Hey guys, I was wondering... Blue keeps breaking blood feathers off his left wing. That's the wing that was massacred by his sis.

 

Only once the stem really broke. The first and third time he seems to have broke it off at the root. There was barely a drop of blood coming out. His latest break, I barely even noticed. It must've happened yesterday, I just saw the feather was gone this morning and I found it under my couch. That was a weird feather... for a long time the feather was very long but... well, still stuck in its cylinder. It didn't begin opening until recently. I've never seen that before. In fact, I'm holding it right now and I see it's STILL not fully opened.

 

Oh, and he has clipped feathers but... While the other birds DO have clipped wings as well, Blue does not seem to be able to gain some altitude and go around like them. He stinks at flying. :\

 

I'm wondering, do you guys think there's something wrong with his wing? Lots of feathers missing there still

It takes a while for new feathers to grow back in they usually will start coming back within 3-4 months, I know this just through experience with my birds being clipped. Why they keep breaking I am not sure I am sure somone will answer there for you better then I.

I have a budgie which broke all his tail feathers close to the base. In order to encourage them to regrow we plucked the bases out and he now has a tail which is a bunch of feather 'tubes'. They do take a while to open out and I think they can be a little fragile during that time.

I have a budgie which broke all his tail feathers close to the base. In order to encourage them to regrow we plucked the bases out and he now has a tail which is a bunch of feather 'tubes'. They do take a while to open out and I think they can be a little fragile during that time.

Well, that feather was one that had been plucked clean out by his sis I believe...

 

The problem is that I can't pluck out the ones that broke off (besides one), they're pretty much falling clean off, but with blood! It's like the tiny tiny tip broke off and stayed in the wing, too small to be reached at all...

Are you able to post a picture of the feathers that are breaking off????

How are his tail feathers looking?

Edited September 2, 200816 yr by Neat

Are you able to post a picture of the feathers that are breaking off????

How are his tail feathers looking?

Need to check further as Neat is suggesting. Constantly breaking feathers is a sign of french moult birds. Photos please ?

Thanks Kaz, I didn't want to say it :sad:

But it does sound like it though

His tail looks terrible, it's all broken. Now I'm not sure if that's because he has yet to grow them back from the attack or if he has french moult. Or at least frail tail feathers like his dad, and you guys already told me Pat might have french moult. Mind you, Pat now has a beautiful regular tail since many many weeks... First time since I got him. I started up Blue on the same feather vitamins, let's hope it gives off results.

 

I'll try to take pictures when I get home and when I find batteries for my camera... But I do have a picture of the first feather he had "broken"!

 

 

PS: Pat never broke any blood feathers. He's been bullied, thrown around, kicked off perchs, and the only thing he ever had was a tiny wee tiny scratch on the side of his eye!

Edited September 2, 200816 yr by Michelle

Hey Michelle, Looking at the end of the quill. I am 85% certain that it looks like french molt - As the end is flat and not a dome Shape like - I had a FM bird a few years back and the vet explained that to me when she did the examine on him -

 

You say that his tails are messed up too - which is leading me to believe that it could very well be FM -

 

But please what for the other more experienced members to comment

Post some pictures, but I would say based on all you have said so far, its another french moult bird.

Well I don't have batteries so I can't tonight...

 

But wouldn't it be apparent in his baby pictures? He didn't seem to have feather problems back then.

Not necessarily. When you find batteries post a couple of pics up Full body front and back - the tail & Wings, Esp the flight area. ... If you can try and get a picture with an open wing too ( i know that i am pushing it )