My parakeet is getting older and his molting periods seem to get longer every time and more frequent. This time, his molting has lasted a few weeks. He is pretty sleepy and often has very watery bowel movements. (sorry, don't want to gross anyone out) One would think that he was just sick, but the reason I think he's molting is because he still has those "pins" on his head where feathers will grow in. Do older birds tend to do this? Are their bodies no longer capable of molting efficiently? I'm worried about my little buddy :(.
2006-12-26 03:58:13 · 3 answers · asked by kid_at_heart 3 in Pets ➔ Birds
Need to get your little guy to the vet.
If you don't have one, you can find one at http://aav.org/vet-lookup
2006-12-28 18:58:25 · answer #1 · answered by CrazyBirdMom 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Birds molt around two times a year, so this is a possibility. If in fact she is molting, you should notice new feathers coming through her skin. They should look like they're covered in a kind of waxy looking shield. This is called a sheath, and it covers the blood feathers (pin feathers) that are coming up. These are the new feathers, and they are extremely sensitive. After a while, your bird should begin to preen off the sheath and her new feathers will unfold and look better then the older ones. If she has a big cage, plenty of toys, a good diet (fresh fruits and veggies included, water, and seems happy, then this is most likely the reason for feather loss. Goodluck. Hope i helped :]
2016-05-23 07:56:10 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
THAT IS NONE OF YOU BUSINESS!
2006-12-26 04:01:49 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋