H5N1 Has Arrived: Preparing Australian Aviculture for a New Biosecurity Reality By Dr Hamish Baron BVSc (Hons), MVS, PhD, FANZCVS Avian Medicine and Surgery Specialist Avian Veterinarian The Unusual Pet Vets Australia Information current as at 28 July 2026 For…

HPAI Bird Flu: Practical Advice for Bird Owners By Dr Hamish Baron Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI H5N1), often called “bird flu”, has now been detected in both Western Australia and South Australia. While the overall risk to most companion…

Macrorhabdus in Budgerigars What Breeders Need to Know Macrorhabdus ornithogaster, often historically called “avian gastric yeast” or “megabacteria”, is one of the most significant gastrointestinal pathogens affecting budgerigars in Australia. It is a yeast that colonises the narrow junction between…

Understanding “Lethal Genes” in Budgerigars In budgerigar breeding, the term “lethal gene” is often used loosely, and sometimes incorrectly, to describe genetic combinations that result in embryo death, chick mortality, or severe non-viable deformities. From a biological perspective, a lethal…

Tail Feather Cutting in Budgerigars: Myth, Mechanism and Best Practice Dr Hamish Baron – The Unusual Pet Vets Question: Some fanciers are promoting the practice of cutting tail feathers and then leaving them for a few weeks before pulling them,…

Feeding Natural Forage to Address Vitamin A Deficiency in Seed Diets Dr Hamish Baron, PhD The Unusual Pet Vets Australia Introduction Budgerigars are physiologically adapted to a highly varied, opportunistic diet in the wild. Although grass seeds form a substantial…

Bacterial diseases in budgerigars: what breeders should know Bacterial disease in budgerigars is rarely “bad luck” alone. More often, it’s the end result of a few familiar pressures stacking up at once: overcrowding, hygiene slipping under workload, nutritional gaps, and…