Adopted 2 year old Eclectus, advise needed please.!

[Peri]

We have adopted a Eclectus last night. He was kept in a shed and in dark damp conditions with lots of other bird around him. He shared a cage with a cockatoo and recently they started fighting, forcing his owner to take action and get rid of him. He is very good natured based on what he has came through in my opinion.


However his tail feathers aren't in tip top shape and he has some feathers missing from just behind his head. I don't know whether it's through injury or not.

My question is what can I do to assist with getting his tail feathers etc back in shape, and also what is your thoughts on the gap in the feathers behind his head.

Thank you all in advance.


(We love him) .!

 

[Mango121913]

Do you know what he was fed? Maybe moulting? Is he a SI?
Yellow feathers (other than tail tips) are usually a sign of a poor diet.

 

[drlisaort]

Oh wow, how great you got him out of that cage and safe in your home! Oliver is about the same age as your little guy and currently he is molting; hence, he's looking a bit shaggy. Interestingly, he has one teeny tiny dot of yellow on his left shoulder...no clue why as the rest of him he's green with the exception of his red and purple hues and of course yellow on the tip of his tail. His nutrition is fresh fruits, veggies, beans, rice, sweet potato etc....and only a tablespoon of pellets mixed with seeds and nuts for his foraging wheel when I go off to work.

 

[camo]

Hi,

I am by no means an expert, but am wondering if the issue behind the neck may be a "mojo moult", worth a google search (some videos available to compare).

My Gizmo had issues with scratching and started to bald behind the neck, and we were worried and took him to the vets. Even though he is still fairly young (from what I had read Mojo moults are seen more in adult birds), the vet suggested a Mojo moult, and sure enough with regular showers, his feathers are returning (we were glad as we were worried it was a nervous thing).

Glad you have taken him out of that environment.

Cheers,

Camo

 

[Anansi]

I might've suggested Mojo molt as well, save for the yellow coloring which can indicate a problem with the diet. Do you have more pics? At other angles? Kind of hard to tell from that one alone.

Oh, my Bixby went through Mojo molt for several loooooooooong months. Not fun, but it does pass.

 

[Mango121913]

Can't remember for sure, but, I think I read somewhere liver issues could lead to yellow feathers?

 

[Anansi]

You're right about that too, Craig. Diet issues, liver problems, or eating improperly dyed foodstuffs can all lead to discolored feathers. (Though I doubt that would be the issue in Oliver's case, drlisaort. One afflicted feather strikes me more as the exception rather than the rule so far as his physical condition is concerned. And his diet is excellent... unless the pellets are a little rich for him? )