Very happy bird, but he's scared of me

[cml]

cml,do u know how long to get my grey till the new feather completly grow?
he is molting now.

No, I am not sure on how long molting lasts, one of mine is in a molt right now, and has been in it for a couple of weeks.

I believe molting usually lasts 4-6 weeks, (but individual feathers like primaries may take longer than that?). Over that time they change all their feathers. Someone better informed than me on this would be very welcome to reply though =).

[marie83]

CML is right, big moults take place over several weeks but your bird may have another smaller moult during the year too. Every single feather will eventually be replaced but even in the bigger moults not every single feather will be replaced each time so it may take a few moults to grow out a wing clip. I was told that If each feather was replaced every time and all the flight feathers were replaced birds wouldn't be able to fly for a few weeks whilst the new ones grow which would seriously decrease their survival rates which is why they do it bit at a time, even if it appears they are losing alot of feathers.

[naomi]

hi guys,thanks for the reply.
i found a lot of baby fur and small fur under his cage this 2 weeks but i just found 2 wings primary fall down.i dont see any primary molting anymore.
and should i bath him everyday with this condition?he scratch too much,seems very itchy !!

[marie83]

Condition? do you mean the moult? Yes bath him everyday if he wants it. Mine wont have one everyday even if it's offered apart from when he is growing pin feathers. I think getting wet softens them and makes them more comfortable. The scratching is normal when they are growing new feathers. If the excessive scratching continues after the moult then a trip to the vet may be in order.

[naomi]

yes marie,
its summer here,very hot,and everytime i shower him until he 100% wet he can sleep and be more relax. he scratch quite bad,i dont know if this normal or not,but he can do it for 2-4 hours perday.i check him,he dsnt have mites or ants around but the pin feather grow everywhere.he has around 15 pin around his neck and head.
is it okay to bath bird everyday?i heard people said 1-2 times a week is enough,what u think??

[marie83]

I think as long as bathing isn't causing skin problems then everyday during moulting is fine. You don't need to get the bird wet through every single time though, try alternating a good soaking every few days with a lighter spray on the other days.
When not moulting I think that a bath twice a week- every other day is ok- again as long as it isn't causing problems.
When the weather is very hot and they are showing signs of being too hot a few light sprays can help cool them back down without drying out the skin.

If your bird is scratching continously or aggressively for so long then I would get him to the vet. If he is doing it in different places spread out through the day I would wait until the moult is over and see if he still does it. That said only you can decide whether the bird is just scratching normally because the feather growth is causing discomfort or if it appears excessive. If your overly concerned it won't hurt to get him a check up with the vet to put your mind at rest. All my birds have scratched at moulting times more than they do normally but none of them have gone crazy with it.

[Mashleyaay]

Thanks for everyones advise, you have convinced me not to get his wings clipped, has anyone got any tips for him coming out of cage, i have been leaving the cage door open so he can come out when he wants but he doesnt seem interested, he'd rather play with his toys lol

[liz]

Put treats outside the cage door and a toy on the top.

[cml]

Leroy lost an other primary today, they are definatly molting and this is the 4th primary in 2 weeks I think. Three weeks ago it was chest and back feathers, we had an abundance of them everywhere in the house, they came loose sometimes when he was flying ^^. They have all been replaced though.
Molting seems to push out new feathers REAL fast.

How early does the molting usually occur? Leroy is a week short of a year old atm.

[Mashleyaay]

My bird took millet from my hand for the first time today, thanks Micheal for your taming method!