pikachu Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Do they just molt downy feathers or do they molt the scalloped larger grey feathers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 According to this website, "This molt starts at about eight months and consists of the downy feathers all over the floor. " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray P Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 (edited) They will molt all their feathers from time to time, but the flight feathers will molt in a way that they are always able to fly because of predators. You may find one or two flights at a time. When they regrow that feather they will molt anouther. When the feather wears out they replace it. Edited April 4, 2012 by Ray P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pikachu Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 Yeah, she loses flight & tail feathers, but I'm talking about the nickel-sized ones that are on the neck, chest & back. Do those molt out like the downy ones? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pikachu Posted April 5, 2012 Author Share Posted April 5, 2012 Anyone else have an answer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 It is my understanding that they molt ALL feathers. 100% of them. Depending on environmental conditions, it can happen at different intervals and have different durations/intensities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pikachu Posted April 5, 2012 Author Share Posted April 5, 2012 Thanks Doug. Who watched Ellie while you were on your trip? How did she do? I like to read all your comments about her because Maui is close to her age. She will be one at the end of this month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mistyparrot Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 I got Misty at about two. He was poorly clipped and his feathers were a bit scruffy. He went through two moults over the next two and a half years always starting with the snow storm (his white down) and then the small grey body feathers mostly from his chest. It seemed to happen almost overnight! He always kept a down covering on his body. All came back over a few weeks. His flights grew back after about a year.I gave him calcium supplements and a variety of different nuts, cashews and walnuts are good for all kinds of useful minerals. These always part of his diet. I had to relocate and again he had a minor moult of his chest and neck but everything came back. Two years ago I had to move again and he lost his red tail and they took a year to return. As of now he looks great. After he lost his tail I gave him a dilute solution of "Osteocare" in his morning drink (a preparation of calcium magnesium vit d and magnesium.) I think it helped and it does my old bones good too It seems that the stress of moving home has an effect on his moult but his personality is always much the same and he is always sociable with everyone he meets. Steve n Misty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Thanks Doug.Who watched Ellie while you were on your trip? How did she do? I like to read all your comments about her because Maui is close to her age. She will be one at the end of this month. I travel frequently for my job and my wife, Kelleigh, looks after Ellie. Ellie tolerates Kel, but that is about it. When I go to our local bird club meeting next week, I am going to ask about bird boarding. We will take a family vacation in June and I don't know what to do with Ellie. Until Christmas, we had Kel's brother and his family living in our house, so we always had someone to look after the critters when we went on vacation. Now it is the four of us (me, my wife, and our two children) for the first time in over eight years... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snoepgoed123 Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 to answer your question, greys (and other birds) will molt all their feathers. They are staggered though (so it's not like one day you'll wake up and you see a naked chick, if you do, that's plucking, not molting) All feathers do get replaced at one point or another, the shaft will get weaker, and will need to be replaced. Greys are wonderful little machines, every part of their body serves a purpose, just like their feathers. All the feathers repel water to some extend, and when they can no longer perform that function, because they're old and ratty, they fall out and get replaced by a brand spanking new feather. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xSarahx Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 What ones are the flight feathers??the black ones ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mistyparrot Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 (edited) What ones are the flight feathers??the black ones ?? Yes. they are the darkest wing feathers and on an unclipped bird they will extend to cover the red tail feathers when folded back in rest. This is a pic of Misty with his unclipped wings fully extended just before landing: Misty from the front showing flights extending over tail: A graphic of a typical Grey wing: Steve n Misty Edited April 6, 2012 by Mistyparrot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xSarahx Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWIX Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 I don't know about Greys yet, but my Indian Ring Neck will change most of his feathers when it's molt time, most of the feathers on his head and neck, most of his wings feathers, and all of his tail feathers. He replaces them with awesome looking new ones. I think this should be the case for all parrots if i am not mistaken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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