You read the title right..

 

I was shocked out of my mind when I brought my four new birds home tonight to discover the best bird is missing a foot!, I was in tears a bit because I felt so bad that she had suffered with this! anyway it is healed and is not recent and she seems to cope fine. Obviously we rang the previous owner(well my Dad did as I was still pretty shocked) and they were genuinely surprised and offered a refund or the two female quails we were going to buy for free.

 

I have decided to keep her regardless of her foot or lack of, issue. I just want her to be as happy and comfortable as possible and if that means she will not be able to be a breeding bird, so be it. I will give her a good home anyway.

 

What I'd like to know is have any of you ever seen this before or dealt with it?

WOW... it's very poor of the previous owner not to know a bird they were selling was missing a foot!!!

 

That aside... if she's had it for awhile and is coping well with her disabilty (as you said) she sounds like she could lead a happy life with you. Kaz, a member of staff has/has had budgie with disabilities so she'll be able to give you more advice, but just make sure you have her cage/aviary set up so she is able to get around okay. They're very adaptable. As to the breeding, I think she'd have a hard time perching and supporting herself while mating... but others may know otherwise.

 

Good on you for keeping her! May she live a long and happy life with you.

A friend has a hen with NO foot, and she is able to mate and she has fertile eggs, she is also a good mother, I think it would be a different story if it was a male.

It is up o you if you choose to breed from her or not.

Thank you both for the advice.

 

Maesie, thanks! I hope she does too. Uni(decided to call her that for obvious reasons ) and her mate have been put in my little aviary(no other birds) and Ive tried to set it up as comfortably as possible for her. I'll see how she goes and if she seems to be coping fine I may end up trying to breed her sometime down the track but for now she is fine.

I have a one legged budgie in my aviary and he copes really well. He hasnt been able to breed but that doesnt matter one way or the other. I saved him from being euthanased and he is happy here.

 

http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/index.php?showtopic=22658

I have a hen with one foot missing, she is fine and breeds well, the trick is to make sure she has flat perches not round, so that she can rest the stump on the perch for balance. Hope this helps your hen. Cheers Clearwing