I just wanted to share a problem I have been managing with one of my baby chicks.

I noticed he developed a haemorrhagic lesion (bruise) involving his entire foot and lower leg the day after I put his leg ring on. There was also a haemorrhagic lesion where the ring contacted the side of his body.

I promptly removed the ring and put it on the other leg and monitored him. Then the same thing happened to the other leg, though not to the same degree because I noticed it and removed the leg ring within a few hours.

 

I think this budgie might be truly allergic to a metal in the leg ring.

From time to time I have had a few budgies with swollen legs from leg rings, and blood circulation problems, but nothing like this.

 

Anyhow, his right foot turned black and died. Today the dead foot dropped off of its own accord. Some toes on the left foot have also turned black and died. It is truly bizarre and awful. The chick is currently three weeks old, his mum still feeds him, and he seems to be going strong despite his stumpy right leg. It is a shame we don't have widespread technology to regrow limbs yet because he will never be able to perch. (I wonder how lizards regrow their tails.)

 

Does anyone know what the leg rings contain?

Might be something akin to nickel allergy in people.

Thats is so weird....tragic for the baby too. I hope you work out how it happened.

BUT one legged budgies do perch....here is one of mine

I agree with Kaz they can do quite well with one leg. I had a lovebird with only a stump and he used to climb all over his cage including upsode down, never bothered him in the least.

That is so wierd :glare: Have you taken him to the vet for a prognosis?

Oh my - hope you work out what it is :glare:

Awww, poor baby! I hope all heals up okay and he has no further problems.

Did he perhaps get cut when you applied the ring?

Do the black parts smell gangrenous?

Was the ring too tight?

 

Sounds like something was affecting his circulation to some degree to cause ischaemia of the feet. Or he could have some clostridial infection.

It does sound, from what you explained, that he could be allergic to it. That is a pretty severe allergy though.

 

What kind of metal are the rings made out of.

He was 6 days old when I put the ring on his right foot, so his foot was quite small, it wasn't injured putting it on.

There was no external bleeding, only internal haemorrhage and bruising within the lower part of the leg from joint to toe either side of the ring and underneath it, and also on the side of his body where the ring was touching.

It was like that the next morning and I had never seen anything like it, so I removed the ring immediately and put it on the other side, then the same thing started to happen to the other side when I checked on him later that afternoon, so ring was removed alltogether.

 

There was only a little external bleeding when the foot dropped off yesterday, presumably because he traumatised the stump.

It didn't have a notable smell.

Just the way that both feet had a similar problem, went red, then purple, then black, then black bits started dropping off, and also the body contact area suggests a contact reaction to the ring.

 

He is 3 weeks at the moment so too young to take him out of the nest box for extended time.

I was thinking to euthanase him, but seeing that other peoples stumpy birds are okay, maybe he will be too.

 

I'm just keeping him clean, ring free, and hopefully his stump should heal fine. It's looking okay at the moment.

He can be stumpy on one leg minus a few toes on the other.

 

I don't know what metals are in the show rings, I was hoping someone could tell me

I have noticed generally speaking though that lately I have been cutting quite a few rings off swollen legs of maturing birds, so maybe there is a problem with the standard ring size or the metal in them. Not sure.

Edited May 7, 200916 yr by DrNat

I was under the impression the rings are aluminium. Persevere with the little babe as yes...they can do fine with one leg. I only recently put my one legged boy in the aviary as I had made his life cushy in a large flight cage. But to see how he could cope he went in the main aviary. From what I can see, he has never been happier.

Wow what an interesting situation!

good luck

cant wait to hear more

The rings are an anodised aluminium. Paint is used in the impressions to provide the numbers and letters.

 

I am going to be contacting the Chapman brothers in the next few days as I still have to order my rings. I can get a full run down if you like on exactly what is in the paint and the anodising process.

 

I have had stumpies too. They do fine.

Cheers. I would like to know what is in the rings and paint.