[CrazyBirdLady]

I am curious if anyone here has "special" birds that have a physical and/or mental handicap? I searched the forum and couldn't find anything on "Handicap" posts or threads. I have four rescue tiels and two of them are physically different; both are lame and therefore unable to walk. We didn't expect them to make it through the night when we first brought them home but they did and have become the most unique, resilient, beautiful babies. They make my heart sing with pride lol. Anyway it has been a long but rewarding road full of trial and error and I was curious if anyone else on the forum had similar experiences. I would love to share stories and pictures! Attached is a picture of Wobble when we first got here and now

 

[cheery]

I had Beauty from 6 months old and he had a broken wing. I was told it was because he had been caught by a cat on the aviary wires but I think it was Lutino in-breeding. He lived to 23 and was never locked in his cage and came and went as he pleased. Broke my heart when he died.

 

[JoJo's Mom]

From the photo it looks as if your baby might have splayed legs. It can be treated and depending on what age it is, corrected, so if you haven't already you might want to take it to your avian vet. How old is the little one? They are very sweet. Can they perch ok? There are many causes for splayed legs.

 

[CrazyBirdLady]

I had Beauty from 6 months old and he had a broken wing. I was told it was because he had been caught by a cat on the aviary wires but I think it was Lutino in-breeding. He lived to 23 and was never locked in his cage and came and went as he pleased. Broke my heart when he died.

He looks like he was very happy and comfortable with you. It is encouraging to see someone else who understands the love and magnificence that a "special" tiel can show. Thank you for your response. Was beauty ever able to fly?
I think Weeble and Wobble are possibly victims to inbreeding (the woman who left them at a yard sale said ¡§there were hundreds at her moms & it was time to clean house! DISPICABLE.... she left a FILTHY cage with Weeble, Wobble, their brother Rocky (has a few missing talons but otherwise physically ok) and several eggs that had blood spots).
We have an open cage policy as well and can¡¦t imagine it any other way now. The top of their cage is flat which is covered with a cloth that gets changed regularly and a shallow dish that serves as the main dining facility. We tried lots of different modifications to their environment to ensure the safest and most accessible for all but overall the have adapted to the point that they can do anything that the rest of the flock can.

 

[CrazyBirdLady]

From the photo it looks as if your baby might have splayed legs. It can be treated and depending on what age it is, corrected, so if you haven't already you might want to take it to your avian vet. How old is the little one? They are very sweet. Can they perch ok? There are many causes for splayed legs.

Great eye….You are correct….it took me lots of research to figure that out lol. The vet said that he estimated they were fairly young maybe less than a year old in July 2014. Weeble is obviously a runt and both of their keels appeared twisted so it was difficult to accurately age them. The vet said there was a possibility that it could be fixed with an operation but with any operation and the cost would be likely several thousand dollars each. I also found out that it may have easily been corrected with a band-aid or a makeup sponge if it would have been done so immediately.
It was a very hard decision to make but they have always kept each other going and I think taking the chance of losing either of them would have been selfish. I had to consider how much it would hurt the other if either of them didn’t make it through the surgery or if one improved and the other didn’t.
The vet examined them and said they are not in any pain and the only physical concern they may have is infection if they were to have excessive irritation because at the time they still moved around on their bellies a lot. When we first got them they had large sores and knots all over their bodies and very little feathers at all on the underside of them and the few tail feathers they had were nasty and broken. They were literally starving; the only food they had access to was what the able bodied birds above them dropped to the bottom of the cage & pooped on. There was no sign of any water being made available to them and the bottom of the cage was full of old newspapers that were so soiled they all stuck together in one two inch thick cube. The only way they had a view of anything out of the cage was when they took turns lifting the other up high enough they could use their beaks to pull up to the bottom bar. The first week they laid on a towel across my chest for warmth and I fed them with a medicine cup and dropper because they barely had the strength to lift their heads up. Little by little they got their strength back and learned to fly. They tend to stay together no matter what they are doing but sometimes they enjoy alone time but not for long. Wobble has found her voice and mimics the other birds and us; Weeble is quieter but tolerates humans more (occasionally she allows a scritch or will just fly to you and visit for a bit). Regardless they have at the least the same quality of life as the rest of the flock now.

 

[CrazyBirdLady]

- Pic of Weeble with the vet last year
- Pic of Peanut checking them out the first time Weeble and Wobble were allowed out of quarantine
- Pic of Weeble and Wobble basking in the sunshine after lunch
- The flock (Top Left to bottom) Weeble, Wobble, Peanut, Butterbean and Shadow

 

[JoJo's Mom]

Oh they all look adorable. Its sad that they weren't fixed right away, but it sounds like they have the best possible home with you. They both look very happy. I see you have a budgie too- my Sweet Pea looked just the same as yours. Glad you rescued them!

 

[cheery]

No, sadly Beauty was never able to fly but he made up for it when he was younger. He would climb upstairs, up trouser legs etc. He would stand at the top of the curtain screaming to be brought down. He had full run of the house and in summer he always sat on the garden table. Alarmingly when wanted to go in he would just jump off and toddle into the kitchen. Never any after effects either!

 

[Juliet]

- Pic of Weeble with the vet last year
- Pic of Peanut checking them out the first time Weeble and Wobble were allowed out of quarantine
- Pic of Weeble and Wobble basking in the sunshine after lunch
- The flock (Top Left to bottom) Weeble, Wobble, Peanut, Butterbean and Shadow

Lovely birds and so nice to see they have such good home and being cared for even if they are "not perfect"... off topic but I love your plaid pants. I wear plaid all the time, I'm obsessed with plaid lol