By the time your cockatiel looks ill, you can assume that your pet is seriously sick and is likely to deterioriate quickly unless appropriate treatment is provided. When she’s preening the yellow one seems to hurt her. The main reason for this is defensive purposes as the bird uses up a lot of its surplus energy. Join Date: Oct 2015. His previous owner seemed pretty nice, and he's really friendly. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Do i have to pluck them out or will they naturally fall out? The breaking the tail is common in some birds, especially young ones, my bird was tailless for over a year when I first got him because he couldn't figure out how to land without landing ON his tail. It also really keeps his dust down. Adult cockatiels are sexually dimorphic, though to a lesser degree than many other avian species. He loves to snuggle and get petted, I'm like 90% sure he is on the path to thinking I'm his mate and regurgitating for me like my last tiel. Not a healthy meal for normal everyday food, and sometimes it can smell bad if it's to fresh, and my birds wont touch it. Thanks: 2,214. My tiel had all of his tail feathers broken off when we got him; he was clumsy and kept falling on and breaking them. Intense rivalry for my affection. my Cockatiel has some "MESSED UP FEATHERS" from her tail. Feel free to talk about parrots in the wild, owning parrots, the pet trade, rescuing parrots, purchasing parrots, avian veterinarians, and anything pertaining to these beautiful creatures. My featherbutt has broken like 4 tail feathers since I got him. My son pulled our cockatiels tail feathers and a few of the pin feathers. They thought she was plucking, but watching her she seems fine w/ no bald spots. You can give your cockatiel varying amounts of flight capability depending on the amount of feathers you clip on her wings. A subreddit totally dedicated to Cockatiels. His tail feathers are really messed up. It is like bird catnip. Thanked 0 … Also, Pearl and Pillow the budgie run all over the place. Any advice would be great. Join Date: Feb 2014. Ready to attack… He just pulls on them so much that they end up bent, broken, and scruffy looking. Location: so-cal. Due to my being disabled I am almost always home, so he's in his slightly-too-small cage for maybe an hour a day on average besides when he wanders in there to eat. If he's still young I wouldn't worry too much about it. Two of my babies had bad tail feathers when I got them. He still gets startled occasionally by a sound but he gets over it quickly and goes back to playing or grooming my eyelashes. A young bird will grow out of it if you are a good human friend. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. For example, when he rotates his body he routinely squishes his tail against something then tries to angle his body so it can go straight, all the while he's completely just ruffling up his tail feathers and making it worse. ... Also, they cut her wings WAY too short, half way up the second layer, and cut her tail feathers. Half Up;Up But Not Up;Fully Up;This is a sign that they are angry and maybe aggressive. I want them to have beautiful feathers but it never seems to work out. All his other feathers look beautiful, nice and clean, he gets a bath every 2-3 days, and only so often because he loves baths (so its not stressing him). The painful feather could be a new feather growing in (called a blood feather) and it can be sensitive. Cockatiels—and male birds especially—can develop aggressive behavior if their ... My birds feathers look really messed up, and I have no idea what ... Just make sure you're not petting them on their back, wings, belly, or tail, as this can make the bird sexually frustrated. Younger birds stress a lot, older birds who been through bad shit stress a lot more. I keep the room very well heated around bath time so he isn't cold upon getting out. We used to have a female that was violent to him a year ago but we se ... My cockatiels feathers around the bottom of their wings are. Junior Member. If he can't get his tail straight from where he is standing, instead of walking forward he just sits there, too lazy to move. 2 GCA(Luna,Merlin) 1 Congo AG (Bella) 7 Cockatiels. ! All feathers have blood vessels inside the shaft when they first start growing to provide nourishment and help the feather mature. Ask questions at the message board, add/see pictures at the gallery. Any idea what could've caused the damage to his tail feathers? Thinking on it I've noticed he rarely takes his tail into account. Any way to fix it? Food scraps stuck to feathers around the mouth can also be an indication of failing health. It’s possible she feel on her butt, or maybe it’s “stress preening”. As soon as he got the foods I feed Toni his feathers started to look REALLY REALLY good. Young birds can be pretty rough on their tail feathers. Cockatiels who learn to fly, land, and use their bodies to move about a cage are surer of […] I wouldn't worry too much about it. He was depressed because he was a breeder bird and his mate died a few years earlier. She's a bit older now and they're all intact. Thread here. I never had a bird that was cool with pellets. His cage is a bit small, but he's pretty much only in there to eat, or when I'm not home. To be Trusting and love are ver important to them. There is no blood, but the bird seems pretty shaken up. He is about a year old, male, and has a splayed leg that's missing a toe. I live in a very rural area...and our local vet has not got a clue about birds...great with horses, but bad with birds...I think my female is constipated...she has some "poop" hanging out and it is gritty and I have attempted to remove the poop with tissue...but can not get it all...she again this morning has another lump of poop hanging out...ANY HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED!! She lands with her butt down and eventually breaks them. Pearl cockatiels all look like pearls as juveniles, but after one molt, the males will appear as normal cockatiels and the hens only will retain the pearl pattern. Be patient and loving. Cockatiels, like all birds, are very adapt at concealing their illness.This is a self-preservation mechanism, as the sick and the weak are the ones predators will focus on. We are keeping him warm and quiet. Now I have two cockatiels who love and hate me at different times. Stained nostril feathers could be a sign of bacterial sinus infection, and matted feathers around the beak may be due to mouth discharge caused by disease. Consider getting away from the pellets. and i was just wondering how long it takes to re-grow feathers. Edit: Seems his head feathers are kinda messed up too. Is anyone able to tell what happened to her? Feather plucking however is quite different. I hope that makes sense. Now though, he seems to be a happy little man. After the molt the male's tail feathers will be a solid gray color with no barring, but the female's will remain patterned. You can make headway in healing, and it takes something as small as a door slamming to hard or a glass mirror falling off a wall and breaking very loudly to regress the healing process. Do consider a bigger cage and maybe a buddy for them because they are very social, or try millet. As soon as I saw him, I knew it was the bird I had inquired about a few weeks earlier (but didn't get response - different breeder). The site may not work properly if you don't, If you do not update your browser, we suggest you visit, Press J to jump to the feed. He gets lots of fresh human foods, he doesn't eat a lot of them, but I'm introducing them slow and he's starting to realize that whenever he sees me eating something its probably tasty and he wants it, he is a notorious egg thief. Also if she's in a cage climbing on the walls and dragging her feathers along the bars for long periods of time it can mess them up. I had a cockatoo for 5 years until his death. Don't worry about it the feathers will grow back . I've seen this in his cage but also while I'm snuggling him, he'll back up to my chin to nap there and then squish/bend his tail against it, eventually if he doesn't get it straightened out, I'll move his tail for him. So it does show any behaviour that can give me some clues to its sex. With a feather plucker, they will just pull out feathers for no reason. Injury to the wing itself, damaged feather follicles, incorrect diet, etc could all be causes of messed up feathers. Anything else to do? The breeder plucked all its tail feathers because it was all broken and messed up. Look at how they formed and look at the bigger ones root. The lady's friend brought this little parakeet over to me and asked if I wanted him. If you inspect your cockatiel's feathers down near his skin, you can see which ones are still blood feathers because they are the ones that are darker in color, indicating blood inside the quill. I did that with Finnie and he's looking fiiiiiiiine as hell. With the nextb molt you should be fine :), New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Some cockatiels don't become coordinated at fledging and tend to fold the tail under at landing, so if they have an improper trim they cannot maneuver and land. I got her from a PetCo (which I know is a bad option). If you don't see any, hold the cockatiel up so its tail is in front of a bright light and examine closely. It doesn't seem to bother him, but if it has something to do with diet or him being unhappy or anything like that, then it bothers me. He goes with me everywhere, even if its just to the bathroom, although not when I'm cooking on the stove. Jazz's wing where that feather is hanging out is all jacked up and I brought it up with the vet but she said they are fine and when she molts maybe it will clear up. Tail Bobbing A bird that bobs his tail feathers (going back and forth) noticeably while at rest might have labored breathing. My boybird, Finnie, he had really really bad feathers and that was because his handler before me gave him a horrible horrible diet. Trim the feathers at an angle, to match the length of the covert feathers (the shorter, softer feathers on top.) There would probably be other signs if something was wrong. Tailfeathers -- great bird information, message board, articles, and more. Cockatiel Health Care Dystrophic Tail Feather 060810 - YouTube the cockatiel has a full-time job taking care of his beautiful yellow feathers. Trim the cockatiel’s wing feathers. Thanks: 0. For other Outside Xbox funny moments:. Cockatiels will preen and remove the odd feather, some small some large depending on what stage the new growth is at. I can't imagine why he'd be over preening. Toni, my girl baby, I got her when she was a hatchling and her tail feathers were not the prettiest and I think its because she was a baby and didn't know how to take care of her pretty feathers. I would advise letting the wings grow completely in and see if after a couple months the tail improves. Our baby cockatiel named Pearl, broke most of her tail feathers. Or so it may seem… They also use their tails to balance themselves while they climb, whether it be up a tree or the side of the cage. Feathers on your bird's face should be colorful and clean. He's constantly free to wander the room, which I am constantly in supervising him. The difference between wing and flight feathers is that the wing has an off centre shaft and the tail feathers have a central shaft. Will these grow back? ! I was at the local breeder's this week getting all the fids' nails trimmed. For moments related primarily to gameplay videos (Let's Plays, livestreams and Xmas Challenges) go here; For moments related primarily to non-gameplay videos (Top X videos, Show of the Week/Weekend and other videos), go here; For more Oxventure moments, go here. This is a community for the discussion of parrots. I'll get pics up as soon as I can find my data cable >.< #2 02-06-2014, 09:52 PM XystSin. Cockatiels do have a reputation for demanding attention of their owners on a regular basis. Just adopted a new five year old; his tail feathers are pretty messed up. Same. For example, when he rotates his body he routinely squishes his tail against something then tries to angle his body so it can go straight, all the while he's completely just ruffling up his tail feathers and making it worse. B.B. It looks like his or her tail might have.got caught somewhere. Tell him or her all the time how pretty they are and talking sweet to them. Looks like you're using new Reddit on an old browser. Older birds who been through shit can take time, and may never recover from over preening. This is only evident after the first moulting, typically occurring about six to nine months after hatching: the male loses the white or yellow barring and spots on the underside of his tail feathers and wings. Initially I thought it might have just been the other tiels in his cage over preening him or him doing so out of boredom. Once it has molted once, it will have developed its adult plumage, so male cockatiels will lose the dots on the primary wing feathers and the bars on the tail feathers, and hens will retain them. cockatiel’s messed up tail feathers. Baths will help the covering to fall off and soften them as well. Looks like you're using new Reddit on an old browser. Optional Information: Age: 1; Male; Breed: Cockatiel Already Tried: Keeping the … I think he's pretty happy, constantly getting scritches, spoken to, and snuggled (all of which he loves), so I can't picture any sort of self-mutilation. Feel free to talk about anything related or to post pictures of your own parrots. I messed up bad and made him feel as if I didn’t care for him, I left him out of so many important things and now we’re done, yoi.” Thatch stops whining about how this should be a day of joy and laughter because so many souls are now doomed to the life of adulthood, his eyes widening slightly before he turns his full attention to Marco. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Vet visits never hurt! You could use feather supplements if you're unsure. Not sure if that’s a real term, but my bird messes up his tail feathers like that when he’s stressed about something. When Ashe was younger she broke basically every single tail feather. I wouldn't worry too much about it, just keep an eye on it especially when she molts next, It might be because it was kept at PetCo and they had it in a way too small cage or way too stuffed so when it got its feathers they got cramped like that. A fact on the side: Cockatiels in the wild will seek out a quiet spot, like a cave, to molt. So, be sensitive and cover up a part of the cage, so that your ’tiel can shed feathers in peace. also her wing feathers...how long would it be until they grow back beause i want her to be able to fly :) thx!! Vomiting Vomiting is different from regurgitating. Also, if they have had a knock they may remove a damaged feather as it bothers them. And he's also pretty clumsy. I have a Four month old Cockatiel with her wings clipped, Sometimes while walking with her perched on my finger she will try to fly and go landing on the floor. He was 30 and a constant over preener. How old is he? One thing that is very very common in cockatiels with tail feather issues is the wing trim. When I got my guy, his tail feathers were pretty raggedy. I’ve had him just over a month and his last broken tail feather came off and his tail feathers are growing back fine so you might just have to give it time. I feel like my birds are always having trouble either keeping tail feathers and looking healthy. But now idk if he's just young and clumsy and breaking them or over preening for some other reason. Don’t mistake this kind of tail bobbing for the kind that accompanies singing or breathing heavily after exercise. Their vocalizations range from soft cheeps to piercing cries. If your tiel is younger I'm sure it's fine. Lutino breeds, or pale yellow and pale white birds that still have cheek circles, can be identified by the female's yellow spots under the wings and yellow marks under the tail. If he goes through his next big molt and still breaks all of his new feathers, maybe have a vet check him out to make sure that it's not an issue. 1 RLA (Pacho R.I.P.) They came from the messed up wing. It takes about 2 months to grow back~~~ The cockatiel hardly chirp or make any sound at all, because it is still afraid of the new environment. TL;DR: Thinking on it my tiel does mess up his tail a lot because he's clumsy. As the feather develops, the blood vessels close off. Help? It might be busted at a bad angle or something- not really sure. If you still don't see any markings, the cockatiel is probably a male. Thanked 4,753 Times in 1,742 Posts ... Tail feathers don't look good either. Messed up feet and nails? Sometimes it takes them a bit to learn how to take care of them. My tiel is a clumsy flier and will pretty much break her tail feathers whenever she tries to fly and eventually land. Sometimes when that happens her tail feathers get broken or ruffled up. Theres about three broken ones. "This is deeply unethical, but very funny." I've added vitamins to his water and nothing seems to work. First off, I want to say thank you for all the responses. If he can't get his tail straight from where he is standing, instead of walking forward he just sits there, too lazy to move. The site may not work properly if you don't, If you do not update your browser, we suggest you visit, Press J to jump to the feed. I don't think its from stress, the first couple days I could see that because before he settled he was freaking out. They grow back :). He is only 6 1/2 months old so yeah he is a young birb. They make healthy mixes of seeds, kibble, various goodness that provides them a variety of the nutrients they need. Clip the group of feathers you intend to trim all at once, about halfway up the wide part of the feather – as if you were giving the bird a hair cut. To the point of like jogging backwards (towards me) to snuggle faster, and running into me tail first. With cockatiel chicks who haven’t mastered flying, it’s a good idea to gradually clip their wings. He is on a pellet diet, and is slowly being introduced to human foods, so far I've gotten him to like apple, egg, and pasta. ... 1 OWA (Plumas R.I.P.) She's done this pretty much the entire time I've had here (two years).