Date: 1/23/25 7:19 am From: Donna Lee Scott <dls9...> Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Feeders, finches & disease
I can understand why one would think tube feeders with those little holes with a perch under them, where birds stick in their head to get seeds, hence eye contact with sides of the opening, might spread eye disease more readily than a platform feeder, but platform feeders are notorious for collecting a lot of bird poop which may have other pathogens in it.
All feeders should be regularly washed, rinsed, then sanitized with a mild bleach solution & dried,
because congregations of birds on feeders can inoculate them with disease-causing microbes.
Also, a reminder: As Cayuga Bird Club member, Dr. Ton Schat, said, do not touch any dead birds these days, because of the risk of avian influenza in a dead bird.
A few humans have contracted this disease. 1 or 2 have died.
Also FYI: The new president of the US has now ordered gov’t agencies like the FDA & the CDC to stop issuing all public info announcements about things like Avian Influenza until such pass muster with one of his political appointees, who may or may not have any scientific credentials.
Donna Scott
Kendal at Ithaca-377
Sent from my iPhone
On Jan 23, 2025, at 9:03 AM, madonna stallmann <madonnaoftheprairie...> wrote:
Hi Folks!
I'm wondering if anyone knows of any studies done comparing the eye infection rate of finches using open, platform style feeders as opposed to tube feeders with head openings? It just seems to me that there would be less chance for spreading infection with open platform feeders. What do you think?
