My Cockatiel's Feathers...?

Question

I looked inside of my cockatiel's cage and alot of his feathers are in the bottom. He has been pulling them out, and he has been preening himself lots... Is this unusuall? If not how do i get my cocatiel to stop pulling out his feathers?

He ALWAYS preens himself. I let him out when he squaks(he loves attention) and then he just preens himself when I hold him!

Answer 1

OK, first off, do NOT get a mite 'preventer' from the store. They don't work and why they still sell the things I have no idea. Unless your cockatiel is in an outdoor aviary or has had direct contact with wild birds or birds with red mites, it isn't going to be mites.

If there are no bald areas of skin on your bird, more than likely you are witnessing a molt, which is completely normal. When cockatiels are about 8-10 months or so they will begin to shed their old 'baby' feathers and get their new 'adult' feathers. You shouldn't ever see bald areas with a molt, although s/he will look somewhat scruffy while the new feathers are coming in. Give lots of treats and lots of extra attention; a molt is stressful for a bird. You may also notice s/he is quieter than usual, too. Also, if you keep the wings trimmed, this is the time to really watch to see if the flight feathers have replaced themselves, since now they will be able to fly again. It may be time to trim them now, so be very careful about letting your bird out during this time (watch for open doors, open toilets, ceiling fans, hot cookware, etc)

A molt usually happens 1-2 times yearly and is completely normal; the body is simply replacing old, worn out feathers with new ones.

Also, birds preen most of the day when they aren't eating, singing, or sleeping. This is also normal, and not anything to be concerned about. They must keep their feathers in top shape and it requires a LOT of effort. If s/he were actually chewing a hole in her skin, that would be different.

If you are uncertain, see your avian vet.

Good luck,
a.

Answer 2

Even if it is mites, DO NOT hang the mite protector in the cage! It doesn't do anything!

Your bird is more than likely molting. He is grooming to remove the karatin sheathes that cover the new feathers when growing in.

If you are concered that he might be plucking or might have a parasite, take him to the vet for a check up.

Answer 3

Two things come to mind. One: your bird might have mites. There are small can-looking contraptions that you can wire onto the side of his cage that will kill the bugs. If it isn't bugs, have you changed your schedule and/or not spending as much time with your bird. Bored or unhappy birds will pull out their feathers. Stressed birds do, too, if there are any changes to your bird's environment.