Dear Parrots magazine,
Really determined
After reading your article about Macaw ‘Babes’ with a broken beak, I must tell you about one of our budgies, Smokie.
One day I found him with a bloody face and to my shock, I could not see his upper mandible. We phoned a local parrot breeder who thought he should be put to sleep, but we asked advice of our veterinary practice. They didn’t really have avian expertise but, as Smokie was basically healthy and trying to bite fingers with his stump, they suggested waiting and to see how he got on.
We use soft egg mixture as well as seeds and fruit and although looking under par, he did mange some of it. Amazingly, our female budgie became a carer and, as well as brightening him up, she regurgitated seed and fed him. He still doesn’t have a full beak but sings amazingly and tackles all food and preens himself expertly.
Maggie Davis - Cumbria