Chest feathers??

[ickleruthiekins]

Hey everyone,

So I got my blue parrotlet, Dinky, and it's been about a week since I first brought him home! He's adorable, still very clumsy, quite a character...I still have to take some pictures of him. I've been trying to potty train him, but I noticed a few minutes ago, when I was teasing him a bit, that when I blow the feathers in his chest area, there's one spot in the middle about the size of a nickel where I can see his pink skin, kinda bumpy looking...where there are no feathers at all. You can't tell at all when you just look at him, but it's very obvious when I blow around that area. Do you think it's possible he's been picking his feathers, or that there's something else wrong with him?? This is kind of worrying me.

Thanks,

Ruth

[Azale]

If he's really young his feathers might have not grown all the way in yet. Kai is a couple months old and he still has bare spots.

[memmey]

wonder if that is where his crop is?

[ickleruthiekins]

Are crops supposed to be completely naked and featherless like that?

Dinky was hatched on January 22nd, so he's just over a month old. Are feathers supposed to be still growing in certain places on the body at this point? When I give Dinky a little "massage" on his head and neck, I can also see his neck area is completely naked when he moves his head around. My friend commented that it looks like sushi :eek:.

Thanks for replying so fast, guys; I feel a lot less freaked out now. :o

[memmey]

Yea their neck is bare but their head feathers cover downover it. He's probably fine...he's a tiny baby. If you realize that they live 20 years..yours is a month old. Be sweet to him he's so little and now your his family......:)

[Sally]

He is very young. Just feed him good foods, veggies, seed, etc. He will grow up to be a velvetty birdie. I think Chipper's food, cage size and lighting have really made her look great. She looks like velvet.

I can't wait to see pictures of your young baby!!!http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/Sally11/bored.jpg

[Kathy]

Sorry for going off-topic here, but Sally, I'm wondering what kind of light you use for Chipper? Brand, I mean. And you leave it on for just a couple of hours a day?

[Sally]

I use a Featherbrite from Windy City Parrot. I use it for a couple hours in the morning. After I feed Chipper, while I do work in the house or in my yard. Then I move her cage into the living room for the day and unplug her light. She goes in and out of her cage until bedtime.