help!-my birds keep injuring their wings

ilovemycockatiels

Hello again, I haven't been on here in a while. I don't know how they do it but my birds hurt their wings on the sides of the cage when they get spooked. They flip out and get their feathers stuck in the bars and cut themselves up. My female actually took a chuck out of her wing and there are 4 new feathers growing in. I put peroxide on her wounds and some neosporin to help heal them. I now have been keeping her in a cardboard box with wire as a top. That way she won't hurt them more and they can heal. One of my other male birds has been doing that too. I never noticed my other male doing this but today I caught him picking at it and noticed his wing is injured too but only one and on the other 2 birds it is both of their wings. I don't know what will stop them from doing this I have considered putting them all in boxes for a week or so but then as soon as i put them back in the cage they will do it more and hurt themselves again. I have even tried covering them at night but it never seems to help any. I don't have a cat anymore that might be scaring them so I don't know what I can do to help them stop injuring their wings. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks

Ashley

charmedagain · Moderator Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 2247 Location: uk

This is common and its not something you can really stop unles you know what it is that is spooking the birds.

if this is happening during the night these are what is known as night terrors, again unles you know what is actually spooking them there is not a great deal you can do apart from putting them in a quiet room during the night and putting them back in there usual spot during the day.

The best thing to use to stop bleeding and to aid the healing process is flour or corn starch.

Mike

ilovemycockatiels · Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2005 8:14 am Post subject:

Well I am really concerned about how bad my females wings are cut up cuz she took an actual chunk out big enough that 4 feathers are having to growing back. And they are about 2 inches long already. I always see so much blood on the bars of the cages, the food dishes and on the cuttlebone. I really have no clue what is always spooking them. I wonder if it is because my window is open and they hear the trees moving in the wind or something and it is way to hot here to close it and I live in a tiny house and don't have any places to move them to at night. I try to calm them but it seems to scare them even more, I just don't know what to do about it... I'll try putting flour or corn starch on them, thanks for your help

charmedagain · Moderator Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 2247 Location: uk

Birds cannont see in the dark so the slightest noise will spook them, If you can get a small night light like the ones used for small children and leave that on during the night this should help keep them calm.

If mine get spooked i just sit and talk very calmly and keep talking until they calm i do not go too close to the cage until they have settled down.

Mike

ilvpets · New member Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Posts: 4

hi do you have them in seperate cages because if you do they may need a bigger cage because cockateils tend to flap there wings my female molly does and shes ok because she has enough room it sends my dogs wild but shes ok anyway i hope this information has worked good luck Your the best

mchat · Member Joined: 28 Nov 2004 Posts: 45

How many birds are there in the cage and how big is it? I have 2 cockatiels in a cage inside and it is about 1m high, 1m long and .5m wide and I find that its a bit crowded if I have any other birds in the cage. Try leaving a light on when you go to bed. If its happening during the day then there may be something to it. My pair get a fright when a mobile phone rings or is about to ring but they dont tend to hurt themselves. The other thing you could use on the bleeding if you can get it is Savlon in a powder form (which my vet has previously recommended and you can get from a pharmacy in Australia).

Might help.

Mel.