I was given two birds that have no flight feathers in one wing yesterday; one especially is a very good-looking bird [show wise] I don’t think I would have got it, apart from the wing being like that. Apart from that the bird looks very healthy, it’s other wing is perfect & also its tail. The one with the main flight feathers missing, is like in French Moult, there was some bleeding in this area too, but maybe because of being caught. Has anyone seen this before & I wonder if it’s worth trying to breed some young from this bird? The breeder said that it wasn’t like that when it was young, it occurred later. I thought maybe the bird has picked the area its self. Has anyone had this experience? Could it be French Moult but only in one wing?

Edited July 12, 200718 yr by Norm

Picture of the bird please

Picture of the bird please

 

 

okay Elly, give me time...it looks like one of the pets you see on here, but only one wing clipped, maybe I should clip the other so that it can fly a little.

 

I know you just like looking at pretty pictures. :

Edited July 12, 200718 yr by Norm

I haven't in counted FM so I can't say much about that. This could have happened from bulling in the aviary or as you say self inflicted. If it's the latter you should be seeing the behaviour more with the stress of the move. Or it could have injured himself which caused the feathers around o fall out too.

When I bought my first budgie, Rover, he had something like that... except it was in both wings and his tail. He didn't get his proper flight feathers until he was about a year and a half old and when he got them before that they would fall out and be all bloody. The breeder I got him from called him a "hopper" (cause thats all he could do) and said that it can sometimes happen if they are inbred, which I know a lot of show budgies are... This may not be the case with your budgie, but its just a thought... An avian vet might be able to give you a more conclusive answer though.

-Shann

Let's hope it's just a temporary mechanical injury.

 

I have a 5 year old cock bird who was badly mauled in the nest as a youngster at the pin feather stage. He was removed and hand reared and he's fine in all respects (if a tad cheeky) except he has never grown tail feathers! He had perfectly normal looking tail quills before he was attacked.

 

Cheers,

KathyW.

Yes, I had a bird like that. A show bird, missing flights on one wing also. I was told I could breed with him as the fault would not be passed on genetically. Here he is ( he is MAMMOTHS father )

Mammoth

I must say that the bleeding you describe is an indicator of trouble growing in and keeping his new feathers. Can be due to french moult, pulpitis or to feather cysts which stop his feathers growing well out of certain follicles. I also had a bird with feather cysts. You will need to closely examine the follicles or get it looked at by an experienced eye....vet or otherwise. Feather cysts are commonly thought to be a hereditary issue as certain "lines" of show birds will carry it and breeders generally cull those lines. Some breeders use those birds as the family line is a good one apart from feather issues and they live in hope of getting a good baby or two from the parents. However feather cysts come in later in life and just keep coming. A breeder I know has to keep cutting and draining cysts out of the wing butts of some of his birds ....more for their comfort than his.

IF You are sure it ISN'T french moult and maybe just an issue with a normal moult breeding with him should not cause you any problems.

Edited July 14, 200718 yr by **KAZ**

Post a photo of his wing stretched out.Might be able to tell that way,What the problem is.As Kaz said one of many things.

This is the photo as requested.

 

 

This a close up of the wing.

 

 

There doesn't seem to be any problem with the wing end, except that there are no large flight feathers, I hope the bleeding was just from him being caught yesterday, I will watch it & see if any feathers try to grow. In French Moult they seem to keep trying to grow, but are always distorted & often keep falling out, but there doesn't seem any sign of that at present.

 

 

Yes, I had a bird like that. A show bird, missing flights on one wing also. I was told I could breed with him as the fault would not be passed on genetically. Here he is ( he is MAMMOTHS father )

Mammoth

I must say that the bleeding you describe is an indicator of trouble growing in and keeping his new feathers. Can be due to french moult, pulpitis or to feather cysts which stop his feathers growing well out of certain follicles. I also had a bird with feather cysts. You will need to closely examine the follicles or get it looked at by an experienced eye....vet or otherwise. Feather cysts are commonly thought to be a hereditary issue as certain "lines" of show birds will carry it and breeders generally cull those lines. Some breeders use those birds as the family line is a good one apart from feather issues and they live in hope of getting a good baby or two from the parents. However feather cysts come in later in life and just keep coming. A breeder I know has to keep cutting and draining cysts out of the wing butts of some of his birds ....more for their comfort than his.

IF You are sure it ISN'T french moult and maybe just an issue with a normal moult breeding with him should not cause you any problems.

 

Thanks for that advise Kaz, maybe it will be just like your bird. Mammoth looks a nice chick.

Edited July 14, 200718 yr by **KAZ**

Yes I am just a picture person but honestly I knew that would be what others would want ...he is a beautiful bird. I don't have advise on the feather condition but I know someone will

Yes I am just a picture person but honestly I knew that would be what others would want :ausb:...he is a beautiful bird. I don't have advise on the feather condition but I know someone will :hap:

 

Thanks Elly.

In the close up it looks has if he has new feathers coming in if they where bumped during catch up they could have started to bleed. The rest of the feathers look fine. I guess you are going to have to watch a while to see how the feathers look while growing in.

In the close up it looks has if he has new feathers coming in if they where bumped during catch up they could have started to bleed. The rest of the feathers look fine. I guess you are going to have to watch a while to see how the feathers look while growing in.

 

Thanks Nerwen, It only has these very small feathers there, I must look closer at a normal bird, as I don’t know if the small feathers are all there is of the actual long flight feathers or whether they are just small secondary feathers, not the flight feathers, but if their not the flight feathers, there doesn’t seem any sign of them [no pins coming]. What has Mammoth’s father got in place of flight feathers? I’m starting to think it’s some genetic fault, like you suggest.

Edited July 13, 200718 yr by Norm

In the close up it looks has if he has new feathers coming in if they where bumped during catch up they could have started to bleed. The rest of the feathers look fine. I guess you are going to have to watch a while to see how the feathers look while growing in.

 

Thanks Nerwen, It only has these very small feathers there, I must look closer at a normal bird, as I don’t know if the small feathers are all there is of the actual long flight feathers or whether they are just small secondary feathers, not the flight feathers, but if their not the flight feathers, there doesn’t seem any sign of them [no pins coming]. What has Mammoth’s father got in place of flight feathers? I’m starting to think it’s some genetic fault, like you suggest.

Mammoth's father died recently on a very cold night. He was missing all his flight feathers on his left hand side.

There doesn't seem to be any problem with the wing end, except that there are no large flight feathers, I hope the bleeding was just from him being caught yesterday, I will watch it & see if any feathers try to grow.

 

It's hard to see from the photo Norm, but is the other wing and tail normal? If so were you there when he was originally caught? There's a real chance the poor thing was caught inexpertly, wriggled out and tried to fly away leaving his flight feathers in the tightly clenched fist of his would-be captor. I've seen a budgie loose a set of tail feathers that way, I imagine holding onto a bird by the wing/flight feathers would have a similar effect.

 

Time will tell with this little chap.

 

Good luck,

KathyW.

Thanks KathyW, yes the bird was already caught, when I arrived & was in a small cage. Yes only the one wing is like that, the other wing & tail are normal, in fact it has a very long tail. It’s a 2006 bird, he said it was alright when young, but then went like that, I think it’s been like that for awhile, it just hasn’t happened, that’s why he gave it to me, to get rid of it, also he gave me another Dark Green Normal, the same, but with it, the opposite wing is effected. I have never seen a bird with French Moult with only one wing affected; they always have both wings & tail affected. I’m leaning to the fact that it’s genetic so at least not diseased. If it was my own bred, I probably wouldn’t breed from it, but I think I will try to breed it & if I get some good young without the problem, it will be a plus. Another bird I got from him has one twisted feather, so I think you get some problems like this from buff birds. That’s where feather dusters get their problem. Mating to a different line bird should remove the problem, said he hopefully.

 

 

Thanks Kaz, I remember that about Mammoth's Dad now that you mention it. :oliveb:

Edited July 14, 200718 yr by Norm

I was given two birds that have no flight feathers in one wing yesterday; one especially is a very good-looking bird [show wise] I don’t think I would have got it, apart from the wing being like that. Apart from that the bird looks very healthy, it’s other wing is perfect & also its tail. The one with the main flight feathers missing, is like in French Moult, there was some bleeding in this area too, but maybe because of being caught. Has anyone seen this before & I wonder if it’s worth trying to breed some young from this bird? The breeder said that it wasn’t like that when it was young, it occurred later. I thought maybe the bird has picked the area its self. Has anyone had this experience? Could it be French Moult but only in one wing?

 

Hi there Norm was just looking at your pics and thought I would reply , but Im wondering if your bird has any feather staining above the nose , if so Im guessing its a viral disease such as Polyomavirus or circovirus as i have had a similar problem with a bird i bought , after i had him for a month he lost all his wing feathers ( flights on his right side ) there is nothing you can give them but to keep the living conditions very clean as the disease is spread through dust , saliva and faeces. Beware of any secondary infections though as these will knock them for six. My bird made a full recovery but he did require some sulfa antibiotics and he took a long time to grow the wing feathers back.

I suggest quarintine and keep an eye on him . Good luck

I had one bit of what I call good luck yesterday, that bird I showed here, with one wing minus its flight feathers. Yesterday I had a vacant cabinet, so I thought I would mate that bird, Grey Spangle cock with an Opaline Light Green hen, I had bought from the same guy. I had noticed that it seemed like some feathers were growing back in that wing, but when I caught him up I found that all the flight feathers are coming back, there doesn’t seem any trouble with them now. I wonder now what was the problem, any way I got him for nothing & he looks a nice bird, so here’s hoping some nice chicks maybe on the way.

that's great to hear :fear good luck with the breeding.

that is awsome, good luck

Thanks guys. Even in the cabinet he still hasn't enough cofidence to fly up to the perches, as couldn't fly for so long.

Good to hear that it sounds like he's gonna be fine!

 

Cupid has had weird wing issues for a while now. Quite awhile ago, he would hold his wing up funny like it was hurting him. We did a whole vet treatment for it and its gotten better, but still bothers him now and then. Several months ago, we clipped his and Psyche's wings and the feathers on his bad wing haven't grown back! The cut ones didn't fall out either though. Except he's going through a big molt right now and I did notice that a couple of the trimmed feathers came out and there are some new ones now.