Thank you all for the good thoughts and the links on PBFD. I'm dealing with it better today. Now that it's been confirmed what I've suspected for many weeks, it feels like I can finally do things about it (for example, doing a thorough quarantine again).
I'll try to answer as many questions as possible. Please let me know if I left any out.
So as I understand it the only other birds that have been housed with the budgies are the green cheeks, right? Are those the only birds that came in contact with the same food, water, utensils that the you were using for the budgies? But you didn't wash your clothes and things when you came home to your other birds. How long have the budgies been out of quarantine and thank god you quaranteened at long as you did. And I would be so mad at the vet.
I am also sorry for those little budgies, I know how heartbreaking it is for you to have to make that decision.
And what's bad is that you can't trust the tests either. Even if they come back negative it could be wrong.
You don't think it could be a case of polyfuliculitis do you? Where multiple feathers grow in one follicle?
Ginger
Yes, the Green Cheeks are the only other birds that were brought into the house with the Budgies. The aviary Finches and Quail also live at James' house, but they are outside in the aviary. However, they did all come into the house a while ago when they were all packed up for their vet visits.
The same food and utensils that were used with the Budgies were used for the Green Cheeks
and the aviary birds.
We stopped changing clothes when we came home to my house after we got the negative results back on the first PBFD. So we could have easily carried it into my house.
The Budgies were out of quarantine for about a month before I saw the deformed feathers and put them back into quarantine.
I am upset at the vet. I am now not sure if he initially tested for PBFD at all or if he just said he did. He is vague about the results of the first tests now that he has visually seen the wonky feathers.
I was hoping it was Polyfolliculitis instead of PBFD or Polyoma. My Pickpocket has Polyfolliculitis and we seem to be managing it alright. However, the male's feathers look nothing like hers. The feathers he is growing are extremely thick, curved completely and makes him drip blood where they are growing in. His flight feathers are doing the same and are almost entirely covered in the waxy sheaths.
In Australia it is not uncommon to visually diagnose PBFD. It is common from bad aviaries and wild birds. Testing is usually only done to confirm a case or to see if a bird is positive if it is not yet showing visual signs.
Thank you Ginger. I got the Harmony Houses in the mail this week and they are beautiful. That's for another time and another thread though. I hope you understand if I wait a while before making that thread.
I'm not sure I understand what is going on...you said you had the budgies tested for PBFD when you first got them...did you do a PCR test? If you did and that came back negative, then they do not have PBFD or they contracted it after the test from other birds in your house. Positive PCRs can also be false and you should test again 60 to 90 days afer a positive to make sure that the bird really does have PBFD but I've never heard of a false negative. If the PCR came back negative, as far as I know, the bird does not have PBFD.
It's also worth stating that this disease is not a death sentence and birds can live long healthy lives. The biggest question with it is, if the bird recovers, is it a lifetime carrier that you have to worry about other birds getting infected or does it have immunity...that seems to be a question that they don't quite know the answer to.
I would not euthanize simply because the test came back positive and I wouldn't count on visual diagnosis either. You have to run the PCR.
If you are dealing with Polyoma, most adult birds do not have issues with this disease and will shed the virus without ever showing signs of illness.
The Budgies were tested for PBFD about 3 months after they were brought home. That's when I become insistent with the vet that the tests were done.
He really seemed to think it was a waste of time and money. He didn't charge us for it so I became suspicious and phoned him the next day and asked why. He said he forgot to charge us for a few things and will make us pay when the test results come back.
Three weeks later and we have to phone them. They tell us the results came back negative. We ask if we should pay. They say ok and take the CC details.
I ask him to email the results through to me. All it says is this,
Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease: Negative
No lable from the testing facility. Nothing. Did he actually have the tests performed? I don't know. He is very willing to work with us now though. After seeing the deformed feathers on the male he is keen to retest. He wanted to euthanise immediately because he is so sure it is PBFD and the male is in so much pain (and every day is a risk to other birds we come in contact with - including pet stores), but I wanted to wait for our home kit test results.
He initially just took some blood for the first PBFD test. That is all. Now he tells us about a proper test that will definitely tell us if it is PBFD. Take a poop sample, feather sample and blood sample. These will be tested together and it will give us a 99.9% accurate test result. This is what I want to do for all my birds. It will be $250 per bird.
What is a PCR? Is this the poop, feather and blood testing?
Oh Kelsey 
Its so hard over here isnt it, with the lack of testing facilities.... I could have sworn that some of our tests go up to you? Isnt there a lab somewhere in Qld that can give you results quite quickly??
Those feathers dont look too good
Couldnt it be something to do with their liver disease??
Have you heard of this Vet? Hes in Sydney and I consulted him with Yoshis injury and he is great, will even call you free of charge!!
Bird Vet Sydney - Dr Ross Perry - Animal health - cat vet sydney | dog vet sydney - lorrikeet cockatoo budgy budgerigar exotics avian
May be worth sending him some photos and asking his opinion also??
Hugs to you and all your babies 
Yes, we do have a small lab up here and this is where we sent the samples. Unfortunately they are at full capacity and they sent the samples on to their South African lab.
The poop, blood and feather test I mention above can be sent to Toowoomba for quicker results I think.
The feathers in the photos aren't even the worst of it. The new feathers are growing in as thick as my pinky finger.
Thank you for the link. I'll check it out.
Thank you so much.
