Weird feather

Aplanis · Nov 16, 2020

Yesterday I noticed my Sun preening quite a bit. Later in the evening I noticed a wing feather sticking out at an odd angle. I was able to "fix" it but then I noticed her chewing on the feather again. She would even grab it with her foot. It appears there's a hard wax coating on it she's trying to get off. I can feel something poking up on shaft. It's either wax or the keratin of the feather shaft.

What should I do?

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Aplanis · Nov 16, 2020

Here is a vid

[ame="https://youtu.be/Le8wgsFeY5c"]November 16, 2020 - YouTube[/ame]

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Aplanis · Nov 16, 2020

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Le8wgsFeY5c&feature=share"]November 16, 2020 - YouTube[/ame]

SailBoat · Nov 16, 2020

Very likely, little more than molting season and her molting a couple of Wing Feathers. As feathers prepare to molt, they become looser and twisting out of normal location becomes common. Manual adjustment by either you or the Parrot can occur, but once loose, the feather will continue to become looser and will either come out on its own or or the Parrot will pull it.

It is not uncommon for the top of the root of the feather to have a slightly thicker area on the shaft. This is commonly a slight build-up and either falls off as the feather is removed or stays with the feather.

Aplanis · Nov 16, 2020

I did notice on the other side she had a primary flight feather grow in recently.

I didn't think they molted this late in the year

But as the other wing had a primary grow in probably so.

Thanks!

I had her clipped a year ago when I made the move from Florida to Rhode Island. Didn't want to chance her being flighted during the long drive.

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SailBoat · Nov 16, 2020

Some Parrots will have two very different schedules for feather replacement. One is seasonal and is commonly body feathers and the other is Flight Surface Feathers, which can be molted year around. Flight surface feathers require greater stores of energy as they are larger and as a result, tend to be on a yearly schedule.

Note, the larger the Parrot the more common the two different molting schedules.

Welcome to the great white north. The weather has been on the kind side so far this year regarding the clear beginning of the Snow Season...

Aplanis · Nov 16, 2020

SailBoat said:
Some Parrots will have two very different schedules for feather replacement. One is seasonal and is commonly body feathers and the other is Flight Surface Feathers, which can be molted year around. Flight surface feathers require greater stores of energy as they are larger and as a result, tend to be on a yearly schedule.

Note, the larger the Parrot the more common the two different molting schedules.

Welcome to the great white north. The weather has been on the kind side so far this year regarding the clear beginning of the Snow Season...

Thanks. Well that would explain it. I got her clipped last December. She was molting her flight feathers around this time because I was concerned having her clipped some would be blood feathers.
After I made the move two primary feathers on one wing grew out after the clip.

And yeah I got lucky last winter as it was pretty mild. But then again I snowboard so part of me wants good snow too

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SailBoat · Nov 16, 2020

Aplanis said:
SailBoat said:

Some Parrots will have two very different schedules for feather replacement. One is seasonal and is commonly body feathers and the other is Flight Surface Feathers, which can be molted year around. Flight surface feathers require greater stores of energy as they are larger and as a result, tend to be on a yearly schedule.

Note, the larger the Parrot the more common the two different molting schedules.

Welcome to the great white north. The weather has been on the kind side so far this year regarding the clear beginning of the Snow Season...

Click to expand...

Thanks. Well that would explain it. I got her clipped last December. She was molting her flight feathers around this time because I was concerned having her clipped some would be blood feathers.
After I made the move two primary feathers on one wing grew out after the clip.

And yeah I got lucky last winter as it was pretty mild. But then again I snowboard so part of me wants good snow too

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We snowmobile and last winter was a bit of a bust unless we wanted to travel further north. First third of this winter is running a bit warm, but long range forecasts are for a snowy winter. Keep the shovel handy and the snowboard waxed and on the ready after Thanksgiving!

Aplanis · Nov 18, 2020

Update:

The feather broke off. I say broke off as the root of the feather wasn't attached. I have noticed that primary wing feathers have very long roots.
This seems to have been broken ( more likely chewed) off right below the feather line.

Should i take her to the vet or will the root eventually fall out?

My concern is her constantly picking at it will cause something to happen

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SailBoat · Nov 18, 2020

Either with her help or on its on, the root section will come out. Normally, it is not an issue as the blood source has long ago pulled back from the root. Only issue is that until that root comes out, a replacement feather will not come in, which is common. If you are concerned, your Avian Vet can pull the root. IMHO, let time and normal process take its course.

FYI: The longer root is to off-set the flight load that occurs while flying.

Aplanis · Nov 18, 2020

SailBoat said:
Either with her help or on its on, the root section will come out. Normally, it is not an issue as the blood source has long ago pulled back from the root. Only issue is that until that root comes out, a replacement feather will not come in, which is common. If you are concerned, your Avian Vet can pull the root. IMHO, let time and normal process take its course.

FYI: The longer root is to off-set the flight load that occurs while flying.

Thanks again sailboat. I guess my concern was if possible for her to damage the feather follicle and/or developing an injection. Hard to see that with feathers.

She's acting fine though

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Laurasea · Nov 18, 2020

Risk of infection extremely rare. If yiu leave to fall out on its own , then just about zero risk to follicle.

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