# Strange Pin-Feather sheath



## Dave & Tito (Aug 1, 2010)

Hi There

I wonder if anyone else has experienced this.

When Tito grows a new tail feather, particularly if it's one of the primary center tail feathers, it does not seem to shed it's pin sheath easily. His most recent feather stayed in it's sheath for weeks with only the end centimeter popping out the end, giving it a paint brush like appearance. The rest of the sheath came away very slowly over a fortnight in untidy patches. This has happened for his most recent two feathers and the resulting feathers look odd; a little messy and as though they didn't form properly. He tidies them up once they're completely un-sheated and they look as good as they can but still 'unfinished'. The rest of his feathers are in perfect condition.

Tito has a diet made of pellets, seeds and fresh greens like snow peas, mung beans, alfalfa, baby spinach and apple. He also has a cool shower every two days in which he recieves a decent soaking.

Is this normal? Does is reflect a dificiency of any sort?

Any advice on this you can offer would be great!

And of course if I'm worried about nothing, do tell me so!

Thanks


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

Can you post a picture?


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

tsuka has molting problems too, but not like that. he gets deformed feathers where either the end of the quill is pinched and the whole feather is stunted (he has follicle damage to his whole one wing from constant night frights, second hand smoke from his previous home, and plucking from his previous cagemates at said home) does your bird suffer from frequent nightfrights? this could cause follicle damage to make feathers grow improperly. i posted photos of tsuka's deformed feathers.... are any feathers similar to this when they fall out?


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## Dave & Tito (Aug 1, 2010)

Thank you for the replies!

I don't have a picture to post because the feather just finished growing out around the time I decided to post about it. If it happens again I'll definitely take one.

Titos feathers don't look like the ones that Tsuka has shed in the pictures here. All his feathers look fine, apart from the two tail feathers I've described, each are the longets, primary tail feathers right in the midde. As they grew, the sheath just didn't seem to want to come off, it was like a thin white straw. I wondered if it was simply because these are his largext feathers?

Tito also doesn't suffer many night frights, although he does very occasionally.

Thanks again for your help, for now all is well and should it happen again I'll post photos.

Thank you both!


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