first molt

[Janfromboone]

Tobie is beginning to molt now. He is 1yr and 3mo. and has worried me that he hasn't molted more than 3-5 feathers this whole year. He is still clipped from before I bought him. Now he is worrying me that he is shedding feathers so much. Is he plucking? Is this a normal molt? He is scratching alot around his head and neck with his foot. The feathers are coming out on his back and chest and the top of his head (I know he can't be plucking those). He has lost about half of the shorter red tail feathers, the ones that feather over the long tail feathers, and two tail feathers. There is down poking out on his chest and back. Does this sound normaL? I probebly find 5-10 feathers a day if I look every where. When I pet his head, rubbing backwards on the feathers like he likes, there are feathers on my shirt from the top of his head. Don't see any pin feathers, but when I smooth the feathers on his chest or head it seems like I feel some or roughness, not as smooth as before. What does a normal molt look like.<br><br>Post edited by: Janfromboone, at: 2008/09/11 04:23

[Suzzique]

Yep everything is totally normal! Just like everything else each bird is different. It can take a few months for them to totally molt out all the old feathers. Alex started with just the down about 6 weeks ago. He has pins all over the place and his chest is starting to look pretty bare. I know it's just the molt because I have the feathers fall out at me as we cuddle. I'm still waiting for the flights to molt out!

[Janfromboone]

Thank's! I feel much better.

[judygram]

Yep, just like Suzanne said, it is all normal.

[2Skittles4u]

I'm glad I ran across this post because I've always been told that AG don't molt! Since Phoenix has never molted, she's 2 and 1/2 years old, I figured it was probably correct. But now I'm questioning my own memory, maybe it was Cockatoos that don't molt? Shoot, I think it's old age, lol.

 

At what age do they start molting? Do they do this every year? How long do the feathers take to come back in?

 

Another question... Skittles (Sun Conure) is nearly 5 years old and she's never molted either. Maybe I'm doing something wrong? Are my birds weird?

 

Linda

[BMustee]

All birds molt...molting is the sheading of old feathers to make room for new ones. Some birds won't go through one BIG molt, but molt all year round. That is normally due to the constant temp of our houses.

 

Greys normally molt around a year of age. You can tell their age because a bird won't molt all the feathers in a cycle. If a grey has a few black tipped tail feathers and a few that are all red then you know it's between 1 and 2 years old. With your Sun...is he Yellow down him back or all green? If he is yellow then he has molted. When they are babies they look like Jenday Conures...a yellow head with a all green body. My Sun never went through a big molt, but molted all year very slowly.

[2Skittles4u]

Yes, that's what my birds do... just a feather here and a feather there. Skittles came to us looking very much like a Jenday but now has her "Sun" colors.

 

She also came to us with no tail. I guess she had a tail phobia or something, but she got over that after a few months. But because of her ripping her tail feathers out in the beginning, I still feel a little panic come up when one of those feathers come out. No worries though.

 

Thank you for letting me know "why" my birds aren't going into a full molt. I guess I don't think about it much since it doesn't happen here.

 

Linda

[danmcq]

The first Molt is the largest, basically replacing all feathers over a period of months. The head/neck and chest are are normally the first to start going. be prepared, your going to have those little white down feathers everywhere. The medium to larger feathers then start to Molt out and finally the Tail and Primaries.

[Mistyparrot]

Misty was two when I adopted him, He went through two molts in two years losing feathers on his front and back. He re-grew his clipped flights and has had beautiful plumage for the last two years. I must say I was worried when the first molt happened. They all seemed to come out over a few days but they all grew back within a couple of months. He is fully flighted now and he will stay that way.

There are food supplements available to help promote feather growth. Although with Misty I just fed him on a varied diet of mixed nuts, vegetables and fruit.

The roughness you feel on Tobie's chest is probably new feathers starting through. I don't think you need worry but if in doubt consult with an avian veterinary specialist.

 

Steve n Misty

[Janfromboone]

Thanks for everyones reply. I love this forum. We all love our birdy babies. It helps us new parrot owners to hear from others more experienced.

[SchroedersJen]

Schroeder's first molt is turning out to be a slooooooow work in progress, and as the new feathers are MUCH darker, he looks a bit like a dalmation. I have been keeping his feathers in a small box (kinda like a childs first hair cut or first lost tooth) and he gets really excited when I open it to put a new feather in. Yesterday he got to the box, opened it and just sat on his old feathers grinding his beak for a good hour. I guess he is proud of them. I have noticed that when larger feathers fall out, he will pick them up and use them to scratch his ears and even shove them in his nostrils like hes picking his nose. What a wierdo.

[danmcq]

I keep all of Dayos Feathers from medium size and up. I have a large gallon baggy full of them. I am going to make a large "Dream Catcher" out of them.

 

LOL - I can just see the large feathers being used to "Pick" orifices. :-)