Jump to content

Ratty Tail Feathers

Featured Replies

Posted

Three of my birds have developed really ratty tail feathers. Is this just a sign thaat they will soon moult them out or could it be a bigger problem?

Can be due to cage climbing. Can be due to things like quill mites amongst other things. :D

Young birds often chew each others tails and climbing on wire can also make them ratty.

 

If they are not really in a moult you can make them look fresh and new by dipping the tail (not the budgie) into boiling or just boiled water. If the shaft is broken just leave it to moult out normally and then new tail should be unratty - for a while at least.

Young birds often chew each others tails and climbing on wire can also make them ratty.

 

If they are not really in a moult you can make them look fresh and new by dipping the tail (not the budgie) into boiling or just boiled water. If the shaft is broken just leave it to moult out normally and then new tail should be unratty - for a while at least.

 

OUCH!!! :happy-dancing: Wouldn't they still feel it although you're only dippling the tail?

Young birds often chew each others tails and climbing on wire can also make them ratty.

 

If they are not really in a moult you can make them look fresh and new by dipping the tail (not the budgie) into boiling or just boiled water. If the shaft is broken just leave it to moult out normally and then new tail should be unratty - for a while at least.

 

OUCH!!! :happy-dancing: Wouldn't they still feel it although you're only dippling the tail?

 

they dont feel it , as long as you dont put the whole bird in , Feather only as nubbly said

Young birds often chew each others tails and climbing on wire can also make them ratty.

 

If they are not really in a moult you can make them look fresh and new by dipping the tail (not the budgie) into boiling or just boiled water. If the shaft is broken just leave it to moult out normally and then new tail should be unratty - for a while at least.

 

OUCH!!! :happy-dancing: Wouldn't they still feel it although you're only dippling the tail?

 

they dont feel it , as long as you dont put the whole bird in , Feather only as nubbly said

 

Yeah, I read feathers only... I thought the heat would travel up the feather to the bird... but then thinking about when we clip their wings and it doesn't hurt them... so yeah... mmm, don't mind me. :)

  • Author

Hmmm...where could they have gotten quill mites from? It's only three of 22 and two of the three have been hatched and raised in my house. They are all kept indoors and I always practice strict quarantining. The third one has been with me for a long time also. Hopefully it is just from cage climbing :happy-dancing:

 

As for the boiling water...with my luck the budgie would squirm and fall straight in...OUCH!

Hmmm...where could they have gotten quill mites from? It's only three of 22 and two of the three have been hatched and raised in my house. They are all kept indoors and I always practice strict quarantining. The third one has been with me for a long time also. Hopefully it is just from cage climbing :happy-dancing:

 

As for the boiling water...with my luck the budgie would squirm and fall straight in...OUCH!

 

 

Wont be quill mites then :)

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in

Sign In Now