New budgie can't fly

[Deleted]

Hi all,
I bought a budgie on Monday from the same place I got my other two.  On getting him into his cage at home he didn't know how to stand on a perch and kept falling off, though he's ok now with doing that and climbing around on the cage bars.  However he can't fly up to the perch, he keeps flopping back to the bottom.  I let him out today and though he flaps he only gets to about 6" off the ground.  He isn't clipped, has stretched his wings out and preens normally.  He's a good weight and looks healthy.  He also doesn't make a normal budgie chirp - it's more of a quiet cheep, cheep.  His cere is bright blue, feathers in good condition and no sign of injury.  
I've got him in quarantine in a separate room from my other two budgies for a few weeks, but I play a youtube video of a budgie chirping and he responds to that with loud screeches and these funny chirps, getting all excited.  He's also not eating budgie seed but does like millet and fruit.  
I've never bought a bird that couldn't fly, I'm thinking he may just be unfit and needs to strengthen his wing muscles.
Has anyone got any suggestions as to how best to deal with this?  It's not a problem to let him out alone in my room, but would it be a good idea to put the cage on the floor so he can climb back in?  Is there anything more I can do to help him to fly eventually?
I'm taking him to the vets this week just to get him checked over.
Thanks

[Hezz]

Any idea how old this budgie is? Falling off a perch doesn't sound healthy to me, I have to say, unless he's too young to know how to perch.

I would take instruction from what your vet says once he has been seen. A vet will have a much better idea of what might be happening, having seen him first-hand.

[Deleted]

Hi all,
Thanks, Hezz, for your reply.  The vet saw our new budgie, Sirius, this morning.  There was good & bad news, he hasn't got bumblefoot, the missing claw is most likely the result of injury but it's healed & there's no sign of anything else wrong.  The left wing, though, may be broken or bruised the vet wasn't sure & didn't want to handle Siri & risk further harm.  The outlook isn't good, but "he may survive, but in my opinion he will never be able to fly".  He answered all my questions about care and said there was no need to see Siri again which was good news in itself.  He said that the wing trauma most likely happened as the pet shop person was catching Siri and putting him in the carry-box.
I didn't get to see Siri in the cage at the shop, due to lockdown measures.  The manager showed me and my daughter a photo of a couple of birds and she chose the one she wanted for her birthday present.  It wasn't until he came out of the carry-box in his cage at home that we saw his problems.  I just went by previous experience with the shop and trusted that a healthy bird would be a given.  Lesson learned.  I did ring the manager (who served me) for some background info before Siri went to the vets but there wasn't much forthcoming.  He might take notice of Trading Standards & the RSPCA, though, and the scathing review I left on a website for scathing reviews.  And a trip to the Small Claims Court to recover the cost of the vet's bill.  Neglect & cruelty are the devil's trademark, as Anna Sewell wrote.  I can't abide people who mistreat any living creature, there's no excuse - especially pet shop managers.  'Nuff said.
So, Siri is in for some serious TLC and we'll see what happens.  Whatever, he's for keeps and we'll do our best to give him a happy & full life.  The only thing I'm flummoxed over is how to make a safe floor level play area?  Anyone else got a flightless budgie?  It'll be a week or so before I can let him out to give his wing time to heal - he's not to get excited - so there's thinking and preparation time.  

[Hezz]

Aww poor little bud. Here's hoping it's only bruised and not broken and a fair amount of TLC and inactivity will have him back in the air again soon. If not, then I'm sure you will find ways to make his life as happy and as fulfilling as it can possibly be.

[blue48]

Poor little chap, I'm so sorry. I really hope he recovers.

[Deleted]

Hi all,
Well, I sure got a surprise this morning - one injured budge clinging to the side of his cage flapping his wings like a hummingbird! After a quick confab with his owner, my daughter (deputy flock leader), we agreed it would be better for him to flap outside his cage than in it as it's quite small (new large one ordered and on its way). So we spent a half hour throwing together a floor-level playground for him - the above pic is the result. He climbed all over it and jumped on the swing, and hopped off as quick when it moved. I've a few improvements to make for his safety - the aerial, pipes and cable will all be lagged and bird-proof in a short while. He's now able to climb out and into his cage, climb ladders and stand one-legged on a perch in snooze mode. One big problem is my daughter is playing R2D2 sounds to him which she claims he's listening to very attentively. I've got Max who thinks he's a blackbird, Jesse who tweets and chirps constantly even in his sleep it seems and Siri who'll be doing robot impressions. And she could talk all four legs off a donkey! Terrific... Thankfully my office is in a separate room

[Hezz]

That does sound all very positive - obviously NOT a broken wing, then. That's the best news.

He may feel more comfortable up off the floor, though. Down low can be scary places for a prey animal. Do you have a table that you can put his cage onto, or is this just a temporary measure until he comes out of quarantine? Even so, I'm sure he would be happier up off the floor.

[Deleted]

Hi Hezz,
Yes, it's a temporary measure until I'm sure he can at least flutter safely to the floor.  I think the less the cage is moved around the better so as not to cause stress, the floor is definitely safer and we have loads of space so can sit at a distance from the cage.  The vet okay'ed bringing him into the same room as Jesse & Max and their cage is on the floor in the daytime, too, just to keep Siri stimulated and more at ease.  The vet also okay-ed letting him out. (My daughter took him into the vet's while I waited outside, then she rang me and I spoke to him on the phone and was able to ask lots of questions). 
I'm just taking things very slowly & taking every precaution for his safety.  His new much bigger cage will be delivered soon, and I've a low table in situ ready.  I'm thinking to put some sort of ladder or something from the cage to the floor play area, like a series of platforms he can hop onto gradually getting nearer the floor. 
It was quite funny explaining to DeeDee how we appear as predator animals to a little feathered morsel, so she's adapted her own behaviour to what she's calls "budgie mode" whereby she doesn't stare at Siri, gets down on the floor whenever she approaches the cage, chirps and tweets to him - she's an excellent mimic - and every movement is in slow-mo.  He's responding to her very well and I can see the beginnings of a lovely bond between them.  Jesse & Max think she's awesome and the pair of them coo like a pair of doves when she's near their cage.  They only coo at me when I've got spinach or millet in my hand!  
Sorry, I do tend to ramble on!

[Hezz]

I'm surprised the vet vetoed quarantining Siri, but hopefully everything will be fine. Anyway, he seems to be recovering nicely and that's the main thing. It sounds like everything is going really well.

[Shirls]

I have a bird that doesn't fly and the floor of his cage is padded with fleece and then newspaper over the top, which makes quite a soft landing. You may want to do that for Siri if he still cannot perch too well.

Sounds like you are all getting on famously!!

[Deleted]

Hi Hezz & Shirls,
I normally wouldn't take the risk but given the circumstances and the vet's ok to keeping them close together, supervised,
it's worked out ok. I'm keeping a close eye on all 3 birds, just in case.
The vet advised not to put anything on the floor of the cage to avoid damaging his feet. I never use paper as I was advised years ago by a bird guru that they can die from ingesting it as it swells up and blocks the digestive whatever - tract? I always use budgie grit. I just took the bottom off the cage & put the cage on a rug - to be honest budgie pooper-doop improves the pattern! I've also put the perches really low in the cage. He's improving daily, but does tend to cling to the bars and slip off, once his big cage gets here a fleece would be a good idea - do you mean like one of those jacket things or lamb's fleece?

[Hezz]

Even something like an old mattress protector would work, or simply anything that is soft. Budgies don't weigh much so there is no chance of them landing with a thud with anything fabric-y on the bottom.

Well, I've never, ever heard that myth about paper clogging up a bird!! Most of us use newspaper or some sort of paper on the floor of the cage, over the grate and I don't know of anyone ever who has had a problem with it. I wouldn't use thick glossy paper is all. Hens are the worst for chewing up their paper, but again I've not heard of anyone having a problem with it. You are more likely to have problems with any sort of fabric, cotton rope perches etc than paper in my experience.

[Shirls]

Newspaper these days doesn't have the same horrid ink that they used to years ago. As far as chewing it is concerned I think they just chew it and not injest it! Its the grit (especially on sandsheets) that harm budgie feet, don't know where your vet is coming from @cal??

I bought a fleece 'throw' from Asda, it's fairly cheap and not too big, bought two actually (got two cages).