red feathers

[Suzzique]

Alex is going threw his first molt. He has always been all grey. As far as I know he doesn't have any red factor. But he now has 2 feathers that have a red dot on them. These are the new feathers coming in. It's not the whole feather it is just a red dot on the feather. It shouldn't be a lycine deficiency because he gets tons of stuff that is high in lycine. Any ideas on why he has new feathers coming in with red dots? Oh and both are on his neck. :unsure:

[BMustee]

Elmo has one feather on the back of her neck with a red (really more pink) dot on it too. Her feather is a "baby" feather that hasn't molted out yet. She also has dark red on the bottom half of all her flight feathers. As far as I can tell it's red factor, not a deficiency.

[danmcq]

I agree with Berna on it not being a deficiency. The occasional red feather here and there is fairly common. :-)

[nims]

My CAG indy also has some red colouration on the ends of her feathers mainly near her chest, underside and leg area. She is only six months old and will probably have her first moult in the next 6 months or so.

 

Nims

[Suzzique]

That is just it though. Alex is no longer a baby and IS molthing. It is the NEW feathers that are coming in with the red dots. Not the old baby feathers. I always thought if it was red factor it started with red feathers as a baby and they molted out. :unsure: :blink:

[judygram]

No I guess the red feathers could come in at any time, but I think most of them do have them as babies with it molting out, you can always call your vet and ask, Suzanne.

[Suzzique]

Yeah I can call and ask but you know how vets are it's bring him in and lets run $300+ worth of tests. He is totally fine otherwise and I'm just a worry wort.

[Tycos_mom]

Is your vet really like that? Mine isn't I call her all the time and ask questions and as long as I am fairly detailed about what I'm asking she will usually give me her expert opinion on the question I'm asking about. Mind You when Sprout was hand feeding because Tyco bit his beak off she phoned me twice a week to make sure he was getting enough to eat, she's so awesome how many vets actually phone you to mane sure everything is going ok.

[judygram]

I guess they can vary can't they Pat, yours is one of the exceptional ones I'm sure and my vet has done the same thing but not all are alike, some are more interested in how much money they can milk out of you.

[Suzzique]

I live in CA so even though he is a great vet (I am really quite happy with him)they wont tell you anything over the phone it is ALL bring them in and let us see them. Doesn't matter what kind of animal. CA is a nice place to visit you DON'T want to live here. I love the weather but really I can't wait until the hubby can retire from the navy and we can move.

[BMustee]

I have a really cool vet too, he's helped me with my finches over the phone and has had my e-mail him pictures so he can see what i'm talking about. One of my female Star finches was losing the color in her beak and everyone I discribed it to said "scaly-face mites" but I knew it wasn't that. When I asked my vet he said to send him pics and he e-mailed me back the next day and said it looked like it could be a vitamin A deficiency and to try to treat for that first before anything else and sure enough not long after I started using Nekon in their water he beak went back to normal.

 

 

As for the red factor...some birds have it only as a baby, others can be 15 before a red feather pops up.<br><br>Post edited by: BMustee, at: 2008/09/07 07:06

[nims]

darn couldnt get my pic on

 

http://s405.photobucket.com/albums/pp135/nims1984/?action=view&current=red.jpg

 

Hope this works......its a pic of indy's belly.<br><br>Post edited by: nims, at: 2008/09/11 23:45