# Parents preen chick....



## Mimi0212 (Feb 6, 2012)

Do parents preen chicks? I've noticed that lately the parents go up to them and start "preening" the babies. The poor little guys complain at times, and even try to bite mom or dad. Since the babies are still young and I'm keeping an eye on the parents just in case they decide to lay another clutch, I'm scared that this might be the beginning of plucking  Just need to make sure it's OK what they are doing before I start stressing too much over it


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Yes they'll preen them to help pull off the pins off the feathers, its when they take this to the extreme that its considered plucking.


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## Mimi0212 (Feb 6, 2012)

Thank you, Roxy. I'll keep a watchful eye on them


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## Mimi0212 (Feb 6, 2012)

I was checking the chicks today, and even though I have not seen the parents become aggressive with them, I noticed that there were what seemed to be blood on the very tip of some the pins. Is this something to be concerned about? or is this something "normal"?


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

* I noticed that there were what seemed to be blood on the very tip of some the pins. Is this something to be concerned about? or is this something "normal"?*

Very carefully inspect the parents and the babies. Look under the wing at where it joins the body, along the feathered part of the leg and crest area. When parents pluck they will pull the whole pinfeather out. if it is a mite attack the mites will bite the end of the pinfeathers for the blood. So what you are looking for would be tiny black, moving specks.


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## Mimi0212 (Feb 6, 2012)

Thank you! I checked the chicks and mom, but I didn't see anything. I couldn't check the male, he's tame but when he wants to bite, it can get bad.
I'm attaching two pictures of the youngest chick, he's the one that has more of the red marks. The other two don't have that many, I'm pretty sure that the second chick doesn't have any.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Thanks for the pix's they helped. Look at your pix...and you will notice thet many of the pinfeathers that look normal have a strand of down attached to the end of them. And there are some that have just a tiny bit of yellow attached. The ones that are reddened/bloody have no down attached. What I suspect is that as they are trying to preen the down from the tips of the pinfeathers they my be nipping too close. Are they first time parents?....if so thy are trying to get it right, and there is no actual damage being done.

As to the baby in the pix it is going to be a pearl.


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## Mimi0212 (Feb 6, 2012)

Thank you so much!! They are first time parents, I'm glad it's just that and not something bad.

Thanks for letting me know it will be a pearl, it's safe to assume the other two will be as well


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

If the other one has the striped/banded looking pinfeathers like this bird then it would be a pearl also.


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