# Opinions needed please



## serz (May 8, 2006)

Well I'm going to warn you from the off that this will prob be a long winded post and I hope that it makes sense. 
Here goes. I have an aviary containing 30 birds. I found out I was pregnant in May and am currently 7 months now and my nan has been doing my birds for me every day (feeding and watering) as our midwife said that it would be best if I stayed out of there as there is a risk of me catching toxoplasmosis off them. So like I say my nan has been doing them for me and my auntie has been coming to clean them out ( not to my standard but better than none at all). My nan has had a cough recently and I am worried that she is getting it off doing the birds. So one of my questions is do you think there is any risk for my unborn child if I'm feeding and watering the budgies?
Also people are saying that I won't have time for them once the baby is here as I will have enough to deal with so has anyone got any experience of bringing a baby up and owning an aviary?

Many people are telling me to get rid but it's not that easy. I have had them for 5 years now and a few of them are babies of my own who are super tame so they are like part of the family but obviously I have to put my unborn baby first. How could I get rid as if I put them up for re home then I would just get people after freebies after them for the sake of it and if I put the whole thing up for free (birds and aviary) freebie hunters aside the aviary would have to be dismantled to be taken out of the garden but were would the birds go in the mean time? I've had a little look online but I can't even find any sanctuaries that would take them. 

Any advice on what you would do in my situation would be greatly appreciated please as it's causing me stress at the moment. 

Many thanks for reading


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## Daisyy (Jan 15, 2010)

I'm not sure if it'd harm you or your baby, but I'd definitely not clean / feed them yourself whilst you're pregnant. obviously having a baby will make it a lot harder to care for them due to the lack of time, maybe take the ones you have bonded with and keep them in a cage/smaller aviary so it's easier and quicker to care for them, and sell the others.

Sorry I can't be of more help!


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## Rogue665 (Mar 17, 2010)

As for time once the baby comes it is possible depends whether you have the energy but of course if you find you a slacking on their care, its best you sell up (never give away)
as for feeding/watering/cleaning if you wear a mask and gloves you'll be fine, a friendly disinfectant (trigene) is pretty good.this time of the year i wouldn't worry too much about catching anything but a cold while your out there with them. in the summer however everything including their feces and them become dusty and thats when you breath in the dusty spores and become ill.


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## Arcadiajohn (Jan 30, 2011)

to be honest im not sure you can get toxoplasmosis from birds???? you will need to take advice on that.

There are various risks with keeping any animal. psittacosis is more of a risk with parrot type I would have thought. I have had it!! it is with outdoubt simply terrible!

I keep a wide variety of birds alongside my reptiles and always have done. We certainly encountered no problems when my wife was expecting. 

I guess if you follow basic hygiene I cant see much to be worried about.

wait until the child is born before getting back in the flight, wear gloves (maybe we should do this anyway to stop the transfer of disease form human to pet and the other way round) use F10 solutions around the flight to combat bacterial build ups.

be sensible.

maybe call the parrot society and ask them?? very friendly people I find

John,


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## studley (Oct 3, 2010)

*toxoplasmosis*

I think just about anything can carry toxoplasmosis but it's usually associated with cats.
They normally just tell pregnant ladies to avoid changing the litter or to wear gloves, not get rid of the animal. 

If the midwife thought the birds were a problem, she'd have had a heart attack if you told her about your reptiles, with the associated salmonella risk! 

Personally I'd just wear a good dust mask and carry on as normal.
The birds are probably perfectly healthy but in any case too much dust from any source is bad. I always wear the disposable ones when cleaning out.

Being around birds from an early age really enriched my child hood and donkeys years later I still have birds and they're still enriching my life.


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## serz (May 8, 2006)

Thanks for your advice you've all been very helpful. I think I will see how I get on with them then for now and fingers crossed things pan out. If things don't do you think there would be anyone out there that would re home 30 budgies together in tan aviary?


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