# Molting Too Much?!



## AstroStar (Dec 23, 2008)

My female Wilson has been molting since February 3rd, and it's now March 10th. That's more than a month for a molt, and it seems atypical. She's 8 years old, and I have no idea why this is occurring. My male Teal is 14 years old and he molted a few days after she started. Teal stopped molting after a couple weeks. Wilson is just yanking feathers out left and right. The band of white on her wing is half missing, and every time I look at her, she's pulling feathers out, or face feathers just drop off. She doesn't appear bald, and pins are certainly forming, but her molt is as abundant as it was when she initially started.

While we're on the subject, Teal has a flight feather that's been missing since July. What could that be about?


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## atvchick95 (Sep 17, 2007)

if she is pulling them out her self, that part isn't molting 

has she been checked by an Avian vet? she might have a skin irritation 

does she itch a lot? Might even be Mites.

Do they take baths or do you spray them? If try doing it at least every other day if not daily, This helps a lot when they're molting or even if it's a skin issue like dry skin it'll help keep their skin moist. 

but I'd be considering a vet trip, even a heavy molt doesn't last that long (that I know of all mine seem to go through their molts as fast as it started)

as for Teal's missing feather- do you know how it became missing? did he hit it off something and it break off? or did he pull it out?

it may never grow back if damage was done.


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## WonderBird (Feb 2, 2009)

on that note, Charlie's been molting for a while too.. and pin feathers? what do they look like so I can look out for them too. I hope Wilson is alright.


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## Aly (Jul 30, 2007)

Molting as they age may take longer. Give them regular baths and vet visits more often to make sure all is ok. As long as they're not PLUCKING their own feathers and and they are being replaced with pins I think you're ok. Some molts are heavier then others.


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## AstroStar (Dec 23, 2008)

WonderBird said:


> on that note, Charlie's been molting for a while too.. and pin feathers? what do they look like so I can look out for them too. I hope Wilson is alright.


Pins are just the white sheaths that appear around newly growing feathers, so they aren't any harm. You can tell a bird doesn't get his head rubbed or preened by his mate when you see them sticking out of his face. The bird tends to look really scrappy as a result. If your bird lets you pet them, try breaking the sheaths with your fingertips on their head and face. I learned that the under-jaw and whole neck area, and crest feather sheaths, are extremely sensitive and can be a bit painful for your bird if you try removing those pin sheaths.

The pins are fragile enough to break apart, but I wait at least a week after the molt ends before I break the sheaths, as they contain the blood supply to the newly growing feather.


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## AstroStar (Dec 23, 2008)

Aly said:


> Molting as they age may take longer. Give them regular baths and vet visits more often to make sure all is ok. As long as they're not PLUCKING their own feathers and and they are being replaced with pins I think you're ok. Some molts are heavier then others.


She's not deliberately ripping her feathers out, it's just that feathers fall out right after she preens the area. It seems really unusual. Her previous molt was brief. She yelps a whole lot when she's busy preening, though. I'll try your advice. I admit they haven't been getting quite as many baths as they used to. I'll aim for every other day.


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

Some tiels seem to molt forever, I have read in places that some tiels take 10 weeks from start to finish (pins open, blood feather gone) a complete molt.



WonderBird said:


> on that note, Charlie's been molting for a while too.. and pin feathers? what do they look like so I can look out for them too. I hope Wilson is alright.


A pin feather looks like a feather wraped in plastic kind of like the end of a shoe lace  It is a normal part of molting for a tiel to get pin feathers


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## AstroStar (Dec 23, 2008)

atvchick95 said:


> if she is pulling them out her self, that part isn't molting
> 
> has she been checked by an Avian vet? she might have a skin irritation
> 
> ...


Eesh, I sure hope it isn't mites! If it was, I would think that Teal would be in the same boat too. What are other signs of mites? I won't rule it out. I hope your right that it's a skin issue, as that would be much easier to correct if all she needs is more frequent baths. I'll try baths first, and if she continues molting after a week, I'll most certainly consider taking her to the vet. One other thing I noticed is that she shrieks and yelps when she's preening.

I'm not 100% sure how Teal lost that feather. One day it was missing, however now that I think about it, I'm betting that he must've hit something, because that bird sure is clumsy. Just last night he T-boned a shelf with his chest. Twice. He bowed over it. I know he's okay, because Teal chatters in an amused, talkative manner when he strolls along the floor after a crash. It almost never rattles him. He's only been flying since he was 7, at which point I stopped clipping his wings. Granted, he's much smoother and doesn't crash very often, and he's much more independent and happier. He still has a hard time with overshooting targets, but he's otherwise over the hard issues with learning to fly.

Well now that my memory's jogged, that never occurred to me. He probably wounded his wing.


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## Danielle (Aug 15, 2008)

It took Harley a good full 2 months to finish his moult, probably 11 or so weeks.


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## Aly (Jul 30, 2007)

I doubt mites is your issue. Here is some info on it though http://www.birds-online.de/gesundheit/gesparasiten/gesundheitparasiten_en.htm



AstroStar said:


> One other thing I noticed is that she shrieks and yelps when she's preening.


That is not normal unless she's hitting pin feathers and its hurting. Are you sure she isn't plucking her feathers out?


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## AstroStar (Dec 23, 2008)

Aly said:


> I doubt mites is your issue. Here is some info on it though http://www.birds-online.de/gesundheit/gesparasiten/gesundheitparasiten_en.htm
> 
> 
> That is not normal unless she's hitting pin feathers and its hurting. Are you sure she isn't plucking her feathers out?


I'm pretty sure she isn't pulling them out herself. Her face feathers and crest feathers are also falling out. Last night she had a flight rampage that resulted in a flight feather spiraling to the floor.

Thanks for the info. I'll check it out.


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## AstroStar (Dec 23, 2008)

Rouille said:


> It took Harley a good full 2 months to finish his moult, probably 11 or so weeks.


 Wow! Is your vacuum clogged? And everything checked out fine? I'm hoping that this is just an extended molt for natural reasons and not something to be too concerned about.


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## Aly (Jul 30, 2007)

They can have light molts throughout the year where smaller feathers fall in certain areas and then one real heavy one where most of their feathers molt.


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## Danielle (Aug 15, 2008)

LOL, yes my life was nothing but feathers. He was completely healthy. My vet told me some birds just take longer than others. Quinn moulted at the same time and took about half that time.


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