Loulou

[LouLou's helper]

Wondering if I can get some advice, we have a rescue cockatiel Loulou (13 y o) who does not seem to be forming feathers properly. I see pull them out and they have no pins, it’s just the fluff!

We didn’t have this issue before by the coast (she was there 1 year) but now we live in a dry climate (2 years) so I try to spray to mist the air but she hates it. There seems to be more feather loss now. When she lifts her wings it is bald in her underarm area.

Diet wise I have tried EVERYTHING (berries, tropical fruit, veggies) and she will sometimes try a little lick and then reel her head back and shake to get the taste out! The only thing I can ever get her to nibble is Little Gem lettuce (not even Romaine or spring mix… seriously). She will have crunchy Mary’s seed crackers and occasionally when she sees me eating tortilla chips I let her have some (she goes for multiple bites). She loves her old school seed feed and junk!!! SIGH!

Any advice or recommendations are appreciated. She generally seems very happy, flying around the house and singing and interacting as she pleases but just worried about the feather loss.

 

[Free as a bird]

Wondering if I can get some advice, we have a rescue cockatiel Loulou (13 y o) who does not seem to be forming feathers properly. I see pull them out and they have no pins, it’s just the fluff!

We didn’t have this issue before by the coast (she was there 1 year) but now we live in a dry climate (2 years) so I try to spray to mist the air but she hates it. There seems to be more feather loss now. When she lifts her wings it is bald in her underarm area.

Diet wise I have tried EVERYTHING (berries, tropical fruit, veggies) and she will sometimes try a little lick and then reel her head back and shake to get the taste out! The only thing I can ever get her to nibble is Little Gem lettuce (not even Romaine or spring mix… seriously). She will have crunchy Mary’s seed crackers and occasionally when she sees me eating tortilla chips I let her have some (she goes for multiple bites). She loves her old school seed feed and junk!!! SIGH!

Any advice or recommendations are appreciated. She generally seems very happy, flying around the house and singing and interacting as she pleases but just worried about the feather loss.

Those fluffy feathers are down feathers and they're always falling out and growing back. Maybe you just didn't notice it when you lived by the coast.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Wondering if I can get some advice, we have a rescue cockatiel Loulou (13 y o) who does not seem to be forming feathers properly. I see pull them out and they have no pins, it’s just the fluff!

We didn’t have this issue before by the coast (she was there 1 year) but now we live in a dry climate (2 years) so I try to spray to mist the air but she hates it. There seems to be more feather loss now. When she lifts her wings it is bald in her underarm area.

Diet wise I have tried EVERYTHING (berries, tropical fruit, veggies) and she will sometimes try a little lick and then reel her head back and shake to get the taste out! The only thing I can ever get her to nibble is Little Gem lettuce (not even Romaine or spring mix… seriously). She will have crunchy Mary’s seed crackers and occasionally when she sees me eating tortilla chips I let her have some (she goes for multiple bites). She loves her old school seed feed and junk!!! SIGH!

Any advice or recommendations are appreciated. She generally seems very happy, flying around the house and singing and interacting as she pleases but just worried about the feather loss.

Have you brought her to an avian vet? Perhaps there's a medical problem. She looks okay (plumage is a little rough) but since her behavior is normal I wouldn't worry too much. The "underarm" area doesn't have real fully formed feathers- mostly just down. Do you have other cockatiels? Do they have more feather cover under their wings?

Many seed addict birds are stubborn about eating greens but have you tried fresh broccoli? My budgies all enjoy it even though they
mostly seem to tear it to shreds and make a mess. They do eat some of it.

 

[LouLou's helper]

Those fluffy feathers are down feathers and they're always falling out and growing back. Maybe you just didn't notice it when you lived by the coast.

Oh thank you so much!!! When she pulls them out there are no pins I was just worried… thank you!!!

 

[Free as a bird]

Oh thank you so much!!! When she pulls them out there are no pins I was just worried… thank you!!!

If they look like this then that's normal.
It's a fluffy down feather that helps keep them warm. Now it's getting hotter down here so my cockatiel is molting more of these now.

Some of them look even fluffier like these

Totally normal as well