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Keeping both a parrot with PDD and chickens

Akoni

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We recently put an offer on a house with several acres of land. We were discussing keeping chickens but I am a little hesitant to do so as our caique was recently diagnosed with PDD. Obviously the birds would never be in close proximity, with my parrots inside and the chickens outside. What sort of precautions would we need to take to prevent the spread? Would we need to take minimal steps like washing our hands and being mindful of changing clothes worn when cuddling with the parrots, or more drastic steps like changing clothes before being around the chickens if we were in the house? If the latter were the case, we would probably skip the chickens.

I've seen a few people keeping free range chickens who are in a coop at night. Is there any concern of them getting PDD or other contagious illness from wild birds? We used to keep chickens when we lived in Zambia, as did all of our neighbors. I remember some dying after getting egg bound or having encounters with venomous snakes, but none wasting away with PDD-like symptoms.
 

BirdWorld

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We recently put an offer on a house with several acres of land. We were discussing keeping chickens but I am a little hesitant to do so as our caique was recently diagnosed with PDD. Obviously the birds would never be in close proximity, with my parrots inside and the chickens outside. What sort of precautions would we need to take to prevent the spread? Would we need to take minimal steps like washing our hands and being mindful of changing clothes worn when cuddling with the parrots, or more drastic steps like changing clothes before being around the chickens if we were in the house? If the latter were the case, we would probably skip the chickens.

I've seen a few people keeping free range chickens who are in a coop at night. Is there any concern of them getting PDD or other contagious illness from wild birds? We used to keep chickens when we lived in Zambia, as did all of our neighbors. I remember some dying after getting egg bound or having encounters with venomous snakes, but none wasting away with PDD-like symptoms.
Sorry, I don’t know much about PDD, so I can’t be of much help, but I keep my chickens in a chicken run and let them out to free range for a few hours a day. I used to let them out all day but only stopped this because one sadly got eaten by a fox in my area, and I’ve heard red tailed hawks can kill chickens too. I don’t think they would get any diseases from wild birds, mine don’t bother going near wild animals anyways. I’m guessing that you’d only need to change clothes after touching the bird or it’s toys/droppings/cage, but can’t be sure.
 

Zara

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That would be a lot of work to keep the two. As you don´t currently have the chickens.. is it worth it?

@Hankmacaw
 

Shezbug

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The reason I do not have chooks (which I really miss!) is that I’m not sure I’m physically up for the work to keep Burt and Squeak safe from anything the chooks may come into contact with being outside birds that I possibly could walk into their space. We have a lot of issues with diseases and wild birds which can very easily be transferred to chooks when wild birds come to scrounge for food scraps from the chooks. My neighbours had this happen a few years ago and I was just so very lucky my chooks were spared- the neighbours had to have their whole flock put down and thankfully they had no parrots.
Proper strict quarantine procedures would be the only way to ensure you don’t pass it on I would think.
 

Hankmacaw

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I wasn't sure, but yes chickens a susceptible to PDD.

  • Species:
    • Commonly Affected Species
      • Macaws
      • Amazon parrots
      • African Grey parrots
      • Cockatoos
      • Electus Parrots
      • Conures
    • Other Species
      • Chicken
      • Ducks
      • Falcons
      • Quails
These are only some of the affected species, but more than 50 different parrot species can be affected.
 

BirdWorld

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We have a lot of issues with diseases and wild birds which can very easily be transferred to chooks when wild birds come to scrounge for food scraps from the chooks.
Not if you only feed them in the run, like I do. And if I do feed them outside I make sure I’m near them so no bird will want to come close. At least, my run is under trees and has netting on the top, since there are hawks in my area, I don’t know about you all. Sorry about your neighbor’s chickens :(
 
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