Anything More i can do ?

[Simmons]

Hey all its been over a month now and jerry isn't getting any new feathers on his front or under his wings. He has showers now and is actually starting to enjoy it now . i have him on HIGH POTENCY COARSE-Harrison's Bird Foods <--- that food as i have read its says its good for parrots who are molting.

Is there much more i can do to help him along ? And how long does it normally take for new feathers to come through ? i wasnt expecting him to get all his feathers in a month but i was hoping to see some signs of new ones coming.

 

[Birdman666]

Well, if they've been pulled, then they won't grow in until the NEXT molt, which could be up to six months or so...

If the feather follicles have been damaged, then they don't grow back at all.

Give it more time.

 

[Simmons]

i don't know if they have been pulled or not unfortunately.

so do they normally molt certain times of the year ?

i guess it all varies on the bird and living conditions ?

 

[Birdman666]

All of mine just finished a major molt.

In fact Maggie's still got sparse patches where the new feathers haven't grown in yet.

So, give it a little more time.

And for a bird that hasn't had good living/nutrition situation, it can sometimes take one or two molts to straighten out their feather condition. With the right nutrition and bathing though, assuming the feather follicles haven't been damaged, this one fixes itself over time... Not something to lose sleep over.

 

[henpecked]

Hey and welcome to the forum. It's pretty uncommon to see plucked zons. He appears to have "barbered" his feathers rather than plucked them. This usually occurs when they have been neglected. In this case they should molt out and be replaced in the course of y he next year or so. In older zons with vitA issues and the resulting liver damage, the "barBering" could be due to irritation by the enlarged/damaged liver. This would need the help of an AV to diagnose and treat. Regardless feeding him a diet rich in VitA would help. The high fat , high protein pellets you are feeding him would not help. The only zons I'd feed the high pro pellets to would be breeders. IMO you need to consult AV to rule out liver disease. Just my .02 worth I could write a book here but won't. In answer to your question,, yes there's more you can do. Start with a blood test and check liver functions. The areas he's picking at are the same area where the liver is located.

 

[Birdman666]

I agree with that advice.

Mine get zupreem. It's cheaper.

And high vitamin A foods, especially sweet potato... which is something a zon usually just sucks down will do wonders for his feather condition.

Aloe Detox might help if he has high liver values.

 

[Christinenc2000]

How can you tell if feather follicles have been damaged ? BB is finishing up his molt
I HOPE>
A few areas that had some fuzzy but no feathers ..quite obvious around his neck. there are a few pin feathers the back of his neck has filled in great but some parts of his back still have the fuzzy down .

 

[Simmons]

Thanks for the advise guys.

He had spent most of his life in a cage before i had him on a seed and fruit diet. So neglect is definitely a factor in his poor feather quality.

i will try him with some sweet potato and veges see how he likes it. It took me a few weeks to get him to eat the Harrison's food. I have to blend it up to dust and use a organic carrot and apple baby food to give it a little taste and he wolfs it down

But for sure we are gonna have a visit to the vets

 

[Kiwibird]

I would expect that kind of damage to take a year or more to heal. Poor baby I agree that he needs lots of fresh produce and to be examined by a vet. I have found my amazon thrives on a primarily fresh-foods diet (i.e. the majority of his calories and nutrition come from fresh, raw fruits and veg). At the vet he should be tested for diseases just to rule them out as a possibility for the poor feather quality. It is rather uncommon for zons to have the kind of contagious diseases that would impact feather quality in that way, but it's always good to test! It is very common, sadly, for zons on a high-seed diet to have fatty livers, high kidney values and nutritional deficiencies. The vet also needs to fast for those so you can address them right away if he has any of those issues.

 

[Blancaej]

I think you are getting some great advice here. I just wanted to say thank you for rescuing this poor little guy. It sounds like you are headed in the right direction! In either case, this guy is most certainly happier!

 

[Simmons]

So when trying my OWA on some Sweet potato should i mash in some stuff like Red peppers carrot and Broccoli ?

and would i have to cook the Broccoli at all or can they eat it raw ?

I have seen that Berries are good for Vit A i have been giving him Blue berries of the morning as i always have fresh yogurt and fruit for breakfast and he always has to pinch my Blueberries

 

[henpecked]

I cook sweet potatoes in the microwave , let cool and slice into zon size pieces. You can add a small bit of butter if necessary to get him to try it. Butter is high in VitA but also high fat which is why they love it. Same with the broccoli , maybe lightly steamed if he won't eat it fresh. Carrots,peppers ,etc, use a bit of butter to get him started but don't make it an everyday thing. PS don't use a vitamin supplement without a AVs approval, VitA can be toxic if over done. We use redpalm oil, also packaged as "sunshine factor" . I'd consult an AV first.

 

[Kiwibird]

My amazon goes nuts over broccoli, always raw. Cruciferous vegetables should only be fed once or twice a week though. Too much of a good thing, you know? They will also give your bird foul breath, so be warned! I don't typically cook fruit or veg because of the nutritional loss. I do serve him pureed sometimes though (some birds prefer softer foods). I tried him on palm oil, but he recoiled in horror after one taste and refused to eat anymore (or any food I tried to sneak it into). He will begrudgingly eat sweet potatoes (those I do cook). I suggest trying a good chop recipe, that includes a wide variety of fruit, veg, (cooked) grains and (cooked) beans. Better yet, a fruit-based chop in the morning (accompanied by chunks of fresh fruit) and a veg-based chop at night (accompanied by fresh veg). Fruit in the AM for the sugar boost, veg at night for the lack of sugar, and a wide variety of BOTH every day

It's great you're "sharing" bird-safe human foods. It's a great way to form a strong bond, especially with the (notoriously) piggy zons! Blueberries are very good for them, and yogurt is ok in moderation. I would not make dairy a daily thing, more like a once or twice a week thing. Remember, it's not part of their natural diet so while small amounts can be nutritious and aren't likely to cause problems, too much certainly will! I do raw fermented oats (in lieu of dairy yogurt or processed soy yogurt), and Kiwi is quite fond of that (especially when theres fruit in it)!

 

[Simmons]

When you say butter you mean the real stuff and not margarine right ?
Jerry loves his palm oil on a bit of toast of a morning he end up only eating the toast with the palm oil on lol

This is all awesome, Jerry and i cant thank you enough for all this info.