# Lost his tail feathers...



## Carolyn

Our new cockatiel lost all of his tail feathers. Every one of them. His sibling has lost a couple, but she still has quite a few. I'm not sure his exact age, but the pet store said they were still babies, and they are still little, so I'm thinking they're about 4 months. Is this normal to lose all your tail feathers??

He is healthy otherwise and being that we have never owned a bird before and are newbies in the bird world, I need some advice.

Thanks to all.


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## allen

between 4-6 months old they do go through a molt it is different with all tiels though but they do come back if you have a picture it can give us more of an idea


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## tielfan

Did he lose them (meaning every entire feather dropped off his body) or did he break them?

Either way it could be normal. Young cockatiels are notorious for breaking their tailfeathers and many of them break every single one. Also, birds can release their tail feathers to escape from a predator, and more than one pet owner has ended up with a tailless cockatiel after grabbing the bird's tail to prevent escape or accidentally stepping on the tail. The feathers will grow back either way.

But if it looks like something abnormal is going on (like deformed tail feathers) then a vet check is in order.


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## Danielle

If it makes you feel any better, my 4-month-old boy is going through his first major moult. It's unusual for it to happen so young, but it's still normal.

That said, I think tail feathers are usually the last to go, so it's possible he's just dorking out and breaking them off accidentally, which like tielfan said is also completely normal. It's all part of the process of being a baby and learning to not land on your butt.


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## atvchick95

I have a couple "duck butts" but they broke theirs off by climbing around the cage and sticking their tails out the cage bars and while the tail was out they decided to make a turn to go a different direction and well their tail didn't quite understand and was left behind 

in other words They play too rough and broke their tail feathers off 

but they'll grow back


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## Bea

I find most baby tiels are majorly clumsy and break their tail feathers. I know my Cookie had no tail for quite a while when she was younger. They'll eventually grow back in.


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## allen

i have noticed that even now miracle is still getting loads of pin feathers


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## bigmikey36

Chico has a beautiful tail now even though he bounced on it like tigger when he was younger so no worries they do grow back lol
Mikey


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## Amy1569

THANK GOD for this post.....I was/is having the same 'problem' with Toby....He's broken 2 off......(he only had the 2 when I got him!) and has his 3rd one right now..and tha'ts the only one.....as scraggly as it looks.
And I kept thinking why are his tail feathers breaking????!?!?! 
Now I know. Thanks all!


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## AubieBird

I, too, want to say thank you for this post. The exact same thing is going on with our 4 month old cockatiel, Little Bit. I wondered why she was so clumsy.... falling down in her cage, breaking tail feathers, etc. Thanks for the reassurance.  She's also a pin head right now...poor funny looking thing.


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