Budgie with illformed toes on one foot

Question
Hello! I bred budgies for 12 or so years and have recently returned to the hobby. However, I had not previously struck a bird who had illformed feet. I bought this bird for his colour, and didn't even think to take a proper look at his feet and only noticed later. One foot is normal. The other has all toes but is missing all toenails, and his longest toe on the "normal" foot seems unusually long and curly. I have since read that sometimes birds bred in outdoor aviaries, who cling to the side at night, can be "frostbitten" and lose their toes this way. I do wonder if that happened to our little Romeo, or whether he was born with this defect. In any case, my real question is: will Romeo be able to mount a female and father chicks? He has been with Juliet for several months and they are "in love" and we only recently supplied them with a nest box. Juliet has done all the right things in terms of exploring the box and having discussions with Romeo about it, and he has cheered her on, but I have not seen them mate and nothing seems to be going anywhere. I've also read that one shouldn't mate birds with defects but the romantic in me can't bear to separate these two without at least letting them try! :) Do you think it is possible for him to mate with Juliet?

Answer
Hi there,

Interesting subject.

I recently figured out that allot of birds you find in the pet shops are rejects from people who breed them for showing. The book that you have read will suggest not to bread birds with defects, only because some are hereditary. If your birds foot is frostbite, early chick damage where the parents may have bitten the foot, or even just a one off defect, I suspect it wont get passed on. I had a budgie with a very similar thing, and like you, I went for the colour and didn't check the feet, but he was the best budgie I had and got on very well with the ladies.

If your doing this as a hobby, I suggest you let nature take its course and just see what happens with the first brood.

As for having difficulties mounting her, without sounding crude, but he is a male budgie and he WILL find a way if he really wants to...

Have fun!

Charlotte