Suggestions needed for handicapped birds in cages

[Mythreeiggys]

My 2 new little ones are both handicapped and after putting them both in their cages (which is hopefully temp.), I need to make some changes. Mimi (YCA) has a little bit of her foot but they are mostly nubs. For her I noticed she needs a flat surface to walk on so I'm going to be cutting some 2x4's and 1x2's today for her. She really loves her pecan perch that she sleeps on so I think I'll keep that in there. She seems to have a harder time climbing down to her food bowl so I may make steps for her or a ladder made out of 1x2's.

Sophie - she is going to the vet Wednesday because I believe their may be more problems then just having mangled toes. Her legs don't look right to me at all and she's always squatting on her perch. She's ok on round perches though I know she likes to take her nuts over and eat on the flat perch. She seems to have the same problem as Mimi with not being able to climb very well. But again, I think it's more in her legs then her feet which hopefully we can fix.

Anyone have any suggestions or pictures of how you've made your handicapped bird more comfy and easier to climb around in their cage?

 

[Danita]

This is my little tiel (RIP) Jamie's set up. I liked the tea towels because it gave him a bit of traction, if it was too slippy he would fall.
If you would like to see his food dish, I modified it so he could climb up onto it, sort of like he was perching.
His little rest area was a little higher so he felt like he was perching

 

[DQTimnehs]

This is my little tiel (RIP) Jamie's set up. I liked the tea towels because it gave him a bit of traction, if it was too slippy he would fall.
If you would like to see his food dish, I modified it so he could climb up onto it, sort of like he was perching.
His little rest area was a little higher so he felt like he was perching

Aww, that's so cute! It looks more like a little apartment than a cage!

 

[Ziggymon]

I don't have any birds with feet/leg handicaps, but I think a little trianular *hammock*, made from fleece or some other material and stretched across a corner of the cage might also feel good.

I have Ziggy's cage padded out with a foam mattress topper, covered with fleece,in case he falls again. I put newspaper over the fleece on the side of his cage where he poops. He doesn't poop on the other side. I keep one of those baby playing mats on that side, and he likes to nap there or just hang out when he feels like chilling.

 

[DQTimnehs]

I don't have any birds with feet/leg handicaps, but I think a little trianular *hammock*, made from fleece or some other material and stretched across a corner of the cage might also feel good.

I have Ziggy's cage padded out with a foam mattress topper, covered with fleece,in case he falls again. I put newspaper over the fleece on the side of his cage where he poops. He doesn't poop on the other side. I keep one of those baby playing mats on that side, and he likes to nap there or just hang out when he feels like chilling.

Ok, that one looks like a crib!

 

[Ziggymon]

Ok, that one looks like a crib!

It does, doesn't it?! Ziggy has always liked musical toys, so he has a rotation of baby/toddler toys. That caterpillar is his all time favorite (it plays 24 different songs). That's his second one, and I have two more in reserve for when that one dies. He also has his bedtime toys, which play soothing lullabies with little light shows.


He really likes the bottom of his cage, and likes to take naps on his playmat - between the mat itself and the layers of fleece and foam mattress topper underneath it, it's quite snuggly and soft.

 

[Birdy_in_VT]

We've done something similar to Ziggymon except for some of the toys. I'm going to show my wife what you've done and she'll be all over that. We modified the cage so when he hangs and falls, it's not so high that he'll hurt himself. But we found fleece to be the best as he is severely handicapped with two leg issues.

We also use stainless steel cat bowls that fit in the rings from the cage that I modified to attach to the side of the cage. We were concerned about him falling into a larger bowl. Seems to work fine for him.

 

[Sadieladie1994]

Birds with bad feet use the bars of the cage more so you need to leave good pathways on the bars. I make mini pillow cases out of fleece for some flat perches as it helps pad the foot and prevents pressure points.

 

[Merlie]

My blue Quaker, Gumpie <Forest Gump>, has no toes at all on one foot, and only two toes on the other. When I first brought him home, I had all kinds of "special" arrangements in his cage to help him get around.

Well, he surprised me .. because he truly didn't seem to need any of it. He gets around just as well as his buddy Ivy, you wouldn't even know he's got a handicap .. and for sure he doesn't know it!!

I also thought he'd have problem picking up and holding food, so I used to always chop everything superfine .. turned out he didn't like his food like that and would raid Ivy's bowl for the bigger chunks .. he holds stuff just fine too.

Gumpie is fully flighted, and always has been, so maybe that helps. He does have two platform perches in his cage ... but most of my birds have at least one or two platforms .. he doesn't have them because of his handicap, I just find that all of my birds utilized flat perches.

Now, Gumpie has nothing wrong with his legs .. just missing toes .. so maybe that's why he doesn't have problems getting around. If your newbies are just missing toes, you may find that once they get used to their surroundings, and their health improves, you may not need anything special at all.

 

[Merlie]

I just wanted to add ..

If you're looking for specialty hammocks/huts .. etc. for a special needs bird or .. any bird for that matter .. look at Jen's Custom Crafts. I love her stuff and she's made a lot of stuff for me .. huts .. hammocks .. tunnels .., she'll customize sizes too!

Jens Custom Crafts LLC - Home

 

[Birdasaurus]

I started Pi (only one leg, and the foot is deformed) off with a thick rope perch and then the rest platform perches, and also padded the bottom grate. He really likes the platforms, and used a ladder (and loved it) to climb because he can't climb up the side bars. I also left him fully flighted despite my fear that he'd never be able to land properly. Well, he learned how to land just fine...actually he's my BEST! Now he's in a full double flight with his same basic accomodations: a few platforms, a few ropes, ladders, and a padded bottom and he still uses that stuff but I also see him perching on the "normal" bird perches as well.

 

[MommyBird]

I have been looking at the critter nation cages (1/2 inch bar space) but the ferret nation cages have 1 inch bar spacing.
I've been thinking of converting the 2 unit into a single but I would bet you could use one unit for each handicapped bird. They come already with padded ramps and platforms and you can buy accessories like padded floors and such. With the large doors you could even easily do a walkway over to a tabletop play area outside the cage.
Critter Nation

 

[Sunnyside]

I just wanted to add ..

If you're looking for specialty hammocks/huts .. etc. for a special needs bird or .. any bird for that matter .. look at Jen's Custom Crafts. I love her stuff and she's made a lot of stuff for me .. huts .. hammocks .. tunnels .., she'll customize sizes too!

Jens Custom Crafts LLC - Home

Danielle, look into this. When Mimi was here I first had her in that awful octagon, plexi glass cage. Then I moved her to one of the stack cages I got from you. What I noticed with her is that in the plexi cage she loved the close bar spacing, it made it easier to get around quicker. In the second cage (yours) she like that it was more horizontal but the bar spacing was difficult for her, too wide. I put a cozy tent in there for her and she did try to get in it at bed time but it just wasn't hanging right and she couldn't get in. The next day I arranged the tent so she had better access and that night at bedtime she did get in but in the morning she was back on her flat perch. I would definitely try a tent on her and when you make her platforms, make them thick because that is what she uses as her toy. She loves to chew on her perches and she will go through them fast if they are too thin. I also sanded all of her flat perches that I made, her feet are overly sensitive and if the board is a little rough she will avoid it at all cost.

I hope she is doing good and you also

 

[Daisy's Mom]

This is a picture of Mikey's cage when I first brought him home... His cage was in transitional stage at the time so pardon its appearance.. Claudia at ChopperToys parrot toys by Choppers Toys. designed for the way your parrots play. safe parrot toys, foraging parrot toys, bird toy parts, natural parrot foods, bird gyms, perches made me a specialty flat perch for us that extended across the cage.. I wrap a piece of sherpa fur over it so its soft for his little nub which I get at a local fabric store or you could also use a piece of fleece. Not shown in the picture but I have a larger rope perch in the back of his cage.. I used to have a cockatiel sized one but I noticed that he wobbled a bit so I got a amazon size one and he loves it.. Alot of times its just going to be trial and error to see what works for your little one..