Birds immune system

[SunnyTheConure]

Sorry if I sound paranoid but how good is a parrots immune system. Because I got my bird an egg to feed him some and I touched the door handle then touched the egg and washed my hands and gave it to him. I'm only worried as people do the bins and then touch that handle. I disinfect it every now and then but not everytime someone does the bins. Should I be this paranoid. I'm only concerned because my bird got I'll last time and I though he was gonna die. Since than hygiene has been my number 1 priority.

 

[noodles123]

If he's an adult that is fine!!! I mean, yeah, door handles aren't the cleanest...and I do ask people to wash hands before touching Noodles if they have been out of the house, just woken up etc, but as long as your bird is past weaning and healthy, DO NOT worry about an in-home handle with people who have decent hygiene.

The door handle thing matters most when hand-feeding, but not generally with a bird that is eating on its own (now, a public door handle would be different to some extent--like, when I brought mine to school, kids had to wash before they touched --didn't allow much of that anyway, but it did sometimes happen). You want to avoid exposure to human fluids to the best of your ability (including the dried remains of those fluids, but that is LESS concerning than contact that happens immediately ), and obviously wash hands if you blow your nose, use the bathroom, touch raw meat etc, come in from a public space. If someone is sick, they should minimize contact with the bird, but with clean hands and caution (e.g., no sneezing and coughing on the bird) even a sick person can care for a bird---I have done it (not saying it is risk-free, but it isn't a death sentence).

EDIT -Human germs do not liver forever on door knobs etc, so depending on the material of the knob, time it sat and bacterial competition, there is a lot of variety. So again, encourage hand-washing, but do not freak out over touching an in-home door knob unless you know that people touched it right after riding the subway, having strep (or certain other illnesses), touching other birds, touching raw meat etc).and honestly, even then, if they are healthy, they could still be fine...just depends on the bird, bacteria/virus etc. If you clean normally and your family has some sense, I am sure you are fine. Even with meticulous measures, birds can still get sick, so don't blame yourself if you follow general hygiene practices and find out that one day, there is a bacterial infection---it isn't necessarily your fault, as things also circulate in other ways.

FOR INSTANCE-- my dad (Noodles' favorite non-home relative) once was caught feeding her apple he had bitten off of. This is NOT best practice, as it is a huge risk, but she was fine (again, don't do it on-purpose). Don't encourage it, don't do it, but know that they aren't instantly dead because of it (it comes down to so many factors).

 

[Laurasea]

the ugly truth is there are nasties all around f us. But the good news our bodies and birds ect are great at fighting off most stuff.

Open wounds are more vulnerable, as are newborns

I do try snd wash hands and rinse before touch my birds but that's more to make sure I don't hsve chemicals, cleaning products or such on tgem abd dog licks

 

[SunnyTheConure]

Okay thanks guys your the best