• Welcome to Avian Avenue! To view our forum with less advertisments please register with us.
    Memberships are free and it will just take a moment. Click here

Food-time injury: freak accident or cause for concern?

Status
Not open for further replies.

RandomWiktor

Walking the driveway
Avenue Veteran
Joined
11/21/09
Messages
230
Location
Alabama
Real Name
Ren
I have a cockatiel and budgie who live together. Normally I'm not huge on mixing species, but they came to me together and are very bonded. The budgie is completely blind and relies somewhat on the cockatiel to navigate the cage.

The two mostly get along well, but because the blind bird startles easily she can be a tad nippy. It's never serious... well, normally! While I was away for the weekend, my pet sitter told me that they got in a fight at the food bowl (there should be two bowls, which I explained, but the sitter put all of the food in on, grrr) and the tiel's eye was injured.

I got back and it was very clear that Ti had chomped Ngala's eye something fierce. Thankfully the eye itself is undamaged; however, the skin around her eye is very bruised and swollen with some minor punctures. I have kept it very clean and the swelling has gone down significantly.

My question, however, is this: should I chalk this up to a freak accident due to a problem with how they were fed, or is this cause for concern? I'd like to think that Ti, being blind, just struck out and grabbed whatever was closest when they fought, not that she deliberately went for the eyes. They seem to be getting along fine, but this situation could have been SO much worse had the actual eye been damaged.

Input? I'm not accustomed to having cage mate issues.

Hope this is the right place for this post, btw.
 

Billie Faye

Biking along the boulevard
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
10/16/09
Messages
7,076
Location
NC
Real Name
Billie Faye
Ren, it could have been a freak issue....Also having a NEW voice and not understanding that, the bird will be more on alert!
If the Budgie is NOT use to the Teil eating at its bowl of food and knowing there is a new voice happening will strike out of fear...
I'm glad the issue wasn't worse (I had a Love bird loose an eye to a Amazon when it flew into the Amazon cage!)
The bird sitter needs to understand the importance of following your feeding instructions....:hug8:
 

Thugluvgrl187

Joyriding the Neighborhood
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
10/16/09
Messages
20,484
Location
Sunny Fl
Real Name
Miriam
I would keep an eye on them.
 

Chicklette

Rollerblading along the road
Joined
11/24/09
Messages
3,594
Location
Canada Ontario
Real Name
Courtney
My question, however, is this: should I chalk this up to a freak accident due to a problem with how they were fed, or is this cause for concern? I'd like to think that Ti, being blind, just struck out and grabbed whatever was closest when they fought, not that she deliberately went for the eyes. They seem to be getting along fine, but this situation could have been SO much worse had the actual eye been damaged.

Input? I'm not accustomed to having cage mate issues.

Hope this is the right place for this post, btw.

Personally I would not mix species. But that is just me. I don’t think they should be mixed. Especially if one is much bigger then the other.

I got back and it was very clear that Ti had chomped Ngala's eye something fierce. Thankfully the eye itself is undamaged; however, the skin around her eye is very bruised and swollen with some minor punctures. I have kept it very clean and the swelling has gone down significantly.

If this happened I would separate them for sure. If you are 100% sure they got in a fight like that I don’t think they should not be caged together. It’s too bad that happened, sorry you are going threw this.
 

RandomWiktor

Walking the driveway
Avenue Veteran
Joined
11/21/09
Messages
230
Location
Alabama
Real Name
Ren
I am not a proponent of mixing species either; these two came together as a bonded duo from their previous owner. My concern about seperating them is that they have lived together their whole lives; the blind budgie relies on following the cockatiel to help navigate the cage, and the cockatiel is 13 and might respond badly to being suddenly seperated from her companion. She has lived with birds her whole life, other cockatiels when she was younger and the budgie for the last three or four years, according to her previous owner. Ironically the bigger bird was harmed by the smaller blind bird.

I am going to keep a very close eye on the situation to evaluate it and see if they need to be split up. I think it was most likely related to the sitter screwing up their normal routine and forcing them to feed from the same bowl as they've never had issues before. I doubt Tiresias is capable of specifically attacking another bird's eye being blind but simply stuck what was closest; had this nip been on the wing I'd expect a couple missing feathers at worst.

But it does concern me, especially since Ngala could have really harmed Tiresias if she opted to retaliate. I am home a lot over the next week due to break and plan to watch them like hawks then make a decision on the matter. And of course I would love to hear and consider additional input, as my mind isn't made up on how I want to deal with this.

*sigh*
 
Last edited:

Billie Faye

Biking along the boulevard
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
10/16/09
Messages
7,076
Location
NC
Real Name
Billie Faye
How long were they together BEFORE you got them?
Also, possible for you to get a voice recording of your sitter's voice to play at some point during each day if she is going to be feeding them in the future? I also think this would help the blind bird get use to the voice...and for her to using phrases that she would use when there...Just and idea....:hug8:
 

BraveheartDogs

Cruising the avenue
Mayor of the Avenue
Joined
10/16/09
Messages
11,119
Location
San Francisco Bay Area
Real Name
Vicki
I am not a proponent of mixing species either; these two came together as a bonded duo from their previous owner. My concern about seperating them is that they have lived together their whole lives; the blind budgie relies on following the cockatiel to help navigate the cage, and the cockatiel is 13 and might respond badly to being suddenly seperated from her companion. She has lived with birds her whole life, other cockatiels when she was younger and the budgie for the last three or four years, according to her previous owner. Ironically the bigger bird was harmed by the smaller blind bird.

I am going to keep a very close eye on the situation to evaluate it and see if they need to be split up. I think it was most likely related to the sitter screwing up their normal routine and forcing them to feed from the same bowl as they've never had issues before. I doubt Tiresias is capable of specifically attacking another bird's eye being blind but simply stuck what was closest; had this nip been on the wing I'd expect a couple missing feathers at worst.

But it does concern me, especially since Ngala could have really harmed Tiresias if she opted to retaliate. I am home a lot over the next week due to break and plan to watch them like hawks then make a decision on the matter. And of course I would love to hear and consider additional input, as my mind isn't made up on how I want to deal with this.

*sigh*
You could also put them in separate cages side by side and continue to allow them a lot of outside cage time together and supervise it. I would be concerned because it could be a freak accident but their relationship could also be changing and you dont' want one bird to be fearful or injured and not able to feel safe...
 

JLcribber

@cockatoojohn
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Shutterbugs' Best
Avenue Concierge
Joined
10/16/09
Messages
22,620
Location
Alberta, Canada
Real Name
John

The bird sitter needs to understand the importance of following your feeding instructions....:hug8:
To the letter!!! That's why the instructions are given.
 

RandomWiktor

Walking the driveway
Avenue Veteran
Joined
11/21/09
Messages
230
Location
Alabama
Real Name
Ren
They were together 3-4 years; I've only had them a few months.

That is another possibilty, Vicki. They seem to be OK now and are interacting normally, but it's certainly a valid concern that their dynamic could be changing. I certainly have a lot to consider in deciding what to do about this situation.
 

Thugluvgrl187

Joyriding the Neighborhood
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
10/16/09
Messages
20,484
Location
Sunny Fl
Real Name
Miriam
If you separate them they might get depressed since they have been together for so long.
 

RandomWiktor

Walking the driveway
Avenue Veteran
Joined
11/21/09
Messages
230
Location
Alabama
Real Name
Ren
Precisely one of my concerns. Ngala is 13; I don't imagine a very old bird would do well depressed. And Tiresias, as I've mentioned, uses her to help navigate the cage. A lot to consider :(
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top