# When will the molt be over ?



## dude (Mar 29, 2010)

Just wondering.

How long will my baby be fuzzy for ? Dude is molting and it feels like he has been molting forever... his feathers stick out everywhere and he just looks really scruffy.

When will my Dude be sleek and smooth again ???

Feathers everywhere. Flight wings growing in again and all that dander! Can't believe the ammounts of "white snow" that appears on my clothes after having cuddles with Dude.


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## luther349 (Apr 5, 2010)

they never stop malting. unlike most birds cockatiels malt all the time. your probably seeing alot of it and the odd felling being his adult feathers are coming in once they grow in he should fell normal again.

of course the amount of malting will reduce when hes got all of his adult feathers.


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## dude (Mar 29, 2010)

Ok lets rephraise that.
When will the HEAVY molt finish? The molt that every single time you pat him or he shakes a few feathers fall out and when won't be be covered in pin feathers from head to tail?


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## luther349 (Apr 5, 2010)

7 to 10 days for his normel feathers 6 to 8 weeks for a blood feather. there first molt is the worst. but as i said they never really stop but then you will probably never notice it other then a few feathers in the cage every few weeks. as i said once his first one is done you never see such a heavy molt again. even tho it never truly finishes.


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## dude (Mar 29, 2010)

Oh. Its his first molt.... so feathers are everywhere !!!


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## luther349 (Apr 5, 2010)

yep that sums it up.


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## Ezzie (Jan 19, 2010)

i feel the same way with buddy, it feels like he has been moulting forever.
It musnt be nice to be covered in pins for new feathers- i cant wait for it to end so i can scratch him without him squarking when i accadently rub a pin feather the wrong way haha


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## dude (Mar 29, 2010)

LoL. Thanks.

My fuzzy bird is growing up.


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## luther349 (Apr 5, 2010)

i just wish they kept the sound they make as babies. they sound so frigging cool.


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## dude (Mar 29, 2010)

Yeah. I don't hear the same cockatiel baby sounds from dude as when I first got him.
I miss those 'crys'.

I think Dude has gotten use to me hitting pin feathers when I play with him.... he doesn't react anymore...lol. I can sit there and rub the sheath? (White covering on new pin feathers) off the new pin feathers... he likes it and sits with his eyes closed till I decided to stop.

He also had a million baths a day. I think that helps... I leave his "bath tub" full of water ontop of his cage. So whenever he is out he is in the bath. (Look at my signature, that's dude bathing in his bath)


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## bird brain (May 30, 2010)

Dude seems quite young to be moulting already. And yes, birds will loose a few feathers every now and then, but they should still go through a proper moult every year after breeding season; permanent or excessively heavy moulting is not good and usually caused by improper photoperiods.


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## luther349 (Apr 5, 2010)

i think you misunderstood what i said that they never fully stop molting. its just how these birds are. yes they have points where they molt more then there always light molting but nowhere near as heavily as there first they will just look a bit scruffy for a week or so when they go threw there yearly heaver cycle. other breeds of bird don't molt at all then molt heavily once a year or so.


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## dude (Mar 29, 2010)

Yes dude is still young. Just on 16 weeks.

But the change is face colour. Lots of yellow coming through. Excessive ammount of feathers. And a fair few flight feathers falling out at once and growing back in and the covering of pin feathers from head to tail makes me believe he is in his first molt.
He lost all but 2 feathers from his crest at once point too. Now they all growing back and lots have changed from grey to yellow.
Dude is showing mating behaviours too. So maybe he's a early bloomer?lol

Every single time you rub his face / neck / head those feather ALWAYS fall off. 
They didn't use to before now. So i`m just comparing him from when before all this started.


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## luther349 (Apr 5, 2010)

yep its due to him losing all his young features and getting his adult ones. that white dander your seeing alot of is what makes there feathers waterproof. some birds types can molt so heavy they lose the ability to fly very well until its over.

as for your bird showing mating behavior if its a girl you can put a stop to that by removing any kind of boxes she can nest in. it should discourage her from wanting to lay eegs.


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## dude (Mar 29, 2010)

no hes a boy..... lol 
dont girls not get yellow faces ??? dudes face is slowly turning yellow.


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## Ezzie (Jan 19, 2010)

"i just wish they kept the sound they make as babies. they sound so frigging cool"

Buddy has retained his baby noise, When i give him scratches he will do the baby feeding sound, just less dramatic  i guess hes still very much a baby


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## luther349 (Apr 5, 2010)

im talking how they sound when they sing as babys. as for your being a male lol well he likes you alot yes in that way lol. not to much you can do abought a male showing that he should catch on however your not a mate and quit.


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