A team of lecturers from the Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FKH UGM), conducted a community service program at Remone Bird Farm, located in Gamping, Sleman, Yogyakarta, on Tuesday (Sep. 23). The activity was titled “Strengthening Biosecurity Management to Improve the Health and Productivity of Canary Farms.”
The team consisted of five lecturers from the Department of Pathology, four students from the Professional Veterinary Education Program (PPDH), and five staff members from Remone Bird Farm.
During the visit, the team inspected the breeding and rearing facilities for canaries. In discussions with the farm owner, they found that one of the most common diseases affecting the canaries was tumor pox, which manifests as skin lumps.
“Our initial suspicion is that the cause may be either viral or genetic,” said the head of the community service team, Afif Muhammad Akrom, on Tuesday (Oct. 14).
To address this issue, Akrom emphasized the importance of selective breeding and strengthened biosecurity measures, as well as proper bird health management and disease discussions with farmers.
“We recommend the implementation of strict biosecurity practices on bird farms to help increase productivity,” the veterinarian explained.
Agus, one of the supervisors at Remone Bird Farm, expressed his appreciation for the visit by the UGM team. He hopes that the educational support on biosecurity and breeding will improve canary productivity.
“This program provides us with a platform and assistance for laboratory research on canary diseases, such as tumors,” he said.
According to Akrom, the community service activity not only offers solutions for recurring canary diseases at Remone Bird Farm but also serves as a valuable learning opportunity for students to gain a better understanding of bird farming practices.
“We collected samples for analysis to identify the disease, and once we obtain the results, we will share them with the farmers,” he concluded.
Author: Salwa
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya
Photographs: FKH UGM