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Do you have a question that you have not found an answer for throughout this website or in my FAQ? Use this link to send your question directly to me. Be as specific as possible about the symptom or behavior in question...
 
 
 

Dr. Rob is a world renowned avian veterinarian in Sydney, Australia. He was the veterinary consultant for the Northern Territory Nature and Conservation Commission for a scientific study of the disease status in the wild population of the endangered Gouldian Finches as it related to a "Recovery Plan".

 

 

Tailai O’Brien is a Parrot Behavior Consultant who has worked along side Dr. Marshall and has developed special regimes for successful bird training and behavioral development. Fill out her Questionnaire so that she may help you with your parrot’s bad behavior.
 
 
 
 
 

Ladygouldian.com

is now a proud sponsor of the

 Save the Gouldian Fund

 

A portion of all of our sales will be donated to the fund, in the hope that we may contribute in a small way to saving the wild

Gouldian Finches.

 

CLICK HERE to learn more…

Provides an immediate and sustained energy source

 

 

Quik-gel will become an important source of energy for your flock during breeding season, when juveniles are weaning, during recuperation after a disease outbreak and as part of an emergency first aid treatment.

 

Special Note
Quik-gel remains fresh for two days after which time a fresh batch must be provided. When changing a batch, the drinking water container must be thoroughly cleaned of the gel-like sludge that may accumulate on its sides.

 

Ingredients: Complex Polysaccharides, vitamin A, D, E, B complex and organic acid.

Actions:

By providing an immediate and sustained energy source Quik-gel:

  • Rejuvenates tired adult birds during the breeding season. 
  • Protects weak youngsters during the weaning period and when entering the young bird flights.
  • Prevents diseases associated with the stress of cold, hot or wet weather.
  • Accelerates recovery following illness by providing easily digested high-energy nutrients swiftly and efficiently to damaged organs and other body tissues.
  • Enhances the overall health of an energy-depleted flock during and following disease outbreaks (e.g. mite infestations, coccidiosis etc.)
  • Improves male mating success and egg fertility during the critical stages of the breeding cycle.
  • Reduces egg binding when cold spells and other stress factors cause tired breeding hens.
  • Used as part of an Emergency First Aid Treatment for sick individual birds. 
  • Quik-gel is palatable and readily accepted by finches

In the Flights

Quik-gel is mixed at a dose of 2ml into 1 liter of drinking water for 3 consecutive days during a stress period, outbreak of disease and following a course of antibiotics.

Critical times when the entire flock would benefit from the administration of Quik-gel in the drinking water include:


Cold Stress

Administer Quik-gel for 2 days to maintain energy levels when temperatures fall below 10° C (50° F)

Wet Spells

Quik-gel is mixed with Megamix (10ml per liter) to help maintain health by establishing acidic conditions in the crop that help prevent stress and environment-related infections such as Thrush, Ecoli and Coccidiosis from becoming established.

 

Thrush Infections

Quik-gel is mixed with Megamix (10ml per liter) for 5 days when Thrush has been diagnosed in a flock to help maintain body heat and appetite of in-contact birds. Sick birds should receive a crop needle treatment.

 

Air-sac Mites

Quik-gel is administered for 2 days following air-sac mite treatment - S76 – to rejuvenate an infested flock.

 

Inactivity and Quietness

A drop in noise levels may be related to inclement weather or the onset of illness. A 2 day trial with Quik-gel may be used to determine whether the lack of noise is related to energy depletion of a disease process.

 

Recovery from illness

Quik-gel administered for 2 – 5 days is used to promote a rapid recovery following antibiotic treatment. It may also be given with antibiotics.

 

For Individual Sick Birds

Quik-gel may also be administered by crop needle as part of an Emergency First Aid Formula for sick birds moved to a heated hospital cage or added to the drinking water to aid the recovery of individual birds or breeding pairs that are sick, tired, injured or following antibiotic treatments.

 

When Breeding

 

Dose: 2ml Quik-gel thoroughly mixed into 1 liter of drinking water or 1 kg (2.2#) of soft food mix. Or 1 drop into 100 gram of seed or soft food mix.

 

As an immediate and sustained source of Energy

Quik-gel is helpful in improving breeding outcomes during the breeding season, as energy requirements are nine times more than during a non-breeding period.

 

To ensure your breeding birds receive a plentiful supply of energy, it is recommended that Quik-gel be incorporated into the Breeding Programme as follows: Quik-gel is added to seed, soft-food mix or drinking water for 7 days after pairing occurs. It can also be added to TurboBooster when breeders prefer to place TurboBooster in the drinking water.

 

Energy is the most important nutritional factor in allowing parents to feed their young. Critical times when breeding pairs would benefit from the administration of Quik-gel in the drinking water include:

 

At the start of courtship activity

Male birds become easily tired following their energetic courtship activities. Quik-gel can be given each second day during this stressful courtship period to improve mating success and increase fertility. When provided at this time it also supports the energy needs of the hen during egg production and helps prevent sudden death syndrome and egg binding in breeding hens.

 

Throughout Breeding

Energy requirements are significantly higher during the breeding season when parents are feeding their young. Quik-gel provides breeding pairs with a plentiful supply of energy so that they remain vital throughout the entire breeding season. This ensures the babies are fed well and do not experience any physical setbacks.

 

At the beginning of each breeding cycle

Quik-gel aids the cock during courtship and prepares the hen for the energy consuming process of egg-laying. It is again provided when the first youngster becomes fully feathered when the hen is preparing to lay her next clutch of eggs.

 

For later breeding rounds

Quik-gel is also particularly useful for one day a week during the second and third rounds when the energy levels of parents begin to wane.

 

At the conclusion of Breeding

Quik-gel should be administered for 3 days as breeding pairs are moved from the breeding cabinet to the holding cage (prior to their return to the aviary) in order to prevent their deaths when entering the flights.

 

During Cold Spells

Quik-gel is used as a rich source of energy and vitamins when cold temperatures may interrupt breeding and result in a high degree of infertile and dead in shell eggs.

 

For Egg Binding

Quik-gel together with Calcium Plus will significantly reduce the likelihood of egg binding problems, which occur with the onset of cold weather.

 

Nestling rejection by Gouldians

Quik-gel together with Megamix given for 3 days at the critical ages of nestlings, i.e. hatching time and pin-feather age will significantly reduce the likelihood of Gouldian finches ejecting their young from the nest. This occurrence occurs most often with first time breeding pairs as a result of cold or some other physical stress factor.

 

For Air in the Crop

Quik-gel should be provided when air is observed in a baby’s crop. This finding indicates the energy levels of the parents are depleted.

 

For Weaning Youngsters – Blue Mutation Gouldians and Canaries

 

Quik-gel should be given in the drinking water to support the weaning process for 2 – 5 days when the youngsters are moved from their parents across into the weaning cage. The high-energy content of Quik-gel stimulates appetite, which promotes a rapid weaning process. Its stress relieving and disinfectant properties protect youngsters from disease.

 

In Drinking Water

 

Quik-gel Rejuvenates tired breeding pairs and birds recovering from illness. An increased activity will be visible by the afternoon following Quik-gel treatment.

 

Quik-gel restores energy levels following a course of antibiotics. Quik-gel mixed into the drinking water with Megamix (10ml into 1 liter) for 2 days restores energy levels and promotes a more rapid return to activity following an illness and antibiotic treatment.

 

Quik-gel stimulates appetite and initiates recovery following any physical stress. For example, with cold stress, Quik-gel mixed into the drinking water with Megamix (10ml into 1 liter) is used to maintain health when temperatures fall below 10° C (50° F). Under these circumstances, Quik-gel/Megamix cocktail is given fresh for the first day in the drinking water then topped up the following day.

 

Emergency First Aid Treatment

 

In emergency situations, providing heat and administering Quik-gel directly by mouth or via crop needle mixed with ER Formula should save most birds. An emergency is recognized when a finch remains listless or is found fluffed up on the floor.

 

Quik-gel can be administered in a number of ways. When birds are critically ill, it is best given with ER Formula via a crop needle (see below). Quik-gel mixed into the drinking water is usually effective as finches do drink a large volume to body weight ratio. Quik-gel may also be given by mouth directly from a syringe.

 

As very sick birds are unable to produce their own body heat, an additional source of heat such as a hot water bottle or ceramic heat lamp must also be provided.

 

As the bird recovers and is no longer in a critical state, it is important to determine the exact cause of illness and begin with an appropriate treatment.

 

Once the sick bird is eating and drinking by itself, Quik-gel should continue to be given in the drinking water for 5 days to complete full recovery.

 

Preparation of Quik-gel & ER Formula for crop feeding

 

Place a teaspoon of ER Powder in a cup, then, while adding 10ml of hot water (35° C or 90° F) in small amounts, mix it continuously until a smooth cream-like solution is created. Maintain the heat of this liquid formula by using a hot water bath. Then mix 1 drop of Quik-gel into the formula and immediately draw up 3ml into a crop needle and warmed syringe, and administer it to the sick bird. This 3ml solution is enough to treat 3 birds. Repeat this process 2 – 3x each day until the sick birds are active and again eating. For crop and gizzard blockages continue this treatment twice daily for 3 days. For egg-binding add 5 drops of Calcium Plus to this mixture and continue this treatment twice daily for 3 days.

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