A little help for Flit, please

[flitsnowzoom]

We have the privilege of being the caretakers of 4 lovely little birds. One of these, Flit, happens to be one-legged. My son spotted him right away in a cage full (about 100 other cage mates) of other finches just like him and would not rest until we came home with little Flit.

There is absolutely nothing there that we can detect, no partial leg, no stump. Best as we can tell, either it got caught and was removed or withered away shortly after hatching. Flit, however, has one leg that is nice and sturdy. So between standing w/tail cocked and spending a lot of time snuggled next to his sweetie, Flutter, he does okay. We've also set the cage up to be footi-capped friendly with wide perches and forked perches where he can rest on his tummy some.

Now, the situation. Flit and Flutter are now fully grown and the sap has risen. They are attempting to mate and poor little Flit just can't quite manage with just one leg. Flutter is very patient with him, but I'm sure she would be very happy if he could do the deed.

Any suggestions on accomodations? Flit cannot go to the ground. He can cling and perch but will not land voluntarily on something that requires him to stand rather than perch. I have a forked perch that could give him some height over Flutter, but they want to start out side by side. So, any ideas?

BTW, they are bronze-winged manakins -- maybe two inches long so pretty tiny. They are smaller than the zebra and society finches and by nature are very skittish of anything new in the cage. I've had to remove things before as it made them so nervous they wouldn't eat.

[Rockie]

Hi flitsnowzoom,

I have absolutely no advice (sorry) but after reading your post I just had to say that you are such a wonderful bird parent and friend.

[little bird]

Hi f-s-z
I'm assuming your other two birds are also brz mans. Does Flutter go to nest and lay eggs? If so.....I would pull all eggs from both pairs until I had them laying in sync. Then i would switch two of the fertile pair's eggs for two of Flutter's eggs and let them all raise babies. ...gives Flit and Flutter chicks of their ''own'' and lets the other pair raise a more managable brood.

About Flit's handicap. I have a weaver finch (see avadar) who injured his left foot when he was 4 years old...his toes are permanently curled and he uses the leg like a ''peg-leg''. In order to give him some relief with the good foot, I wrapped his favorite places to perch with heavy duty moleskin. This helps him grasp firmer and is more gentle on his good foot. I also allow his good foot to have just a bit longer nails to help him hold tight. The moleskin will have to be replaced or scrubbed with a toothbrush periodically.

BTW....Weavie will be twenty-one years old 2/4/2008. The avatar pic was taken two weeks ago and he is in full color!!

[flitsnowzoom]

Actually, the other pair are parakeets and not madly in love. However, Zoom, the male parakeet, has now learned brz-man and talks to Flit and Flutter.

I tried putting a little finch nest in F & F's cage a couple of months ago and I thought they'd have a nervous breakdown in the day or two it was there --- and this was after I'd kept it next to the cage for about a week to get them used to the idea. Maybe I can get a couple of sterile little eggs (or little dummy eggs) and try again.

[little bird]

Better yet........don't frighten them.......but get a pair of societies and put them in a cage next to the Bzman until they are comfortable. The Socs will teach the bzman to nest and possibly all sleep in the same nest......mine do. Weavie's last cage mate died in june so I had to buy a new cagemate......I bought one female soc.....it was terrified of weavie cause he is so much bigger...so I bought a second female soc.......everything is great...everybody is happy. You see weavers are supposed to have a harem. Of course with everything running smoothly....a client gives me a bzman cause her other bird died..course this little one needed a mate so bought another bzman. Now Weavie has four new cage mates and he's delighted and courts them all.The Soc always sleep in a nest and the bzmans join them every night...lucky for me all the newbies are girls.

PS Since Flit is handicaped, I would use an open cup style nest like for canaries. I don't think he could manage to enter the hooded style.

[stach_n_flash]

I don't have any advice for you but it seems like you have quite a bird on your hands good luck with flit

[mr squeaks]

I was hoping that Little Bird would be on to help. If anyone can, she can.

Her birds are just beautiful! And so healthy and living really looooog lives!

I hope all goes well with Flit and Flutter...please keep us posted!

Loads of "little/gentle" scritches! May not be "actual" but I'm hoping it's the thought that counts!

Shi

[Margarret]

Flitsnowzoom,

I've racked my brain and can't seem to come up with any kind of solution for Flit's dilema that is logical. They sound like utterly charming little birds. Do you have any pictures of them? I hope a solution can be found.

Margaret

[little bird]

Weavie has never been a father, never courted a bird of his own breed.....always wanted those ''big mamas'' ( nonreleasable house sparrows), course the sparrows wanted NOTHING to do with him but he courted them anyway. Every year he comes into color and chases his cage mates, reminds me of a dog chasing a car.....wouldn't know what to do with it if he caught it!! Unlike the bzman, Weavie would not help with the rearing of the chicks, so he was never bothered by the fact that his leg prevented him from properly peforming. I believe if Flit and Flutter would accept a nest and she laid eggs and you switched them for fertile eggs from another pair (must be finch eggs).....they would happily rear the babies. That way everybody's instincts would be satisfied.

[flitsnowzoom]

Weavie is sure a "looker". I wish avatars could be bigger sometimes because so many people have some very interesting ones.

I'll "talk" to Flit and Flutter and see what they say. I sure appreciate everyone's thoughts and good wishes. They aren't particularly dazzling birds, but very engaging in their little sweet way so I'll see if I can get a photo up of them one of these days.

I'll see if I can't find one of those little cup nests again. I had one before but the weave was so coarse I was afraid that Flit would get his foot trapped in between the spaces and not be able to get out. Right now, they seem to be "eying" one of their little seed cups as a potential nest.

They are so cute at night when they get all snuggled up for bed. You can't pass a sheet of paper between them they cuddle so close.



Ah, the parakeets, they share space and do snuggle some, but their's is not a match made in heaven, shall we say.

[pdpbison]

Hi flitsnowzoom,



If Flit and Flutter are tame enough...and if Flit does not mind being gently held or steadied...you could steady him alongthe sides of his body, so his Wings are free and Tail areas free to wiggle...for him to be on her and for him to manage the deed that way...you being sensitive to how atthe end, he will need to be almost sliding off and fluttering...

Everything from there of course, he should be just fine with with no further assistance needed.


Phil
l v