The parrot's feathers are coming out. How to deal with feather loss in parrots

Now we know why budgerigars molt.

There are several reasons for this:

• natural molt;
• transferred stress;
• French molt;
• fungal diseases;
• tick infestation;
• avitaminosis;
• hormonal imbalance.

As you can see, in most cases, the molting process is natural and proceeds calmly, without complications. But if you notice symptoms of the disease, you should definitely take your pet to the veterinarian. And do not waste time if the parrot plucks feathers from the tail, itches, and at the same time behaves irritably.

Your friend and pet has become downcast and sad, his feathers lie in shreds at the bottom of the cage. What can be the reason for the deterioration of the health of a parrot? Let's figure it out.

Causes of feather loss

Parrot feathers begin to fall out for the following reasons.

If feathers budgerigar become rare, the fluff began to crumble heavily, and in some places the skin has already appeared, it is worth starting to act immediately:

To decide how to protect your pet from illness, you must first figure out why the feathers fall out of the budgerigar?

Therefore, preventing the occurrence of the causes of baldness will be the main rules of prevention:

1. Balanced diet, add fruits, vegetables, boiled egg protein, vitamin supplements to the diet.
2. Optimal conditions of detention, a cage sufficient for its volume, normal humidity and air temperature.
3. Reducing the number of stressful situations for the pet, protect it from loud noises, street views, cats, pay more attention to it, talk to the parrot, teach new tricks.
4. Do not smoke near the bird, do not use odorous aerosols and sprays.

And remember that if a parrot loses feathers on its head, most likely, the problem will be solved by simple and effective methods of prevention. Health to you and your pet!

parrot feather loss

Are you so used to waking up in the morning to the chirping of your parrot that you can’t even imagine another “alarm clock”? What if you are in recent times noticed that the bottom of the cage of your sonorous and vociferous pet is covered with his own feathers - it's time to sound the alarm. If you continue to ignore this problem, then, soon, not only will your parrot lose its plumage, but you will be left without your vociferous alarm clock.

About why feathers fall out of parrots, a sign of what serious diseases such a loss can be and, of course, about how to treat and how to prevent such a phenomenon - our publication will tell you about all this today ...

Baldness of parrots - causes of feather loss

On our website, we discussed the topic of parrot diseases. But, today we would like to dwell in more detail on the problem of baldness and feather loss in these pets. According to feathered breeders, baldness of the breast of a parrot or the back of its body is a fairly common problem.

Moreover, sometimes such feathers can fall out on their own, and sometimes ... your favorite parrot, for an inexplicable reason for you, can pull them out of its own accord.

When a handsome parrot loses feathers, the owners are very worried about this and worry that now their pet will remain bald or die. In fact, in some cases, the causes of this phenomenon can be established, and as a result of the measures taken, the bird will regain its former, bright and healthy appearance.

The most harmless reason why parrot feathers fall out is natural molting. All healthy individuals annually (1 - 2 times in 12 months) change the old plumage to a new one. At the same time, they can behave in an unusual way: restless or dejected.

During normal molting, the feathers of the parrot fall out gradually, no foci of baldness are formed. An exception is cases when a parrot pulls out growing hemp feathers that disturb him. To alleviate the condition of the bird and the speedy flow of molting, minerals, amino acids and vitamins are added to the diet.

The skin can be softened with a neutral baby cream.

Sometimes parrots are deprived or receive less of some substances and vitamins important for health due to the fact that their diet is rather monotonous.

It happens that the diet consists only of dry grain mixtures, or seeds of one or two species predominate in it.

Therefore, having noticed that feathers fall out of a parrot, you should critically review the bird’s menu, adding soft, animal and vegetable feed, vitamins and minerals to it (you can buy ready-made preparations), and diversify the grain composition of mixtures.

Having discovered that feathers fall out of a parrot, it is necessary to exclude versions of a tick or fungal infection.

It happens that the reason for the loss of feathers in a parrot lies in a hormonal imbalance or dysfunction of the thyroid gland.

As a rule, the feathers of such birds are without shine, disheveled and sometimes darkened at the ends, and the body weight is excessive.

If there is a possibility of a hormonal failure, the doctor sends the parrot to take tests, according to the results of which he prescribes injections, a course of drugs inside.

Parrots are quite shy, prone to stress and even depression. Therefore, with strong emotional experiences (they took the bird in their hands, scared it with noise, transported it, gifted it, etc.), they may experience the so-called shock molt.

Causes of loss

There are many reasons why parrot feathers fall out. The main ones include:

• natural molt;
• avitaminosis;
• fungal and tick-borne diseases;
• hormonal disorders;
• french and shock molting.

Now let's talk about each of them in more detail.

For each parrot, you need to choose your own microclimate, and it is not uncommon when, when any condition changes, the parrot begins to shed or go bald from the head, gradually moving to the wings, tail and chest. Examples of environmental baldness:

1. Close cell. The parrot has grown up and is physically cramped in this cage, it begins to scratch on the bars.
2. Unfavorable air environment. This also includes too dry air, especially if the cage is too close to heating appliances. Also smoking or air fresheners in the room where the parrot lives.
3. Wrong lighting. Fluorescent lamps are not suitable for parrots, and flickering lamps cause birds a lot of stress.
4. Allergic reaction. Maybe they recently changed the filler and added new food to the diet, you need to undo these actions and return everything to its place.

Why do budgerigars drop feathers? The reasons for this phenomenon can be physiological and pathological.

Why do parrots pluck feathers? The reasons for this may be the following:

Often a parrot begins to pluck feathers, being in a state of frustration, which can provoke depression or neurosis. Depending on the nature of the bird, it can become aggressive or vice versa too depressed, but it always starts to pluck the feathers.

Frustration can be provoked by:

• boredom (the owner is not at home for a long time, and when he comes, he does not pay attention to the parrot);
• stress due to the loss of a partner or owner;
• other pets or children who haunt the parrot;
• strangers who pester a bird:
• a new parrot that you don't like;
• violation of the daily routine;
• not accepting a parrot by other members of the flock;
• fear of separation from the owner;
• moving the cage to another place where there is little light, drier air and less attention is paid to the bird, because of which the pet feels that it is not needed and starts pinching its feathers with grief.

Why feathers fall out of a budgerigar is difficult to answer right away. Because there are many reasons for this. The simplest - molting, poor food, unsanitary conditions and poor care or bored. Then you need to buy a pair. The sooner this happens, the better. But in order to resort to such drastic measures, it is still worth making sure that this is not:

A parrot without feathers can remain after severe stress or overexertion. If the place of residence is located near industries that pollute the atmosphere, then it is quite possible that it is time to change the microclimate not only for the bird, but also for the owners. Since the unstable environmental situation will affect people.

It is also important to remember the following, that in the room where the chick lives, fluorescent lamps that flicker should not be screwed in. Lighting with the help of such bulbs adversely affects birds. This is especially true budgerigars, as there is a stressful situation for them and their perception.

You can prove to yourself that this is how molting occurs by the following signs. Firstly, the plumage does not fall out so intensively as to strew the entire floor of the cage. Secondly, seasonal fallout occurs only twice a year: spring and autumn. AT winter period the bird, on the contrary, grows and warms. Thirdly, the pen change process lasts up to a month, plus or minus 2 days.

My budgerigar is losing feathers from its wing, what should I do? Natalya Lapteva

Hello, Natalia!

There are a lot of reasons for the loss of fly wings, and the best thing in this case would be to show your feathered friend to a veterinarian.

Moulting in budgerigars

What is natural molting? This is a natural physiological process of changing the feather cover.

The periodic change of feathers in healthy birds with the replacement of the old plumage with a new one - all this is called molting. If the budgerigar is healthy, then when proper care, maintenance and feeding, molting passes almost imperceptibly.

The first molt in a chick is called juvenile: it begins at the age of 4-6 months and ends by the first year of life. During this period, the nestling feather cover is replaced by a permanent (adult) one.

With normal molting, the feather change occurs gradually, there should not be bare skin. Growing young feathers can cause itchy skin in a parrot, and the bird can sometimes pull them out.

Natural shedding does not require any treatment. During the molting period, you need to diversify the nutrition of the parrot, introduce vitamins and minerals into the diet, transfer the parrot from the daily diet to feed during molting.

Differences between moult and disease

To determine why a budgerigar's feathers fall out, one must be able to distinguish between a natural molt and a disease. To do this, look at the pet.

• Check if he has peeling on the skin, check if he refuses to eat, and what his droppings look like.
• Take a closer look at the fallen feathers, if they are darkened, with traces of blood at the base, this may be a symptom of an illness. Normal molting does not provoke such signs. Parrots eat normally and feel good.

Juvenile molt. This is a natural and necessary process that occurs when the bird is not yet six months old. The first feathers fall out and are replaced by the plumage of an adult bird.

Natural molting occurs in autumn and spring, some feathers fall out and are gradually replaced by new ones. In a healthy, well-groomed parrot, this condition is almost imperceptible.

Shedding caused by diseases

Types of molting

The fact that molting is also different is not known to all novice lovers of small creatures. They are ready only by hearsay for the standard seasonal ones. But there is also juvenile, deficient, shock.

Juvenile

Occurs once in the life of birds: at three or four months old. So there is a complete replacement of the generic pen with a permanent plumage. The duration of such alopecia reaches two months.

shock

Such a problem will arise if the little creature is at home most of the time, and when the owner returns, no one deals with him or talks to him. To prevent this from happening, experts recommend leaving the radio or TV turned on for the baby. Hearing human speech, the chick will feel that he is not alone.

scarce

This type occurs under the condition of a lack of calcium. If the owner forgot to buy chalk for the parrot (they sell it in every pet store), then urgently buy and give it to the bird. You can understand that this is a deficient molt by the loss of a feather on the wings.

Developmental Defects

A disease called "French molt" affects chicks that are just emerging from the nest. Birds lose all flight and tail feathers, they cannot fly. The reasons for this have not been fully elucidated. Perhaps this is due to the lack of vitamins and proteins in the diet. There is a genetic predisposition.

Diagnosis and treatment of feather loss

It is important that if you have several parrots, inspect all the birds, the sick must be resettled. Healthy people also need special care and examination, you could overlook something.

Treatment is based on fundamental factors:

1. Nutrition. Balance the feed, add apples, yolk and carrots to food.
2. Ecology. Clean the cage and all fixtures (check the cage, suddenly it is small), normalize the humidity and freshness of the air.
3. Peace. It is necessary to treat a parrot not only with calmness, but also with attention in order to eliminate boredom.
4. If the bird's feathers are shed evenly from head to toe and there are no other symptoms, especially self-plucking, treatment will help within 1-2 weeks.
5. Contact a specialist in time.

Panic is not The best way cure the disease, coordinate your actions and help your pet. Health parrots.

Diagnosis of the causes of feather loss in a parrot and treatment

Having described the main reasons - why feathers fall out of a parrot, it is important to focus on what to do to avoid such a problem, and in case of illness, how to treat it?

To alleviate the symptoms of molting and avoid beriberi, it is worth adding vitamins and amino acids to the diet. They can even be used in the form of special preparations, not to mention their natural administration in the form of fruits, various cereals and herbs. Be sure to follow the full nutrition of the parrot!

It is very important that the parrot lives in comfortable conditions. First of all, he must have a spacious cage. The parrot must breathe fresh and sufficiently humid air.

In no case should you keep a bird near heaters, air conditioners, smoke near it and use aerosols and other chemicals. This will certainly provoke an uncontrolled loss of plumage.

In the room where the feathered pet lives, there should be neutral lighting. If the lamp is constantly flickering, it will certainly lead to stress, and as a result, to the loss of plumage.

And most importantly - love and care for your parrot, talk to him, praise him and pay enough attention.

You may have many pets and parrots, but for a parrot you are one. You are his the whole world and the greatest happiness in his feathered life. Watch a video on how to carry out prophylaxis against feather-eaters, a chimney mite.

Indications

According to veterinarians, baldness of parrots, namely the chest or back, is a common disease of feathered brothers. Reasons when a parrot drops feathers:

• molting, that is, age-related plumage replacement;
• physical and medical reasons;
• stress and boredom - the psychological state of the parrot;
• ecology - the ecological cause of molting;
• keeping a pet is an unbalanced diet and illiterate bird care.

Medical reasons include problems associated with injuries, allergies and hormonal failure in the body. These aspects appear immediately throughout the body and are often accompanied by itching, and if the parrot begins to pull out its plumage.

natural molt

Each bird replaces the old plumage with a new one - a natural molt. It is divided into periodic and juvenile molting.

Periodic change of feathers takes place twice a year. With proper care of the parrot, such a molt is almost imperceptible and occurs gradually. First, fluff falls out, then feathers, all this lasts only a month. If a parrot has periodic molting, it is calm enough and flies well.

Juvenile molting is the initial change of feathers, occurs at 3-4 months and lasts approximately 2 months. Abundant loss of feathers and periodic baldness of the parrot, as well as depression, are characteristic of this period.

During natural molting, the parrot needs enhanced nutrition: more nutrients and minerals, protein and sufficient air humidity. If you do not diversify your diet and do not add the required amount of minerals to the diet, molting will become prolonged, and your parrot will turn into a “plucked chicken”.

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shock moult

Shock shedding - baldness after stress. Reminiscent of natural molting, but when there is a sudden and strong shedding of feathers, usually in tufts.

You can help a bird with a shock molt by providing enhanced nutrition, as well as heating it under a lamp. Because during stress, the parrot itself cannot control the body temperature and there is a great risk of catching a parrot.

Avitaminosis is a lack of vitamins and nutrients. So it goes bald with the same food, when the owner gives the same food for some time in the absence of opportunity, time, or out of ignorance. In this case, it is necessary to add apples, carrots, egg yolk and multivitamins for plates to the diet.

Fungus and tick

When parrots develop a fungus or mite, in addition to shedding feathers and down, symptoms such as sores, peeling and scabs appear. On the feathers from the cage, you can observe blood and holes. If a parrot has a tick or fungus, he begins to pluck his feathers and itch himself.

Diagnosis of the fungus is carried out in a veterinary clinic, and a tick can be found on its own. To do this, you need to put a clean, light cloth or a white sheet of paper on the bottom of the cage for a day or at night, then examine it. As shown in the photo: black sticks are clearly visible.

Hormonal disbalance

Hormonal failure occurs in single parrots. They begin self-plucking, that is, pulling out their feathers. In order to help your pet, you need to find a mate for breeding or just buy a second parrot. There is also a medical solution - seasonal drinking of special preparations.

french moult

French moult is one of the most dangerous forms of baldness in parrots. Obviously the bird is balding on the wings and tail, and the new ones grow poorly or are completely absent. The appearance of short or undeveloped feathers, often with clotted blood on the shaft, prevents the bird from flying. That is, the change of feathers occurred when they had not yet become old, the fallen feathers remained alive.

Veterinarians often bring parrots for diagnosis, which have baldness on the neck, sometimes on the back of the chest. Experts consider this a common feathered disease and name the main reasons why a parrot often goes bald:

• Moulting is a natural replacement for feathers with age.
• Physical and medical aspects that caused the loss of feathers.
• stressful situations.
• The loss of feathers is caused by a violation of the environment.
• Violations of the rules for keeping birds.

begins to go bald from the tail area, then feathers begin to fall all over the body. Such a diagnosis can be made independently, but this does not mean that you can not visit the veterinary hospital.

There are times when a parrot loses feathers simultaneously on all parts of the body. At this time, he notices itching, the bird tries to pull out the feathers on its own. This condition of the bird is associated with medical reasons, which are caused by injuries, allergic reactions and hormonal failure of the body.

Malnutrition and avitaminosis

If the parrot's feathers fall out regularly, then the problem lies in the wrong diet. Often, in order to save money, owners buy cheaper food for parrots, and this is a direct threat to them.

The benefit of such food is reduced to a minimum. Such feeds are aimed simply at filling the stomach, their composition is monotonous and meager.

In this case, you should change the bird's menu, enriching it various types cereals, fruits, vegetables, herbs, provide for the regular use of vitamins and minerals by the parrot, because the state of his health directly depends on this.

They complain that their wards have noticed the loss of feathers. This fact makes you seriously worried, because a bird without feathers looks extremely painful. In this article, we will talk about the probable causes of feather loss in parrots, consider the main methods of treating and preventing such an unpleasant phenomenon, but looking ahead, I would like to say that in most cases of feather loss, this is a normal biological process. Read more…

natural molt

It is an absolutely normal biological process when old weak feathers are replaced with new and strong ones. In this case, the feathers fall out and are replaced evenly, you will not see any bare areas, only old feathers in the cage that have fallen out. The parrot can fly. There is a natural molt 1-2 times a year. In some breeds, it is impossible to distinguish any kind of time frame - feathers are constantly updated gradually, in most you can notice such changes over time. Changes in behavior are also noticed: the parrot is restless or dull.

shock moult

Another reason why parrots drop feathers. These birds are very shy and any stress can affect their body. One such manifestation of stress is feather loss. Usually, it occurs with strong frights, when the bird is re-gifted to a new owner, frightened by a sharp noise or some kind of action.

Signs of shock molting will be the loss of plumage in tufts, usually in the tail section or small coverts. As a rule, when the bird calms down, its plumage returns to normal.

Avitaminosis

The lack of vitamins in the body is another no less common cause feather fallout. They directly affect the growth of plumage, claws, the general condition of the bird. When the body lacks a vitamin, it will definitely affect.

Usually, parrots with a varied diet suffer from beriberi, when only a few types of grains are included in the daily food, there are no greens, vegetables and fruits that must be present. Recommends getting acquainted with the necessary vitamins. What vegetables can be given to a parrot we described here in, and what fruits to pamper a bird with.

Vitamin preparations are sold in veterinary pharmacies.

Fungal and tick diseases

Fungi and mites that enter, take root and multiply on the skin of a parrot cause great harm to the bird. Feathers begin to fall out, bare patches of skin appear.

You also need to examine the paws, beak, wax for the presence of the above symptoms.

Hormonal disorders

Hormones are substances that, in very small doses, have a huge impact on the body of a parrot and anyone else. There are various hormones that the endocrine glands produce. We will not delve too far, we will analyze the main ones: these are the thyroid gland and the pituitary gland.

Violation of plumage growth occurs as a result of a lack of a certain hormone or its excess.

If the thyroid gland produces little of the hormone thyroxine or iodine. The veterinarian prescribes appropriate replacement therapy.

If there is a malfunction of the pituitary gland (manifested by profuse prolapse), this disease, unfortunately, is bad or not at all treatable.

french moult

This is a serious disease that manifests itself from an early age of chicks, most often in budgerigars. It is characterized by the complete loss of flight and tail feathers even before the chicks leave the nest, or in the near future after the flight. As a result, naked chicks are not able to fly, and move by jumping and with the help of their beak on the ground.

The exact causes of occurrence cannot be named. Veterinarians speculate that French Molt develops as a result of insufficient protein intake, since not all chicks from the same brood are susceptible to the disease, and sick chicks have lower levels of protein than healthy ones.

With proper care and nutrition, the parrot fledges and cannot be distinguished from a healthy one.

It is also important to note that the disease can be inherited. That is, it is not advisable to use parrots that have been ill or in which there have been cases of unhealthy offspring in the future for breeding.

We hope you now know why the parrot's feathers fall out and you can ask for help in time if it is a disease.

Every self-respecting bird breeder should know what to do if a budgerigar is losing feathers. And despite the fact that there can be many reasons for this, you need to be able to determine the real reason in time and take any action if necessary.

Surely each of you knows that budgerigars and other species of birds during the year are subject to the process of replacing the old plumage with a new one. There is nothing wrong with this process. On the contrary, your pet will be transformed and will look like new.

Thus, the systematic loss of feathers occurs once or twice a year. During this period, your bird becomes somewhat restless, as the growing plumage causes it to.

As for the molting process itself, it proceeds very calmly. Feathers that fall out from a pet do not expose any parts of its body. It doesn't last more than one day.

shock moult

This molt in birds causes stress. It just so happens that your budgerigar can, for example, change its owner and get to a completely unfamiliar person. However, stress in your pet can be caused by a whole bunch of factors, which can be listed for a long time.

In any case, for whatever reason your pet is stressed, it can affect the quality of his plumage.

Surely you have seen photos of birds that are missing part of the feather cover. At the same time, the loss of feathers can affect not only any wing, but also the tail of the pet. For example, birds engaged in self-plucking do not have feathers under them. This behavior, which is unusual for budgerigars, may be due to a lack of attention from the owner.

A lonely parrot is left to himself. And if he has absolutely nothing to do and no one to talk to, then he can start to engage in self-plucking.

If your parrot eats cheap and low-quality food, then he will probably get sick sooner or later. In a budgerigar, everything he needs must be present. If they are not, then you run the risk that your pet will develop any diseases.

At the same time, the lack of essential vitamins and minerals affects not only the feather cover of the bird, but also its well-being.

In particular, beriberi is one of the most common reasons why your pet loses plumage.

Fungus and mites

Therefore, if you notice that the parrot has areas devoid of plumage under the wings or in general on the body, then immediately take a closer look at the fallen feathers. If traces of pet blood are visible on their tips or damaged areas stand out, then immediately consult a veterinarian.

However, the presence of a fungus in a bird or can be determined by other signs. In this case, on the exposed parts of the pet's body there will be characteristic traces in the form of peeling, small wounds or plaques.

Hormonal imbalance

It just so happens that birds, however, like other living beings, including humans, experience various hormonal disorders caused by a malfunction of the endocrine glands. In this case, the birds usually lose part of the feather cover and other troubles.

In order to somehow counteract the trouble that happened to your parrot, contact your veterinarian immediately. Only he can not only determine the real cause of your pet's plumage loss, but also prescribe an appropriate course of therapy for him.

french moult

On the last place The list of reasons given in this article for why your feathered fidget may begin to lose plumage is the French molt.

This disease has not yet been sufficiently studied, as well as methods of counteracting the disease. However, we can say with confidence that this is one of the most difficult causes that is not so easy to deal with.

This conclusion was made due to the fact that only one or a couple of the entire brood can suffer from this disease. At the same time, if you provide them with high-quality and balanced food, then it is likely that their feather cover will soon return to normal.

I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the French molt affects mainly young individuals who have not yet had time to leave their native nest, or some time after that.

When planning to acquire a feathered pet, few people think about the nuances in caring for him. It always seems that the risk factors for certain diseases will be excluded in a homely atmosphere. And when a healthy young bird suddenly begins to lose plumage, the owners, incompetent in veterinary matters, attribute this to a seasonal molt. But things may not be that simple.

Causes of baldness

Behind baldness, a rather serious infectious disease can be hidden, which is not so easy to recognize on your own. You will need professional help in a veterinary clinic, where they will make a diagnosis and explain further actions. The process of natural molting in birds takes place 1-2 times a year and is rarely accompanied by a change in behavior. If the pet becomes inactive, often itches and, even worse, pulls out feathers, it is urgent to look for the cause of the disease. Parrots are inherently quite impressionable, so problems with plumage can cause:

• slightest stress;
• fright;
• elementary boredom;
• quarrels in the family;
• deficit necessary elements in the diet;
• airborne toxins (cigarette smoke, aerosols);
• lack / excess of light;
• tight cage.

Important! To ensure a healthy bird appearance, the elementary thing that the owner can do is not skimp on attention and affection and exclude critical stressful situations.

Signs of a serious illness often appear on the first day. A little attention and a timely appointment with an ornithologist will help prevent its development. The disease directly affects the appearance - the plumage becomes dull, brittle, disheveled.

Feather shedding control

It is worth noting that the loss of 2-3 feathers is not a reason to panic. But moderate or severe baldness is associated with a violation of the health of the parrot and serves as a wake-up call for the owners. When dealing with a disease to a specialist, it is important to find an experienced veterinarian who will try to cure the bird - he will explain the situation, prescribe tests, prescribe a set of procedures, and comfort the restless owners. It is quite difficult to understand on your own the disease that has overtaken a parrot, according to primary signs. A delay in contacting a specialist can lead to a deplorable state, up to the development of an incurable disease. In order to avoid further ordeals, with a complex course of the disease, the euthanasia of animals becomes a necessity. Therefore, start treatment as early as possible, fight for the health of your pet.

If a disease is suspected, the owner of the parrot should:

By setting the frequency of visits to the doctor from the age of the chick, you can avoid serious illnesses of the pet and unnecessary stress his master.

• Alexander

  Good afternoon.
  I have a yellow rosella parrot.
  Recently (2 weeks) I noticed that he is turning gray, namely the tips of the wings and tail. also on the tail on the plumage there are only arrows from the pen.
  the parrot leads an active lifestyle, flies around the kitchen for half a day, a varied diet (apples, various cereals, grapes, etc. a boiled egg), a bath with water in a cage (likes to swim) water changes once a day (not from a tap ). eyes are clean, there is no plaque on the paws.
  I have a hunch that he's just wiping his feathers.
  please confirm this version or if I'm wrong, tell me what to do.
  Thank you!
  Alexander.

• Olga

  Good afternoon. We gave a cockatiel parrot to my grandmother a week ago. We do not know the age, they said that he was young, but about the size of a palm (including the tail). Behaves actively. after we brought him a couple of days passed and a large feather fell out of his tail. Another week passed and a second similar feather fell out. I noticed that it scratches (itches) each feather in all places to itself. How often this happens I cannot answer, because he does not live with us. Under the tail everything is clean. Kal is not exactly tight. Although I once had a parrot and I remember that they "do it" not like this one. The paws are clean, the beak is also normal. Can you please let me know if I need to be alarmed?

• Rozan

  Good day, I have a couple of Rosellas, the male is fine, the female has small areas of bald patches on her chest, as if feathers are falling out, tell me what it is and how to fix it?

In this article, I will explain the reason why feathers fall out from a pet parrot. I will tell you what measures should be taken, what needs to be done to help the pet restore health.

During the life of a parrot, there is a periodic molt on the wings, head, as a result of which the feather changes.

In the process of natural molting, the bird never grows bald to large bare bald spots.

In areas with a fallen feather, stumps of new feathers are clearly visible. The behavior of the pet remains active and cheerful, the appetite does not change.

A reason to start worrying if the pet, in addition to losing plumage:

• sits fluffed up;
• almost does not react to external stimuli;
• lost his appetite;
• pulls out his own feathers.

All of the above points in the pet's behavior should prompt the owner to take urgent action, otherwise there is a risk of losing the pet.

There is a molt 1 - 2 times a year, in spring and autumn.

Stress

Avitaminosis and metabolic disorders

Proper balanced nutrition plays a huge role in bird health. Not receiving any element with food, the parrot not only loses feathers, the joints on its paws can swell, and vision deteriorates.

Often the feathered suffers from allergies. Here the owner needs to remember the "golden" rule - to introduce any new feed into the diet gradually, starting with small doses and monitor the condition of the bird.

For feeding a parrot, you should choose a grain mixture in a sealed package, giving preference to well-known manufacturers.

Infectious diseases of a parrot are usually accompanied by diarrhea, lacrimation and discharge from the nostrils. If these symptoms are present in a parrot, you should immediately contact a specialist - an ornithologist.

Many diseases of birds are dangerous for humans!

Unfavorable conditions of detention

In a standard city apartment, the microclimate does not always correspond to the comfortable existence of a parrot. In the tropics, where parrots come from, high humidity goes hand in hand with heat. At home, dry air in winter can cause feathers to fall out.

In winter, in the northern latitudes, there is a lack of sunlight, which also affects the parrot negatively.

Birds are very sensitive to air pollution from cigarette smoke from the stove.

What to do if a parrot's feathers fall out

First of all, you should examine your pet for other symptoms of ill health:

• cloaca stained with liquid droppings;
• highlighting their eyes and nose;
• redness, wounds and sores on the body;
• lack of appetite.

If you find any additional symptom, you should immediately consult a doctor.

At home, you can only observe preventive measures:

• use in feeding only factory hermetically sealed food;
• install a bathing suit filled with calcined sand mixed with ash or veterinary sulfur to rid the bird of the lice;
• exclude contact of the pet with wild birds, as they are carriers of a number of diseases.

In winter, it is useful to irradiate the bird daily with an ultraviolet lamp for 15 minutes. Such sessions will make up for the deficiency of vitamin D in the bird's body.

To increase the humidity of the air, a household air humidifier or a decorative tabletop fountain is installed in the room. It is useful to place the cage surrounded by indoor plants, they have a positive effect on the atmosphere in the room, and psychologically the bird will be more comfortable among the greenery.

From time to time it is useful to let the bird fly around the room. You can lure her back into the cage with your favorite treat.

Parrot food should consist of a ready-made mixture of cereals, fresh vegetables and fruits and nuts. It is useful to give the parrot special vitamin complexes in drinking water and place fresh sprigs of fruit and deciduous trees. A chalk pebble should hang in the cage all the time - this is a source of calcium for the bird.

A small amount of fluff and a couple of feathers on the floor of the cage is no reason to worry and run to the clinic. But, the noticeable baldness of the pet, coupled with changes in the behavior of the parrot, should alert the owner and encourage him to look for the causes of the bird's ill health. Careful attitude to the parrot and compliance with all the rules of keeping will avoid problems with the health of the animal.