Cockatiel health

[RohanL]

I left Picasso with a friend for a few hours as I wasn't feeling well. He has 4 birds but Picasso was in a separate cage. When I picked him up I noticed his face had a dark stain around the beak and I think he had some missing feathers, also his tail feathers where all messy. He's going through his first molt so he lost his longest tail feather the day before, but they were still neat. He's preening as normal and has a healthy diet of green leaves, veggies, pellets,seed mix, cuttle bone and.millet as a treat. He said it was from him probably trying to push his face through the bars. Hence why his face his dirty and I noticed it looks like some feathers are missing around the beak. Also because he was climbing the bars his tail got messy. He's happy, eating and seems fine. I just wanted to check.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

What do you think happend? It seems odd that his face would get dirty rubbing against the cage bars but his face is white so maybe. You ought to take a clean damp white cloth and wipe the bars inside and out⁰and see if the cloth comes up soiled. Whay else could it have been? He sure is a cutie!

 

[RohanL]

Well he was put in the neighbours cage not his usual one, he's not as dirty looking as he was yesterday, I do think it was from him trying to put his face through the bars, he's normally out of his cage and with me during the day. So he doesn't like to be inside if he sees you when he's inside. I was wondering also how long until his feathers grow back around his beak?

 

[DonnaBudgie]

I think that explains it. It doesn't take much to get a white bird dirty. The facial feathers will grow in as they molt. I hope he hasn't got any photo shoots, modeling jobs, or cockatiel beauty contests coming up in the next month!
When I went to an English Budgie Exhibition show in October the main reason a "quality" bird wouldn't win or place in the show was missing or disheveled plumage. The judge would say they looked "rough".

 

[JjEjFjF]

The only time one of my cockatiels had missing face feathers was when he had a night fright and repeatedly ran/flew into the side of the cage. The feathers grew back quite fast.
The dirt is a mystery. I cant image a cage being that filthy.
The ruffled tail feathers is also a mystery. If tail feathers got messy from climbing around as you friend says, then all birds would have messy tails. Something is fishy.
If i were you id never leave my bird with that person again.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Cockatiel abuse by a bird sitting friend? I find that hard to believe and scary. What could someone do to him?

 

[JjEjFjF]

Cockatiel abuse by a bird sitting friend? I find that hard to believe and scary. What could someone do to him?

Never put anything past anyone. There are sick jealous people in this world. The “friend” had an excuse for everything.
You actually believe those excuses?

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Any real "abuse" I would think would have killed or visibly injured Picasso, not just messed up his feathers. I think in an exciting strange environment, in an unfamiliar and dirty cage, with other birds in the room, Picasso probably climbed around a lot and tried to find a way out, messing up his feathers. I don't like to believe a friend would hurt a friend's birds. I have a casual work friend who I pay $50 a day to come twice a day when we are out of town to take care of my budgies. She feeds them and lets them out for the day. 10 hours later she comes back, services their food and water, and gets them all back in their cages. She's been great with them and I don't want to have to worry about her abusing my birds. I don't spy on her with cameras. A reliable bird sitter is very hard to find, especially here in Maine where birds are not popular pets.

 

[RohanL]

Also while my neighbour was watching him he had to pop up to the shops, and came right back, I think that's when it happened. Because when I came to pick him up the cage door was open and he was perched ontop. Picasso also loves him, always goes to him and has even fallen asleep on his shoulder, so I just want to make it clear I don't think he did anything wrong and was just helping me, he loves birds and would never miss treat an animal. Picasso could have also been stressed out by the noise from the other birds since he's used to living in a quite apartment as I don't have any other birds or pets.
I'm wondering also how long until those little feathers around his beak will grow back? He's already been working on his tail. He's always had such healthy beautiful feathers so I hope it won't take too long?.

Any real "abuse" I would think would have killed or visibly injured Picasso, not just messed up his feathers. I think in an exciting strange environment, in an unfamiliar and dirty cage, with other birds in the room, Picasso probably climbed around a lot and tried to find a way out, messing up his feathers. I don't like to believe a friend would hurt a friend's birds. I have a casual work friend who I pay $50 a day to come twice a day when we are out of town to take care of my budgies. She feeds them and lets them out for the day. 10 hours later she comes back, services their food and water, and gets them all back in their cages. She's been great with them and I don't want to have to worry about her abusing my birds. I don't spy on her with cameras. A reliable bird sitter is very hard to find, especially here in Maine where birds are not popular pets.

After he I came to pick him up Picasso was climbing up his arm and had a nap on his shoulder, I don't think he would be so affectionate with my friend just after he had hurt him. I 100% believe he did it to himself. Also he had his wings clipped from the breeder when I got him and he's flying more and molting. I read that birds often when they are young and learning to fly get messy tail feathers from landing. He messed one up this morning just now flying

 

[RohanL]

Cockatiel abuse by a bird sitting friend? I find that hard to believe and scary. What could someone do to him?

No he didn't do anything to him, Picasso even climbed up his shoulder and napped on him when I was there. I don't want ppl to think I am blaming my friend. I think it's what was said before that happened, also that he's molting and learning to fly which often messes up the tail feathers. I was more wondering how long it will take for then to grow back.

 

[RohanL]

I think that explains it. It doesn't take much to get a white bird dirty. The facial feathers will grow in as they molt. I hope he hasn't got any photo shoots, modeling jobs, or cockatiel beauty contests coming up in the next month!
When I went to an English Budgie Exhibition show in October the main reason a "quality" bird wouldn't win or place in the show was missing or disheveled plumage. The judge would say they looked "rough".

No beauty contestants for Picasso, though I'll always see him as beautiful

 

[RohanL]

The only time one of my cockatiels had missing face feathers was when he had a night fright and repeatedly ran/flew into the side of the cage. The feathers grew back quite fast.
The dirt is a mystery. I cant image a cage being that filthy.
The ruffled tail feathers is also a mystery. If tail feathers got messy from climbing around as you friend says, then all birds would have messy tails. Something is fishy.
If i were you id never leave my bird with that person again.

He's wings were clipped when I got him and he's learning to fly more and more, I did a bit of research and found that messy tails feathers in young birds learning to fly is not uncommon, this more just now he flew and messed up a tail feather!.

 

[RohanL]

Thanks yes it's mostly come off, also he meesed up a tail feather this moring trying to fly. The cage he was out in was a spare cage as well not one that he normally uses so it was just dirty. He's going through his first molt as well and lost his longest tail feather the day before, now this morning he has one sticking out the side from learning to fly. I read birds that are young often land on there tails/ buts.
Also when I picked him up he was going over to him and climbing up his shoulder he even had a nap. He has never forced Picasso to step up so Picasso likes him and often goes to and climbs up to his shoulder. He's the only person he does this with other than me, and he continues to do it. So I think he was probably scrambling around the bars upset when he went up to the shops since he was alone and in a different environment. He's watched Picasso before and everything's been fine, but now that he's molting and learning to fly he's messing up his tail.

What do you think happend? It seems odd that his face would get dirty rubbing against the cage bars but his face is white so maybe. You ought to take a clean damp white cloth and wipe the bars inside and out⁰and see if the cloth comes up soiled. Whay else could it have been? He sure is a cutie!