# Found Cockatiel :O



## xNx (Jun 6, 2012)

*[RIP] Found Cockatiel :O*

{RIP]

Brother brought home a stray grey cockatiel from local area.
Bird has broken beak and screams for food like a baby, BUT seems to be eating and has excreted as such.
Seems like a young female.

How can I mix baby formula if needed with materials likely to be at home; sunday too :O

Any advice??


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

can you post photos to see the beak damage? it might be helpful to us.


if you cant get handfeeding formula from the store, i would feed some soft foods like soaked pellets. some others may be able to advise you, but if shes eating, then i dont think handfeeding will be necessary, just make sure shes eating enough and try to offer soft foods like cooked veggies


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## xNx (Jun 6, 2012)

Looks like a mis-aligned beak. I've given the bird a bath and dried it. It's now in a box with food and water (in a warm place) and doing well as it seems :wacko:


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## Fweet (Apr 9, 2012)

Great photos 
If she's missing she should be easy to identify with that beak. Whereabouts was she found?


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

yikes! that would need to be seen by a vet, it almost looks like the bottom beak has either been dislocated or broken. i would think she may have crashed into something, though there's that chance it could be a deformity. but if she injured her beak while outside then the old owner may not be able to use the beak as an ID tool, but she needs that looked at because the sooner its seen, the better chances of being able to do something about it. that looks painful


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## Fweet (Apr 9, 2012)

If it has dislocated or broken can it be fixed? And how do beaks 'break' - do they become detached or what? Apologies for obtuse question but I know nowt about beaks but am now fascinated.


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

no stupid or "obtuse" questions 

parrot beaks have two mobile separate jaws unlike most other birds, jaws are hinged. dislocation is the same as in any other joint. breaks, it will be a break in the bone. these are commonly caused with collision.

and yes a lot of the time with surgery they can be fixed, but some deformities can be fixed if caught early when their beaks are still soft (when theyre little babies)

jaw injuries are never easy, but they can be very very difficult in some cases where the bird can not eat at all. best bet for this bird is to go to the vet as soon as she can because if its broken, you do not want the break to set like that or else the bird may have that beak like that for the rest of her life.

have you tried locating her owners?


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## Fweet (Apr 9, 2012)

Fascinating, thank you


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## Athyx (Jan 7, 2012)

The bird could also have scissor beak. A friend of mine had a Meyers parrot with scissor beak and it looked a lot like your pics. It should be seen by a vet to diagnose properly. Tiki's beak eventually fixed itself after a few trims and proper nutrition.


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

I think it looks like a congenital scissor beak as well. I hope someone didn't release this bird into the wild because they didn't want to treat her.  If she is still young, a vet can put a cast on the beak that will gradually work the muscles into proper alignment. But even if she's too old for the problem to be corrected, it should be possible for her to live a great life with proper beak maintenance. Please do have her seen by a vet, since this is a time-sensitive issue if she is young. She's super cute, too. I hope you can help her.


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## xNx (Jun 6, 2012)

enigma731 said:


> I think it looks like a congenital scissor beak as well. I hope someone didn't release this bird into the wild because they didn't want to treat her.  If she is still young, a vet can put a cast on the beak that will gradually work the muscles into proper alignment. But even if she's too old for the problem to be corrected, it should be possible for her to live a great life with proper beak maintenance. Please do have her seen by a vet, since this is a time-sensitive issue if she is young. She's super cute, too. I hope you can help her.


Update:
Cockatiel is doing very well, eats a lot and is active; it's trying to escape the makeshift cardboard box cage that we have made for it until a new cage arrives soon.

It would seem as though this bird has been 'discarded' by a irresponsible person, probably after the novelty of a Cockatiel wore off or maybe it's just an abandoned baby. I will take it through quarantine and let it join my other Cockatiel eventually; I live in a smallish community and if anyone wanted the bird back I'd know about. 
Unfortunately as cruel as it may sound to some i won't be getting the beak fixed as it's a natural deformity and i'm sure the bird will do just fine as is.

I'll post some better pictures later so you people can speculate on it's age etc.


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## SyddyBird (May 17, 2012)

At least someone found it, who is willing to give it a good birdie life


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## nassrah (Feb 27, 2012)

If the birdie is eating well and doing fine, I dojnt see a problem with it,but then again,I am not an expert.Ill let the moderators advise on what should be done about the birdie beak.Congrats on looking after him/her properly.May the two of you live a long,very happy life together.I think he/she is lovely.I would also adopt him/her,no problem at all.Have you thought of a name for him/her?Please , keep us posted.X x


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

The problem is that we can't tell you for sure that it IS a natural deformity. It COULD be an injury that caused a dislocation, in which case it might be painful. Please at least have a vet evaluate the beak -- then you can feel free to make an informed choice about whether or not to treat.


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

two things.... i agree about the vet thing in this case. please take this bird to the vet. dont let this beak issue get left as it is, as it CAN be fixed if caught in time... allowing this to go unchecked without allowing the bird a chance at getting it fixed, is not right. get it checked out. dont let the bird suffer.


second, you dont know if it was abandoned, post lost ads. that could be someones pet. post posters, post online about a found bird. dont just keep it and assume it was tossed away. you cant possibly know. IF the beak is an injury, it could have happened when the bird escaped. the owners could very well be looking for her and be very heartbroken and want to see her returned home. its warm out, people are leaving windows and doors open and countless birds are escaping, ive already seen 6 new lost ads for my county alone in the last month. accidents happen, someone can be looking for this bird. please keep posting ads, keep looking for people who've lost their bird. keep searching. if it were my bird i would be absolutely devastated and would hope someone would come forward if they found my bird.


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## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

The bird needs to be taken to a vet. If scissor beak it is treatable with therapy, and if it is an injury then it may still be fixable.


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

Even if it is a congenital deformity, leaving it untreated will mean that the beak will chronically over-grow and the bird will need a lifetime of trims and beak maintenance at the vet.


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## PC9850 (Feb 22, 2012)

In any event, one more in agreement on the vet visit.


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## nassrah (Feb 27, 2012)

Sorry,no it wouldnt be a cool name.Yes,a visit to the vet is very important,not only to check on its beak,but also for a full health check. All the best X x


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## xNx (Jun 6, 2012)

Bird has passed away now :wacko:

Least it was saved from a most likely difficult life of problems etc

I did notice yesterday when inspecting it's beak that it was either dirty or infected in some way; not too sure which.

I don't think a vet visit would have made a difference, besides my closest avian vet is 10 miles away and it's merely an avian vet and if it was financially viable no-one would have had to tell me.:blush:

I'm cleaning up to make sure my Lovebird and Cockatiel don't get any infections passed on etc


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## Fweet (Apr 9, 2012)

Oh poor little feller. He was doing so well too, at least his final days were spent warm & well fed. Sad news.


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

a vet visit could have made the difference here.


sorry for your loss. i think it may still be a good idea to locate the owners, maybe to at least let them know what has happened. its a sad situation, i am sorry you could not do more. vets can be expensive and i am sorry you could not afford it  i am sorry for your loss


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