Special Needs Section

I would really like to see a section for Special Needs birds. Taking on a bird with damaged wings, legs, beaks, etc can be daunting and it would be awesome to have a place to gather ideas and ask questions in relation to this.

I love the idea i would be happy to help with support and whatnot.

I have realised a few things working with Dara such as the simple 'step up' command has to be approached in an entirely new way since she cannot hang onto my finger and she feels uncomfortable sitting on my hand at all. These are the things that we could share in this section to help others with these awesome tough babies.

I think it's a great idea as well. I'm now the owner of a blind bird.

I agree, good idea! Pepper has microscopic fractures in her beak that were repaired with a polymer. She also has one wing shorter/less developed than the other.

Yeah, I also have a bird with a damaged shoulder who can flap enough to not crash land but can't get any lift. As well as Dara with her mangled leg. Can Pepper fly at all Rio Mom?

"Yey!" in a very.. saddened way. It's great to hear about all your birdies with different disabilities, would like to learn more about each of them. Can Ms Merlin see at all? Or is it partial blindness, can she see bright colours, etc?

How did Pepper end up with one wing shorter?

I'm getting so excited to learn about them all and to think about how I can maybe help with suggestions!

Anna said:

Yeah, I also have a bird with a damaged shoulder who can flap enough to not crash land but can't get any lift. As well as Dara with her mangled leg. Can Pepper fly at all Rio Mom?

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Is the damaged shoulder a permenant thing or will it heal? So it's like having a clipped bird... but without being clipped?

We think Merlin might be able to see shadows out of one eye, but maybe not. She probably doesn't see any colors. She gets along quite well though considering. What I notice is when she climbs up to her top perches she is often a couple of inches away from where she needs to be to find them. Then she has to move over and try again. It also usually takes her a couple of tries to step up.

Aw, I was hoping bright colours around her cage would make life a bit easier - super bright perches, etc. Is Ms Merlin blind in both or just one? That must be so scary

My grandma is blind (or well, near enough) and so I know the struggles of watching someone (or something!) you care about struggle to handle it when they haven't been blind their entire life. What sort of things do you do to help her manage?

It looks like one eye is completely blind and the other either is, or it's close. She likes being on the bottom of her cage most of the time. So I put big crock food and water dishes down there for her. She also has perches and a ton of toys down there as well. I did put a big toy in the top of her cage a couple of days ago and she doesn't seem to have found that one yet, although she has found all the others.

I also need to talk or at least cluck to her as I'm coming up to her cage or moving around the room. Since I started doing that she hasn't gotten frightened and hid in the corner anymore. She was doing that a lot the first few days when I didn't know she was blind. Now I know, and let her know where I am all the time.

I first also thought she was tentative about stepping up because I was new to her, but no, she just has to be sure where my arm is first. I put it up against her belly so she can find it. When she wants a head scritch, she bends her head down for me.

At night I only cover her cage half way and leave on a dim lamp. That seems to make her happy. When it gets dark outside the full spectrum light seems to hurt her eyes so I turn it off and put on the little lamp instead.

She doesn't like being up high. So I take the playtop off the cage and put it on the coffee table for her. She also likes to play on the floor or on me.

The vet assures me most blind birds do just fine, and it's good I bought her the smaller cage than I initially wanted to buy. She said smaller cages are better for blind birds.

She does all the things sighted birds do except fly. She likes to be handled and likes attention. She plays with toys and manages to pick out her favorite foods first, lol! She learned my voice well enough on the way home from the airport that she trusted me right away.

She does get up in the morning a good hour and a half before dawn and the other birds. She lets me know right away that she's up by clucking to me. So I give her her food and water and then she doesn't wake up the others.

Anna said:

Yeah, I also have a bird with a damaged shoulder who can flap enough to not crash land but can't get any lift. As well as Dara with her mangled leg. Can Pepper fly at all Rio Mom?

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They said she can fly, but flies kind of crooked, and sometimes has hard landings. They said she prefers to walk wherever she's going most of the time.

Mayden said:

How did Pepper end up with one wing shorter?

I'm getting so excited to learn about them all and to think about how I can maybe help with suggestions!

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I don't know how her wing ended up that way. It ended up underdeveloped for some reason. She had a rough life before coming to the rescue.

hi roxynoodle, this is the first I've heard of Merlin being blind. Did you know this before she came to you? Sounds like you're the perfect person for her.

Rio Mom said:

Mayden said:

How did Pepper end up with one wing shorter?

I'm getting so excited to learn about them all and to think about how I can maybe help with suggestions!

Click to expand...

I don't know how her wing ended up that way. It ended up underdeveloped for some reason. She had a rough life before coming to the rescue.

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A lot of problems happen while the chick is still in the nest & usually happen not long after hatch. With Peppers wing i could explain that it could have happened in the nest due to rough handling by the parent birds. The other thought is to horrible to mention.

Newly hatched chicks although having a strong will to live do get hurt normally by the parents or older siblings & tender little toes & wing tips are easily lost. That is usually the reason why some babies have missing toes when purchased. My BFA has 2 toes missing. I was imformed of this when i purchased the birds.

I see a lot of damaged babies, once or twice with my own birds but mostly from other breeders that know i can raise a chick from hatch, they bring their broken babies in the hope i can help them. So accidents also happen in the nest it is not always the fault of the owner.

I think a section on handicap birds is a wonderful idea. I also have looked after a blind Galah. He has passed on now. I do have a tiel that has a curved spine. One i actually bred many years ago. Every year when the Alex's breed I stoke up my incubator for my friends eggs, raise his chicks from hatch because as each baby hatches the hen will kill it. We have no idea why. But if i don't help out that is 8 dead babies every year.

Pedro said:

Rio Mom said:

Mayden said:

How did Pepper end up with one wing shorter?

I'm getting so excited to learn about them all and to think about how I can maybe help with suggestions!

Click to expand...

I don't know how her wing ended up that way. It ended up underdeveloped for some reason. She had a rough life before coming to the rescue.

Click to expand...

A lot of problems happen while the chick is still in the nest & usually happen not long after hatch. With Peppers wing i could explain that it could have happened in the nest due to rough handling by the parent birds. The other thought is to horrible to mention.

Newly hatched chicks although having a strong will to live do get hurt normally by the parents or older siblings & tender little toes & wing tips are easily lost. That is usually the reason why some babies have missing toes when purchased. My BFA has 2 toes missing. I was imformed of this when i purchased the birds.

I see a lot of damaged babies, once or twice with my own birds but mostly from other breeders that know i can raise a chick from hatch, they bring their broken babies in the hope i can help them. So accidents also happen in the nest it is not always the fault of the owner.

I think a section on handicap birds is a wonderful idea. I also have looked after a blind Galah. He has passed on now. I do have a tiel that has a curved spine. One i actually bred many years ago. Every year when the Alex's breed I stoke up my incubator for my friends eggs, raise his chicks from hatch because as each baby hatches the hen will kill it. We have no idea why. But if i don't help out that is 8 dead babies every year.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the information Pedro! Pepper's previous owners got her from a breeder when she was around a year old. She was a baby that hadn't sold when younger. Those people have a pit bull rescue. Pepper spent her days flying around in fear from jumping/snapping dogs. She flew into walls and windows, hence the small fractures in her beak. Eventually, the owners realized they weren't the best situation for her, and gave her up to the rescue. She has been with the rescue for three years, becoming self-confident, learning she doesn't have to flap around crazily, nobody is going to hurt her, etc.

Rio Mom's, it's pity Peppers previous owner didn't do something sooner. Poor girl.

Now she is in a better place thanks to you. I really do live a sheltered life where I live.

Mare Miller said:

hi roxynoodle, this is the first I've heard of Merlin being blind. Did you know this before she came to you? Sounds like you're the perfect person for her.

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No, I had no idea. I'm sure her previous owners didn't either. They did tell me she seemed to have more trouble seeing in the dark than other birds and might need a night light, at least at first.

But, when I took her to the vet, they saw it right away. But, never having had a Grey before I guess I wasn't certain what their eyes looked like. Now that I know I can see the cataracts.

It was funny how she wouldn't come out of the carrier at the vet's though until I put my arm there for her. So she knew me enough already to trust me. I had no problems getting her out when I first brought her home either. So that hour long car ride talking to her did the trick for her getting to know me. I did also talk to her on the phone before her flight as well so she recognized my voice when she got to my end.

I do have 2 half blind horses and have had a fully blind horse. So that probably helped me to accomodate her.

Pedro said:

Rio Mom's, it's pity Peppers previous owner didn't do something sooner. Poor girl.

Now she is in a better place thanks to you. I really do live a sheltered life where I live.

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It is sad, poor girl lived for at least 6 years in that environment.

You guys make me feel so lucky that Alex is whole and never been hurt or in a situation like that. Your fids are very lucky to have you!