In most cases -- assuming the plucking behavior is caught and subsequently stopped early enough -- a parrot's feathers will grow back over time, just like after getting their wings clipped. Keeping your Conure’s diet, environment, and lifestyle in check will help your bird stay healthy and therefore allow it to molt when it should. The only time when a parrot's feathers won't grow back is when it suffers damage to the actual follicle.
That said, you should get worried if the feather loss is excessive. Hrs been on this for a couple of days and when I examined him I thought ii saw some new little feathers I’m holding thumbs this wasn’t what I wanted to see. Take your bird outside of its cage for a few hours so it can make short flights around its room. These are often symptoms of an underlying health condition. To sum everything up, a Conures first molt normally comes between 8-10 months but can be earlier or later depending on the bird’s situation and lifestyle. Feather loss occurs either because the bird is truly losing feathers or because the bird, or its cage-mate, is picking out its feathers. Parrots that are emotionally and/or physically stressed, may pluck their feathers. Some conures may never bond. Train your bird the smart way to keep them entertained.
Let them do some exercise as it is crucial for their health. Shortly after they start molting, new delicate pin feathers start to come out and these cannot be damaged or they could be fatal to your bird.
Your Conure can feel very vulnerable during their molt, so you need to make them feel as safe and comfortable as possible. Contributors: Laurie Hess, DVM; Rick Axelson, DVM. During preening, your bird will remove debris, break up feathers that grow close to the skin, and waterproof its feathers using natural oils. Scented candles, bleach, cleaning products, and even air fresheners may all contribute to this condition. If the patches are entirely bald, there is a reason for concern, as this does not signal molting. Shortly after these older feathers shed, you may notice small feathers poking out. However, there's always the possibility of it being the result of a more serious underlying condition that requires proper treatment. True feather loss (i.e., loss that is not associated with a normal molt) is typically the result of disease. Stressed-out birds can develop stress bars. A short visit to your local avian veterinarian will give you the peace of mind knowing that your parrot is safe and healthy. Giving your bird some visual/environmental variety will help it feel less bored. Joking aside, plucking is a serious issue for all bird owners. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years. Beak, meet feathers. Feather-plucking may be a sign that your conure has an underlying condition, such as a hormone imbalance, a disease, or a bacterial infection. This is because intense plucking often damages the feather follicle, mostly if done for extended periods. About 10-12 hours. The bad mood symptoms and baldness will go away shortly after finishing molting. If you've noticed your parrot rapidly losing its feathers, keep reading to learn some of the possible causes of this condition. If your parrot is completely bald on some areas, molting probably isn't to blame . Occasionally, tests fail to reveal a diagnosis, and your veterinarian makes a clinical judgment as to the best course of therapy for your bird. Your Conure’s skin can get itchy due to all the new feather growth, so it’s important that you try to help to soothe the itches where you can. For more tips from our Veterinary co-author, like how to choose a companion for your bird, keep reading!
Routine diagnostic tests, including various blood tests, fecal tests for parasites, microscopic analysis and/or culture of stool, feathers, and skin to check for yeast and bacteria, and radiographs (X-rays) may be performed to achieve a diagnosis.
Behaviorally-based feather-picking is difficult to treat, as the cause (stress, overcrowding, sexual frustration, a new person in the house, a new cage, etc.) Depending on the severity of the condition, your parrot may only pluck away a couple feathers on occasion, or they may continue to pluck their coat down to the skin. Green Cheek Conure is Scared: How to Fix It. There's not a trace of blood anywhere and he didn't make any noise to … Either way, it's important for owners to understand what's causing the problem so they can better treat it. In response, parrots usually resort to feather plucking, which can be harmful when done continually. Feather-picking is often a behavioral problem, especially in the larger species of birds (such as cockatoos, macaws, and African gray parrots) that are extremely intelligent and are tightly bonded to their owners. Jul 02, 2020, Burrowing Parrots: The Patagonian Conure Species Guide To Characteristics, Proper Care & Attention As with all other animals, birds need a proper balance of carbohydrates, proteins, fat, vitamins, minerals and water.