| Avian DNA Samples can be submitted in one of two
ways; blood or feather.
Blood
Sample:
-Wipe the bird's
nail with an alcohol swab and let dry(5-10 seconds)
and ensure that the toenail clipper is thoroughly
cleaned between birds.
-Clip
the nail short enough to allow bleeding (avoid
clipping too high since this may be uncomfortable for
the bird). If blood is not present, gently squeeze the
toe until blood appears.
-Allow
a small amount of blood to bead up and carefully touch
the corner of the card to the blood bead (only one or
two drops is required).
-Allow
the car to dry and place it into the envelope
provided.
Feather
Sample:
-Select
only medium sized feathers for plucking. The feather
must be physically plucked (molted feathers cannot
be used for this test). Very small feathers located
under the wing are not recommended.
-Pluck
4-6 medium sized feathers from the chest area of the
bird and place them in a zip-lock bag. Ensure the
feather tip, which is attached to the skin, is present
(white coloration). Large feathers may contain some
blood, which should be left on the feather.
Note:
-Sample
only 1 bird's feather at a time and put each bird's
feathers into a separate container.
-Some
bird owners say that it is better to allow a third
party (someone that the bird in not familiar with) to
perform this type of collection. |