Disabled Foot

Hi there! It's been a while since I was here last - I've made some major life changes and had little free-time... 

I'd love some help and advice!!

I've recently acquired a baby budgie and discovered that he has a lame-ish foot. He can use it, but I don't think it's very strong as he's constantly tripping over it or falling off his perches. One of his back toes points forward so it doesn't wrap under and behind the perch. I think it must be awkward because he then twists his foot so he rests on the side of it, rather than the footbed.  He can move it though and can rest on it so I don't think it's broken... I think it must have been a nest injury or something. I'm attaching a picture of it. 

I'm sure he'll adapt quite well, but I'm wondering if it's something that could be splinted and fixed? And I'm also wondering if anyone has had experience with a disabled bird and can pass along any info or suggestions? 

His wings are currently clipped but I think that as they grow out he will feel more secure.

Also, I was told he was hand-tamed but he's actually quite wild. I've only had experience with hand-tamed birds and am getting frustrated. I've only had him a week (so I really shouldn't be complaining) but it seems as though each day I have to start from scratch again. (Could a bird have other disabilities that I'm not aware of?) I don't feel like I'm making progress at all. I think I'm doing all the right things: I talk to him, I take him to another room to practice step-ups (otherwise he tries to fly back to his cage), I praise him, treat him with millet... and he does step-up, but he seems terrified of me.  He fights coming out of his cage and when he's on top of the cage he backs away from me when I walk by!!

For the foot - I've never experienced anything like that with any of my guys. What I recommend is getting him looked at by a vet. Is he a pet store budgie? Or did you get him from a breeder? 

With the training, I think I can help! All three of mine were pet store wild when I got them. It will take lots of time, perhaps even months to get him to trust you. I bought Bonnie and Clyde together, so it took them even longer to trust me. 

Continue what you are doing. Take him out, talk to him, sing to him, and give him lots and lots of millet!

When you figure out what his favorite toys are, make sure you have some outside of the cage for him to play with so the outside world doesn't seem so scary to him.

Keep me posted!

Hey Zaza! 

Months???  

I might have been spoiled with Sputnik - he was so tame when I got him from a breeder and he always stepped up when I asked and put up with me kissing his belly and head. LOL. (now he asks for the kisses) 

The new budgie keeps flying back to his cage or listens for Sputnik's chirps and replies to them but when it comes to me he's stone cold. LOL. He won't accept millet from me or anything. If I get into another room he will do step ups but I think he's also tentative because he's a little wobbly on his feet. I think he'd be happiest if I left him alone. Sigh.

I'll keep at it though... thank you for your encouragement! I will watch him with his toys to see what his favourite is  - that sounds like a good suggestion.

Well, the new budgie is acting completely normal. Even a partially tame budgie will be scared in a new environment with new people. Is he just a baby? 

Don't give up with him! It took me so long to gain Bonnie and Clyde's trust, but now that I have it it's awesome. When I got Madoc she became tame right away. I think seeing me and the other birds interact so much made her trust me quicker.

I was told he is 10 weeks old but he's super small and super unsure of himself I wonder if he's not younger than that. But maybe not... he could have just been the runt (do birds have runts??) 

I was supposed to bring him home the weekend the flooding happened, and then I got sick, so he came here two weeks later than he was supposed to. Maybe he lost some tameness during that time? The breeder said she didn't have much time to spend with him during those two weeks. 

PS I'm thinking of calling him Bentley... you know, cuz his foot is bent.  It was going to be Sulu, but he is so not a helmsman!

Bentley is such a sweet name. 

I think he's just really nervous right now because he is away from other budgies, is in a new place and is with a new person. Give him time. If he ever was tame, I'm sure he'll regain it soon with his confidence

Thanks sweetie!  I hope you're right. He really is a cutie pie.

You could likely splint his foot, but it should be set by a vet. 

If you can't or want to make him more comfortable in the meantime, give him so platform perches. Any flat surface he can perch on without gripping should make him feel more secure.

Thanks Kaeladedah!

I third the vet recommendation and also the suggestion to be patient.  They are all different.  From what I've heard, birds raised identically can range from very shy to outrageously outgoing.  I haven't had budgies, but I think that the most you can really count on from hand raising is a lack of abject terror...  perhaps I'm wrong.

I think you're right.  Thanks for your input. And I think I lucked out with Sputnik because at the breeder's picking out a baby he was the only one who didn't fly off my hand in fear. Naturally I figured he was the one for me! And even then after bringing him home, he was obedient and would do what I asked him to do and didn't fly away, but when I think about it carefully, for the first week or so he was pretty scared.

But with this baby, training is rather like "Groundhog Day" or "50 First Dates"... 

That sounds a bit frustrating!

I tried training Scotty recently... he wound up training me!  I was using nut treats to reinforce going back into the cage happily.  Instead, he learned to hang on to me for dear life until I actually produced a nut!

ScooterNScotty wrote:

That sounds a bit frustrating!

I tried training Scotty recently... he wound up training me!  I was using nut treats to reinforce going back into the cage happily.  Instead, he learned to hang on to me for dear life until I actually produced a nut!

  
Birds are just too darned smart!!

It was quite hilarious.  He's also learned to say "step up" to me, when he wants me to hold still so he can deliver used food.  How he worked out that "step up" means "do whatever the heck *I* want, I don't know, but he also says it to his toys when he's beating them up.  And sometimes when he actually wants to step up.

But I didn't mean to hijack your thread!  How's the little guy's foot?

Einstein has trained me to forgive him for misbehaving by doing the wolf whistle. I feel so complimented, that my anger turns to love. That little bugger

Have you gotten a vet look at him yet?

Hey guys, 

sorry it's taken a while but I finally got Bentley in to see the vet and I found out a few things...

1 Bentley is probably a girl
2 His/her foot was most likely injured in the next and can't be fixed at this point
3 he/she already has sores and redness on the side of his foot from perching improperly and may have issues when he/she gets older such as arthritis

That's terrible

Have you contacted the breeder to tell her of the health problems?

I'm sorry she has issues.  But she's lucky to have you.  Would using soft perches for the most part help?  I'm thinking the rope cable "comfy perch" type things.  Also perching platforms.

Thanks.  I think I'll get a platform perch and see if she uses it, and I'd like to try that vet wrap stuff and see if it helps her grip the dowel perches better. There is a comfy perch in there but she seems to prefer to spend her time on the dowel one.