Model Avicultural Inspection Form Guide
(Guidelines established Jan. 1990/Revised May 1995/Revised Dec. 1996)
(Guidelines established Jan. 1990/Revised May 1995/Revised Dec. 1996)
These guidelines have been prepared to assist the aviculturist and the avian veterinarian. The inspecting veterinarian should note that when responding to questions which have answers numbered from 1 to 5: 1 indicates minimal compliance with the MAP, and 5 indicates maximum compliance with the MAP. In the case where there is no compliance with the MAP, a line should be drawn though all the numbers at the end of the question.
Questions 1 through 7. The purpose of quarantine is to protect the present collection from the introduction of disease and to determine whether or not new additions are diseased. When bringing new birds into the collection, they should first be isolated in a distinctly separate area from the birds presently within the collection. There should be a place where only new birds are housed This quarantine area should be a separate room/building/area which you can enter and leave without passing though the permanent collection or nursery. This helps prevent cross-contamination. This quarantine area should be the last one serviced each day. After visiting or servicing the quarantine area, it is recommended that one change clothing and shoes. These contaminated clothes should be laundered separately and put through a disinfecting wash as recommended by an avian veterinarian.
New birds should be given an identification by a numbered leg band, microchip implant, or other appropriate means. New birds should have throat and vent swabs taken along with fresh fecal samples. These samples should be taken to an avian pathologist for complete analysis/culture. The birds should be kept in the quarantine location until the results of all the tests are returned, and, if needed, treatments for health problems have been concluded. Minimum quarantine time should be 45 days. Birds should be observed daily for several minutes, preferably without the observer being seen by the birds. Record observations on quarantine records: date, bird ID. number, cage, behavior, treatment, etc. Minimum quarantine records should address: source of the bird, terms of the sale, date admitted to quarantine, date released, and notes on the physical and medical condition of the bird, and recommendations, if any.
Regarding a policy of 'healthy status determination' in Question 3, the rating is as follows: visual observation only (rating 1); visual observation plus physical examination by a qualified veterinarian (rating 2); visual observation, physical examination by veterinarian, and laboratory testing from some of the testing areas for some of the birds in quarantine (rating 3); a composite screening for representative birds from the flock from all the laboratory testing areas (rating 4); a composite screening for each and every bird from all the laboratory testing areas: hematology, parasitology, bacteriology, mycology, virology and testing for chlamydia (rating 5).
Question 8 involves the safety system. The purpose of the safety system is as follows: 1. Birds will not be lost if they escape from a cage or flight. 2. Escaped birds may not survive if they escape into the environment. 3. Escaped bird may survive and create a problem with agriculture crops or compete with native species for habitat and food. This results in problems with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Sate Fish and Game Departments. These kinds of problems can result in further regulations.
A safety system includes: 1. Cages in a building or enclosed area, (this is preferred). 2. A safety aisle adjacent to a bank of cages or flights; cages or flights are entered though the safety aisle, (this is acceptable). 3. A safety door system which is used as a means of preventing the escape of birds in suspended outdoor flights. This may consist of (1) a means of providing food and water service though a special small door which opens onto a wire boot or drawer where the bowls are places, or (2) a hanging inner door, larger than the outer door, hinged at the top and latched at the bottom, which is open for food bowls but remains in place as it is pushed slightly aside as the bowls are places in the cage. The inner door can be hatched or locked and the outer door is kept locked. (3) Large suspended flights can be serviced for replacing perches or catching birds though a small, wait-sized flap door in the bottom of the suspended cage, located approximately in the middle. (This is acceptable). (4) A safety door system consisting of portable attached enclosure which is attached to flight or cage when birds must be handled or removed. (This is acceptable). This attachable enclosure may be used with independent walk-in flights or suspended cages. The attachable safety enclosure provides a work area for the attendant and prevents the escape of birds during their removal from the flight. Entries into building or aisle systems that are obscured by solid material should have a security eye, small window, or peephole to assist in determining whether or not any birds are out of their cages before entering the area.
Question 9 covers locks. The purpose of locks on buildings and cages is to stop vandalism and thievery. Where cages are in a building or on an aisle system, the entrance door to the building or aisle should have the outer door locked. Lock sets are available that are operated with one key, enabling the attendant to open many locks with one key.
Question 10 through 15 cover cages and flights. The concern is that the size, shape and design of flights are appropriate for the species, in order to provide healthy and humane housing. The minimum requirement is that one use appropriate wire for the species and provide for full wing extension of the species housed (rating 1). The rating of 5 is given when all of the recommendations below (a. through d.) have been met and additional flight space is provided.
Question 11 concerns vermin control. Some means is needed to control rats and mice, such as traps and bait. Whatever the system, it should be used on a continuous basis. Of course, the birds must be protected from the bait or trap. Cages suspended or supported on metal pipe, inside or outside of buildings, may require metal stops on the pipe supports to prevent rodents from climbing up to the cages. A rodent control system providing traps and/or bait rates 1; a rating of 5 is given when the aviary has rat-wall construction, which is construction designed towards prevention, along with the use of traps and bait.
Question 12 involves cleaning and sanitation. Any buildup of droppings should be removed unless the birds are in their breeding cycle and would be disturbed by the cleaning activity. Stacked cages must have trays that extend the length of the cage in order to prevent fecal contamination to the lower cages. All walk-in flights should be disinfected once a year, at a minimum, and always when birds are moved into or out of a flight. Depending on the size of the flight and the number of birds housed, it may be necessary to clean and disinfect it more often. Example: a small cage with a large number of birds may become dirtier more often then a larger cage with fewer birds.
Small breeding cages should be disinfected once a year. Cages should be disinfected before introducing new birds into them. In cages where a flight or cage is emptied of birds, the flight or cage should be cleaned and disinfected prior to reuse.
Annual disinfection of walk-in flights, periodic cleaning and disinfecting of cages receives a rating of 1. Providing suspended flights for psittacines, flushable ponds for waterfowl, cement floors and/or sand floors for pheasants, that are routinely cleaned or changed, receives a rating of 5.
Question 13 involves capturing and handling birds. When a bird has to be removed from the cage or aviary due to illness, injury or for other purposes, time is of the essence and the bird should be immediately reachable by hand or with the use of an aviary net. It is recommended that long suspended flights be equipped with a centrally located door in the bottom panel of the cage or other means to access flights easily.
Question 14 regards nestboxes or nest area. The nestbox or nest area should be cleaned and disinfected annually or after each use or after a disease outbreak. With nest-building birds, the area around the nest should be cleaned and disinfected between each clutch or brood. Nestboxes should be cleaned by washing them with soap and water and then submerging them in a disinfectant solution for the proper length of time, or use disposable nestboxes.
Question 15 involves nestbox access. For some birds, such as finches set up in a colony situation, nestbox access may not be desired. Nestbox access can vary from a nestbox located inside the flight or cage with an opening on top only (rating 1). To (2) a nestbox located in the safety aisle outside the flight or a nestbox located inside the flight with access though a cage wire, with the opening at the level of the eggs (rating 5).
With cages inside a building, the nestboxes can be conveniently hung on the outside of the cages. Some boxes, such as the Z-box, require a latch on the inspection door in order to prevent the breeding adults from escaping from the nestbox. When suspended cages are located outside of a building or structure, and nestboxes are hung outside of the cage or flight, the outside of the nestbox should be lined with wire or metal, or surrounded by wire or metal, to prevent the escape of the bird which may chew through the wood nestbox. A service door should be included in this wire surround. Using a metal nestbox for wood chewing birds obviates the need for a wire surround.
For some nestboxes located inside the cages, it may be desirable to have the nestbox inspection door accessible from the exterior of the cage. Example: macaws can be very threatened by entry into their space during the breeding season. This can cause stress to the birds, and may cause them to destroy young or eggs, and may pose a physical threat to the service person.
Question 16 involves nutrition for avian species. Nutrition concerns the feeding program or diet provided to the birds, based on the natural feeding behavior and needs of the species. There should be no evidence of malnourished birds, including overweight birds. Records should indicate egg production, fertility, and hatchability for breeding birds.
Foods provided to birds will differ according to the type of birds: Seed-eating birds, Frugivores or fruit-eaters; Insectivores or insect-eaters; Nectavores or nectar-eaters; Omnivores or those which eat all types of food; Carnivores or meat eating birds. It should be obvious that you do not feed fruit to a carnivorous bird, etc.
Question 17 regards the storage of foods. Foods should be stored in containers or buildings that are vermin-proof and moisture-proof. Seed should be rotated on an annual basis and used on a 'first in, first out' basis. Containers can be made of metal, plastic, wood, or other appropriate material. Seed containers should not be placed on soil or concrete floors in order to prevent condensation inside the container which would moisten the seeds, causing molds and bacteria growth. Some foods require refrigeration.
MAP requires that sanitation procedures and the thermal support of those young in the nursery area be sufficient to produce healthy youngsters and avoid the transmission of disease.
Question 18 involves disinfecting the nursery. There must be regular and appropriate use of disinfectants in the nursery. Artificial egg incubators must be disinfected at least once annually.
Question 19 regards disease transmission in the nursery. Young must be kept and handled in a manner that minimizes the potential spread of infectious disease between individual clutches. It is not recommended that individuals from separate clutches be intermingled. In order to minimize disease transmission in the nursery, each clutch should be housed in a separate brooder. Hands and all apparatus should be cleaned and disinfected between handling clutches. It is recommended that separate feeding instruments be used for each clutch in order to avoid cross-contamination.
Question 20 regards the development of the young. Young must be fed and cared for in a manner that allows development in a pattern that is within the accepted norms for the species. In those species for which weights are not available for comparison, acceptable appearance for age and species can be allowed. A "No" answer to this question means that there are stunted babies in the nursery, and these abnormal babies outnumber the normals. Stunting is identified when chicks have limbs that look like sticks, with skin of a reddish-purple color, taut against the skeleton. The head is generally oversize in relation to the body for the species in question. The flesh appears to be dry and may be scaling off. A stunted chick is generally grossly underweight for its age.
Question 21. There must be a way to accurately weigh baby birds in the nursery at all times. A functional scale is essential to adequately monitor development.
Question 22. Handfeeding formula should be made fresh daily (frozen formula is considered fresh upon defrosting). Handfeeding formula should not be reheated and reused but should be fed fresh at each feeding. Handfeeding formula should be handled and stored in such a manner that bacterial contamination is prevented. Commercial formulas can become outdated and should not be used after that time.
Question23. All MAP members who are hand-raising must keep a functional record system for baby birds that includes an individual record with designated space for young by ID number, date of hatch, species, and formula being used. Daily logs of each chick by weight, times fed, formula used, volumes fed, and comments regarding the chick. It is hoped that records kept for those species that do not have an established 'normal' weight gain chart will provide for the development of weight standards for the future.
Record keeping on young birds range from: a. Recording occasional weights and basic ID information; Species, Hatch date, Chick ID information (rating 1); to b. Recording species, Hatch date, Chick ID, Handfeeding formula, Daily entries by age, Daily entries by weight, Daily entries of times fed, Daily entries of amounts fed, Daily entries of comments where appropriate (rating 5).
Question 24. Handfeeding equipment should be cleaned, disinfected and stored in a manner that will eliminate the spread of infectious disease on those instruments, (ex. Storing instruments in a disinfecting soak between use for feeding).
Question 25. Humidity and temperature requirements for the different species should be met. It is not recommended that individuals from separate clutches be intermingled. Keeping clutches separate minimizes the transmission of disease in the nursery.
It is a requirement of the MAP that aviculturists maintain records on birds. It is recommended that the records contain the following minimum information:
Origin: Domestic-raised: Purchased from: Wild-caught: Purchased from: Quarantine In: Quarantine Out: Medication: Diagnosis: Hatch date: Parent reared: Handfed: ID: Weaning date: Disposition: Lineage: Parent Pair ID: Cage/Flight No: Clutch mates: Nestbox type: Nesting material: Diet: Formula:
Question 26. Record keeping on the birds in the collection ranges from: a.) Minimal, which includes the ID of each bird,the species, the sex and the band number (rating 1); to b.) The ID of each bird, the species, the sex, the band number, plus the information listed in the prior paragraph, starting with Origin (rating 5). Record keeping rated 5 should have easy accessibility, be applicable to needs, be current, have permanence, allow for evaluation, and include productivity of the overall facility.
Question 27. All birds sold by MAP members shall be accompanied by a written statement of the condition of the sale. The time period and specific limitations of liability for health-related problems shall be clearly be stated. Information provided on a bill of sale ranges from: a.) names of buyer and seller, bird ID, price, and date (rating of 1); to b.) names of buyer and seller, bird ID, price, date, a written statement of conditions of sale, the time period of the seller's guarantee stated, and specific limitations clearly stated, the policy for the seller's guarantee of health status clearly stated, and history and genealogy of the bird sold (rating of 5).
Question 28. All MAP members will abide by their written conditions of sale, with no exceptions. Written conditions of sale shall include directions and instructions regarding basic care, husbandry and nutrition for the birds sold.
Examples of a variety of record keeping forms are available through the MAP office. These forms include weight gain forms for handfeeding young birds, record keeping forms for genealogy, quarantine record forms and many others. Please write or call for samples which you can copy and use.
In addition, contracts prepared by an attorney are available. These contracts cover the following: Handfeeding Agreement, Breeding Loan Agreement, Sales Agreement and Deposit Receipt, Consignment Sales Agreement, and Boarding Agreement.
These guidelines are for the information of the applicants and the inspecting veterinarians and will be updated annually as new information and technology provide improvements in the care and breeding of avian species.
If there are any questions regarding the Inspection Form or these Guidelines, please write to the MAP office at: