Hi from Queensland owned by 2 budgies and in 3hrs a blind cockatiel

[coubay]

Hi Currently we have 2 budgies and in 3 hrs I am picking up our newest family member a blind cockatiel. We have had budiges, finches and quails over the years. And currently have a dog, 2 cats, 2 chooks and some fish. Over the years we have taken in 2 rescue dogs, 2 rescue cats and my Uncles had rescue dogs when I was growing up. My 7yr son loves animals especially birds and reads to his budgies lol. My 16yr daughter has Myalgic Ensephomylitis (may have spealt it wrong lol) and is home schooled due to her health she has quiet cuddles and chats with the birds while her siblings are at school. We believe in giving our animals the best possible care and adjust our lives to suit them. I would love to hear from other owners of blind birds, and tips on cage set up would be great. Thankyou

 

[QuackQuack]

I've always wondered what owning a blind bird would be like. You will have to share your experiences. I've seen handicapped birds with no feet or no beak, but I've never seen or heard about caring for a fully blind one!

 

[MikeyTN]

Completely blind? How does he eat? I placed my handicapped birds in a brooder.

 

[coubay]

He finds his way around the cage feeling with his beak and appears to smell his food.
The previous owner said he bites but he hasn't bitten any of us yet, just the beak test to find footing. When I picked him up he was biting them like mad.
The grabbed him from the cage, we talk softly and place our finger at his chest and softly say up, he hops up and chirps

 

[BillsBirds]

Do just like you're doing. Talk to him when you approach, tell him to step up and put your finger against him. Also, keep things where he already knows they are in his cage. Blind birds can get on fine with a bit of extra care and thought. I knew a blind Macaw that lived a long & happy life with little problems. After you've been together a while you'll learn what he needs and wants.

 

[Mozzie]

Billsbirds has it exactly right. He will learn where everything is in his cage, so you don't want to change anything. Sounds like you are doing great.

 

[QuackQuack]

Since he is blind that means he has to definitely be clipped?

 

[Mayden]

Hello, I also have M.E, if your daughter would ever like to talk about it she's more than welcome to message me here, or if you pm me I can give you my email/fb whatever. I know it's extremely difficult, so I like to branch out when I come across others with it
&also, if you as a family member need some guidance you're more than welcome to ask too. My family don't really understand my illness and so if you would like some insight but don't know how to approach your daughter, I'm here for that too!

My birds have helped me through my illness a fair bit, especially Merlin. He seems to know when I'm having a super bad day and can't handle noise... he seems to be quieter. Or when it's a very bad energy day, he'll come and cuddle and come to sleep beside me.

A member here had a blind Grey, if you search through some of her posts (roxynoodle) then you should find some information about helping blind ones

 

[coubay]

Thankyou Billsbirds and Mozzie.
24hrs in and I have to make a slight change, he loves climbing up and down his ladder, but his boing he climbs up but can't get down. So I am removing the boing and putting in a corner rope perch and attaching a smaller ladder.
I have noticed that if there is a gap of a certain distance between perches/ladders he wont move, so I am utilising this first 48hrs to make adjustments as I see his needs and then that will be it.
My big gripe with the locally pet supplies is they have no foraging, shredding toys. I can only get them online and they will take a week to get here. grrr. I was ordering some for my budgies but wasn't until next week as they are happy with the homemade ones, but for this guy I wanted a specific type of foraging/shredding toy. Oh well.
I am off to find some pine cones lol, no idea where as the nearest pine plantation is on the way to another town about 50ks away.
QuackQuack I have gone on the side of quation as the previous owner said he flies very high and had his wing clipped. Not something I like to have to do but feel its better to play it safe as he crashes into things when he flies.
Mayden Thankyou sooo much for your offer. I will pm you when I can get on my computer again as she is about to have a Skype lesson with her Cello teacher (trying to keep her dreams alive, her teacher is from the UK and has had experience with ME sufferers so makes allowances for her and has helped for a game plan that will allow her to still become a professional cellist in several years). So she needs my laptop set up for that.
I find birds therapeutic for all my own issues (HMS, Anxiety, PSD, etc) and she defiantly has improved symptoms from having the birds. She wants to try her hand at breading (budgies) but I have suggested Zebra Finches to start with.
Thankyou everyone for your advice and wonderful welcome.
Coubay

 

[coubay]

I have started a blog on our experiences with Chewie as I am hoping it will help others and to meet others with blind parrots so I can learn from them.
Chewie the blind Cockatiel: Welcome Chewie

 

[Mayden]

Thankyou Billsbirds and Mozzie.
24hrs in and I have to make a slight change, he loves climbing up and down his ladder, but his boing he climbs up but can't get down. So I am removing the boing and putting in a corner rope perch and attaching a smaller ladder.
I have noticed that if there is a gap of a certain distance between perches/ladders he wont move, so I am utilising this first 48hrs to make adjustments as I see his needs and then that will be it.
My big gripe with the locally pet supplies is they have no foraging, shredding toys. I can only get them online and they will take a week to get here. grrr. I was ordering some for my budgies but wasn't until next week as they are happy with the homemade ones, but for this guy I wanted a specific type of foraging/shredding toy. Oh well.
I am off to find some pine cones lol, no idea where as the nearest pine plantation is on the way to another town about 50ks away.
QuackQuack I have gone on the side of quation as the previous owner said he flies very high and had his wing clipped. Not something I like to have to do but feel its better to play it safe as he crashes into things when he flies.
Mayden Thankyou sooo much for your offer. I will pm you when I can get on my computer again as she is about to have a Skype lesson with her Cello teacher (trying to keep her dreams alive, her teacher is from the UK and has had experience with ME sufferers so makes allowances for her and has helped for a game plan that will allow her to still become a professional cellist in several years). So she needs my laptop set up for that.
I find birds therapeutic for all my own issues (HMS, Anxiety, PSD, etc) and she defiantly has improved symptoms from having the birds. She wants to try her hand at breading (budgies) but I have suggested Zebra Finches to start with.
Thankyou everyone for your advice and wonderful welcome.
Coubay

You're more than welcome. I check the forum daily, so shouldn't be too long before I get back to you . Glad to hear she's keeping up with doing things like cello - I used to dance but had to stop that with me me/cfs. It's good that she's got a teacher that can work around her. Lovely to hear that the birds are doing you some good too, Merlin is really a crutch for me some times like I mentioned before. Hope to hear more about Chewie and will keep an watching the blog about him

 

[Mayden]

How are your birds doing? + hope your daughters keeping okay!

 

[dishgal1]

You are a wonderful person for taking a blind bird. I would in no way feel qualified to undertake even a rescue bird no matter how much I would like to. If it had problems I would be too underqualified and probably make matters worse. I have to stick with getting them as babies. Wish I had your courage and qualifications.
God bless you for that and I am sure he will be very happy. Sorry about your condition, and I'm sure the birds are a godsend like little angels helping you out.

 

[Akraya]

Welcome to the forum fellow Queenslander ^.^

 

[Sulphiria]

Aww what a sweet story Cant wait to see pics of the little guys!

 

[coubay]

Sorry for not replying I have been flat out with animals, sick kids etc. Dishgal1 I am not all that qualified, I have never cared for a special needs bird before (dog, cat yes, kids, mum yes but bird no). I hit google running and read everything I could find. And we just learnt as we went. Made some mistakes, hence starting the blog so others looking for info on caring for a blind bird can find it (not that it comes up when you google caring for a blind cockatiel, google how much more specific do you want lol). It is not that hard really, you just don't move anything in his cage, you talk as you enter the room or approach him (I tell him everything I am doing), and as he hates toys and pretty much sits in the 1 spot all day we get him out for prolonged periods each day and he loves to just sit on your finger while you watch tv or work on the computer. We all take it in turns. Mayden My daughter has caught a bug but is otherwise doing ok. Struggling with pacing as the insomnia is hitting hard at the moment and lately some of her old friends have been wanting to see her and she puts that brave I am not sick face on wearing herself out. (I think they are coming as I have been posting heaps of ME awareness stuff on facebook, they rang within minutes of a post about how it is as disabling as MS, end stage cancer and end stage AIDS, heart failure etc). Giving Pet therapy a go lol, she is getting her own Rainbow Lorikeet in Sep/Oct for her to fully care for and train, hoping that having a pet that is 100% hers (all the others are family pets and we all share the care ie Mummy does majority lol) and she and her 7yr brother have a interest in breeding so I got them some Gouldian finches (unfortunately the boy died during the night, I think I dosed him too early for air sac mites). LOL Like I needed more animals, but pets are wonderful especially for sick people they really help you. Mr 7 is gifted and with gifted kids they can either lack a understanding of emotion (sheldon on big bang theory) or be the other extreme, extremely sensitive and easy to depress. That is my son, he cries over ants dieing, so pet therapy for him too. He is getting his own Princess parrot in Sep/Oct Both birds are coming from my neighbour over the road, the Lori is free and the Princess is a third of the price a petshop is. Wonderful neighbour and the closest thing I have to a avian vet lol.