Fluffy head

[A.A.A.]

I'm wondering if I need to up bathing frequency as the girls are looking a bit fluffy scruffy (but still cute).

Here's the top of Skye's head as an example.


And the belly fluffies


I know pionus don't have the preen gland so don't know if they need more frequent showers.
They're only about 5 months old (hatched 21st & 25th of June) so don't know if they're due to start moulting either. Gemini has lost a tail feather that mum noticed when she saw her flying & that I saw in the cage bottom today.

 

[A.A.A.]

Ok, the tail feather is a broken part not a shed whole feather.
Gemini is still flying confidently around though.

And it's only Skye who's covered in stick out fluffies, Gemini is still looking sleek (especially next to her sister).
Gemini flies more than Skye does, could this be affecting the lay of her (Skye's) feathers?

 

[dianaT]

How often do you bathe them?

 

[A.A.A.]

Once to twice a week, usually when they do bathing response to the vacuum (they don't do it every time).

 

[dianaT]

In my opinion that is adequate .

 

[DizzyBlue]

Babies are always rough and tumble first feathers get a right battering as they learn, crash land, tipple, topple and generally give us a nervous breakdown. Next set will be better cared for.
a broken one isn't anything to worry about it you look closely at that feather the ends are broken, the hooks that hold them flat inline are obviously damaged there's bronzing as well - all to be expected of these young ones. No fret bars which is good so strong first growth feathers.
Flufty tufty nowt to raise an eyebrow at
Wait till you experience your first blood feather bleed you will be rocking under the table in a darkened room sucking your thumb like the rest of us did

 

[Wera]

I did something worse than that… rang someone who used to be vet nurse and made her come over

 

[Wendy Cooper-Wolfe]

I went into a real panic with Dora's first blood feather, it was people on here that kept me sane that morning!

 

[A.A.A.]

Behaviour of both is the same as has been since they settled in, no issues with eating & no weird poos, so not too worried. Just wondering why one is fuzzy and the other sleeker.
They don't allow pets for stroking / preening yet, so I only know how soft the fluffies are from the shed ones.

The odds are even a speck of blood from either of them will send me into a panic. Do I need to wrap their cage in cotton wool when they start moulting & growing new feathers?

 

[DizzyBlue]

Nope just keep firm grip of your sanity (or pop in here barrow somebody else's if you can find any!) remember even a few spots look huge when it spreads on feathers and have a bag of cornflour in the cupboard - aids blood clotting. It's rare the bird can't sort it themselves.

 

[MJGB - MikeJenGaryBeckyBoo]

They look great, like cheeky babies. When we first got Gary he'd managed to break ALL of his tail feathers just before we collected him (he looked like a blue and gold African grey his tail was so short!). We ended up having feather imping done when he kept breaking them before they could grow fully. So for a while he had a glorious tail from a hyacinth macaw . Oh, and he'd also snapped the main flight feathers on his wings. He was and still is the most rough and tumble bird I've known. When he was a baby he'd fall (on purpose....just drop off the back of the sofa) when we were playing cos he trusted us to catch him.
I agree, blood feathers can be terrifying.... for the human! Bebe turned to me once years ago literally with blood dripping down her chest. I started gathering flour, planning an emergency vet visit, and she just looked down at it like "oh that's what's bothering you?" Then pulled it out herself with a little squeak. She was not bothered.
You will obviously be concerned if they get hurt or have a little scrape, but over time you'll know when it's nothing to worry about.

 

[plumsmum]

Lou tends to pull blood feathers overnight in her night cage and I have gone into a wet puddle of blood and no trace of a feather

Goodness knows what she did with it? Ate it I expect? I did actually phone the vets on the first instance.

 

[A.A.A.]

Gemini has started looking scruffy-fluffy too, and we've found a few coloured body feathers at the bottom of the cage. There's also pin feathers coming through & no serious noticeable weight or behaviour change. Think they're just moulting & I thought the first time would be next year.