Plucking or molting...someone is going to be bald before long!

[carriekinz]

We've had Colton for three weeks now I think. The day after he arrived he was chatting up a storm--and hasn't stopped--and the feathers he'd plucked at his last home were growing back wonderfully (from no red tail feathers to over two inch red tail feathers). We were so proud that he felt at home with us, these were great signs, right?

 

Three nights ago my husband opened the cage to let him out (the first time since his arrival) and Colton was happily climbing around, seemed very happy. My husband picked him up to put him in the cage for bed, he seemed alright with that. Since the next morning Colton has been plucking like mad. Downy feathers EVERYWHERE. And this morning his three lovely long red tail feathers were lying on the bottom of the cage.

 

I am so disappointed. What could have caused this after such a promising start? Did we cause him too much stress with his walkabout out of the cage? Nothing else has changed--same food, same water, same placement of toys, cage hasn't moved an inch. No chemicals are being used in the house, no disruption that we can think of (except I did put a movie on for him one afternoon, ha ha). Could this be molting rather than plucking? How do I tell the difference? He was vet checked top to bottom and they found no problems whatsoever health wise--his plucking is an emotional issue.

[Dave007]

If you didn't see any chewed up tail feathers on the bottom of the cage or at the base where the tail feathers come out of the body then it was parobably a molt. If he's a bird who's between 9 to 14 mts, it was probably his first major molt.Usually, the first major molt and all molts that follow will occur in the same way as you described--one day there's nothing there and the next day they're all over the place. The 9 to 14 mt time line could vary by a couple of months.

[carriekinz]

Thank you for your reply!

 

He is three years old. I just checked the tail feathers and they do not come to a point at the end, like you'd see in chicken feathers...but they don't looked gnawed on either, just broken. But I really don't know how a chewed one would look anyways...so it's possible he plucked these out.

 

He is chatty and active, eating and drinking just fine. Not itching so badly today.

[Dave007]

That's probably why he was picking at them. 2 reasons--

1--the feathers were dying or dead and

2--the skin was probably dry, itchy which is common during all molts. Give him cooling baths or cooling sprays frequently. Keeping the skin moisturized and supple helps a bird get through this irritating time.