African Grey parrot- no toes.

[GCC_Quijote]

Hello,

My husband and I were discussing getting another bird in a few years and realized we both love african greys. So, we thought we'd call the breeder we got our conure from to ask him what sorts of things we'd need to have prepared before going forward with something like that. He's the only person we really know, and he was a great help with the conure.

We chatted about how things with the conure were going, and then I brought up the subject of african grey parrots.

He was glad we called. He said he had a baby congo african grey he believed was a male (no dna yet) whose mother bit the toes off of both of his feet after he hatched.
When we went to see him, I looked at his feet and was surprised at the amount of damage. They are not stubs, but I worry he won't be able to grip a perch, or climb, or maybe even hold his food.

Our breeder said that all his clutch mates already had deposits put on them, and that he'd give us a greatly discounted rate (he cut the price nearly in half) for Picasso. While we were there we put a deposit down on him.


We have 3-4 weeks before he'll be ready to come home. That's 3-4 weeks to plan and prepare.

So...what kind of cage do I get for an african grey with no toes? How do I set it up? What toys should he have?

 

[gibsongrrrl]

My old boss has a grey with no toes and only one partial foot (the other is a peg leg, basically) and what they did was allow her to learn how to fly so she can get around in her cage that way. She has a 3ft by 4ft cage and flies from side to side or up and down. She also climbs as well as any other bird and can hold food on her stub, even. I think she just adjusted beautifully, being that way as a baby. They made a very cool tray that goes on top of the bottom grate for her to be able to land and actually use the bottom. I am still at work, but will post pics of her setup for you today or tomorrow.

 

[dmiller91]

my girl got frostbite from a winter escape. Please love a bird with no toes! Mine has an atom that hangs from the ceiling. I put a towel in it and she sleeps in there... she can't perch all night. But she can perch on some objects..... it's a trial and error kind of thing. We have some flat perches too. I'm still working on the right cage.... I've modified two, one was a dog cage, and she did NOT like it. The next one is a normal cage with a platform in it, part way up. She's not sure she likes that either.

 

[MommyBird]

I'd recommend the ferret nation (1" bar spacing) or critter nation (1/2" bar spacing) cages. They are wide and not tall, although you can stack them opened up to make tall. They have great large doors, come with some ramps and platforms you'd modify for him by covering.
I would also recommend leaving him flighted and safetyproofing your house for a flighted bird and adding several modified landing spots.
Foot toys wouldn't work so well, although my amazon loves to stand on big pieces of wood and chew them.
Check out the hanging toys, skewers, platforms and sleeping huts from the many vendors here, there's a list in the marketplace stickies.

 

[Bartleby]

I'd also recommend searching for modifications people have done for birds with arthritic feet, you're in a similar situation modification-wise. One thing is to have a few flat fleece covered perches. Your Grey will have unsual pressure points on his/her nubbins and perching on hard surfaces extensively may lead to some skin lesions. You'll definitely want enough soft spots to relieve some of the pressure. @Fuzzy has an older Zon and has made some wonderful cage modifications that may be helpful for your new baby.

BTW:congratsbig: and we demand lots and lots of pictures!

 

[Monica]

I know of a couple of greys that have stubs.... a double macaw cage... full flight... and lots of room!


.Pip.'s albums on Flickr

flipflopip - YouTube

 

[zoo mom]

Congratulations and good luck. Read up on the threads in this forum. There are lots of ideas there.

 

[Birdbabe]

Thank you for helping him.

 

[GCC_Quijote]

I never knew we would be such bird people, but we're hooked. Loving them is the easiest thing in the world. I just want to do all I can to care for them properly.

This little guy had us as soon as we saw him.

 

[SueA555]

Birds with disabilities are great at adapting. I had a Pionus with a non-functioning foot and she got around really well. I'm glad you are adopting him.

 

[ncGreyBirdLady]

There is something very special about "Special abled" birds I have 2 Congo greys with their heads on upside downhttp://forums.avianavenue.com/celeb...is-story-very-special-congo-african-grey.html and Gigglebutt And a very special little Myers with NO Toes-Knuckles- I have newer pics as I add to Knuckles cage.As long as the perch/rope/edge of food/water bowl is wide enough he can stand on them.He uses the rope to climb using his beak.There is not a place in his cage that he cannot get to if he wanted to
This is the kind of food and water dish that I use for Knuckles,the rim is wide enough for him to stand onhttp://Jungle Talk Crock-Lock Tropical Parrot Feeding Bowl - Large I hope this helps some I can post more pics if You want

 

[GCC_Quijote]

Here are the pictures we took when we went to see him. It'll be a few weeks before he's big enough to come home.

 

[iamwhoiam]

Congratulations on your Congo and wishing you the best. Don't have any toeless birds but do have a handicapped sparrow and, in addition to platforms and flat perches, I would recommend padding the bottom of the cage. I prefer using layers of paper towels.

 

[Birdy_in_VT]

Congratulations! Thank you for taking in this baby, he/she will change how you look at things.

I would suggest you start by keeping the cage floor raised so the baby can try things but not have so far to fall. We had a grey that couldn't and thought we were doing him a favor by padding the bottom but in the end it compromised his lung development because he laid on his chest. After he figures things out, start giving more vertical space.

It really becomes a work in progress and you'll figure things out as you go.

Very happy for you!

 

[RoxieW]

It might help to put towel on top of bottom grate in cage then paper on top of that so if he falls it will be padded.
Congrats! He is such a cutie !

 

[GCC_Quijote]

An update!

Our no-toes baby is doing exceptionally well.

He prefers normal perches, and will simply use his wings to hover until he gets his balance.

He climbs, flies, and walks with no problems.

Just about the only thing he's missing out on is the ability to hang upside down, and the ability to hold his own food, but he doesn't seem to mind.

I am so happy we decided to bring him home.

I was worried, but it was unnecessary. He's a happy, adventurous, precocious little guy and I couldn't be more excited to watch him grow.

 

[RoxieW]

I'm glad he is doing so well

 

[expressmailtome]

That is good to hear!

Matt

 

[parrotluv]

Glad he is adapting well.