Is this amount of feathers falling normal?

748 Views 5 Replies 3 Participants Last post by CrunchieCooky, 7 mo ago

CrunchieCooky

Discussion Starter · 7 mo ago

Hello, Ive had my budgie Yoshi for almost a year now. I am a new bird owner but all his mannerisms show he is slowly warming up and is content. Yoshi doesnt come on my finger just yet, but enjoys pets, and im taking my time with him. (Note i was away for 4 months in between due to work, and had to get to know him again)

The problem is that we have a pet cat who we have had since 2016, and while i make sure that my cat is locked out of our living room and yoshi is monitored while hes out, (the room is bird proof and i monitor him while out) my mom had left his cage open the other day, and when she entered the room my cats head was in the cage and yoshi was sitting at the top away from her.

We dont know if she really injured him or was trying to and failed, but since then Yoshis feathers have been falling a lot more. I feel extremely guilty but i would like straightforward advice so i can make sure he is okay and this wont happen again.

Yoshi is flying and playing normally but yesterday he allowed me to put him on my finger for a bit. I dont know if hes sick and frozen in fear or if its because he is getting comfier around me, but he was tilting his head, fluffing up his feathers,and wagged his tail, so im hoping he was just in a happy mood as he has been letting me closer in the past couple weeks.

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These are some of the feathers that jave fallen in his cage today and some im collected (2nd pic) in the past week. More are falling compared to normal and im really worried, especially as we dont have avian vets where i live.

Unknown age, rescue, male

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ChickWas

· #2 · 7 mo ago

You really need to let family members know that it's seriously important that Yoshi and your cat aren't allowed to mix, at all. Your mother forgetting the cage door open could have ended so much worse. Have you seen any cuts or scratches on Yoshi?

Now on to the part where he sat on your finger. How comfortable is he with you, how much time do you spend with him? If you didn't force him to get on your finger and he instead chose willingly to do it, I think it is a good sign that he is becoming more comfortable with you. Where do you keep Yoshi (and his cage)? Does he have things to entertain him when you're away at work (toys, an interesting environment, a window view, etc)?

For the feathers, I believe he is just moulting. This is a normal thing that happens when birds shed their old feathers and grow new ones. In the first picture, I believe you're seeing the small 'down' feathers, these are the feathers that keep him warm. In the second picture, you're seeing his main feathers that help him with flying. It's normal. My bird room becomes covered in feathers when my two moult.

PS: when you travel for work, who looks after Yoshi? I stress about this myself, because work wants to start sending me away next year and I have no one to look after mine.

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FaeryBee

· #3 · 7 mo ago

Stress can make a bird's feathers fall out. Often when under extreme stress a budgie will "blow" all the feathers in the tail.
Cats and Dogs are Predators - Birds are Prey

I'd advise that you put signs on the door of your room, inside and outside.
Outside the door, something along the lines of: STOP! Ensure cat does NOT enter this room!
Inside the door, something along the lines of: STOP! Ensure Yoshi is safety in his cage and it is LOCKED. Make sure cat has not entered!

Budgies generally have a first light molt at around 3 - 4 months old and another at 6 -7 months old.
When a budgie reaches at 1 year old their molts adjust to the Seasons., After the adjustment the budgie will have its big molts in the Spring and Fall. Budgies may also have lighter molts throughout the year; triggered by stress, change in diet or change in environment.

You can supplement your budgie’s diet with egg food during a molt.
This helps your budgies replenish the energy lost during the time they lose and grow in the new feathers.
Additionally, egg food promotes good and healthy feather growth.
It is possible to buy ready-made egg food at any specialized pet store but just as easy to make your own by hard boiling an egg and mashing it up.
If you wish you can mix it with a bit of cooked quinoa and flax seed.
You can also finely chop some veggies and add it to the egg food mix.

If your give your budgie cooked quinoa, be sure you rinse it well several times before cooking.

Budgies get itchy during their molt, so they'll preen and scratch more often. Additionally, they may be sleepier and quieter as molting takes a lot of energy, and their poop could be a little runnier. To make them more comfortable, you can offer them baths either in a shallow dish of water (or Lix-It bath) or by hanging wet greens (romaine lettuce or kale works best) in their cage so they can nibble on it and rub against them.

Molting FAQs
Miserable Molting

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CrunchieCooky

Discussion Starter · #4 · 7 mo ago

ChickWas said:
You really need to let family members know that it's seriously important that Yoshi and your cat aren't allowed to mix, at all. Your mother forgetting the cage door open could have ended so much worse. Have you seen any cuts or scratches on Yoshi?

Now on to the part where he sat on your finger. How comfortable is he with you, how much time do you spend with him? If you didn't force him to get on your finger and he instead chose willingly to do it, I think it is a good sign that he is becoming more comfortable with you. Where do you keep Yoshi (and his cage)? Does he have things to entertain him when you're away at work (toys, an interesting environment, a window view, etc)?

For the feathers, I believe he is just moulting. This is a normal thing that happens when birds shed their old feathers and grow new ones. In the first picture, I believe you're seeing the small 'down' feathers, these are the feathers that keep him warm. In the second picture, you're seeing his main feathers that help him with flying. It's normal. My bird room becomes covered in feathers when my two moult.

PS: when you travel for work, who looks after Yoshi? I stress about this myself, because work wants to start sending me away next year and I have no one to look after mine.

Thank you so much for your response! I've put signs on the room his cage is in as the other reply suggested and had a talk with my family, which has worked. I want to give him a good life and keep him safe.

Yoshi's cage is by the window! But not in direct sunlight. He is in the living room and I'm now working from home, so i sit with him and work so he has my presence nearby. Especially after this incident, I try to stay with him the whole day. If i am out for whatever reason, i live with my family (we're brown lol) and my aunt is the most responsible of the house and makes sure everything is well kept for him, while my mom indulges him more in play.

He's now leting me pet him as well! So im hoping it was just because he is warming up to me. He's a real sweetheart and still very skittish, but we've made a lot of progress.

Thank you for teaching me about the feathers, Ive been keeping an eye out and havent seen any feathers around nowadays, so I'm guessing the excess was because of shock/stress.

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FaeryBee

· #5 · 7 mo ago

If you are "petting" Yoshi, make sure you rub ONLY his head, neck and possibly his chest.
Do NOT stroke his back or tail. Doing so stimulates hormonal behavior and can lead to the budgie becoming aggresive.
How old is Yoshi now?

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CrunchieCooky

Discussion Starter · #6 · 7 mo ago

FaeryBee said:
If you are "petting" Yoshi, make sure you rub ONLY his head, neck and possibly his chest.
Do NOT stroke his back or tail. Doing so stimulates hormonal behavior and can lead to the budgie becoming aggresive.
How old is Yoshi now?

Yes im aware! He loves pets around the neck. Unfortunately i'm not sure how old yoshi is as he is a rescue

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