Long down feathers?

[Eric&Rebecca]

I noticed George has really long down feathers just under his wings near his tail. His plumage is fine and he has some little pin feathers growing but not loads as he only a few months old. I just wondered if this was normal for a baby/young cockatiel because I've heard long down feathers can mean very bad things like PBFD or something like that. We saw the parent birds though who were very beautiful and immaculate plumage as were all of the birds actually!

Both birds still quarantined obviously and vet booked for the 8th of this month. He's healthy, eats well no problems with him other than this. It does seem to be falling out too so I'm hoping its just the remains of his baby down.

He won't sit sit for a picture.... It kind of sticks out like a little skirt. We examined what has fallen out and it's fluffy like normal down just a bit thicker and longer. He's not dropped any other feathers apart from a couple of chest feathers which also appeared normal.

[marie83]

Harlie is like that only its not just her down feathers. I was worried for some time but apparently pearls quite often are more feathery than others. I know yours isn't a pearl but it could be a genetic or baby thing. If you have any doubts though you can send off a poop sample for testing or get bloods done.

[Eric&Rebecca]

His mum was a lutino pearl! That's probably why. He has a little pearl necklace when you look up close LOL. Ill get the vet to look but I feel reassured now. Poop and bloods were done before he came and will be done again by our vet at the next check up.

[marie83]

Ohh if mum was a pearl I'm certain you have nothing to worry about then, Harlies feathers are layered pretty thickly too, hence why I missed her bald spots under her wings as the feathers surrounding the area were hiding it.

[Eric&Rebecca]

Yeah all over he has much thicker feathers than Edmund. Edmund has a grey pastelface Dad and a completely lutino mum. He's really really pale grey and his feathers are really soft and fluffy. We never saw them in person but the guy at the centre had pictures of the parent birds of each chick.

George has a normal grey dad (who was a HUGE cockatiel- he was a show bird) and Mum was a Lutino Pearl she was amazingly beautiful we were lucky enough to see them in person as they were on a break from breeding. George's feathers are thicker all over and his down is longer (although this has started to be replaced by shorter down).