Tips on owning a Budgie with splayed legs

Overview of Alan's Day Cage

Alan has had splayed legs since she was 2 weeks old, and there was a point where we were quite worried about her quality of life, as both legs were completely backwards. We were able to stabilize her legs to the point of her being able to stand upright, but Alan is still not able to perch on a normal stick or walk without some assistance from her beak, and prefers to sleep with the splits. Alan was raised by an avian veterinary nurse under direction of an avian veterinarian.

We designed Alan's day cage to provide as much enrichment and useable space as possible. If you have a budgie with leg issues then here are some tips!

Utilise Ladders

The space between rungs in a ladder is too large for a small budgie, but they are good to use as a base to make a ramp by attaching a seagrass mat to it. This allows your budgie to gain height without injuring themselves, and a soft place for them to sit comfortably. Part of Alan's ladders are uncovered to allow her to practice gripping if she wants to. We used a mixture of thin dowel ladders and thick Nino's Java ladders for a range of options.

Platform Perches

Foot health is important for all birds, so we often have platform perches on hand. Alan's cage has 2 sets of wooden platforms, this allows her to fully open her feet and train her legs to sit closer together. We handmake our platforms, but you can often find these online or in vets (just ensure the hardware is stainless steel and the wood is safe).

Natural Hangable Toys

All birds need toys, but we've selected a few that allow Alan to perch and we have hung these in easy to reach places. These toys are all natural, chewable and can be used as perches too. Hanging the toys along the ramps and platforms will allow for easy access. The toys in the pictures are from Nino's Java, A Bird A Day & Little Beaks.

Food & Water

Alan is unable to use hanging food dishes, and we avoid using anything too deep to mitigate any chance of her getting stuck. We opted to use a shallow ceramic dish for water (which Alan bathes in), and we use a seedmate for food - this allows her to lay down, stand with assistance of the bottom stoppers and she won't get stuck (we highly recommend only using the original brand and not the alternative ones with a much higher stopper).

Play Area

It is important to provide a safe 'out of cage' area for your budgie. Most birds can use a playstand, but Alan cannot perch normally so we have created an alternative. Using a fresh new litter tray with a seagrass mat, we created the perfect playground for Alan - with enough space to climb, chew, play, eat and nap. Alan is either in her main playground, on one of the humans or she has a secondary foraging tray (made by tailfeather creations).

Sleep Cage

We provide Alan with a sleep cage so that if she ever has a night fright, there is no risk of her getting stuck or hurting herself in the dark. She is provided with a small amount of food and toys to entertain herself if she wakes up before us. Birds are fantastic with routine and familiarity, and often sleep cages can give them a sense of safety and it makes it easier to regulate their sleep time.

If you have any questions or would like recommendations please feel free to email info@lazzislegacy.org