Is he molting?

[KentNick]

Good evening all, (well probably afternoon for you lot across the sea) my little boy is now 6 months old and the last couple of weeks his head and neck feathers are looking thin and a lot more red, am I right in assuming this is his first molt?

 

[KentNick]

Another pic...

 

[weco]

Since there are a few pin feathers showing in your pics, I would think that yes, he is starting a molt, though the most telling indication will be feathers all over the place.....

 

[KentNick]

Yeah there are a few small fluffy grey feathers in the bottom of his cage, he looks scruffy!

 

[RavensGryf]

My first question would be WHY your male Eclectus is getting red feathers.

Ekkie experts out there, do females on rare occasion ever start out completely green like this?

Or could you have a rare Chimera?
Land of Vos - Birds of a Different Feather - Main Page
Chimera (genetics) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Since you didn't mention anything about this, now I'm curious!

 

[KentNick]

Hi Raven,

I thought i mentioned the red feathers in my first post, When I first got him he was almost completely green but since this molt started he is showing more red feathers each day. I've had a quick look through the links you sent. It might be worth a quick check up with my local avian vet. Has anyone else seen this before?

 

[RavensGryf]

the last couple of weeks his head and neck feathers are looking thin and a lot more red,

Yes, I did read that here in your first post . I guess I didn't understand if that WAS your question. Why the red... No, it wouldn't be considered "normal". I'd take him to an avian vet (one who really knows birds, especially Ekkies would be great) to see if you might get some professional answers. Bloodwork is definitely in order sounds like.

 

[labell]

Baby eclectus can some times sport the colors of the opposite sex, in fact my boy Jolly had lots of red feathers as a baby. He is a Solomon and Gidget had some green as a baby, she is a female red sided. As their adult plumage comes in the baby colors from the opposite sex disappear. Getting new feathers in of the wrong color would concern me as color change in feathers of eclectus are typically a sign of liver problems or some kind of nutritional deficiency. I would make a vet visit for a blood work up imo.

 

[KentNick]

Well we went to see the vet today and he had no concerns about the red feathers due to his age and said with time they will be replaced by green feathers so good news there

 

[labell]

I do hope you explained to the vet that they are coming in new this way. As I said it is not uncommon for the first set of feathers eclectus have to include some portion (some times a little, some times a lot) of the opposite sex colors but to have them coming in new off color would concern me.

 

[KentNick]

Hi,

I don't think the red is coming through I think they were possibly already there but where he is starting to molt they are more noticeable with he loss of green feathers , if that makes sense? I'm going to monitor his feathers over this molt which should give me more answers. I appreciate your help.

 

[labell]

Yes I would keep an eye on how many there are now and see if they lessen or increase with this molt. Eclectus first real heavy molt can be frightening I will warn you right now, it can look like they are going bald.

In my opinion and experience baths are second in importance only to nutrition when it comes to eclectus, so that's a pretty big one in my book. Eclectus should be getting a minimum of 4 baths per week, more if he wants it or is molting. During molts I go up to as many as 6 per week. Some days that is a complete soak and others days it is a light wetting down. I let them tell me how long and often except the rule of never less than 4 a week, they get that each and every week whether they want it or not. My gal Jillie could care less if she ever took a bath but she tolerates it because she has to so I mostly just spray until they have had enough, except with Jolly that boy would go until my hand cramped up and fell off and every day if I let him!