Post by siobhan on Jul 16, 2019 10:17:07 GMT -5
I severely injured a knee and wasn't very mobile -- still am not, but better, so going into the birds' room, down two steps, has been difficult. On Saturday, I went into their room and Benjy sat on one hand and Clyde on the other, and Clyde was preening my eyebrows and I didn't really look at Benjy immediately. When I did, I discovered his entire top beak was GONE. Jade has a history of picking on him, and I know he and Clyde get along just fine, so it had to be her. I couldn't find any blood or evidence of the attack, except of course, that his beak is gone. The blood coagulated and had started to scab over by the time I saw this. His tongue is not damaged and his bottom beak is intact.
That day, he was chirping and behaving as if nothing had happened. Sunday, he was a little subdued, but still flying and chirping. Yesterday (Monday) he was about the same as Sunday. I got some budgie pellets and made mush with them and put water in a lid so it would be easy to reach so he could try to scoop it up with the bottom beak, and got a dropper to put a little mush and water on his tongue (VERY carefully, and only a drop at a time). He hates this and fights me and I don't want to stress him, so I have only done it a little.
Jade has gone to live with a friend who has two other Quakers and is very happy there. I should have done that the very first time she bit Benjy and we wouldn't be in this position. The others don't even seem to miss her. She kept to herself and if she did interact with anyone, it was her bullying somebody, or trying to (Clyde fought back so she didn't try to bully him).
This morning, Benjy seemed about the same as yesterday. He must be able to get some water and food into his crop or he'd have deteriorated drastically by now. However, I'm constantly tensed to go in that room and find him dead.
Does anyone have any experience with caring for a bird without a beak? And whatever you can think of to say to me about it being careless and stupid to let Jade have access to Benjy after she'd proved she isn't trustworthy, I've already said it to myself, to my friend who took Jade, and to Benjy.
That day, he was chirping and behaving as if nothing had happened. Sunday, he was a little subdued, but still flying and chirping. Yesterday (Monday) he was about the same as Sunday. I got some budgie pellets and made mush with them and put water in a lid so it would be easy to reach so he could try to scoop it up with the bottom beak, and got a dropper to put a little mush and water on his tongue (VERY carefully, and only a drop at a time). He hates this and fights me and I don't want to stress him, so I have only done it a little.
Jade has gone to live with a friend who has two other Quakers and is very happy there. I should have done that the very first time she bit Benjy and we wouldn't be in this position. The others don't even seem to miss her. She kept to herself and if she did interact with anyone, it was her bullying somebody, or trying to (Clyde fought back so she didn't try to bully him).
This morning, Benjy seemed about the same as yesterday. He must be able to get some water and food into his crop or he'd have deteriorated drastically by now. However, I'm constantly tensed to go in that room and find him dead.
Does anyone have any experience with caring for a bird without a beak? And whatever you can think of to say to me about it being careless and stupid to let Jade have access to Benjy after she'd proved she isn't trustworthy, I've already said it to myself, to my friend who took Jade, and to Benjy.
