Any experience with damaged foot/leg?

[KimW]

We adopted 4 zebra finches with cage on Monday from someone in our area who could not keep them. Currently quarantined from our other birds (lovebird, eclectus and macaw) and will probably always stay in a separate room. Previous owner didn't give any information, but did say they are about a year old. Two male, two female. Anyways, noticed one of the females cannot use her talons - cannot open & close, or clench/grip to perch. She is able to perch using her other foot and her "ankle" of the damaged foot, with the talons sort of folded over onto the side of her foot. I'm thinking maybe injured as a baby? Seems to get along fine; can fly, eating and drinking, and apparently bonded with one of the boys - they sleep side by side. Just wondering if anyone else has had a similar situation.

[Sally]

I've had birds with injured toes/feet/legs. They seem to adapt quite well. As long as she can reach food and water, and can perch OK, she will probably be fine. If she has problems, you can always put food and water on the floor of the cage.

Welcome to the forum! There's lots of good reading at www.finchinfo.com, where you will find many articles on finch care. If you pui your general location in your profile, it makes it easier to answer locale-specific questions later on.

[lnlovesorange]

KimW There's lots of us here with injured/special needs birds cuz we are all nuts and want to save them all... (I'm of COURSE only speaking for myself.....:crickets:....) I have a gouldian finch that had an accident when he was a new fledge, he got stuck in the cage bars and couldn't get his foot loose all night so the breeder when she found him in the morning did all she could and cut his foot off... he gets around GREAT now. I mean he lands ok, and perches fine.... They are VERY adaptable creatures they never cease to amaze me. There are other members that have birds with foot problems they are actually more common that we think... I think... But it seems like she is doing just fine, did you have any specific questions about her future? Cuz it seems like now she's found a great home with you, and she's managing perching and has a mate... I'd say that little girl will be just fine! Welcome to the forum!!!

[KimW]

Thank you. I suspected this was the case and she'd do just fine. They are just so very tiny compared to our other birds, even the lovebird. I've been reading a bit in the health forum - I find it amazing that vets can treat something so small. We are lucky to have a good avian vet, so covered there if/when needed.

[Sojourner]

KimW

And all those other birds seem so BIG compared to my finches, LOL!

I used to keep cockatiels but that's as big as I've ever tried to go. I don't like the big birds because I'm more than half afraid of them - big scary beaks! Plus - and this is going to sound SOOO wrong - they live too long. Your average parrot is likely to outlive me by decades at this point.

The other issue I have - and this is why I won't keep cockatiels anymore - is that bigger birds need so much more flight space. I simply cannot provide that. I just will not have birds flying around the house loose. I know other people feel differently about that, but I can't manage all the extra cleaning and safety issues that come along with it, and if I don't let them have the run of the house, then its simply too cruel to try to keep them. I don't get the whole wing-clipping thing, either. Sure, it makes it easier to catch them and harder for them to "get away" - but what is the point of giving them the run of the house if they're not going to be able to appropriately exercise their wings anyway?

Oh well. I think it is much like pottery - there are folks who like to work with slabs, and folks who like to throw on the wheel. You hardly ever find someone who loves both. Seems similar with big bird vs small bird people - most tend to be one or the other, and I am definitely a small bird person, LOL!

I like parrots just fine - as long as they are YOUR parrots, LOL!