Blue Front

[U2~mommy]

Hello, I just got a Blue Front last week, she was 11 weeks old on Saturday. She was born with only 2 toe nails and the rest where little stubs. She also does not have her flight feathers on one side of her wing. The vet said that she was more than likeley to have had this in the egg. More like a bird defect. Anyways she can perch really well, she falls off sometimes. So I went and bought her a littler cage so when she falls it won't hurt her. I had a really nice big cage for her but I was so affriad, So I got her a 20x20. Till she grows alittle more and then I will get a bigger one. Has anyone ever heard of a BFA being like this? And what size perches should I get for her? Thank you

[Dayna]

If she is having trouble perching, I would get slightly fatter perches and place them lower to the ground.

Did your vet have any recomendations for perch size? I would think that not having two toenails would hamper a chick, but not a full grown adult, so this should not be a long term problem. My bluefront is was missing 1 toenail and now she has this strange shaped nail growing out.

[femalefeline80]

You can also use instead of cat litter is the pine stuff used for like hamsters. The light color kind. It works well. I been useing with mine is lots of shredded paper. It works very well for them.

[David S]

Originally Posted by femalefeline80

You can also use instead of cat litter is the pine stuff used for like hamsters. The light color kind. It works well. I been useing with mine is lots of shredded paper. It works very well for them.

I must disagree with the pine (or any other) shavings........it may contain mold spores and cause greater problems. You can take cardboard boxes... the kind that cases of soda come in and invert them to provide cushion on the bottom of the cage. Good luck

[Dot]

Originally Posted by U2~mommy

Hello, I just got a Blue Front last week, she was 11 weeks old on Saturday. She was born with only 2 toe nails and the rest where little stubs. She also does not have her flight feathers on one side of her wing. The vet said that she was more than likeley to have had this in the egg. More like a bird defect. Anyways she can perch really well, she falls off sometimes. So I went and bought her a littler cage so when she falls it won't hurt her. I had a really nice big cage for her but I was so affriad, So I got her a 20x20. Till she grows alittle more and then I will get a bigger one. Has anyone ever heard of a BFA being like this? And what size perches should I get for her? Thank you

I know of a macaw that had rickets and could not stand. Some friends built a walker for him. He used it and got enough strength to perch. Do you think something like this could help your BFA? I can put you in touch with the engineer who designed it and the wood craftsman who built it.

Dot

[The Outlaw]

You might also want to think in terms of little shelves to perch on as opposed to perches. It might be easier for him. Be sure to place something on the cage bottom. You might want to try placing some shirt boxes on the bottom and cover them with newspaper. It will act like a trampoline.

[Lori L]

Yeah I would not use cat little or any kind of pine shavings, corn cob/walnut shell. Carefresh might be ok but I'd look into it to make sure