Electus Feather Health (Expert Required)

Hello Everyone,

I was hoping someone who knows A LOT about feathers could take a look at these feathers. I am wondering what all darker feathers are caused by (I.e. are these dietary, disease, stress bands, or regular feather bronzing).

I have been to see a Veterinarian when these first appeared. She said (as an Eclectus Owner) to watch and observe. Nothing else came of it, so did not go back for that although he is due for a check-up soon I do believe.

Anyone have any thoughts? I apologise for the poor quality on the photos, outside of the dark spots the green does look BEAUTIFUL in the light. He is also quite active and social so I would like to believe he is not "sick bird".

Any opinions would be appreciated (although please be specific),

A little bit of background on Feathers:

(1) These markings began to appear around 6-Months ago, and within the span of a week or two a pure vibrant green resembled this. It would have been around the beginning of first winter, and he was particularly active.

(2) Upon observation these markings have not grown any worse (at least from what I can tell). The tail feathers at the base have grown a bit bent toward base but otherwise all of the new feathers look and feel perfect.

(3) Echo is given alternating diets of Corn, Pineapple, Papaya, Nectarine, Carrots, Strawberry, Grapes, All Colors of Peppers, Peas, Beans, Millet, and other fruits and vegies we have around kitchen. (Rare Potatoes).

A little bit of background on Echo:

(1) Born last June and I received late September from experienced breeder whom I was referred to by a pet specialist and veterinarian. Raised Well!

(2) Echo is extremely active and social for an Eclectus from what I have read and been told. He spends a solid 2-Hours a day active playing with either toys or people. Another a day exploring house (Running & Climbing).

(3) Spends an additional 2-4 Hours in direct room with company, and on some nights will simply sit on my shoulder for hours when I get home. He vocalizes early afternoon and early evening to practice words quietly.

(4) HATES Bathing or Showers - I manage to have him sit on a shower rod twice to three times per week. Although, you can tell by his glare (and his vocalizations) that he is not enjoying it at all... I do lightly or soak to skin.

My guess is some sort of nutritional deficiency--- from the sound of it he is getting millet and fruit--- not a very stable diet.

I strongly reccomend that he see a vet to assess his condition and then procure TOPs (T.otally O.rganic P.ellets, TOPs) pellets. They are alfalfa based and and one of the only pellets that is safe to feed to eccies. That is my boss's male SI Ekkie's base diet and he is in gorgeous perfect feather.

has he been tested for disease such as PBFD? PBFD often shows few symptoms. some birds can even appear perfectly normal but are silent carriers... so i would not rule out disease.

nocturnal mentioned diet, i do know ekkies need to be on a very special diet... it is possible its malnutrition, maybe even some feather chewing there too. he does look a bit plucked in the one wing, and the feathers look chewed and frayed.


those are my thoughts. in any case, i'd consider bringing him to a certified avian vet and get some testing done, just to rule out disease

I agree that it does look like he's been chewing on his feathers a bit.
I would also have a look at tweaking his diet just a little, he should be having more vegies then the sugary fruits as well as things like sprouts and legumes.
The blackening on the feathers is sometimes caused by stress as well, around the time this started was there any changes in the household/his cage etc?
Also agree with getting him tested for PBFD.

At 1 year old he is just getting ready to molt his large feathers, but he should have been molting his smaller feathers for a few months now. I imagine you've seen the molted small feathers on the cage bottom and around the house for a few months.

I know you said he doesn't like getting wet, but honestly as a parrot owner you need to do what is best for him, regardless if he likes it.

I suggest you begin showering him to a soaking wet condition every single morning for at least two weeks straight, then after that, every other day. Cool water, not warm and not hot.

Sometimes it takes as much as 5 minutes of having water fall on them before a bird gets into the bathing action, so be patient. Find a place you can put him that the surrounding area can get soaked because it will. A large cage outside would work but a small one won't give him room to stretch his wings which he eventually will once he decides he likes getting wet. If nothing else, take him into your garage and place him on the back of a straight back chair. Or a chair or stool in the shower. But don't expect him to stay under the spray of a shower. Instead, buy a pump up garden sprayer that holds a gallon or two of water. Pump it up and spray him down. Or use a garden hose in your garage, set on a soft rain-like setting. NOT A SPRAY BOTTLE.

Next, expose him to 15 minutes of sunlight a day. Don't force him to sit in the hot sun, but give him the opportunity. If he moves into the shade, that is fine. But some sun would be nice.

Lastly, adding a few things to his diet like mentioned above (sprouts, leafy greens) would be in order but I have my doubts this is completely diet related.

Disease is possible although the breeder I got him from breeds 2-3 a year for the past 10 Years for this parrot veterinarian. As it is the same breeding pair, a hereditary like a PBFD is unlikely although this definitely could be something else (e.g. liver disease)? I think he eats a bit more Millet and Pine Nuts than he should be eating, despite fact all resources I have been reading says otherwise.

I am coincidently on vacation as of tomorrow so I will visit veterinarian on Monday for a couple of blood tests (and vitamin tests). Although in the meantime, for those who know a lot about Eclectus Feather Health.

(1) Could the limited exposure to baths be causing this sort of condition? I read in a few books 2 - 3 Times per week was acceptable. Although none talk about effects.

(2) What type of things do you feed your Ekkie at breakfast, afternoon, and dinner? I doubt I would have trouble introducing much with his appetite and pure curiosity....

(3) If the condition is caused by one of the above or simply a lack of molt, how long would I expect to wait (once resolved) before I begin to see noticeable differences?

All responses are appreciated (this and bathes are really the only things I have not been successful at finding a suitable answer for, during the year I have had Echo).

: - )

Are you feeding corn that you know is non-GMO? What about fruits like banana? Banana, papaya, passionfruit (when in season), mango (when in season) are daily staples for my ekkies, alongside bean sprouts and mung sprouts.

Those feathers look like way more than bronzing or chewing. It looks like something could be wrong internally. But I am no expert. Blood tests are your best bet.

I have been bathing my birds daily lately, since it is summertime. My male really gets into it, shaking around and spreading wings, but my female just sits there like a statue. I bathe her anyways. Its good for them, don't worry if he doesn't like it, he'll get into it. If not, at worst, he'll be like my female and just learn to take it.

I feed a variety of the following all raw and chopped to about the size of a pea:

kale or collard greens, celery, granny smith apples, serrano or jalepeno peppers, carrots, peas, cumbers, berries including blueberries, raspberries and cranberries, dark orange squash (winter squash... usually lightly cooked in order to shred or chop it) corn, kiwi, mango, papaya, sweet potato occasionally (prepared like winter squash above)

sprouted garbanzos, lentils and mung beans

cooked brown rice or volkman soak and simmer.

Hulled hemp seed and milk thistle seed sprinkled on top as well as flax seed and sesame seed occasionally.

I have fed Harrisons High Potency pellets (10 a day) to birds who need a nutritional boost. I have not had problems that other eclectus owners report with this product. I like that it provides Vit D3.

In the late afternoon I offer a bit of seed (that hasn't been vitamin fortified). For treats I give almonds and walnut pieces.

Occasionally I add Tofu to the chop, especially if somebird is going through a heavy molt. I prefer not to feed animal protein because of concerns about atherosclerosis. This is a very real concern for eclectus parrots unfortunately especially Solomons.

If you add fresh foods to his diet, bathe regularly and give him a few minutes in the sun this will encourage a molt. His baby feathers are not strong like his adult feathers will be.

Here are pictures of Sully when he came to live with me in 2011. He desperately needed a molt. Within a couple months he looked like a new bird. The vet who saw him before he came to me thought he might have mites or myriad other things but everything tested just fine, of course. All he neeed was some good food, baths and a molt. He has permanent follicle damage from plucking certain areas for years, but the feathers that do grow are gorgeous.

One picture was taken at the rescue when he was relinquished and the next with even worse head molt was right after he arrived at my house.

Thank you for the photographs... Based on what I have been feeding Echo, does anyone have singular additions that I should consider (and how much weekly)?

Does anyone also know roughly how long a molt would take once he begins? And how long of a span it would be before noticeable changes finish from the time of his molt?

I only bathe Audrey once a week in Winter, because its just too cold, and this doesn't seem to have any change or effect on her. In summer I bathe her 3 - 4 times a week. Sometimes she just doesn't seem to be in the mood to bathe. Also try vacuuming while you bath him, Without fail everytime I vacuum Audrey wants a bath.

Every day diet for Audrey is like this:
Morning she always gets a small amount of corn and peas, and shredded carrot. Then I add any of the following: Chillie, Orange, Mandarin, Grapes, Cucumber, Rockmelon, Pomegranate, Spinach, Kale, Strawberries etc. But I try to only add a small amount of fruit each Day.

For afteroon she gets a mixture of beans, sprouts, rice, pumpkin, Sweet potato, broccoli, beetroot, legumes, etc.

And then at night I give her a small bowl of seeds. The seeds are a canary mix with some added sunflowers.

Just so there is no confusion, the reason I am recommending frequent (daily if possible) bathing is to encourage a molt and thorough preening. After he has molted all those ratty feathers bathing once or twice a week is fine.

I normally offer him 6-8 different fruits and veggies in the same dish, and then while I am preparing that one I make an identical one for dinner... He is fairly good about him eating some of everything which is why I do it that way. Any advantage of doing it in say parts (i.e. corn, peas, carrots, berries in morning) and (i.e. greens, beans, etc) in the evening? He is fairly active and vocal, not what I'd expect from malnutrition?

For bathing I can definitely aim to increase the number of showers to 3 to 4 per week. Although when he does begin to molt, roughly how long do these take? And as I know most birds only do a partial molt at any given time. How many "molts" would I expect to see before all of the older feathers are molted. And prevent similar stuff from happening to the new ones while waiting for the rest to molt?

I feed it all in one dish also, but do give snacks like apple spears, pieces of celery, etc. in addition to the chopped stuff in the bowls when the spirit moves me. They love food so I oblige.

I asked earlier if you have seen small feathers lying around over the last 6 months. Since he is a year old he should have been molting the small head and neck feathers already as well as some of the body coverts. Some time after their first year they start to molt the larger feathers including the wind and tail feathers. This can take several months. Then from then on each bird developes a molting pattern that usually is fairly steady. Some molt body feathers twice a year, some only once a year. Most of mine molt body coverts once a year. Many of mine molt when the daylight hours increase so they are just finishing a molt. LaFitte molts later and is just getting started. Some molt when daylight hours begin to shorten.

Do you handle and pet him a lot or does he do things that rough up his feathers? You said he is very active. It could be he has just worn those feathers out. Baby feathers are not nearly as strong as adult feathers.

As far as a time frame goes, by the time he is 18 months old you should see some definite improvement, *if* you are feeding him a balanced diet and he is bathing and preening.

In addition to vegetables and fruits he needs a source of protein. There is protein in dark leafy greens, but he must eat them to obtain the benefits, obviously. Nuts are sources of protein and so is a combination of rice and legumes or corn and legumes. There is a reason why some cultures eat corn tortillas with beans -- complete protein.

It is also possible that his hand rearing formula was not optimum for Eclectus so his baby feathers were affected. Adult feathers should come in beautiful. If they don't then you must take a look at his bloodwork.

Can you take a picture of any feather on his body that you know is new?

These pictures are a little better quality since they are taken in the light. They were all taken with my Laptop Webcam however, so again quality is not ideal. I managed to have him Peening right in front of camera in a few so that should show off the down feathers and under feathers naturally. The main patches of "brown" are on wings and back (where he is pet and would roll over). Front is fairly green aside from areas that brush cage?

I do pet him quite often as 80% of the time he responds to this well (even on the head). He also knows how to "Roll-Over" and "Play Dead" and he is known for doing this often on his own when playing alone. So that is main reason I initially suspected it was simply bronzing or removal of pigment. Breeder I got him from has raised hundreds of Eclectus. I have seen 2-3 all of which have flawless feathers. So I do not believe it is a hereditary issue.

At least once a day he losses a clump of white down feathers (looks like a duster), and 3-4 Times a week we find an actual feather (usually solid or near black) at the bottom of the cage or around his normal walking paths.

One feather I KNOW is NEW from the last 2-Weeks would be in the 3rd picture. It is the solid green rounded one, to the right of his raised bottom. The one with the brown over feather overtop and the blue & green partially brown feather underneath. He kept peening so I could not show the other one on his tail which again looks good (albeit it grew in on an angle and is slightly curved). He may still simply have his baby feathers.

From these photos, it really looks to me as though he is over-preening himself, but I couldn't be wrong?

maillet said:

He may still simply have his baby feathers.

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I think he does. But, now you know you want to work on a bit better diet and frequent bathing so the worrying was worth it, right?

He looks like a wonderful fellow, btw! By Christmas he will look like a different bird. Patience.

Appointment with Annual Checkup, Blood Work, and Cholesterol Test is for Thursday. I also learned that male Ekkie in particular are really susceptible to the oil on our hand according to new research so that could also be what's causing the "wearing away".

Any other tests I should consider while I am there? Do not make a point of going to the Vet often so would rather have it all done at once. Baths will be daily this week.

:red:Helo everyone...i also need help with my female eclectus...she is about one year old and going through her first molt..but she is molting very badly...she is bold but doesnt have featherb disease sorry im new to this site but really need you guys help...is it her diet..she gets her fresh fruit and vegatbles daily with pellwts? I added a photo of her..please anybody my vet said she is healthy and just molting really slow and has iritaition and stress she going to be oky??

Have you ruled out liver disease from the last labs you did? Even if you have, things could change in a year. I don't think from his diet and his youth that he would have fatty liver disease but maybe some hereditary liver condition? Chico's bile & cholesterol labs were way high indicating Chico's hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver). Chico's feathering is not as bad as Echo's and I fooled myself for a year thinking it was bronzing.

charlene13 said:

:red:Helo everyone...i also need help with my female eclectus...she is about one year old and going through her first molt..but she is molting very badly...she is bold but doesnt have featherb disease sorry im new to this site but really need you guys help...is it her diet..she gets her fresh fruit and vegatbles daily with pellwts? I added a photo of her..please anybody my vet said she is healthy and just molting really slow and has iritaition and stress she going to be oky??

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Did the vet do any blood tests and disease checking?