Housing For A Bird With A Bad Leg

[Rispa]

I saw a Java with a really bad leg at Adventure's In Birds today. It couldn't even use it's foot. It couldn't get a share of food from the dish, so it ate from the bottom with the doves and quails. I feel bad for him, but want to know how to set up a proper cage for him before I go out and get him. I know on one of these threads someone had old and injured birds in a cage that included a box for them to sit in. Would I have to make a box like that or could I find one like it somewhere? Would a platform in the cage help?

[finchmix22]

I have three injured finches, who all get around with some effort and accommodations in their cage. I use the step ladders, for parakeets etc. to give them another way to get up and down the cage for perching and to get to food. I put the food on a Dixie paper plate, so they can get to it without needing to perch on a narrow base. One of my disabled finches has a bad wing and she loves the ladder. Another finch who I rescued is totally missing one leg and she perches on the ladder, resting her breast against two bars. So, they can do well with adapting their cage based on their injury.

[Sally]

You have a kind heart--many wouldn't want to take on this bird. Besides what Deborah has said already, I would remove any grate from the bottom of the cage--trying to balance on a grate is difficult for a handicapped bird. Some type of platform can help too. But you'd be surprised how well some of them adapt and manage to perch. I had a BCCB hen that lost a leg when young--she would lean on her sister for support, and her sister was always with her. One thing to keep in mind, sometimes the handicapped birds have a shorter life span than normal--at least that has been the case with mine.

[Rispa]

Thank you for all the advice. I'm going to try to set up a cage tomorrow if I have time. We cut back some bushes and I got some nice perches that I'll use. They have some nice off shoots, so I think he'll be able to lean on them while perching. I'll have to go find a nice ladder that's sized for smaller birds. I'm not going to get him until the cage is set up. Are Javas more prone to leg problems? Two out of three finches I've seen with leg problems were Javas.