How to tell if your grey is molting or plucking.

[snowkatt]

My baby is about 1 year old he always had the most beautiful feathers but now he looks rather scruffy I'm very paranoid I am doing something wrong. Hes my first african grey so any advice would be appreciated. He is so very sensitive , I have tried misting him in the shower he hates water. He wont even eat vegetables or fruit in the whole form I have to puree them and make him smoothies everyday. I need to know the difference between molting and plucking and what I should do.

[judygram]

Its probably about time for a molt and he will look a little scruffy but if he is plucking you would see bare places and the feathers you see laying around would have chew marks on them but I doubt that he is plucking.

 

Some greys do not like water but they do need baths, do you have a small cage that you could put him in and use a mister to wet him down. You can also purchase aloe vera juice and use that to mist him with, it makes the feathers softer and the skin more supple.

 

If he is molting you will see pin feathers and he may not want to be petted or touched as those can be very sensitive.

 

Have you tried offering vegetables in different forms, cooked, mashed, raw, chopped and so forth, sometimes they prefer them a certain way but keep offering them for sometimes they take a notion to eat them after avoiding them for a long period of time.

 

Why don't you introduce yourself in the welcome room and tell us some more about you and your grey, like what is his name?

[Dave007]

1 yr old? he's molting

[snowkatt]

What a relief !!! There are no bare spots. Ive tried many forms of vegs but he only likes the puree ,I will keep trying the other forms. Yes I have a smaller cage I will use it . So for the intro Im victoria I live in northern quebec My baby grey, his a name is squeaks (not very original I know) hes quite a charactor hates my cat every opportunity he gets, squeaks shows the cat who's the boss. I also have a hahn's macaw he's the most fiesty parrot ,tiny but thinks hes a big bird. I have a large cat whos terrified of my parrots. tommarow I will upload picures of my zoo :0) Thanks for reponding very much appreciated.

[babypiggy]

this is what i've been told so i hope i have passing onto the right information..

 

your grey is molting if the ends (the pointy part... i guess the quill?) of the feather is round and not damaged...

 

 

your grey is plucking if the feather end is chewed and damaged..

 

plucked feathers

 

<br><br>Post edited by: babypiggy, at: 2009/04/01 05:37

[DavidH]

I found one broken raggedy feather the other day. First time I've found one with a quill. WOndering how and why that happened.

[Dave007]

Periodically, you'll find old or ragged or partially chewed feathers with the quill in the tray because many times, the quill also dries up. And, the feather you found didn't come from the main areas that molt out regularly through the year. Just look and feel quill and you find it hard, thin and sometimes shriveled. It was either covert, tail or wing feathers.<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2009/04/01 22:15

[DavidH]

Thanks, Dave.

[judygram]

That is a real cute name for a grey, Squeaks and it sounds like he is quite a character, I look forward to seeing some pictures of your fids.

[poochbabe]

Ganesha has recently been put on Paxil because of her uncontrollable plucking resulting in blood feather and a lot of pain. She is just a year old and was a rescue from a breeder who was about to put her into sanctuary since she could no longer be sold with a completely naked a raw butt, wings and tail. The vet ruled out all medical causes and sees and monitors her condition reqularly. We are on the Paxil for two and a half weeks now and she is singing and playing like crazy. She is trying new foods, swinging around from her feet in the doorway of her cage and talking more than ever before. Just the past three days I noticed that all of her naked back is filled with dark grey pin feathers and she has many new shoots on her previously naked butt. The last time she has any butt growth she had to go to emergency because she messed with the new feather shaft and it was bleeding. They pulled them all out at that time and we had to start all over again. Now, just starting this last few days the bottom on the cage is filled with white fluff and a lot of grey whole feathers intact with not apparent bite marks or shredding. Have we just gone into a molt in addition to her plucking problem?

[ranaz]

Hi Poochbabe...I dont know enough to answer you, but I just wanna complement you on adopting this bird, you have such a big heart. All the best to both you and Ganesha...

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