Tons of downy feathers!!!!

[obendorferma]

Hi everyone,

 

I have a 3 yr old (soon to be 4) CAG. He is losing or plucking tons of downy feathers (most of it is done in his sleeping cage) but no other type of feather. I feed him Harrison's High Potency Course (vet recommended the high potency), a tiny bit of Volkman Eclectus mix seed, and a cooked mixture of Goldenfeast Bean Supreme, Beak a Petite, and mixed veggies. I bought a new light bulb for him (Zoo Med Avian 5.0) about 3 weeks ago so I'm wondering if the lighting might have something to do with it. I give him a shower once a week although he never seems to get wet all the way down to his skin. He gets about 4 to 5 hours of time outside his cage on his playstand. I put a toy in his sleeping cage last night and still saw way too many downy feathers. I haven't taken him to the vet yet because I can't afford the $300 cost right now (I need a root canal and a crown )and I just noticed this problem this week. I haven't changed anything with my routine or the level of attention he is getting. The only thing I have noticed is that he is chewing on wood a lot more than he usually does. Maybe he is starting some hormonal changes. He hasn't been aggressive but has been a little needy in the morning when he knows I am leaving for the gym. Can anyone think of any reason for just downy feathers? He hasn't had a molt in a while but I just think it is strange for him to lose just downy ones and tons of them. I haven't seen any bald spots on him. Thanks

[scrohan]

Well, Sparky is just starting his 1st molt and he has tons of little bitsy feathers everywhere. He hasnt lost any big ones yet and there are no bald spots on him. Since I dont know much from having Sparky just a few months, perhaps one of our more experienced members can advise you. And maybe they can tell us how long a molt takes.

[lovemyGreys]

It may be just a molt, As nothing has changed at all with diet, environment etc..I have two greys who are going through a heavy molt & they are shredding tons of downy feathers.If it was plucking bald patches would appear, i would just keep an eye out & perhaps give a fine misting with aloe.

If you search either plucking or molting in the search bar at the top of the page you will be able to read over previous topics.

[obendorferma]

Thanks for the posts. Well, I took him to the vet even though I probably have delayed my dental work but I couldn't stand the thought of putting off taking him to the vet. The vet said she couldn't find any bacteria or other causes for the feather loss but she did say his skin is dry. She also said she couldn't find bald spots or signs of plucking. She gave me some drops to put on his food (vitamin E, fatty acids). I should hear the results today of the blood work. Hopefully it's just a molt or just itchy dry skin. I did notice less feathers this morning in his sleeping cage (fingers crossed). Does anyone where to get red palm fruit or a good red palm oil? I think Tiki would like that on his food instead of fish oil. Yuck!

[BMustee]

You should google Red Palm Oil...there are tons of sites you can order it from online.

[loviechick]

One of my CAGs plucks the downy feathers, not many but it still happens. I'm pretty sure it's normal, I also tend to notice she does it more when the weather gets hot outside...could be the temps where you live!