Cage modifications for a budgie who cant fly

[animallover9]

I recently received a budgie who can not fly one wing was broken and didn't heal properly and the other has cut and wounds to it making it so neither wing works. He is only 5 months old so maybe one day he will get better but we have no hopes of him ever being a good flier. I have modified the cage some so he can get to the top but he has issues if everything isn't connected he wont jump from perch to perch like the other birds. I haven't noticed him having issues gripping things but I have only had him a few days. I have a food and water bowl at the bottom of the bowl for him and then 4 water bowls and 4 food bowls including a seed bowl through out the cage since I have 5 budgie in my flight cage. He has already bonded with one of my other budgies and he feeds Lincoln (the special budgie) and preens him and looks after him. Any thing I should change and/or add to the cage to help him out? I plan on getting new perches and platforms at the sidewalk sale but till I receive them? Right now my cage looks kind of weird with ladders connecting perches to walls and other things but it works for now.

 

[iamwhoiam]

Multibranched perches might also be helpful. If you think he might fall then pad the bottom of the cage with layers of towels or paper towels. Make sure it's something that is not stringy and something that does not pill.

 

[WendyN]

How is Lincoln doing?

 

[animallover9]

Lincoln is doing very well he is getting braver and now is jumping from the branch that is closest to the food bowls to the bowls so I might be able to the bowls off the bottom of the cage soon. Once I know for sure he is getting all the food and water he needs.

Today I even saw him sitting with Lola who is my oldest kind of cranky girl so I am glad she is excepting him as part of her flock

 

[WendyN]

That is wonderful!

 

[Karija]

I had a fid with mobility issues and staggered platform perches really helped, but you're working on those. You might be able to rig up a platform by using a large piece of cardboard and some zip ties or something - one part of the cardboard you can attach to the side of the cage with screws/washers (same things you attach a perch with). Fold is down and have it be propped over an existing perch, snip a hole on either side of where it'd be over that perch, and slip the zip through those holes and around the perch, so it is secured. Budgies don't weight very much, so it should be able to support them just fine. Long narrow pieces of cardboard the size of your cage wall could be attached to either side of the cage and allow him a promenade to be able to hang out on as well.

Granted, that only works if your guys don't go after cardboard like crazy.

It's great if you can do this over the food/water dishes on the bottom, so they don't get pooped in - that is, if you don't have covered containers down there already.