What is my GCC doing!?!?!?!

[dredd]

Hello so ive just recently got a GCC and ive had him for about 3 weeks or so? and everything is going great hes always dancing, singing etc. But I know spring is almost here and thats when birds start to molt right? Anyways so hes itchy the usual. One of his tail feather were dangling it looked like it was about to come of but he doesnt trust me enough to take it out for him so i let him handle the tail feather. The feather bothered him and after a week he pulled it out ( i dont blame him it would get in his way and everything) so when he pulled it out he started playing with it. I took the feather away from him but now he is molting more and he is itching a little more than before but now he just pulls out the feather and starts playing with it. Is this normal?!?! I play with him every day and he is with me all day long! He has toys and nice big cage food that he enjoys. I dont understand what wrong im currently trying to hand train him but he doesnt seem to like hands he has no problem getting on my arm. I have had birds before and they never did this... Please help!?

Thanks!

 

[MonicaMc]

As long as he's pulling molted feathers, that's fine!

If you are really concerned, you can try redirecting him to playing with something else.

 

[Karigan]

When my sennie molts a larger feather she takes the time to chew the base of it until it's hollow. I just assume that there are some nutirents in them that need not be wasted.

 

[tokensmom]

I have always been curious about the molted feathers as well. Sometimes when Token is grooming and one comes out he chews on it and i take it away in fear of him enjoying it too much and then wanting to pluck feathers. Wow...sounds like im more obscessive than any bird.

 

[flash_oesc]

my guy hands them to me. If he ends up pulling an old tail feather out, he stands on one foot, and holds it up to me until I take it. "Look what I have Dad!"

 

[Annageckos]

When my GCC moults a feather, usually the longer ones (wing, tail, larger body feathers) she chews them. She doesn't pick her feathers, but when she sees on on the floor of her cage is will try her hardest to get to it. She will even reach as far as she can between the bars with her foot to get them. I let her play with them, I see no harm in it. Like I said, she doesn't pull her own feathers out.

 

[tokensmom]

Thats good to know....i wont be such a spaz to take them away from him. I mean honestly...not like im with him when he loses all of them....so i might as well not take any away from him. Huge sigh of relief.

 

[BoomBoom]

Sometimes when Token is grooming and one comes out he chews on it and i take it away in fear of him enjoying it too much and then wanting to pluck feathers. Wow...sounds like im more obscessive than any bird.

LOL This.

This is pretty much my fear too because Boomer does this as well. I take it from him after a while because he might find too much enjoyment from chewing the stub of his molted feather and keep plucking himself just so he could chew on more.

I think it's more my paranoia than anything though.

 

[dredd]

Thanks guys! I'll buy some more toys so hes not so focused on his feathers. And do you guys have any suggestions about the hand thing...?

 

[flash_oesc]

If he's a normal GCC, use treats to lure him...

 

[secuono]

I know it's not quite the same, but chickens will eat their feathers if they lack calcium. But that's usually a chewing off a live feather from a fellow bird or themselves. I think your bird is just playing around, though.

 

[WannaBeAParrot]

Normal. Like the others mentioned above, Pritti has been "preening" his molted long feathers forever. He does it for several seconds and drops the feather. If it is still around later, he might do it again for a couple of seconds. He'll even do it if I give him a long feather from an old molt.