preening plucked or molted feathers?

[Presley]

Hey guys,

Should I be concerned about my male ekkie's feather preening?
I've seen my ekkie preen himself but I never thought it seemed excessive. He has no bald spots.

Today I noticed when he was hanging out with me uncaged; there were a few feathers on the floor. I figured they might have been loose anyway or molting and didn't think much of it. Then I kept seeing more feathers. Although these are not large feathers, the feathers I'm used to seeing are the grey downy ones (upper right corner of pic), not actual green feathers, (at least not so many at once). Has he now crossed the line from preening into plucking? Or is this all part of the molting process?

I have not actually witnessed him plucking. However, I saw him holding a separated (not sure if it was plucked or already “loose”) feather with one foot and would really focus on preening it. (He was sitting on a perch, so I know that he did not get that feather from the floor). When I first saw him doing it, I admonished him and took the feather away and replaced it with something he could chew. Still, I saw him doing it again later. Prior to today, I've never seen him do that before. Is this normal? If not, how do I handle it? He was in my presence, uncaged, during this whole time.

I don't want him to get in the habit of plucking feathers just to preen them. He has wooden chew toys, designated paper/cardboard, and foot toys he can chew. So, he's not lacking for things to chew on.

Attached is a pic of the green feathers I found today, minus two or three I threw away earlier before I started keeping track. This was over a span of maybe 3 hours on and off in the same area. But I'm not sure if the feathers were accumulating the whole time or just within that last hour or so. Upper right is a grey downy one that I’m used to seeing everywhere. I just included one in the pic for reference. Are there too many green feathers? I don't recall seeing that many in that span of time before.

So to sum it up: Would molting lead to that number of loose green feathers or is it plucking? Would he pluck a feather if it was molting?

What to do about him holding and preening his feathers after plucking or molting it off?

 

[chris-md]

It’s hard to tell from the photos but I sort of looks like they have been barberer (chewed off). Do you by chance see any pin feathers developing anywhere? Plucking and barbering is a very complex behavior but on occasion they will barber some feathers to help the process along.

 

[Presley]

I see the grey downy stuff which has some whitish at the tip. It's too soft for me to "roll off". Like I've seen other people do with their birds.

I know he has barbered a couple of tail feathers off.

I'll see if I can post a better pic.

 

[Mindy]

I'm not sure if it's intentional but I believe it's better not to react at all (I know how hard this is first hand). You don't want to accidentally set it up so he knows that he gets attention for having a feather in his beak.

 

[Presley]

Hey chris, updated the pic, hopefully, it helps.

Hey Mindy, I'll try, but I want to figure out the cause. Is it for attention or is it barbering after all?

 

[Mindy]

I'm sorry that wasn't clear, I don't know if it's barbering or not - my advice was just in general, don't react (in front of him) to a feather in the beak.

 

[Mindy]

To know for sure you'll want to take him in-your avian vet will know for sure. If he/she says it is intentional there are medical reasons that need to be ruled out.

 

[chris-md]

Much better thanks! The shafts are clearly in tact. Definitely molting. When Parker molts he sheds most of his feathers in a very short amount of time. It can be a shocking sight for the uninitiated.

Nothing to worry about here.

 

[Mindy]

Oh that's great news!

 

[Presley]

Okay, but is it normal for him to pluck out the molting feather?

I just saw him pluck out a feather (unless it was already loose), grasp it with his foot, and then chew on it. I know I stated before he preens it, but honestly, it looks more like he’s trying to eat it, which I know sounds weird. He's very enthusiastic about preening or chewing on it.

 

[chris-md]

He wouldn’t have PULED it out per se. it was ready to come out. It’s not at all unusual for them to play or chew it once it falls out.

 

[Presley]

okay, thanks Chris! That makes me feel so much better! Phew!

Also I read that molting can occur year around, but how long was the molting period it last in your experience?

thanks

 

[chris-md]

So my experience is very different tot he point where I’ve spoken to my vet about it.

Parkers molting is annual, like clockwork starting late July/early August. Never outside this timeframe.

This actually runs counter to everyone I know. On here for example there are people talking about their ekkies molting in February, or May.

According to my vet, the clockwork molting is a trait of more wild animals. In captivity m, in our houses, where they are kept at a constant 70F and lights on at night, much of that seasonality can be lost through generations. So year round molting will be highly individualized and likely dependent on such things as how far removed generationally they are from the wild.

Per my vet anyways. Who knows. This half makes sense to me but I sense a hole or two in the logic somewhere. But it’s reasonable enough that it at least sets my mind at ease. Doesn’t ease the frustration when my boys farts barbering his feathers during the winter and spring and I’m desperate for a molt, but I at least know what’s likely going on