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Strange Feather Phenomenon--- Feather Mites, Something Else, Or Nothin


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Okay.

 

So, around the beginning of November 2012 I noticed that the feathers on my budgie's back looked 'nibbled' (for lack of a better word). I asked for advice and if it might be feather mites here: http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/index.php?showtopic=32277

 

The replies I got weren't very helpful (no offense :) ). Apparantly, it did look kind of like feather mite damage but if it was feather mites I should've been able to see signs of them (mites, mite poop) on his white flight feathers; but his feathers looked perfectly clean.

 

It was also suggested that he might have been over-preening or nibbling on his back feathers. If he is, he does it when I'm not looking.

 

Finnie also pointed out that it was unlikely he would catch feather mites unless he had been in contact with other birds. Unless my chickens have feather mites (which I'm pretty darn sure they don't), he hasn't been in contact with any birds. I'd like to know if feather mites can survive off their host for any length of time, because I think I had purchased a natural-wood perch from a petshop and put it in his cage without cleaning it in any way (bad me) sometime before I noticed the damage on his back feathers.

 

He's molted a couple times since I first noticed the 'nibbles', and his back feathers (mind you, only the back feathers) still have the 'nibbled' appearance. His flights still look clean, and he doesn't seem to preen his back feathers any more than his other feathers, and doesn't act like his back is itchy.

 

What is going on?

 

Here're some pics:

 

AllenampNovemberstuff123resize.jpg

Hopefully you can see how the feathers looked 'nibbled back' in this picture; tips look 'ragged' and you can see stripes of lighter color where the down is showing.

 

REBEL081resize.jpg

This picture shows an undamaged feather compared with three 'nibbled' feathers.

 

Am I just being really worried? He acts perfectly healthy; but the feathers just don't look right! Help ease my mind, please.

 

Thanks :)

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I don't think there is anything to worry about, especially if he is healthy in every other way. Maybe it is just the way his feathers grow. I have a bird that has very similar feathers and I've had her for years with no health problems, I just think that is her feather structure.

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Hi Birdlove, I remember your first post about this. I have been surfing the web to see if I could find any similar pics to yours, zero results. Could you try sending pics to an Avian vet or bird group to see if you can track it down? If there is definately no insect/bug visable on bird I'd say it's either genetic or some other disease that is causing it.

Maybe even nutritional? I know this only adds to "I want to know what it is, not what it could be", problem but unless someone has had personal experience with the same thing it's very hard to solve. Please let us know if you do track it down as it's bound to pop up somewhere else. :unsure:

 

P.S If you bird is happy and healthy otherwise I don't think you can do much more.

 

Reading back through you said he has had a couple of moults. Does the same group of feathers regrow the same way after each moult? If so it's looks more like an individual feathering quirk, if it doesn't alter.

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robyn -

 

Yes the feathers do grow back looking the same way. The only reason I think it's something other than an induviual quirk is because the feathers weren't like that when I first got him (as a baby). He had already molted into his adult feathers (which were normal at first) before I noticed the strange appearance. :/ I don't know. I guess there's a good chance I'm just super paranoid; I'm like that lol

 

thanks

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Hi Birdlove the area is just above his preen gland so it is the most actively preened spot on the bird as he uses his preen gland to condition all his feathers. Check his preen gland to make sure it isn't blocked or swollen, it is located under the feathers above the tail. It doesn't seem to be anything major but if you are worried take him to a vet for a look over, at least then you will have peace of mind. Cheers Jenny

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Actually hilly, the feathers look more 'nibbled' up (towards the head) the back than around the preen gland. Anyway, I'll have a look at the preen gland. I've never actually seen the preen gland on a budgie so I'm not sure I'd know what to look for, but I have seen the gland on chickens. So yeah, I'll have a look.

 

 

I think I 'll just keep an eye on him because it hasn't got any worse than when I first noticed the 'nibbled' look and otherwise he's perfectly healthy.

Edited by Birdlove
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Hi Birdlove, I will check his brother, and see if he has any nibbled back feathers. I don't have those parents any more, but maybe I can write to the other chick buyers and see if their birds have it. One thing, though. If it were a mite problem, it wouldn't limit itself to the same feathers after each molt. It would spread all over, and probably make him very itchy, and you would notice, after all this time. (And I doubt there would be mites on perches in the store, so don't beat yourself up over that. ;) )

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Okay, thanks Finnie :) About t he mites, I was thinking that too, that I would've noticed if it were mites and it'd be spread over his other feathers too. It's just really weird and I'd like to know what's up

 

thanks, anyway

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It's going to take me some doing to get that close of a look at Dagwood's back, so it might be a while before I can let you know. I think I might have to try to get a photo and then zoom in, although it will be blurry, so.... Not to mention he doesn't like to turn his back.

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Hey, Birdlove, I was able to get some photos of Dagwood, but I don't really think it will tell us anything about Allen. I can't see his back feathers well enough to know whether they are chewed or not. I got to thinking maybe it was because he was opaline, and his whole back looks like "soft focus" anyway. Dagwood_zps7fd7b25c.jpgBackofDagwood_zps0d4c1c7f.jpg I did look at all my other budgies to see if it might just be a common thing that nobody notices. But I couldn't really tell. I can get close enough to my baby budgies to see that they do NOT have chewed back feathers, but that could be because they are too young to have done it yet. I really think Allen looks healthy, and in spite of the obvious chews on those feathers in the photo, his feather condition looks great.

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Hello, Dagwood is gorgeous :D And yeah, I've prettty much decided Allen's fine. In fact, the back feathers are actually starting to look better. So I'm not worried anymore (for now!). Thanks for taking the time to look at your birds and get pics of Dagwood :)

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