Hi All, I have a pied cock bird about 14 mths old. I have noticed he had lost flight feathers, I thought moulting but he doesn't appear to be moulting normally. I caught him up and tried to get pics of wings. I'm thinking maybe feather mite? I have treated all birds a few weeks ago with Ivamectin, but dosed him again today. Hope pics may help someone to give me a clue as what it is. Also what treatment?

 

 

 

 

 

 

a bit difficult trying to take picture and hold bird as well. Hope they help.

Not sure but I think it's French molt other members will correct me if I'm wrong

Thanks Dillster, I thought of french moult but as he's 14 mths old I didn't think it could be. All I have read about french moult it seems to appear from fledging etc. not an older bird. He's been completely feathered up until just lately. Hopefully it's mites e.g. etc NOT a breeding problem as I don't want it popping up in other birds.

Hi Just to remind you there are different degrees of FM. From cont, loss of lots down to few feathers.

Birds usually have a scruffy look. You can see evidence of mites from there little black droppings

at the base of feathers or even a mite or two....B.J.

Thanks B.J. I'll have to catch him again and see if I can find any evidence of mites. If it's feather mites I don't know if the Ivomectin will work, I read they are not blood feeders if so the Ivomectin may not work & I'd have to get a mite spray I think.

Better than french moult I'd say. l.o.l

Just checking my post MY PICS HAVE VANISHED???

No there still there

Hi Robyn,

Looks to me like he has been chewing his feathers as the shafts still look like they are still in place but just split like he has chewed them up.

what causes these sort of problems is hard to work out it is usually stress related but the reason only the bird knows lol maybe a bit hen pecked.

Cheers Jenny

Hi,

 

one of my budgies had the same problem, I worked out that there were two female that were fighting but not real aggressive just pulling each others feathers out and it was only on the wings, as soon as i separated them the wings grew back perfectly.

No there still there

thanks Dillter, when I looked it said posted image but no picture??? but they are back today.

 

I have been checking him each day and it looks like there could be little flights starting to grow so hopefully he was just really slow growing them in. Thanks for the replies though, it helps when you come across something odd.

Made this post early sept. the bird in question is still lacking in flight feathers. I have been reading various reports on the theory of french moult but it seems to affect young birds, just fledging etc. Can anyone shed some light on what it could be in an older (16mths) or so bird? I've dosed him with Ivermectin. Sprayed him with mite spray although I could not see any sign of mites. He's been through other moults and feathered up normally until now.

Hi Robyn,

I don't know if this helps but I have a bird whos flight feathers were broken off (and some pulled out) by my dog and it took 4-6 months to grow them all back. He couldn't even fly and used to fall like a rock the poor little thing.

 

I agree it doesn't sound like french moult that I have read about.

 

I hope they grow back for him, he looks like a beautiful bird. Love that colour blue.

Hi Robyn, I had a hen with a similar problem. What ended up fixing it for her was that I plucked all of the damaged feathers out, and they grew back in better. But I had to do it twice, because the first time, some grew back good, and a few were still ratty and broken. I also put her down to breed the second time I plucked them, hoping that she would be too distracted with a mate to pluck herself. (I think that was the key, although I wouldn't normally think breeding a bird with a problem could help solve the problem!)

 

I'm not really sure what started her problem. One of my theories is that she was clipped in the pet shop as a young baby, and they either did it too young, or else too short. So that when she molted and began growing new feathers, it irritated her to the point of her self mutilating. Another of my theories is that I put her into my large hen flight before she had regrown any flights, and she may have just kept breaking them as they grew in by trying to fly, and constantly falling. ( I Should have kept her in a small cage until they regrew, but who knows, maybe not true.)

 

Once her problem started, I isolated her in a small cage, but that didn't help. I put a male friend in with her (no next box that time) and that didn't help either. It wasn't until I started plucking out all the mutilated feathers that I had any luck. (In her case, I thought maybe mites, but no, it wasn't) Once she grew in good feathers, her following molts were all fine, in fact, I forgot there was ever a problem. She had ten chicks, and they were all fine. I really think for her it was behavioral.

 

I studied up on French Molt at the time, too. I found that it strikes the young in the nest box. If they survive, then it varies what effect it has. They either miss their tails permanently (runners) or as adults you can't tell they ever had it. If an adult gets exposed, they theoretically could be carriers, but you wouldn't see symptoms. The people writing about it didn't seem to be able to know if an adult can catch it.

 

I doubt that your case is French Molt. He would have shown symptoms at fledging, and he would have had some dead or affected siblings.

 

To me it looks like someone has been chewing those feathers, so I hope you are able to get it stopped.

 

Hope something I rambled on about here can help you.

Edited October 6, 201212 yr by Finnie

Thanks Finnie, he's a real puzzle he has a brother in aviary and they are ALWAYS together, I never see any evidence of chewing etc the brother even feeds him at times. I hadn't thought of pulling out affected flights, maybe I will try that (if I'm game) and see if that helps.

I thought they may be lacking in something but then why only one bird?

 

Hi Robyn,

I don't know if this helps but I have a bird whos flight feathers were broken off (and some pulled out) by my dog and it took 4-6 months to grow them all back. He couldn't even fly and used to fall like a rock the poor little thing.

 

I agree it doesn't sound like french moult that I have read about.

 

I hope they grow back for him, he looks like a beautiful bird. Love that colour blue.

Thanks Nadene, if it's not one thing it's something else to keep us guessing, or learning I guess. l.o.l.