splayed legs in a baby lovebird

Question
This is probably too late. My sister's lovebirds finally gave birth to a baby and kept it under the newspaper. The baby is now nearly full-grown and is a mess. We saw it for the first time yesterday. both legs are nearly useless and splayed. There was not enough traction on the bottom of the cage, as you said in your answer to someone. The question is, now what do we do? Shall I feed him with a plastic syringe? I wish I'd checked sooner, but they're not my birds and the parents would bite whenever my sister wanted to peek at the baby's progress. Does he have to be hand-fed from now on? I guess the only food he's been getting is regurgitated by the mother. We live in a little town with no avian vet.

Any info will be appreciated.

thank you.

Answer
Hi, Sharmie,

I hate to say it, but I think it's too late.  Splay leg correction has to occur before the baby is about 2 weeks old.  You should consult with an avian veterinarian, but I haven't read or heard of any progress in this area.  The cartledge/bone grows in that direction and once it hardens, not much can be done.  An avian vet might be able to break the bones and put them straight, but I really doubt this.  You'd have to check with a bird vet to see if technology has progressed this far.  

You'll have to make accommodations for this bird.  You'll have to customize its cage and accessories to fit its handicap.  You don't say how old the baby is, but if mom is still feeding it, it isn't weaned yet.  No, the baby shouldn't have to be handfed from now on, but it depends on its condition.  The baby will need to be weaned from mom/dad first when it is ready, usually at about 4 weeks of age.  Visit my website for info on weaning:  www.angelfire.com/falcon/birdinfo/index.html.  If your sister doesn't plan on breeding the pair again, she needs to remove the nesting box once the baby is out and before mom starts laying again (she will quickly).  The baby should be put in its own cage once weaned, as mom and dad might start picking on the baby due to its handicap.  You will likely need to pad the bottom of the cage and, depending on if the bird can perch, made suitable places for the bird to lay/sit. www.drsfostersmith.com sells platform perches (and a variety of other perches) that are nice for handicapped birds.  I secured a piece of plastic netting (small mesh) on the platform perch for a handicapped parakeet I have (gives him variety in places to sit).  Handicapped birds can live a long time, but you have to make accommodations to fit their disability.  Birds like this can become very tame because they rely on their humans for mobility, etc., and they can't get away from you!  This bird might still be able to fly, but it won't be able to land, so it will most likely not try to fly at all (after a couple attempts perhaps).  It isn't easy to care for a handicapped bird.  This is why one must be knowledgeable about such things before their birds breed and even if the adults are aggressive, you must get in the nesting box to check on the babies at least once per day.  There are ways to do this without getting biten or attacked!

Chrys