# Yellowing on grey feathers.



## Vickitiel (Oct 10, 2012)

I don't think I've posted about this before, I might've somewhere but I may have forgotten so here goes anyways.

Jari has recently gone through quite a heavy molt, and I've noticed the new feathers growing in are tinged with an odd yellow/green hue. It's noticeable to the point where it concerns me a lot. The yellow feathers look normal around his head, but on his belly, wings and back there is not meant to be yellow/green there as he is a normal grey. It has been happening for a while, I thought it would go away but it hasn't. When I purchased him his plumage was perfect.

Have any of you seen this before? Is this a serious issue or something I can fix with diet? He is currently in the process of converting to a pellet-based diet.


----------



## Haimovfids (Sep 19, 2012)

Can you post a picture, I think I have the same thing tweety but I'm not sure if it is


----------



## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Does it look like this?


----------



## Vickitiel (Oct 10, 2012)

It does look like that, but only in small patches. It's most noticeable on the new wing feathers. It has actually faded away on Jari's chest somewhat.


----------



## Vickitiel (Oct 10, 2012)

Jari is about a year and a half old and I got him last October. I hope it's not liver problems...


----------



## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

I've acquired 2 birds with liver disease. One mild who passed from a heart condition..the other with advanced stages of liver disease (see Allie in my signature). Symptoms of liver disease include: yellow/green wash to feathers, overgrown beak and/or nails, weight loss, and shoestring-like abnormal white feathers growing on the bird's back. Allie displayed every symptom except the yellowing feathers. 

The only way to fix the problem is to change the diet. An all-seed or all-pellet diet can cause liver disease. All seed means the liver must filter all the excess fat and all pellet means the liver has to filter all the excess protein. An ideal cockatiel diet contains about 60% seed, 30% pellet, and 10% of veggies. You can see the diet sticky in the sticky library.

While concentrating on the diet conversion, you can help promote liver function by using herbal extracts in the bird's water. 1 drop of Alchol-free Milk Thistle Extract and 1 drop of Alcohol-free Dandelion Extract per 3 ounces of water. If you get the Alcohol-free Milk Thistle/Dandelion Extract mix (Silymarin) then you put 2 drops of it per 3 ounces of water. Change the water twice daily to prevent bacterial growth.

While these extracts cannot hurt your bird even if it doesn't have liver disease, I urge you to see a vet and get a liver chem panel done to determine the uric acid and liver enzyme levels.


----------



## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

Also, can you post pictures?


----------



## Vickitiel (Oct 10, 2012)

I'll get some pictures tomorrow morning in natural light. Thank you for your help.


----------



## Vickitiel (Oct 10, 2012)

Alright here is a photo I found. It's not the clearest and doesn't show it properly but it will do for now. There's yellow/green patches on the white of the wing, and a green tone to the newly grown-in flight feathers.


----------



## xNx (Jun 6, 2012)

CharVicki said:


> Alright here is a photo I found. It's not the clearest and doesn't show it properly but it will do for now. There's yellow/green patches on the white of the wing, and a green tone to the newly grown-in flight feathers.
> 
> View attachment 19482


My Tiel has some yellow too on it's white feather, very little though. It's also about 1 1/2 years old....


----------



## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

Yellowing on the wing bar is normal. I think from increased hypochrome (sp)


----------



## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

It would be safest to get a vet check and put your mind at ease. Increased yellow in the feathers can be a sign of liver disease, which is treatable with diet change. I don't know whether this is the case with your boy or not.

If he's had a major improvement in his diet during the last few months, another possibility is that it's just the better nutrition showing up in his feathers. Birds on a good diet will have more colorful feathers than birds on an inferior diet, but you have to wait for a molt to see the improved coloring.


----------



## Vickitiel (Oct 10, 2012)

His last visit to the vet was a couple weeks ago, he had a poop test done and there was nothing unusual in there, but no other tests were done. The yellowing has started to fade away, but every time a new feather grows in it is very yellow/green. I have adjusted his diet considerably (he was fed an all-seed diet before I acquired him).

If he has liver disease would there be a change in his temperament? He's a happy little 'tiel.


----------



## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

No it is not like a regular illness so it won't change temperament. It progresses somewhat slowly, but it also takes a long time to correct.


----------



## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

> The yellowing has started to fade away, but every time a new feather grows in it is very yellow/green.


Maybe you're just not used to seeing brand new feathers? Older feathers will look more faded than brand new feathers, but since this seems to be happening very quickly it might just be plain old tiel dust. Try giving him a mist bath, that's a good way to make the feathers look more colorful. My grey boys all look extra handsome after a bath.


----------



## Vickitiel (Oct 10, 2012)

He goes in the shower with me about once a week. It doesn't really help the green/yellow. I suppose I'll just be patient and wait and see if things improve.


----------



## Raptor4666 (Jul 8, 2018)

Vickitiel said:


> He goes in the shower with me about once a week. It doesn't really help the green/yellow. I suppose I'll just be patient and wait and see if things improve.


Hello, sorry I know this is a very very old thread now but I wondered what the outcome was if your still around. I’m sure was all good & normal but be good to know what happened since then to now almost ten years later to put anyone else‘s mind at ease if they are reading this looking for similar advice. Thanks


----------

