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HELP PLEASE

Posted: Wed Aug 07, 2013 6:29 pm
by lilgiggles1012
My baby is six months old tomorrow and started molting two weeks ago but it looks like he is plucking a little bit on his belly. Could this just be from molting I dont know what to do..

Re: HELP PLEASE

Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2013 5:41 am
by ranechild
Where do you live? My Fats is 5 months in a few days... He's clearly been molting cause there are feathers a little bit everywhere. Our Quaker Parrot is definately molting because his flight feathers have been falling out, even just when he flies.

I'm in Baltimore, Maryland, US... I suspect that middle summer is an appropriate time for new feathers?

Re: HELP PLEASE

Posted: Fri Aug 09, 2013 2:58 pm
by lilgiggles1012
Im from Maine. Its very light feather lose on his chest but its scary I dont want him to pluck.

Re: HELP PLEASE

Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 2:53 pm
by ranechild
I wouldn't worry too much. If it goes on for much longer, go to the vet.
I took Fats outside in his travel cage yesterday for a little UV filled sunlight... his feathers looked very nice today. I don't know if it is related.

Re: HELP PLEASE

Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 6:49 pm
by lilgiggles1012
Yeah Izzet has big pins right where that spot it. Its just super scary and it worried me.

Re: HELP PLEASE

Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 12:45 am
by Skyes_crew
The first molt of a baby ringneck happens around 6 months old. Doesn't matter what season it is although because of the breeding season it usually falls in the summer in the US. It's not a real heavy molt, does make them look a bit rough, but it's over quickly. The next molt will be at around 12-14 months. That is a rather large molt and lasts around 6-8 weeks, sometimes longer. After that, once a year your bird will have a molt going from spring into summer since you are more north in Maine. First sign of molting will always be a fluffy white down all over the cage. You only have to be a member for 5 days and have 10 posts in order to post pics. Then you can show us your baby :D

Re: HELP PLEASE

Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 9:24 am
by lilgiggles1012
He has a small bold spot in the from also that has a bing pin in that area thats why im so worried about him.

Re: HELP PLEASE

Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 3:41 pm
by Skyes_crew
Photo for lilgiggles

Image

Re: HELP PLEASE

Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 3:44 pm
by lilgiggles1012
Thank you. Yes that is Izzet

Re: HELP PLEASE

Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 4:21 pm
by Skyes_crew
Like I said to you in my email, he looks like a normal molting bird :D he's a cutie. Of course I'm partial to blue :wink:

Re: HELP PLEASE

Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 4:29 pm
by lilgiggles1012
Ok thank you so much for your help. LOL yes hes is very very cute

Re: HELP PLEASE

Posted: Thu Aug 15, 2013 7:14 am
by ranechild
So, out of curiosity... Fats has molted a little bit here at 5 months... you say there is a big one at 12-14 months... does that include their flights? His wings were clipped when I got him and I've been waiting for his clipped flights to molt so he can fly.

Re: HELP PLEASE

Posted: Thu Aug 15, 2013 9:18 am
by Skyes_crew
Yes, that includes his flights :D and they will fall out rapidly as the new ones push through. You may have one or two stragglers that stay behind, but they will eventually fall out and they will not affect his flight. Molting for me, even though it is a huge mess in my house, is my favorite time of the year. It's like my birds got a brand new coat and look all shiny and new :D

Re: HELP PLEASE

Posted: Thu Aug 15, 2013 10:05 am
by ranechild
So, you know how alot of people are wearing feather jewelry... Would it be creepy to take Fat's feathers and make earrings or something?

Re: HELP PLEASE

Posted: Thu Aug 15, 2013 10:08 am
by MissK
I'm pretty sure you're obligated to do something like that. I'm going to make hair sticks with some feather dangles.

-MissK

Re: HELP PLEASE

Posted: Thu Aug 15, 2013 10:23 am
by Skyes_crew
I totally think you have to. :D

Re: HELP PLEASE

Posted: Thu Aug 15, 2013 2:58 pm
by moosepug
Well, my little one just hit 5 months and lost a few little downy looking feathers...Some had color to the tips too...Nothing since though. Should I expect her to drop more for a first molting?

Re: HELP PLEASE

Posted: Thu Aug 15, 2013 4:23 pm
by Skyes_crew
More will come. They will start showing up stuck all over everything. But it's mostly smaller feathers that they molt out now. Doesn't last very long. :D

Re: HELP PLEASE

Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 10:28 am
by charlieIRN
Even my bird is going through this stage. She is 14 months am not sure but molting heavily. My question is how many weeks will it take to regain new feathers ?

Re: HELP PLEASE

Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 11:01 am
by Skyes_crew
It can take up to 8 weeks when they have their first heavy molt. Offer her more mist baths to help with the itching. Here is a previous thread where molting was discussed with picture references :D

http://www.indianringneck.com/forum/vie ... =2&t=17092

Re: HELP PLEASE

Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 2:49 pm
by InTheAir
Nila is having a big boy moult. He just turned a year old a couple weeks ago. We actually almost called the vet, as it's not moulting time of year here, but the new feathers are coming in beautifully.

He turns into Mr snuggles when he's moulting! Yesterday he was on my shoulder making a funny noise, when I finally managed to see what he was doing he had his head in scratch position so the back of his neck could be rubbed. He's also mr short-temper, scratch him wrong and he growls like a rottweiler!

Re: HELP PLEASE

Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2013 8:24 am
by ranechild
So, Fats was hatchd March 11th... He here is a picture of the feathers I picked up from his cage and on the floor in the last 5 days.... Um, he lost a tail feather!
Image\
I also wanted to ask about the dark spot in the end of the tail feather... Would that be a stress mark? It's got a greenish hue.
These marks are on some feathers, even some on wing feathers... which is why before I got him I asked around whether anyone thought he'd have a turquoise factor... the verdict was no at the time.

Re: HELP PLEASE

Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2013 9:47 am
by Skyes_crew
Can you do a close up of the tail feather? And also wow!!! My boy is at least 6 weeks ahead of fats and he hasn't dropped a tail. Lucky :D oh and can you also give a pic of fats in his current molt state?

Re: HELP PLEASE

Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2013 11:07 am
by ranechild
Here are two pictures of Fats after his tubby. They have flash, but he still looks green-ish in real life when he's wet. When he's dry, you can see a little tuft of white on his belly... I felt a big pin feather on his back near the rump.
Image
Image

Here's the feather for closer examination:
The whole feather--and I cast a shadow on it tehe...
Image
Close up with flash
Image
Close up no flash (zoomed)
Image

Re: HELP PLEASE

Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2013 11:12 am
by Skyes_crew
Ok...now can you give me pics of his head chest and tail while dry? :D

Re: HELP PLEASE

Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2013 11:13 am
by MissK
Rocky's got alla y'all beat. He's already getting his tail feathers back in!

Incidentally, I rolled him, huge cage and all, into the kitchen doorway, where he's been helping me stay on task in the sink today. Who knew that's what I needed to keep me out of the living room! And a good thing. I made several cakes and roasts in the last few days and was having a little motivational trouble getting to the mess.

-MissK <=== Such a slacker, prefers to play with animals all day.......

-Ranechild, I could buy that for a stress bar, but no worries - it happened before he came to you, and is not an indicator of current care, but of circumstances occurring as the feather formed.

Re: HELP PLEASE

Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2013 11:15 am
by ranechild
I'll get dry ones tonight... I just happened to have wet ones available right now :)

Re: HELP PLEASE

Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2013 12:35 pm
by Skyes_crew
Hamlet has a few stress bars too. I think most babies born in captivity are going to be stressed in some way. I read back over your old thread just now and unless there was a miracle lol there is no way for him to be a turq violet. The blue green hue along the barb and towards the bottom of the tail feather is normal when wet and especially under a flash. Some very reliable breeders in the forum taught me that :wink: His overall color looks consistent with a violet blue to me :D

Re: HELP PLEASE

Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2013 12:38 pm
by Skyes_crew
MissK wrote:Rocky's got alla y'all beat. He's already getting his tail feathers back in!

Incidentally, I rolled him, huge cage and all, into the kitchen doorway, where he's been helping me stay on task in the sink today. Who knew that's what I needed to keep me out of the living room! And a good thing. I made several cakes and roasts in the last few days and was having a little motivational trouble getting to the mess.

-MissK <=== Such a slacker, prefers to play with animals all day.......

-Ranechild, I could buy that for a stress bar, but no worries - it happened before he came to you, and is not an indicator of current care, but of circumstances occurring as the feather formed.
Haha MissK...Skye has had her new tail feathers for two weeks. :mrgreen:

Re: HELP PLEASE

Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2013 3:46 pm
by MissK
Oh my goodness. We just won't tell him. He was so proud.

-MissK

Re: HELP PLEASE

Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2013 6:23 pm
by ranechild
Make that two tail feathers!
Image

Here's a dry picture---having trouble staying still :)
Image

Re: HELP PLEASE

Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2013 4:44 am
by Jen&Bug
Aww first moults are cute. Save those feathers somewhere! We keep an envelope with major feathers from Bug and Rufus's moults, which have served different purposes over the years. When we got married, my mum took the feathers we had saved at the time and made a little wreath for me to carry with my bouquet, because of course the birds couldn't be there on the day. It was pretty special.

Re: HELP PLEASE

Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2013 6:26 pm
by Donovan
I can't seem to tell when my bird is molting. Seems to be all the time.. every couple of weeks I come home to see the little fluffy feathers stuck to the side of his cage. He always looks pretty good though.

I do suspect he is molting for real right now though because in the span of about 5 minutes he lost two large feathers while just flying around. Now his tail looks like a pair of scissors. I guess I'll know for sure in the next couple of months if his ring gets any darker....

Which.. the ring thing is kinda weird too.. at first it started out very faint.. like a female.. back when I wasn't sure... then I started noticing that parts of it were getting darker. The ring is more noticeable now, but since he's still under 2 years old it's pretty light still. He has enough ring that I call him a "He". I'm looking forward to seeing it get really dark under his throat just under his beak. It actually breaks there still.
So since he's lost some feathers and I've suspected him of molting for the last month or so I'm guessing the ring is about to get considerably darker pretty soon.

Anyway, back to the original point... I can't tell when he's molting. He has never looked like crap since I got him. (benefits of youth?) And he seems to lose little feathers all the time. Is my indicator really looking for the loss of the large feathers?

Re: HELP PLEASE

Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2013 8:50 pm
by Skyes_crew
If they were the large tail feathers you just concluded a fall molt. Not a big molt but still a molt. I suspect because he's both indoors and out it throws off his cycle a bit. The big molt will always follow breeding season with a smaller one coming in the fall. :D