Aussie Finch Forum

Occasionally you get the odd fledgling that has a handicap, I have a longtail fledged a few days back seems it cant use it's legs at all. It flys across the ground a bit like a hovercraft, will know more as it gets older seems very fit besides this and has 3 normal siblings all hardly fly yet due to fledging a bit early.

Have you examined it carefully? They sometimes get tangled up in nesting material which can have a similar result. Not saying this is definitely what's happening. Physical deformities and neurological conditions do occurr.

i examined it more closely, it's legs seemed hyperextended or perhaps dislocated at the thigh. The 4 of them fledged early so they were all huddled on the floor, when the other 3 normal young flew to perches the unfortunate cripple died.

I've seen that before in Budgies (in fact my mate has one that he "rescued" from his sister and in a small cage it has lived until adulthood climbing everywhere largely with it's beak). Best the poor little feller died though I reckon, sad as it is when that happens.

In budgies it's thought to be hereditary so keep an eye on that pair and see if it crops up again.

Sounds like Ricketts to me.

Is that not similar to splayed legs that young can develp while in the nest. Never had any of my birds display it myself.

Their feet are usually turned inwards and both legs are as if paralysed. Just drag them around the floor as per description in start of post.