Pin feather woes

[m8r-k8lwrp]

My conure has a buildup of pin feathers she wont let me touch on her head. I think the person I got her from was a bit too rough with pin feathers in the past. How can I help her open them up? They seem to be really irritating her as she is scratching all the time. I've heard that feathers can be ruined if they are in the sheath too long, is this correct? if so then I really need to find a way to open them up as they have looked ready for a while now. She has also been bathing about every other day lately (as opposed to about 1-2 times a week) probably because they are irritating her.

[Pajarita]

Well, for one thing, parrots should not be molting right now (it happens around July in the Northern Hemisphere and around January in the Southern) so something is askew (could be diet, could be light schedule or both) so, please, first of all, re-evaluate your husbandry.

Now, water softens the keratin sheaths and makes them crumble, that's why she is bathing more often now. Scratching her head is her way of getting rid of the sheaths.

If she doesn't like people touching her head, you will have to get her used to it VERY slowly and VERY gradually (which won't do her any good for this pins but will in the future). Start by caressing her beak with the tip of your index finger in a downward motion (start at the nares and go slowly down to the tip of the top beak) when she is cuddling with you (they are usually very mellow when they cuddle next to your neck while riding your shoulder). Once you can do this to her while she is perching in front of you, you can start lightly touching her forehead with the tip of your nail on your index finger. You start doing this just for a second or so before you caress her beak and slowly increase the number of 'scritches' as she gets used to it until you can scratch her head. And, when you do this, you can start slowly preening it so she will be used to the motion and touch next time she molts.

[m8r-k8lwrp]

Well it isn't that she doesn't like people touching her head, she lets me touch her wherever. but if I get close to, or touch a pin feather she bites, hard. The pins are obviously done (no dark parts, feather sticking out the end, etc. But she just wont let me get near them.

[Pajarita]

Have you tried just caressing the top of her head (where her pins are) with the tip of your finger (you can try using the edge of your nail, too) following the direction the feathers grow (from the eyes to the nape)? This will help to dislodge the keratin sheaths without actually pulling them out.

[m8r-k8lwrp]

Have you tried just caressing the top of her head (where her pins are) with the tip of your finger (you can try using the edge of your nail, too) following the direction the feathers grow (from the eyes to the nape)? This will help to dislodge the keratin sheaths without actually pulling them out.

I tried this yesterday and she didn't bite! thanks for the help, hopefully I can help her out with most of them this way.

[Pajarita]

Glad to be of help!