Is she molting ??!!

[lordburrito]

Hello there!!
I have a question, and be pleased if you could help me... maybe is just a non-sense, but wathever...
My 10 month old blue-fronted amazon parrot is obviosly molting now... for more than 2 months, she is full of pin-feathers, and the little grey-ones, and we have those all over the place .. I find it cute, BUT, the thing that worries me are the TAIL feathers ... they are like this for about 3 monts now(see the picture)... Is that normal? Are the new-ones comming? She eats lots of fresh fruit and veggies, she also likes chicken meat, cheese, eggs ect... so I think her organism isn't missing anything...
Thank you for you answers!!

 

[Spiritbird]

The tail feathers are usually the last to molt. Do you think this is the case?

 

[MikeyTN]

Your pic is kinda blurry and hard to see, it looks like its just stained from dipping into food or bottom of his cage.

 

[lordburrito]

Ends of the tail feathers are grey and they fractures at the end of the feather....

 

[MikeyTN]

Have you been bathing him??? It really looks like it's just stained...Does he go to the bottom of his cage at all? The cage bars will cause their feathers to fracture from them rubbing against them.

 

[lordburrito]

she gets baths 1-twice a week under the shower with me...she has a big cage 170cmx85cmx110cm , and she goes to the bottom of the cage only if she drops something..

 

[lordburrito]

Also her beak is peeing... is that normal ?

 

[lordburrito]

two more pictures :

http://www.shrani.si/f/f/1M/40AZ7uCH/kljun.jpg

 

[Pedro]

It's normal for their beaks to peel or shed a bit. They usually keep their beaks neat by rubbing on a perch. And the tail appears to be bronzing which means the color has been rubbed off. I would say the tail feathers haven't been replaced by new ones yet or she has been rubbing the tip of tail on some hard surface, maybe the cage side or even a perch. Check it out when she is moving around her cage. Although there is nothing to worry about just normal wear & tear.

 

[mygirl]

My eclectus parrot beak does that i've been told by a vet its quite normal.

 

[lordburrito]

GREAT!!! Thank you all for beeing very helpful!!

 

[HRH Di]

Yep, peeling beaks are normal, but it still freaks me out. Especially when a big bit flakes off.

Keep the questions coming if you're unsure of something. We've all been there.

 

[Pedro]

You know if you keep replacing the perch & make sure it has lots of bark on it the birds use it to rub their beaks on as part of their daily grooming, that's a great way for all your birds to have nice smooth shiny beaks.

I very rarely have flaky beaks on my birds.

 

[lordburrito]

She has at least 3-5 "rubbing" perches in the cage... but she still mostly likes to rubb her beak in to my fresh t-shirts ... especially when the beak has pieces of food all over

 

[Pedro]

That's cause she wants to clean the food from her beak. LOL.

Very funny when they use you as a wash basin.

I normally have some sort of parrot food on me when i go out especially if i have a chick on formula we manage to get it everywhere.

Here is a link that may help.

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=15+1829&aid=2752

 

[MikeyTN]

I prefer the concrete perch for polishing their beak. After looking at the new picture, id still say that its just stained! My birds get that if they go to the bottom often.

 

[Pedro]

Feather Grooming Disorders

That maybe so with your birds Mike but mine are in an aviary & after reading this thread yesterday i went out & had a look at my Zons & sure enough they had the same bronzing. I noticed as soon as i approached the cage both birds were hanging from the side of the cage. The tips of their tails were rubbing on the wire. I do know the difference between staining & bronzing.

I don't know about Lilly but my Zons never go to the bottom of the aviary & they have suspended aviaries.

 

[MikeyTN]

Thanks Pedro, very interesting post you find there... I have to keep that one book marked. Mine gets it from them rubbing on the bottom....few washes does the trick...unless they have light feathers then I can only wait until molt...lol.

 

[lordburrito]

Lily goes to the bottom of the cage only if she drops something that is interesting for her... food/toy ...but when she picks it, she goes up again..