Hi, my birds have moulted virtually none stop since i got them (4-5months) but it hasn't really bothered them and they were chirpy and happy playing in the cage. i noticed last weekend that my female had a scaly cere so i bought scaly lotion and used it on both birds, when i went to apply it today (4th appliction) i noticed both birds have pin feathers on their faces/head and the female has the odd one on her neck. can anyone tell me if this is normal for birds being treated with scaly lotion ? thankyou x

If they're molting, it's normal to have pinfeathers. Maybe applying the lotion just caused those feathers to become more noticeable?

 

About the lotion... do you mean it's something used to treat scaley face mites? Any idea what's in it? It would be a good idea to have the budgie seen by an avian vet to make sure she's being treated with the right medication (if you haven't already done that). I can't see how a lotion would cause pinfeathers, it's probably just coincidence.

 

Prolonged molt isn't really uncommon but it can sometimes be an indicator of illness. Having the birds checked out would be good just to be on the safe side.

thankyou for your quick reply etteri, the medicine is called johnsons scaly lotion and it was reccomended by the vet who said it wasn't neccesary for me to take the birds to him when i phoned him. and yes it is used to treat scaly mites, so it is normal for the pin feathers t show up suddenly then ? thanks again etteri x

 

oh and in answering your question of whats in it :

 

pyrethrins(from pyrethrum extract BP(vet) 0.10% w/v piperonyl butoxide BP. vet 1.00% w/v chlorocresol ph.eur 0.20% w/v. thats exactly how its written on the bottle, is everything okay with it or do you think i should stop using it ?

Edited October 28, 200519 yr by little_cuties

Two of my budgies seemed to have sprouted pinfeathers on their heads overnight so yeah, it's surprising how quickly they seem to pop up.

hi little cuties

 

yeah i agree it just sounds like a coincidence. you can try to regulate the moulting by cutting down the daylight hours and keeping to a strict bedtime and wake up routine. if the molting continues for much longer take them into the vets.

 

is the moulting always heavy? ie. do they always seem to have large wing or tail feathers missing? its normal for inside budgies to moult little baby feathers frequently because its always warm in the house. if you notice big feathers keep falling out or any other signs of illness they need to be checked

hi pixie. thankyou for your reply, you've really put my mind at ease. the feathers they are losing are only little ones, they very occasionally lose a full feather from their tail so i was very pleased when you mentioned that. another thing i noticed was you mentioned the sleep times, they change constantly so that could be causing it (i work in a mental hospital, so my hours differ week by week) is there any chance they could get used to this or do you think i need to sort something out. i'll quit my job if i have to, my birds didn't ask to be put in this situation and it isn't fair to stress them out unnecesserally. thanks again pixie x

oh no dont quit your job!

 

it does help to keep to some kind of a routine though. all the constant changing can cause them to stress moult. just try to stick to the same times as convenient for you, i dont think it really matters what times just that it is roughly the same time everyday. do you cover them over at night? thats probably the easiest way to ensure they are getting the same amount of sleep each night.