# Bald patch ...



## dude

So I've notice pretty much since I've had Dude, that he has a bald patch ontop of his head. When you blow on his head it moves the feathers around it away and you can see a big bald patch. But if you just look the surrounding feathers are fluffy enough to cover it. It is right on the top of his head in the middle (the crown of his head).

Just wondering if that's normal? Dude is 11 weeks old now.

Maybe it is from to many scritches...hahahaha! Rubbed the feathers away!


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## chris24

Yes thats normal, its a genetic thing in Cockatiels bred in captivity I believe; 3 out of 4 of my Cockatiels have a bald spot on their head.


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## dude

Ah okay. Good thing they have a crest to cover it when it is laying flat and surrounding feathers do a good job too to keep it pretty much un-noticable


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## Ezzie

Buddy has this and Birdie doesnt, it just depends on the bird, I love Buddys bald spot though, i call him my middleaged man even though hes only 5 months  I personally think it builds character!


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## Jenny10

I cant say I have noticed this on any of my birds, I thought bald patches were something you would find on Luntino’s and not other mutations, I did read that bald patches is a gene that is passed on from parent to chick.

Jenny


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## Rocky's Rose

It mainly occurs in lunitos, I haven't heard of it in other mutations.


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## Jenny10

I don’t think bald patches is something that is normally present in birds except lutino’s and as far as I understand the genetic side of things if you breed from bald birds you are in fact passing that baldness gene on to their offspring and you should avoid breeding from birds with bald patches so this can be eliminated.

With the lutino’s again as I understand unfortunately bad management of breeding them in the beginning (in breeding to create more lutino’s) actually resulted in breeders causing the baldness gene, again this is how I have understood it, and with correct breeding even the lutino’s can be breed well without baldness, and this is what all breeders breeding lutino’s should be aiming for.


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## cinnamon

Cinnamon who is a cinnamon pearl had the bald patch for a couple months, but it grew in. I don't see it any more. Our Charlie, a white face doesn't have it.


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## srtiels

You can get a bald patch with *any* mutation. It is a result of breeding *like to like *(same mutations) together especially if it is a couple of generations. It is always best to pair a split with a visual or two different mutations together.


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## dude

Ok... *Phew* was starting to think my baby is a mutant or diseased or something since they said it wasn't normal.

Makes sense now. It`s to bad I don't know his background or parents or even where he came from. Ah well...

Glad he is "normal"...!


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## AlbyPepper

Alby is a whiteface lutino, and he has a large bald spot. It is covered up with his crest and surrounding feathers. I don't mind at all that he has a bald spot. Neither does he. He loves getting his little bare spot rubbed. I don't intend on using him to breed, so I won't be contributing to the ongoing of the bald spot. But either way, they are our fids and they are gorgeous with or with out little baldy heads.


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## dude

Hahahaha I love rubbing the bald spots too! Dude has no feathers under his chin too and on his neck... again all covered by surrounding feathers. And that's where he likes the scritches the most. Anywhere with no feathers.


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## AlbyPepper

Alby sound exactlly the same as Dude (by the way I LOVE that name). He loves getting under his beak rubbed which is also bald. They are funny little things.


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## dude

Yep and he has another bald bit that runs from the side of the neck to the top of each wing. But you can't notice that at all unless you blow his feathers really hard , then they all part and you can see how skinny the neck is and all the veins and everything ! Kinda strange looking but i`m glad everything is covered unless you know where to look and move and blow the feathers to see. LoL.
I even tried getting pictures but try holding you bird on your finger with one hand and trying to hold the crest up with the other and hold a camera at the same time and blow all at once! Near impossible and what pictures you do take turn out a big blurr because its not focused and the bird + you are moving to much! LOL


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## dianaxgalvez

I have two tiels with lil bald spots, and they're siblings .....


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## dude

Join the clan! Its way more common than I thought !!!

Hehehehe lol

Must be like a beauty spot. Just a mark to show us all how beautiful they are ! Something not everyone has. Makes Dude feel special I am sure ! LOL


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## AlbyPepper

I will have to try take a pic of Alby next time he has a shower, when his crest is all wet and flattened out. His bald spot is nearly the size of a 5 cent piece. He gets awfully disgruntled after a shower. I'm not sure if that is because he is wet, or if he is just super sensitive about having his little baldy spot exposed. I'm sur it is the latter.


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