Overview of BCSA Bio-security Guidelines

The Budgerigar Council of South Australia Incorporated (BCSA) along with its Affiliate & Associate Member Societies agree that in the event of an outbreak, or the threat of an outbreak, of a notifiable bird disease or outbreaks of other unknown diseases which may pose a threat to budgerigars, the following BCSA Biosecurity rules and guidelines be adopted for all budgerigar exhibitions and shows held in South Australia and Broken Hill. Notifiable disease outbreaks will follow this BCSA Biosecurity Policy in conjunction with any Government Policy or Policies.

BCSA Biosecurity Officer

All show promoting societies are to appoint a BCSA Biosecurity Officer. Accordingly, this person is to be a senior (financial) member of an Affiliate or Associate Member Society of the Society and of the BCSA. The BCSA Biosecurity Officer who shall be named on the show schedule is:

to be trained by the BCSA allocated Biosecurity Coordinator in this role.
to take responsibility for the biosecurity of the exhibits and the show environment at the show or exhibition as detailed below.
to remain on site for the duration of the event.

Infection Prevention Upon Entry

No birds’ other than those entered as show birds, approved sale bird or auction birds will be permitted within the show hall.
The checking in tables must be treated and wiped between each batch of exhibitors’ birds.
There must be a designated table allocated for the placing of travelling boxes in the show hall for the removing of show, approved sale birds or auction birds. One exhibitor per table is permitted only and tables to be treated and wiped between each batch of fancier’s birds.
Once birds are removed from travel boxes, these boxes are to be removed from the show hall.

Show Cages and Travelling Boxes

Exhibitors must ensure all their exhibits including sale or auction birds are in clean cages. Failure to comply will result in the cage and its contents being rejected.
Cage covers, if used, are to be removed before entering the show hall.
As birds are being checked in, the base of the show cages should be treated with a suitable viral disinfectant.
Once inspected by the authorised BCSA Biosecurity officer and approved, all cage types will have an easily identifiable BCSA supplied ‘authority’ sticker. This will be attached to enable the cage to proceed to the show bench or table allocated for travel boxes.
When it comes to checking out, cage covers should only be put on the show cages once they are outside the show hall.

Cross Contamination of Birds

To avoid cross contamination, show cages should not be stacked on top of each other or cage front to cage front. Show cages should not be placed on the floor at any time.
A suitable procedure must be adopted that ensures the minimum movement of all exhibits.
Prior to admitting any birds, all staging, judging stands, cage trolleys and checking in tables should be treated with a suitable viral disinfectant.
All stewards, judges and show personnel will apply a suitable viral hand sterilizer to their hands before starting to and the completion of handling cages.

Checking Rings

The Show Manager or his/her representative must apply a suitable viral hand steraliser to their hands before and after checking each ring, for whatever purpose.

Judging Sticks and Approved Judging Aides

All judges are required to bring to the show approved judging sticks and/or approved judging aides and a facility should be provided by the show promoters for the disinfection with a suitable viral wipe of all judging sticks and/or approved judging aides through the judging process.
Judging sticks and/or approved judging aides must be disinfected between exhibits.
The encouragement of birds onto the perch by hand motion is highly recommended.

Photography

Photography of exhibits at shows as best practice, should only be executed through the cage front to minimise cross contamination. Accordingly, where a purpose built photographic cage is used to photograph exhibits for magazine quality photos, the bird handler assisting the photographer must sterilise the photographic cage and their hands in between the transfer of exhibits with a suitable viral disinfectant.

Sick Birds

Any sick birds must be removed from the Show area and be placed in isolation within a separate holding room. Secondly, any other exhibits in the show from the same person are required to be inspected for illness . This must occur prior to the commencement of judging. The exhibitor should be notified of such action as soon as is reasonably practical.

Sales Birds

Exhibits are required to follow the same procedure as for ring checking. i.e. prior to and after handling each bird.
Birds offered for sale in either Sales Classes or Exhibition Classes must be Owner Bred and Closed Rung.
On purchasing a bird, the cage must be disinfected with a viral disinfectant after that cage has been authorised by the BCSA biosecurity officer to enter the show hall.

Display Aviaries

Another key point is that display aviaries set up at the show can only contain birds from a single fancier. On account of this, they should be returned to the same Fancier’s aviary. All birds are to comply with the above procedures.

Guidelines for Exhibitors upon Returning Home

Upon returning home, members should change their clothes before entering the bird room.
Furthermore, upon returning home, exhibitors should isolate show birds for a period of four (4) weeks for observation.