Hi there ,

Have bee nreading this forum for quite a time now, always very informative.

My kids have started breeding budgies and have just had the first nesting.

Before the 2 babies were ready they were evicted from the nest, the younger one was killed but the older one Snowy (I wanted to call him scruffy) could already fly and managed to survive until we found them.

Both babies did not feather normally and Snowy grew his flight feathers before his body feathers and after 3months still has not been fully feathered, he seems to be growing new feathers daily but looks quite scruffy.

From what I have read it could be French Molt but would hope someone with some knowledge could help.

 

I have some pics but are unsure how to post pics here.

 

He is now our family pet, we clipped his wings so the kids could look after him (didn't like doing it but the house is not set up for a flighted bird so we didn't have an option)

 

Cheers and thanks in advance for any help.

Kurt

Hi it sounds like they were being plucked by one of the parents, usually the hen who wants to get them out so she can breed again.

I have one hen that plucks her young as they start to pin feather then leaves them be, but they look weird when they fledge because they are still covered in their new pin feathers. If it was french moult they would have lost their wing and tail feathers first.

Snowy may always look scruffy if damage was done to any feather follicles from the plucking.

Cheers Jenny

Thanks for the reply,

He is slowly getting more feathers but he is still very scruffy, but the kids love him and he is great fun.

Very nice personality and not agressive at all.

Would it be adviseable to breed the same pair again? It is the only breeding pair we have and are concerned it might happen again.

Cheers

Kurt

Pictures would help. If you go to "Budgie Pictures" at head of forum it shows a pinned article about how to post pictures, that may help.

As far as breeding the parents again, are you colony breeding or cage breeding? Because it may be easier to keep an eye on the chicks if they are set up in an individual breeding cage. If the problem is plucking, and not some defect passed on by the parents, it might be worth a try to give the hen another chance and see if she does better the second time. I find that first time breeders sometimes make dumb mistakes, but after some experience, they do a better job.

 

But there is also the chance that she may continue plucking as an established habit, in which case it would be good if you could have a second pair breeding at the same time. Then you could remove the chicks from the plucking parents and foster them with the other pair.