Hoping for some suggestions. Yesterday suddenly my DF spangle which is the oldest chick in a nest of three seems to have trouble putting weight on one of it's legs and is constantly falling to the side. Seems to be also keeping it's head on a tilt. It's legs don't seem to be splayed but it does seems to have trouble using it's feet. It's two younger siblings seem fine, sitting up nicely on their feet no worries at all. They have calcium available in their water and of course mum and dad are on a great diet so I don't think it could possibly be ricketts.

 

It seems to me that the muscles on that side are a little less developed than the other side I have had it out of the nest and I can get it to sit up on it's feet properly but it very quickly looses strength on that side and falls over. An added worry it that because it is constantly leaning on that wing it's soft little wing bones are getting bent upwards a bit too At this stage I have been trying to do a little gentle budgie physio, encouraging him to use it a bit more as there doesn't seem to be any injury there at all.

Oh no. The poor little guy.

 

Sounds like you have been doing everything right - how is their protein intake??

 

The only thing i can think of is it's birth defect????

Edited August 1, 200816 yr by **Liv**
spelling

The wet food I give the parents is a mix of soaked seed, chicken crumbles, Vetafarm budgie starter and lentils so protien intake should be good.

 

It was fine on it's feet until two days ago when I first noticed that it seemed to be leaning on that side moreso.

Edited August 1, 200816 yr by melbournebudgies

Any pictures of it's feet/ legs?

 

could it possibly be a slack baby? i have a few that like to lie down alot to one side...

Unfortunately my phone (and therefore the camera too) have gone temporarily walkabout so no photos. He isn't just lying down, he's falling over so heavily he rolls onto his back half the time and then has trouble righting himself.

Does he have food in his crop?

And how do his poos look?

Edited August 1, 200816 yr by *libby*

Well fed and poos seem fine

Bent feathers at and near wingtip area is the early sign of a PBFD baby.........the severest form of feather issues. And you can have one in a nest so affected and others not.

Feathers aren't bent Kaz. The pressure of him constantly lying on his side is bending the still developing bones in his wing. Feathers are perfect

Feathers aren't bent Kaz. The pressure of him constantly lying on his side is bending the still developing bones in his wing. Feathers are perfect

I know what you mean but I havent described it well enough myself. I have seen it in the nest and how it develops later into PBFD. But a photo if you can of the baby would help a lot

Just looked up the early progression of French Moult. I highly doubt that is it but once I have my camera againa I'll post a picture

Just looked up the early progression of French Moult. I highly doubt that is it but once I have my camera againa I'll post a picture

I didnt mean french moult.

 

I meant this kind.....

 

 

Edited August 1, 200816 yr by KAZ

I feel the need to knit that bird a jumper

I feel the need to knit that bird a jumper

:D

All the info I found on PBFD and everything I found said "Budgie people commonly call it French Moult", it's just unusual that it reaches the most severe form in budgies. Either way it doesn't seem like it to me, as it is only affecting the part of the wing that he is leaning on constantly.

Is there a chance that there was an injury as a younger chick ?

Doubtful. He was good as gold until a couple of days ago. Now it seems as though he just doesn't have much strength in that side of his body. Unlikely in a baby budgie but my first thought was that he looked like he'd had a stroke.

Doubtful. He was good as gold until a couple of days ago. Now it seems as though he just doesn't have much strength in that side of his body. Unlikely in a baby budgie but my first thought was that he looked like he'd had a stroke.

Sounds very much like it, doesnt it

Sounds like everyone else is pretty much as stumped as me. At this stage I think I'll just keep doing the mini physio sessions and see how he goes and just reassess if any other symptoms appear.

Not good mb can you take it to a vet??

By The Way PBFD isn't french Molt I know Been there done that!!!!

How are the airway?????? Look and see if they are straight or if they are bent a little.

Can you put him in a holder so his developing bones have a chance!!!?

How is he today???

 

Can you put him in a holder so his developing bones have a chance!!!?

 

thats a good idea neat - Like some sponge or something to keep him upright

I had thought about making the sawdust quite deep in the nest box. He can sit up okay if I help him up so I'm hoping that if I can keep working with him for a couple of weeks until he starts to want to perch we might be able to work past the issues.

I had a couple of chicks similar to that all went well til about 3 weeks then one started getting wonky and laying over heaps mum slowly stopped feeding. Thought it may have been rickets at first; 2nd one started getting a bit wonky too but the first one was nearly dead by then. Brought both inside and raised them with extra vitamins in their formula both living happily although slightly stunted in the aviary now. Just be prepared for it to not pull through

It sounds similar to the condition that Roxy was in and i though the parents fighting in the nestbox had caused it. i had to remove her because she was not being fed and was having breathing problems as well. She improve within a couple of weeks and has no problems now with perching or movement at all. I hope she pulls through for you.

This little one always seems well fed and I have never seen the parents fight(this is their second clutch this year and they are fantastic devoted parents). This one was going to be staying with me forever no matter what so we'll see how he goes :sigh: