IndianRingNeck.com

hi,

my little ringneck newman is about 1 year and 3 months old. he started a molt about a month ago. just today, i noticed him "growling" when preening. then i noticed, he picked out a few 1/2 inch pieces that were like the sheath part but filled with this black looking goo stuff. i squeezed one out [sorry gross] like a zit. its really weird looking. its not bloody but almost like unformed-feather gunk. i have no idea what this is! thoughts?!!??!!!

it SHOULD be just the remaining half dried blood and dead cell gunk left from a blood feather... i have no idea past that...

ok thanks azure. i'm going to try and get him into the vet today...when my husband and i were cuddling with him last night, we noticed a little bald spot under ONE of his wings. he must have started to pluck yesterday [i say yesterday, because it was the first time he's consistently "growled" when preening and that's what tipped me off that something was weird -- not to mention the weird little feather things i found] hopefully the vet has a spot for us to come in today. i just want to know why my little baby man is doing this!!!

got my little newman into the vet today.vet said he could just be itchy from molting. she did a poop sample and that came out clear but vet decided to run some blood tests just to check everything. we get those results tomorrow. if anything comes back on the blood tests, he will probably have to go on antibiotics. vet asked how long he's been molting for [said a little less than a month] and she was REALLY shocked...she said that he should only molt for two weeks?!!!??! anyone know the normal time it takes for a ringneck to molt?

so the blood tests came back FINE. HOORAY!!! =) i figured they would anyway but it feels good to know for sure! and also good news, i haven't seen anymore of the weird little feathers around. i checked his cage yesterday and it was good, plus he hasn't been "growling" when preening. woohoo!! i still don't know what was up with that that day though!

that's good that he is okay!

Hi there,

I have a female indianringnecked parrot. She had molted her feathers last year and has'nt recovered her feathers as yet. She was with a male parrot of her kind back then but he flew away.
I think he had plucked her feathers. But since then, she has not got back her feathers still.
Her diet consists of sunflower seeds and apple. She has been alone for a year.

Please advise.

Thank you.

is the diet half SUNFLOWER SEEDS??? if so, thats not good... sunflowers are too fatty and shouldn't make up more than around 20% of her diet. to make her regrow feathers you'd need to give other types of food that help regrow feathers (i dont know what unfortunately ) also if the feathers were plucked, there is a chance that they will not grow back, unlike moulted feathers which do grow...

Thank you very much for your reply,

I have although started her on a fruit diet consisting of pineapples, apples and watermelon, i do give her sunflower seeds on a limited basis from now on. She was plucked out of her feathers by the male parrot earlier on, but i am hoping to see some growth due to her improved diet. Thanks again for your answer.

I have another question. Should i bring a male parrot for her as a companion? Should i bring a young male or one who has already gotton his ring?

post pulled by mod to check the use of bleach in soaked seeds.

Azure: oops i wasn't too sure about the table... sorry about that! i'll keep that in mind!