# Scruffy feathers



## monz (Apr 3, 2011)

I got my cockatiel around a month and a half ago, hes young but i dunno how young to be honest, he still had a couple of baby feathers on his cheeks. and his beak was all pink, His feathers are very scruffy though, and he only had one tail feather, I think its probably because he wasn't being treated very well at the place I got him from, like maybe he stayed in a dirty nest or something when he was tiny, I think he started molting now, and his beak is becoming darker starting with the tip, I don't think hes sick becasue hes active and he eats and plays and everything. I was just wondering why would this be, and also how old would he approximately be if he has just started molting. will his new feathers look smooth and nice and will he grow a tail? oh and how long does molting usually take?

Thanks everyone


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Earliest for mine to start moulting was 5 months and it lasted 6 weeks with my lucky and cookie seems forever as he could stop then next week more feathers 
Iv just got beano on sunday and his tail feathers look scuffy and taco tail is messed up as he snapped 2 and one now is bent. I would love to pull them out but im not that cruel lol

I did pull luckys tail off by accident as she was scared of the rug i got and her tail feathers come in lovely


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## bear2491 (Feb 26, 2011)

Well my Pheonix who is about 3 months old has broken a lot of tail feathers (all but one as of today) but has a whole lot of little tail feathers coming through!! And they are lovely and smooth, not scruffy at all (now for her horribly done wing clip to fall out so she can have it done properly). 

My other tiel Ruby was moulting a few weeks ago (she's four months old) but has stopped now. It wasn't a big moult by any means though.


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