Hey! I'm new here with a brand new *disabled* cockatiel.

[KGWatkins]

A couple of days ago, my aunt asked if I wanted to take in some birds that her brother in law couldn't keep anymore. I said sure, I could give them a better home than some, I'm not perfect, but I'm caring and I love all pets. When I got them, I noticed that it looked as though the parakeet was VERY well cared for, and well loved, in a huge cage with toys and perches and lots of different types of bowl and water bottles and stuff. And then there was a cockatiel that I felt instantly sorry for, but I didn't know why yet. His cage was large, yes, but completely barren. The only things in the cage was a food dish and water dish on the floor, the bird was clinging with his beak on the far side. When I got them home I started trying to even things out a little, I took a perch from the parakeet's cage and put in there and then I saw it. His legs were horribly splayed and one was pointed completely backward. He could not perch or walk well, he could climb, and cling to the bars while using his beak also, but he couldn't do much of anything else.

Today, and everyday for the far forseeable future I got him out of the cage and put him on a special birdy table I put together. It's a lap desk with legs that's low, I put it on my bed incase he falls off. I put some food and water in the two cup holders on the desk and spread toys around, just small little trinkets, tiny foot toys and paper, qtips and other things, anything I think he'll find interesting. I talk to him, stroke him, show him this toy or that and he ambles around on the little table throwing things off the sides and chewing things to peices. It's only been 3 days since I have had him, and only 1 since I started to interact with him, but I'm already head over heels for him.

For the time being I have clipped his wings and tail feathers, partly so that he doesn't drag them through poo, since he stays on the ground almost 24/7 and so that until he learns that I am not an enemy, I don't want him to fly away from me everytime I get him out because he can't land properly with his crippled feet, once he learns he SHOULDN'T fly away, I will give him back the option TO fly in case he ever needs it. He's always in the cage or extremely closely monitored by me at all times anyway.

[KGWatkins]

Closely monitored, by the way means, I am always either holding him, or sitting less than a FOOT away from him while he plays on the table, OR he's in the cage, I never ever leave him, EVER when he's out. When I got him, there was poo on all his tailfeathers and they were crumpled and rough looking, when he poos there is no space between his bum and the floor, since he can't stand up, his splayed legs mean he just leans over and kind of tries to poo behind himself, but when he straightens himself back up, his tail would land right on it.

[hollyhawkz]

Aww that poor baby! There are a couple other folks here with birds that have splayed legs, they may be able to help with a good cage set up. When you look at the top bar, it's red, you will see search, click on that and type in splayed legs. You will find their posts.

And welcome to BirdBoard!

[LovelySydney]

Hi & welcome! Sounds like you are doing great already with that baby, Im so happy he found a wonderful forever home with your. &, like hollyhawkz said, there are a few others on the board with birds who have splayed leg. I hope they offer you some advice on how you can help out your bird and ease the moving around process. Good luck and have fun looking around! = )

[CaptainGentleGiant]

What a lucky bird to have landed in your home. You have a kind heart! Keep us up on how he does. Maybe, you can help others in the future.

[sailorkelly]

Welcome to BB. I hope you enjoy the site

[KGWatkins]

This is Zephyr on his table with some of his trinkets, plus my hand. Notice his twisted and splayed little legs.

[KGWatkins]

I put a few more pics of him on an album, you can really see how the white feathers on his wings are stained from being on a dirty cage bottom all the time, I really pity this guy, it's like they found out he was disabled and just... LEFT him... I mean, yea, they fed him, but the bowls were dirty (I washed them WELL) and the papers he had to live on ALL day every day were filthy, no wonder the poor thing clung to the bars all the time, to get away from the filth. People who have no heart for the underdogs in life are terrible.
My mom's guilty of that too. I live with her, because she's got some terminal illnesses and I take care of the house for her. When my aunt called and told us there was a cockatiel and a parakeet, she says "Oh, you can put the parakeet in your room, the cockatiel can be my bird and live in the living room." I agreed, you know, one bird is better than none (;D). When we discovered that Zephyr was disabled she immediately detached herself from him, "well, you can go ahead and put him in your room too" She wants nothing to do with him now. She even joked to other people about putting him out of his misery (in not very nice ways!!!!!!!!) She's calmed down with that mean spirit though, now that she understands that he's actually capable of being alive, even if he can't perch or walk well, like our other, 18 year old cockatiel, Elvis.
I guess not everyone can deal with a pet with special needs, but luckily I can, and it just makes him even more precious to me. There are a billion cockatiels out there that can perch and whistle and hop around and fly, but there's only one little Zephyr, and he's mine, and I'll keep him until he dies, and I'll make sure he's as happy as I can possibly make him. He deserves that, after what some uncaring breeder did to him.