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Post by rickygonzalez on Jun 10, 2015 22:53:17 GMT -5
Hey guys! It has been a crazy few weeks. Vacation, loss of 3 friends in one week. Really busy to say the least. Anyway, I got back from Georgia and Sonic had a small patch of missing feathers in his cheek. I can't figure how he would pluck there. I have seen a few feathers on the cage floor. No bald spots anywhere on him. How do you tell if it's a moult. Is it driven by seasons, or do they moult whenever?
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Post by easttex on Jun 11, 2015 5:48:44 GMT -5
Hi Ricky, sorry to read about your friends.
That would be an odd spot to pluck, but it could be something other than a molt. A molted feather has an intact shaft, with no blood or bits of tissue. Birds will usually molt symmetrically, so you'd expect to see Sonic's other cheek with missing feathers, also. It's been my experience with indoor birds that they will molt more gradually, off and on throughout the year. This is good, in my opinion, since it can be a very physically stressful thing if done all at once.
Another possibility would be if something pulled them out, if he got them caught on a toy, for example. Or maybe something is bothering him in that spot and he managed to scratch them out. I'd check his skin in that spot and look for anything unusual.
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Post by aaron on Jun 11, 2015 12:28:42 GMT -5
Sorry to hear about your friends, Ricky. I would think that a missing patch on his cheek would have to be something like what Easttex mentioned -- either he rubbed that part extensively on something, or it got caught somewhere... Cupcake once had a little bald patch next to her beak opening because she had an accident flying and flew into the back of a chair. But I agree, definitely examine that location for any irritation or damage. I haven't read the whole thing, but I like other articles by this author-- it seems like there's a bunch of good info on molting here: www.2ndchance.info/molt.htm |
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Post by rickygonzalez on Jun 12, 2015 13:23:23 GMT -5
Very interesting read Aaron, thank you. I am pretty well convinced he is moulting. I cleaned his cage and vaccumed up enough feathers to make pretty sure that's what's going on. Still don't know what caused the thing on his cheek, maybe I never will know for sure. He is happy and very clingy since I have been home. All to be expected I suppose.
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Post by aaron on Jun 13, 2015 20:55:21 GMT -5
Glad to help! And glad to hear that you've concluded that Sonic is simply molting. That's good. Let us know if you ever figure out what caused the patch on the cheek!
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Post by rickygonzalez on Jun 13, 2015 23:17:41 GMT -5
Just a quick question, he dropped one of his clipped flight feathers which was replaced very quickly with a new one. He has not dropped one on the other wing, I thought they would drop simultaneously. I guess I'm just ready for him to be able to fly again.
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Post by aaron on Jun 14, 2015 10:35:07 GMT -5
Yeah, I dunno... I've certainly seen Cupcake molt in an asymmetrical pattern to some degree... but it's always symmetrical enough that it doesn't not impact flight-- I don't think you can count on perfect symmetry.
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Post by biteybird on Jun 15, 2015 3:18:05 GMT -5
Hi Ricky, I'd love to be of help here, but Bonnie has been preening and moulting continuously for months (we have had 'up and down' weather here in Australia) so I have never noticed any pattern at all...
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Post by cnyguy on Jun 15, 2015 19:33:11 GMT -5
Flight feathers are typically molted symmetrically, but body feathers may not be. Head, breast and tail feathers may molt more randomly-- and it can sometimes be hard to track exactly where the lost feathers came from.
Not all parrots molt at the same time of year, or for the same length of time. My old Amazon George usually molted in early spring and late fall, each molt lasting about 6 weeks. Ralph's molts usually start at about this time of year (and he's right on schedule now), and are very slow and gradual, lasting up to 7 months. A friend has a Severe Macaw who molts very gradually year-round.
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Post by aaron on Jun 16, 2015 9:34:19 GMT -5
Cupcake will molt for many months on end as well. I think she was molting for 6 months out of the past year. She hasn't been molting for a while right now-- I am expecting it to start up again in the next month or two...
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