year.before the moult and before you hunt,it"s 7.50 .once you send a sample you then phone for the results,i"m waiting for exact instruction,once finalised i"ll let you know.....if you"re interested, there"s also another company we used to use with the pigeons,they send you a kit with sample bottles and instructions you then send off you"re sample.they send you a report back with the results,they check for all nasties not just worms but they charge something like 30 quid a shot.
i"ll get more details and post them.[/quote


any more info on this jiff?

[OutFlying]

the mute samples tested by Neil Forbes don't just test for worms, £7.50 bargain.

[Tim Laycock]

I heard it mentioned at the last NEFC meeting, that the chap who got an ear bashing from Nick Fox for selling his vids at the FF, is offering a mute sample testing service.
Amongst other things, he is promising the "early diagnosis" of aspigilosis!
Is the man mad??? diagnose aspigilosis from bird s**t! :roll:

I would like to add that the chap in question was not at the meeting peddling his wares, I just heard it thats all :oops:

[Goldie]

You are quite correct BB it is s**t :lol:

[Tim Laycock]

madness isnt it!
But I wonder how many have fallen foul of this and handed money over :rolleyes:

[Goldie]

One would be one too many

[Tim Laycock]

Quite right!
I bet the free loading p***k isnt making as much cash as he was though :D

Then again some people are suckers for a bargin :roll: :lol:

[Tagz]

Does anyone else here do there own Fecal Float tests? Something I recently got into researching and trying myself after my passage RT was diagnosed with whipworm and coccidia. The day before I took a sample back to the vet to see if he was cleared up I got my microscope and a book I ordered on Veterinary Parasitology with detailed images of what all the different worm eggs and parasites look like along with information on symptoms, treatment, etc. Anyways, I decided to try it out and I could see the whipworm eggs and coccidia oocysts. I was disapointed in the fact he was still infected but happy with the fact I could actually see them clear as day under the microscope. There was a nice detailed web page on how to do it here http://www.scfalconry.com/float.html but the site appears to be down right now. Anyways the vet increased the dosage and the number of days and as of right now, his 4th day of recieving the panacur and albon his mutes are clear of any worm eggs or oocysts. The first and second days of medicating him I could still see them, but there counts appeared to be less and less both days. Then on the third and now the fourth day I have done 5 different fecal floats and havent seen 1 single trace which is a first since I started doing them on my own. To make sure though a sample is still going to the vet and his highly trained eye will make sure because I still doubt my ability for now until I do more and more of the tests. I didnt want to learn how to do the test to save money, fecal float tests arent much at all. But to be able to do them a couple times a month, or even once a week on your own just as another way to monitor the birds health cant hurt. And after the cost of the microscope and book, its next to nothing to do your own tests. I do realize that nothing can take the place of a trained vet though. And if anyone does decide to try this on there own, just because you dont see something doesnt mean nothings wrong. Always seek out a vet if anything seems out of the norm.