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Tail Feathers Ruffled


Sheldon89

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Hello, everyone!

 

My CAG's tail feathers seem to be ruffled, almost to the point of looking mangled or disheveled. Is there any rhyme or reason for the look of his feathers? Is this normal for CAG's? Is there anything I can do to help him remedy it while he preens?

 

Thanks, guys! :)

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How old is he , what size cage was he in? A young bird often has messed up tail feathers from being on the ground so to speak, another way to get those feathers roughed up is in a too small cage or a perch that forces the tail feathers up against one of the sides where they get rubbed.

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How old is he , what size cage was he in? A young bird often has messed up tail feathers from being on the ground so to speak, another way to get those feathers roughed up is in a too small cage or a perch that forces the tail feathers up against one of the sides where they get rubbed.

 

It can't be his cage, that's probably 42x30… Very large, for me at least. :P

And he's 10 years old.

 

Maybe they're not as ruffled as I thoughts, but they look a little scraggily. I'll have to get a picture of what I mean. When they fan out, they look un-preened. Perhaps it was a problem with the previous owner? I'll have to ask the breeder that was caring for him.

 

Thanks!

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Yes please provide a picture so we can see what you are talking about. Also does he play hard with his toys? Some greys get really physical with their toys and playing that they mess up their tail feathers but if you can find out some information from the breeder who was caring for him it may shed some light on why they look so disheveled.

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Yes please provide a picture so we can see what you are talking about. Also does he play hard with his toys? Some greys get really physical with their toys and playing that they mess up their tail feathers but if you can find out some information from the breeder who was caring for him it may shed some light on why they look so disheveled.

 

photo.JPG

 

He won't fluff his feathers for me :P But I'm wondering if this looks normal-ish? They look like each individual one doesn't get as much attention as his other feathers. -shrug-

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Some times its only one or two feathers that can make the tail look bad.

You said your grey is about ten years old and he/she could be ready to molt out some old worn out feathers.

Also some hard playing with its toys or cage damage that can happen even in a large cage.

After you have your grey for a time you will notice that there are periods of time when there feathers look great and periods of time that their feathers look like crap.

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Some times its only one or two feathers that can make the tail look bad.

You said your grey is about ten years old and he/she could be ready to molt out some old worn out feathers.

Also some hard playing with its toys or cage damage that can happen even in a large cage.

After you have your grey for a time you will notice that there are periods of time when there feathers look great and periods of time that their feathers look like crap.

 

I hear there's an Aloe-mixture spray I can use to keep them looking as good as possible, and to help with their skin during harsh climates and little humidity in the winter. Do you think that would help?

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I have young CAG 20 months old who always looks like a mess. His tail has never been beautiful from the day I got him. His tail was all broken and over time he lost them all. His breeders' comment, "If their tails are prefect, they aren't having any fun." Sterling Gris after 15 months has a tail that is not prefect but he is a very active grey, flies all over the house, beats up his toys, and eats like a horse. Besides he has learned to say, "Hello Gorgeous" and "Come here Gorgeous" so I am happy and apparently so is he.

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Besides he has learned to say, "Hello Gorgeous" and "Come here Gorgeous" so I am happy and apparently so is he.

 

Lol! Flattery will get them everywhere! I am trying to teach Gracie "Daddy is a handsome devil", but so far she just looks at me like "give me a break". As far as the tail feather issues, they don't look all that bad to me. Gracie has some feather issues that will hopefully molt out soon. Active greys do seem to do some damage on their feathers. It is part of the deal I assume.

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