What is the average amount of feathers to loose?
- Thread starter NandayMom
- Start date
Kiwibird
Well-known member
- Jul 12, 2012
- 9,539
- 111
- Parrots
- 1 BFA- Kiwi. Hatch circa 98', forever home with us Dec. 08'
It's pretty normal for them to loose body feathers and down feathers all the time with the odd tail or wing feather. Depending on how hot it is where you live, it could be a summer molt too. I know our zons cage looks like a bird exploded right now, as it typically does this time of year when it is REALLY HOT.
The Rickeybird has two moults a year... he will start his complete moult in a month or so. He'll replace all his feathers including wings and tail. Then in about December, he will moult his body feathers and much of his head (wings and tail stay). After a couple of years you'll know his pattern. For now, I wouldn't worry much. In have heard that birds moult a bit to adapt to new conditions and temperatures, as Kiwi's person said.
I love Nandays. Congratulations!
I love Nandays. Congratulations!
I'm going to move in a little different direction here. Based on your statement that Tova (the MAC?) just came home yesterday, correct? it is more likely that during the process of moving, several feathers became dislodged.
In North America and more precisely, the Great White North most of us are near wading in the effects of the early arrival of Summer's Heat. Add that to normal molting and the as Stated Above, it sometimes look like our Amazon blew-up.
Over the years, our different Amazons have commonly taken several years commonly 3 - 5 years for full molt of all feathers. The only exception was when they first arrived and had gotten on a healthy diet, but even they would push 2 - 3 years for the first full healthy molt.
As a group, they would molt near exact (right side /left side) wing feathers with in days of each other. Short an accidental loss of a tail feather they would not loss tail feathers while they would molt wing feathers. Some would switch-it-up, and target several wing feathers, followed by a couple of tail feathers. Our YNA must have been an accountant is a prior life, she was precise in her feather molting. Our DYH Amazons is all over the board, but that may have much to do with his aggressive flying. He pushes hard at speed and turns hard and back on the gas again. My wife suggests that he gets if from me!??!
In North America and more precisely, the Great White North most of us are near wading in the effects of the early arrival of Summer's Heat. Add that to normal molting and the as Stated Above, it sometimes look like our Amazon blew-up.
Over the years, our different Amazons have commonly taken several years commonly 3 - 5 years for full molt of all feathers. The only exception was when they first arrived and had gotten on a healthy diet, but even they would push 2 - 3 years for the first full healthy molt.
As a group, they would molt near exact (right side /left side) wing feathers with in days of each other. Short an accidental loss of a tail feather they would not loss tail feathers while they would molt wing feathers. Some would switch-it-up, and target several wing feathers, followed by a couple of tail feathers. Our YNA must have been an accountant is a prior life, she was precise in her feather molting. Our DYH Amazons is all over the board, but that may have much to do with his aggressive flying. He pushes hard at speed and turns hard and back on the gas again. My wife suggests that he gets if from me!??!
Sailboat, I had no idea that some birds didn't moult at least once a year! I guess it's a species thing? I can assemble a full tail and flight feathers from both wings after the first (July) moult of the two per year!!! Sometimes I give them to kids or crafters for projects. They make a really pretty feather head dress.
No, I must have miss-stated something in my Post. Health parrots molt year around with very heavy events occurring common around normal transitions in the Seasons. Additional or extended events can occur when very high or low temperatures occur. At present, the Great White North in North America is experiencing higher temperatures than normal for this area and many of our Parrots are molting heavily.
Kiwibird
Well-known member
- Jul 12, 2012
- 9,539
- 111
- Parrots
- 1 BFA- Kiwi. Hatch circa 98', forever home with us Dec. 08'
This is an interesting theory. I've never paid too much attention to feather molting pattern of the big feathers, just know this time of year there's a barrage of body feathers and down feathers. Kiwi usually molts his wing/tail feathers for the year in the fall. Sometimes he gets a 'gap' in his tail, which I find pretty amusing
Come to think of it though (speaking of different species) my dads cockatoo lost wing and tail feathers much less frequently than the amazons. It was far rarer to find a big white feather than a big zon feather.
Thanks, Sailboat, and Kiwi.
The Rickeybird's tail is beautiful and so long ( a good 9 inches of his 18-inch length). Nut when it gets short during the late summer moult it's actually kind of a relief... he's so much easier to handle, and I enjoy not having to worry about his long tail getting messed up or in raggedy ruffles. I know, that's silly!!!!
The Rickeybird's tail is beautiful and so long ( a good 9 inches of his 18-inch length). Nut when it gets short during the late summer moult it's actually kind of a relief... he's so much easier to handle, and I enjoy not having to worry about his long tail getting messed up or in raggedy ruffles. I know, that's silly!!!!
Most Reactions
-
587 -
260 -
208 -
171 -
114 -
103 -
86 -
85 -
71 -
O
52
-
48 -
45 -
40 -
36 -
35
Similar threads
