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I need help please

Hope

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I was asked to take a 4 year old rescue. I was told his leg was deformed and he had limited use of it. He also had a plucking problem "because he wanted to mate." Sigh... He is a CAG (a bit small). He's been in a cage (18x18) for who knows how long with nothing in it to do. He was on a "Walmart seed diet." I've had him 24 hours and I've already enhanced his diet. I'm doing this slowly but he loves his new food. He is enjoying his new toys. I'm obviously getting him vet care (I've already spoken with them)....but he is active, vocal and will even let me scratch his head. His leg is deformed and I've yet to see him perch. He sits in his food bowl. He can climb very well and even hangs upside down to play with his new toys quite well. He is clumsy but I bet some of that is being in such a tiny space. I don't believe his leg is a birth defect. I think he injured himself and never got vet treatment. His feet look good. Both wings are unclipped and beautiful. He has new feathers coming in so the damage isn't permanent and I have a feeling with a proper diet, cage, toys and attention that he will quit plucking. I need to get him a cage ASAP. I need some opinions on this. I want to rush out and buy the biggest cage but that may not be what he needs. I'm thinking something not super tall since he could fall and with some horizontal bars for climbing. After being in a tiny space for so long, I don't want to overwhelm him. Definitely platform perches. I want to get all this by this weekend but I would like some cage advice from people with experience with CAGs and birds with disabilities. I have plenty of experience with larger parrot rescue. I used to rescue and foster cockatoos. This would be my first time with a disabled African grey, though. The photo shows his leg and plucking. Such a beautiful parrot and his life will be so much better now. IMG_2721.JPG
 
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WendyN

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I would spend time observing him before committing to buying a new cage. The info to gather will help you make a good decision on the kind of cage to get.
People on the forum can share their set ups and suggestions on the style or type of cage that would be best for your bird.
 

Hankmacaw

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Thank you for taking this guy in. He needed a new home a lot.
 

iamwhoiam

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Thank you for rescuing him. Does he have a name?
 

sunnysmom

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Thanks for helping him!
 

nu2birds

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If you can wait just a few days to assess I'll bet some members on the forum can give their advice and in the mean time you can be researching cages online or go looking in person. Thanks for stepping up and giving a special needs bird a loving home.
 

greys4u

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:thankyou:
 

Chopper

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Thank you for taking him in.
 

Tyrion

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Thanks for taking this lil guy in ..do you think you can explain his leg issue better or get a better picture ...Its hard to tell what is going on there with the pic you have posted ...does he climb around the cage allot ...how does he climb ...normal or different ...how is he out of cage ...if he perches on your hand or arm how does it feel ..normal or loose ...how does he walk on the ground....have you felt around the leg to see if it feels different from the other like it could have been broken at one point ....is it only on his neck that he is plucking ...what are you feeding him ....how are you enhancing his food ...can he perch on anything other then his food dishes ..these are just a few questions I would be asking myself if he was mine before I looked into new cages ...I hope things go well with him he sure is a cutie :)
 

Hope

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Tyrion, I will attempt to answer your questions. :) He has definite weakness in it. He has used it briefly once to hold food but mostly eats with his beak. He also plays with toys with his beak. He climbs using both feet but the majority of the work is done with his good leg. It's a clumsy climb. He is scared to be held so we are slowly going to work on that. I haven't felt his leg. I'm lucky he allows me to rub his head. I haven't seen him perch at all on anything. He sits in his bowl, hangs out on the bottom or climbs. He has fallen out of his bowl at night while asleep so I need to get him a cage and platform perches asap. The cage he is in now is too small for platform perches that would be large enough for him. I think his leg has been broken. His plucking is only on his neck area. We are fortunate enough to live within an hour of a large parrot supply store. They sell any kind of parrot food/mix/bread , etc... I have started adding Roudybush, a healthier seed/nut mix and fresh vegetables/fruit to his diet. I am doing this slowly to not upset his stomach. I hope I've answered everything. I haven't had him long. He does have a very large, colorful vocabulary. I was told his name was "Moe" but he doesn't acknowledge it so we may change it. We aren't sure of his sex, but I'm not interested in DNA testing and I'm obviously never going to breed him. I just want him happy and well taken care of. He deserves it.
 
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iamwhoiam

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I think I remember reading about someone using a Critter Nation or maybe it was a Ferret Nation cage (double) for a Grey with special needs/foot issues. They both come single and double level. The Critter Nation has 1/2" bar spacing & the Ferret Nation 1". Not sure about the bar gauge, might be too small for a Grey.
Critter Nation
Ferret Nation
Amazon and Wayfair sell them and probably Petsmart and Petco, too, as well as other pet supply vendors.
 

MommyBird

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I think I remember reading about someone using a Critter Nation or maybe it was a Ferret Nation cage (double) for a Grey with special needs/foot issues. They both come single and double level. The Critter Nation has 1/2" bar spacing & the Ferret Nation 1". Not sure about the bar gauge, might be too small for a Grey.
Critter Nation
Ferret Nation
Amazon and Wayfair sell them and probably Petsmart and Petco, too, as well as other pet supply vendors.
I got a critter nation for a BFA with leg and feet issues and was falling in the cage a lot so I wanted a large but short cage.
The 1/2 inch spacing was difficult to grab, too close together- interference.
The ferret nation is all vertical bars, didn't think that would be so great for climbing.
It's OK, saving the cage for distant-future small bird additions.
 

iamwhoiam

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It's not easy to find a cage with all horizontal bars. I was looking for something like that for Scully and also wanted a cage with the width greater than the height. I found one but felt the bar gauge was too thin and the depth was too small. There was a larger one that was similar that an AA member had purchased but when I called the vendor he wanted $300 for shipping which is crazy. The other member got a good deal and was lucky because the vendor decided to start charging more for shipping.

The vertical bars (Ferret Nation) aren't the best for climbing with some birds but with platforms, perches and ladders it might be OK. @MommyBird Did you wind up getting a different cage for your BFA?

 

Hope

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I know some larger cages have horizontal bars on the back or sides and vertical in the front. That would work with plenty of platform perches.
 

iamwhoiam

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Figure out what size cage you want for him. If vertical and horizontal combination is good for you check out the Avian Adventures cages such as the Mediana. The next size up is the Grande.
 

MommyBird

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] Did you wind up getting a different cage for your BFA?
no, there are many things about the existing cage that work well for her such as a flat playtop and one of those doors that opens flat like a balcony.
I'm working on exercizing her feet and legs and vet prescribed some opt-omega oil. No bad falls lately except if something pops up in view suddenly and scares her.
 

Hope

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An update after having him a few days: His plucking is his neck/upper chest area which is stressing me out and I will be watching closely. I hope we can fix this before it becomes a habit, if it's not already. :( He has developed watery stools. I expected this with the diet change. He still has a huge appetite and is drinking plenty of water. He and I will need to work on his biting/trust issues. This is to be expected and I will be very patient. His leg is unstable. We can work around that with platform perches. He has a very colorful vocabulary. He is good at saying cuss words followed directly by "praise the lord." He's definitely a character. :)
 

Rolanda

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OMG!!! I shudder to think where he could have come from with THAT kind of conversation!:omg:
:anyone:
 

Milo

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If you can, I would have the leg x-rayed. If this is an old injury that was improperly healed it might be worth a corrective procedure down the road. He may also benefit from laser therapy as well. Do you have a vet visit scheduled for him yet?
 

Crow lover

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OMG!!! I shudder to think where he could have come from with THAT kind of conversation!:omg:
:anyone:
haha haha you made me laugh so hard ! I read an article a parrot rescue wrote... they said one thing in common all the rescued parrots said was "shut the heck* up"!
 
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