Baby African Gray w/ Broken Leg!

[CavySpirit]

I work at Petland where we recently got two baby Congos, but one had a broken leg that went unnoticed. They're not super young but they were probably a few weeks old when we got them.

Anyway, the one with the broken leg was sent back to the breeder because we cannot sell that poor little baby but today I was told the breeder is looking to give it away to a good home and one of the sales ladies asked me since she knew I was into birds.

I was actually planning to buy a congo baby soon, $1000 plus cage, toys, perches etc.

I have a soft spot for birds in need and this little congo was so sweet when I handfed it.

It's leg was seen by a vet and according to the vet, it broke so early in the nest box that it's not serious and the bird can grow up but would have to get used to the leg. It's not a horribly bad break, the foot can still lay flat on the ground and when it was at the store I saw it grip fine and use it fine. Did not appear in pain at all, just wanted food and was very spirited.

I've already contacted some friends who know a lot about birds, especially grays, but want to get loads of opinions on this. The leg is fixable, so it's not anything super bad or serious. Unfortunatly I can't afford loads of vet bills, but I would like to know if it's possible to care for a congo w/ a deformed leg.

If I do get this baby instead of a healthy one from a breeder I plan to give it a lot of toys and perches for gripping and giving it little to no clipping in case it can't balance perfectly. I will work with it to build its wing strength(holding its toes while it perches and lifting it up and down gently to encourage flapping for exercise).

I have not had direct experience owning a gray but I am experience through volunteer work and learning on my own and from others. I volunteered with a couple who owned tons of birds and have hand-feeding experience, etc...

My concern is more for the leg though.

 

[Featheredsamurai]

I have a rescued Galah who has a leg that had been broken and was never set properly. When I got her her legs where super weak(combined with organ failure and a sun flower seed staple diet) and you could see how stiffly she walked and how it just looked painful.

I did a lot of psychical therapy randomly through out the day and now she's a very happy bird and although she can't jump or walk super fast and stands a bit off kilter people rarely ever notice any difference. She does fall off her perches fairly often, I'm gong to add some platforms to her cage which would be a good idea for your bird if you notice him/her having trouble getting around, that way when they fall they don't fall nearly as far.

Here's a photo of her leg

 

[Molcan2]

If you cant afford the vet bills to fix the broken leg then I don't think it would be fair to the bird for you to take it. If they are going to give it to you then why wouldn't you take the $1,000 and get it fixed? Depending on the break you could be looking at possible early onset of arthritis and multiple vet visits any way if its not fixed. If its a break that can be fixed, then it needs to be for the birds sake. If you can't afford those types of costs then you shouldn't be getting a bird right now. In the last year I have spent almost $2,000 on Rome in just vet bills alone (granted she was a re-home and came with problems). The point is that you have to be prepared to be able to provide vet care under any circumstance. That is your responsibility as a pet owner. I'm not trying to sound harsh, just realistic. Its easy to fall in love with them but you have to be realistic. Its not fair to the bird if the break is fixable for it to go unfixed because the home it happened to go to wasn't able to do it. If it was a child, you would fix the leg, a parrot is no different.

I would suggest maybe focusing on finding it a home, where that house hold will be able to afford the vet costs that this baby requires. Or contact a reputable rescue that could probably take it in and have the leg fixed. Or maybe see if you could raise the funds to have it fixed. Apply for care credit (my avian vet accepts care credit), ask family, friends, etc. This past December one of my horses was bitten by a rattle snake, right after I spent my savings for school. Between everyone I knew I raised the $3,000 that it cost to save his life (have since paid them back). Maybe you could find a vet that maybe willing to work with you on payments.

Owning any pet, esp. a parrot, their needs come first. It is our responsibility that when we take them on that we provide the appropriate care for them.