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Vent: Around the base of the vent is a good place to check for lice infestations. You will see white crusts stuck to the base of the feathers which are the lice eggs.  If there present you will see the lice run quite clearly.

Northern mite will also be found in the vent area but this time look for dark specs, they are slower than lice.

The feathers below the vent should be clean and fluffy. If their covered in faeces this indicates diarrhoea.

 Legs: Smooth scales are healthy legs. Legs with crusts and raised scales can indicate scaly leg mite. You can smother the legs in vasoline of get sprays from a feed merchant which will kill the little mites causing the problem.

 Plumage: Feathers should be smooth and shiny. Problems to check for are lice these parasites are 2-3mm long and can be dealt with by insecticidal powders from vets or feed stores.

 Body Condition: Check the breastbone and muscles if a birds is very thin and the bone is prominent it could mean the bird has some underlying condition.

 If you pick your breeder with care you are unlikely to run into any problems. When transporting birds make sure you use a well-ventilated carrier.

Buying good healthy birds to star with is the best thing you can possible do. Then you can spend hours with your new pets and won’t regret it.