Hi,

 

I was wondering if anyone could shed some light on why my budgie Coco has a very small patch of feathers missing from the tops of his wings where they join his body (sort of like his shoulders if he had them). He is just over a year old now and was, and is, in absolute perfect health. When I got him from the petshop he had the missing feathers, it looked like he'd rubbed his shoulders or rubbed shoulders with the other baby birds and this is all I thought it was and that they would grow back when he wasn't so confined - but they haven't, though it hasn't gotten any worse either. As I said previously, he is otherwise perfect and so are all his other feathers which are beautiful and smooth and always have been. I have been googling about feathers and all I can find is horror stories which terrify me about french moult and another virus. Could this be genetic? Anway you will be able see by the photos what I am talking about and this is identical on both sides. You don't really see bare skin as he has downy feathers which cover his tiny bald patch from the sides. Poor little Coco. Oh, in case you wonder if he could be pulling out his own feathers, I am 99.9% positive that he doesn't. I work from home and he spends mostly all his waking time with me, sitting with me or on my desk. Thanks any for advice or info.

I do not think you have anything major to worry about. So he has always been like this? It might stem from something that happened to him as a young chick - sometimes plucking and sometimes other chicks nibble on each other, which might possibly have damaged the feathers/spot where these feathers are meant to grow.

 

His beak does seem very long to me. do you trim it? Do you give him calcium blocks on which he can nibble and trim and own beak? Natural perches for the same reason?

Thanks for your reply Dave,

Yes, Coco has always had this feather fault. I got him when he was 12 wks old from the petshop and he had it then. It's always been exactly the same. I didn't think his beak was overly long. I have another budgie named Beanie and his seems about the same as hers. They have natural perches and cuttle fish and some type of mineral block that they nibble on. Do you think there's something wrong with Coco and/or his beak and feathers?

as long as he is not plucking himself then I would yes assume it is a feather fault, budgies usually don't pluck but there is the rare occasion.

Coco was plucked in the nest as a youngster. The parent plucked his wing butts and what you see now is evident of that early damage to his feather follicles.

Coco was plucked in the nest as a youngster. The parent plucked his wing butts and what you see now is evident of that early damage to his feather follicles.

 

thats good to know... :emoticon112:

No advice or info for you, just wanted to say he is adorable... and very lucky to have you as his best pal after his early trauma!

Thank you all so much for your replies. l love Coco very much and am so happy he isn't ailing in anyway.

 

Kaz: I am so relieved that Coco is okay. I always presumed he had suffered some sort of abrasion to his shoulders/wings, however I guess I also thought that the feathers would grow back over time and when they didn't I started to worry.

 

Incidentally, Coco has a little habit where he preens/grooms our skin. However it's a little bit harsh/sharp. It's not biting, more like sharp nibbling and very annoying, though he doesn't think so, he loves doing it. Now I'm wondering if this is what his parent/s did to him and so he does it to us. And I'm also wondering when Beanie matures and she and Coco become parents if he would do this to his chicks? Should I be concerned about this?

Thank you all so much for your replies. l love Coco very much and am so happy he isn't ailing in anyway.

 

Kaz: I am so relieved that Coco is okay. I always presumed he had suffered some sort of abrasion to his shoulders/wings, however I guess I also thought that the feathers would grow back over time and when they didn't I started to worry.

 

Incidentally, Coco has a little habit where he preens/grooms our skin. However it's a little bit harsh/sharp. It's not biting, more like sharp nibbling and very annoying, though he doesn't think so, he loves doing it. Now I'm wondering if this is what his parent/s did to him and so he does it to us. And I'm also wondering when Beanie matures and she and Coco become parents if he would do this to his chicks? Should I be concerned about this?

Others may disagree, but my experience is that plucked chicks do not in turn pluck their own chicks when they become parents. A parent can be great as a parent with one round and pluck another round. Plucking is generally an anxiety thing.

Thanks Kaz, really appreciate your advice.