Molting or plucking?

[sandyvern]

Yesterday, I uncovered Rory to find bald patches on her chest/tummy:eek: She is her normal self (eating, drinking, pooping, playing, squeaking)...except seems to me excessively preening. Her hatch day was 3/28/2010 so little more than 5 months old....might this be a molt or might it be the beginning of plucking?

[enborgle]

It could certainly be a molt as she is just the right age, but true bald patches would be very odd for a standard molt. Can you post a photo?

[sandyvern]

It could certainly be a molt as she is just the right age, but true bald patches would be very odd for a standard molt. Can you post a photo?

Here are a few pics

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e112/SandyVern/014-2.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e112/SandyVern/013.jpg

[Tina&Jeremy]

Agave just finished her first molt, but she never had any patches at all...she was just generally thin-feathered and raggedy for awhile...I think maybe you're seeing the beginning of plucking?

We'll be thinking good thoughts for you and your birdie - I'm positive you'll find a ton of advice from the other people here! Good luck!

[jodeg]

This doesn't look like a molt to me, it looks more like plucking. I think a visit to an avian vet would be in order, to rule out illness and get some advice.

Good luck, keep us posted!

[ttoilleecarg]

awh no, poor Rory. i cant believe its been 5 months already.

it does look scruffier than a usual molt.
jodeg is definatly right about a vet visit first off.

[sandyvern]

awh no, poor Rory. i cant believe its been 5 months already.

it does look scruffier than a usual molt.
jodeg is definatly right about a vet visit first off.


Yeah...I guess that would be best. I don't think it has gotten worse since yesterday....but does make me worried. I just don't want it to start being a problem....

I hate to go and have them tell me she is fine and there is nothing they can do:( Or to just watch her and bring her in again if she stops eating, pooping etc. I hate paying money for them to tell me what I already know:(

[jodeg]

Birds who pluck don't necessarily stop eating, playing, pooping, etc., they act normally except for plucking out their feathers. The first thing usually recommended when a bird starts plucking is a vet visit to rule out illness. After that, behavior modification is looked into. If it continues a long time without resolution, it can become a habit, which is almost impossible to correct. I'd still recommend a visit to your avian vet.

[enborgle]

I would bet money that that is the start of an overpreening issue and not a normal molt, although it the behaviour could be stemming originally from the discomfort of the first molt.

As Jo said, you will not typically see a cease in normal behaviours in a bird that is plucking - if you do, you have more serious problems than plucking to worry about for sure! But not all vets understand this, and the testing to try to figure out if there is a biological or environmental cause can be expensive (and you'll need a vet who understands the behaviour and won't just give you the brush off like you've described).

You have a tough choice to make.