Just look and feel quill and you find it hard, thin and sometimes shriveled. It was either covert, tail or wing feathers. That is a real cute name for a grey, Squeaks and it sounds like he is quite a character, I look forward to seeing some pictures of your fids. Ganesha has recently been put on Paxil because of her uncontrollable plucking resulting in blood feather and a lot of pain. She is just a year old and was a rescue from a breeder who was about to put her into sanctuary since she could no longer be sold with a completely naked a raw butt, wings and tail.
The vet ruled out all medical causes and sees and monitors her condition reqularly. We are on the Paxil for two and a half weeks now and she is singing and playing like crazy. She is trying new foods, swinging around from her feet in the doorway of her cage and talking more than ever before. Just the past three days I noticed that all of her naked back is filled with dark grey pin feathers and she has many new shoots on her previously naked butt. The last time she has any butt growth she had to go to emergency because she messed with the new feather shaft and it was bleeding.
They pulled them all out at that time and we had to start all over again. Now, just starting this last few days the bottom on the cage is filled with white fluff and a lot of grey whole feathers intact with not apparent bite marks or shredding. Have we just gone into a molt in addition to her plucking problem? Hi Poochbabe I dont know enough to answer you, but I just wanna complement you on adopting this bird, you have such a big heart.
All the best to both you and Ganesha A bonded bird will be excited to see you. She may bob her head, entice you to notice her by jingling toys, call to you, or offer to come to you. More subtle excitement is evidenced by a little feather shake and increased alertness and interest. Some birds may also scold you for leaving by yelling or banging toys. These are clear signs that your bird is in a happy mood and is healthy and content.
Soft chatter is another sign of contentment, or can just be your bird attempting and learning to talk. They do not have interlocking barbules, hence the barbs form a looser structure giving a softer feel and allowing air pockets between them. The trapped air provides an insulating layer in the plumage, and these down feathers are found under the contour feathers of the body.
They are present exclusively in the chicks of many species before contour feathers develop. Those chicks which hatch from the egg already possessing downy plumage are known as ptilopaedic ; those which hatch with no feathers but grow their down later are psilopaedic. Modified plumes known as powder down feathers are found on the flanks of many species, notably African grey parrots, Cockatiels, and white Cockatoos. These are small plumes with brush-like tips that break up into a fine white powder, which the bird then disperses through its plumage as a conditioner.
They are generally the first feathers to be damaged and disappear if a bird is infected with virus diseases such as Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease PBFD. The third group includes filoplumes , possessing long shafts with a small tuft of barbules at the tip.
The feathers are arranged on the body in regular tracts known as pterylae , and this pterylosis can be distinctive for each species. The featherless areas are apteria , which are obvious in the young chick, but become covered with the overlapping feathers as the plumage grows. These areas will be exposed again if the plumage gets extremely wet or oiled, or if the bird starts to lose an excessive number of feathers. The presence of apteria may facilitate heat loss when required: the bird will raise its plumage when hot to allow the circulation of air over the skin.
Penguins have no apteria. Blue-throated Macaw chick showing downy feathers, with new yellow feathers erupting in rows pterylae and blood feathers in wing. The combination of feather types on the bird provides a variety of functions for the plumage.
These include flight, insulation, waterproofing, swimming, sound production, camouflage, tools for courtship display, as well as species and individual identification. Many avian species are visually sexually dimorphic — i. Most sexual dimorphism is evident in feather form and colour, but recent research suggests that even in species that appear identical to our eyes, there are differences detectable by the birds at the ultraviolet end of the spectrum.
Contour feathers in many species may be considerably modified to form distinctive display or identification features. Examples are the crest feathers of the Crowned Crane, Cockatoos, and the Peacock; or the flamboyant tail feathers of the Lyre Birds, Birds of Paradise, and again the Peacock.
The important waterproofing function of feathers is provided partly by a coating of oils. The prime source of such oil is the preen gland , situated above the base of the tail, but the importance of this gland as a provider of waterproofing material is equivocal.
All avian species have waterproof plumage, but not all species have preen glands, and if the gland is removed or damaged, the bird will still retain the ability to waterproof its plumage. The greater effect of this feature is provided by the interlocking barbules, which when properly in place, offer a physical barrier to water. To maintain this effect, it is essential for there to be a normal preening regime, thus if a bird is unwell, injured, or in pain and cannot preen, the plumage will rapidly become ragged, dirty, and non-waterproof.
Also, if barbule quality is affected by underlying disease in the bird, by dietary deficiencies, by parasitic attack, or environmental factors dryness, smoke the barbules will not properly interlock, and the waterproofing effect will be lost. Feather growth and replacement.
The feather quill is rooted in a follicle , which is a tubular invagination in the skin with its own blood and nerve supply. The growing feather has a rich network of capillaries within the base of the quill, supplied from the follicular arteriole. This blood source provides an efficient supply of nutrients to the rapidly growing plume, and gives rise to the name 'blood' or 'pulp' feather.
Once the feather is mature, this pulp atrophies, leaving a light, hollow quill. A healthy bird will never shed more than one or two feathers at a time from each side of his body.
Secondary molts will happen more quickly than your bird's initial molt, but it will still take several months for him to completely replace his feathers. Outside of your bird's normal molt, any sudden or unexplained loss of feathers should be discussed with your veterinarian. One of the most common causes of abnormal molt or abnormal feather formation is a diet lacking proper nutrients.
The best prevention against such conditions is to feed your African Grey a quality, pelleted diet. You will know if your bird's diet is lacking if his new feathers have stress bars on them. These are areas where the feather hasn't formed during the growth stage, and will appear as dark spots against his normal coloring.
Poor diet can also trigger poor quality feathers, poor coloring, and bands of differing color. The molt is an extremely stressful condition for your bird. As his body begins to generate new feathers, his metabolic rate will rise by as much as 30 percent. A quality, pelleted diet should give your bird all the nutrients his needs in order to sustain his body through the molting process.
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