Features of molt in budgies

Parrot owners are periodically faced with the fact that the bird begins to lose feathers and down. Those with a lot of content experience usually aren't overly worried about this. But for beginners, a large number of feathers in a cage and throughout an apartment can puzzle and even scare. In most cases, plumage changes are a natural and necessary process. But it happens that the molt in budgies is pathological.

From this article, you will learn about the process of feather loss in domestic parrots and how to distinguish between natural molt and signs of disease in a bird.

For wild and domesticated birds, the feather shedding process is essential. Old feathers wear out and become dirty over time. And although birds clean their feathers, it is still not possible to keep them in proper condition for a very long period. Without molting, most birds would simply lose their ability to fly over time.

After feather shedding, new feather cover grows quickly in birds. He is healthier and stronger. The color of the individual also becomes brighter. In addition, in the process of molting, the top layer of the bird's skin is also renewed. And this is also very important for the health and hygiene of the individual.

In the wild, feather loss in birds is associated with climate and the change of seasons.

In parrots kept at home, feather change is not so tied to the season. In the apartment, the bird is not affected by climatic conditions, so molting can take place at any time of the year. In budgerigars, as well as in other species, feathering occurs 1–2 times a year.

Even in one individual, a change in feather cover can occur at different times of the year. This process is influenced by many factors: nutrition, housing conditions, the health of the parrot, possible stress, as well as the frequency of laying eggs in females.

In adult parrots, the process of changing the feather cover lasts from one to one and a half months. But the first molt in chicks under the age of one year lasts much longer, sometimes up to 5–6 months.

In wild and domestic birds, there are two types of natural molting: seasonal (periodic) and juvenile.

• Seasonal pen reset occurs in all adults annually. If molt does not start naturally or is not intensive enough, the parrot can begin to pluck its plumage on its own. Over the course of the process, the amount of fluff and feathers discarded decreases, and the pet becomes overgrown with new feathers.

• Juvenile molt cubs of birds survive only once in their life, being not yet sexually mature chicks. In individuals up to six months of age, a temporary cover grows, calculated only so as not to freeze in the nest. It consists mostly of down and very short plumage.

Over time, it becomes necessary to acquire strong feathers. After all, the grown up baby will soon have to leave the nest and start an independent life. Therefore, at the age of 3-5 months, the chicks of most birds, including the babies of budgerigars, begin an active discharge of down and feathers.

The juvenile molt lasts much longer than the seasonal one. Down can fall out within 3-4 months, and sometimes up to six months. In this case, the chick, unlike an adult parrot, can become completely naked for a while. Visually, this is not a very pleasant picture, but the first molt cannot be avoided, since it is associated with the onset of sexual maturity of the individual.

Usually, by the age of 8–10 months, a young parrot completely changes the feather cover, and it becomes possible to test the wings in flight.

A small amount of fluff or small feathers that have fallen out in a cage or apartment can be observed almost constantly.

The following symptoms indicate the beginning of the natural seasonal feather discharge:

• dandruff appears on the bird's skin;
• feathers on the head and neck become uneven, disheveled and clearly thinned;
• the pattern on the back and wings fades, becomes indistinct;
• your feathery sometimes actively nibbles down with its beak, tries to scratch it with its paw;
• numerous white columns appear on the skin;
• the parrot can suddenly become aggressive, behave unusual;
• the bird disrupts its usual daily routine, the parrot does not sleep well, or, on the contrary, is too lethargic during the waking period;
• the feathered one can refuse the usual food, the amount of food consumed is noticeably reduced;
• the bird tries to retire, hides, does not make contact.

Since the living conditions of the domestic budgerigar are completely dependent on the owner, it is important during the molting period to make it as comfortable as possible.In their natural environment, birds have more opportunities to find means so that feather dropping occurs as quickly and with less inconvenience as possible. For example, wild birds can independently find the food that contains the necessary nutrients and trace elements at the moment. Birds also use branches and tree trunks to rub against them and speed up the loss of old fluff and feathers.

It is also important to ensure that it receives additional vitamins and minerals in the feed.

• Maintain a stable temperature in the apartment. Eliminate drafts in the area where the bird cage is.
• When the feathers change, the parrot's skin becomes irritated and dry. Therefore, during the molting period, additional air humidification must be provided in the room.
• Place a few twigs in the cage. The parrot will be able to rub against them and speed up the release of feathers.
• During the moulting period, many individuals of parrots have sleep disturbances. Therefore, try to reduce the number of irritants during the hours when your feathered pet usually sleeps.
• It is believed that during the seasonal change of plumage, the parrot should not be released from the cage due to the fact that it will fall during flight. This point of view is not entirely correct, since the feathers are dropped from the wings gradually and symmetrically. Thanks to this, birds in the wild retain the ability to fly.

The same sequence of dropping feathers is inherent in domestic parrots. Only in the midst of molting can the bird control its flight maneuvers a little worse. But this does not last very long.

In rare cases, the parrot flatly refuses to bathe itself during molting. Then it is necessary at least once a day to water it with a stream of warm water or spray it over the cage with a spray bottle.

There are ready-made special feeds on sale, the packaging of which is marked "for feeding during molting." It is they who should form the basis of the menu for several weeks, while the feather cover of the parrot is changing.

Also, you need to include in the bird's diet:

• vegetables (pumpkin, carrots, beets);
• berries (currants, grapes);
• fruits (pears, apples, bananas);
• greens;
• foods containing protein (low-fat cottage cheese, eggs);
• fertilizing with mineral elements (chalk, crushed eggshells, sepia).

Intense feather loss in domestic birds is not always natural and healthy. It happens that a parrot sheds due to any diseases or pathological disorders.

The owner should be alert if:

• the next molt in the budgerigar came too quickly and is already the third or fourth in a year;
• the adult individual is very "bare", and the new plumage grows very poorly;
• a parrot too actively pulls out its feathers with its beak for several days;
• along with the loss of feathers and down, a complete rejection of food is observed, the bird is very lethargic and disinhibited.

Pathological conditions of domestic parrots requiring an appointment with an ornithologist:

• The so-called French molt is not natural. The feather cover of a bird falls out almost completely, and new plumage does not grow.The disease most often affects young chicks that have not reached sexual maturity. However, it is not uncommon for adults to suffer from French molt. The causes of the pathology are currently not fully understood. It is believed that the process can begin due to disturbances in the nutrition of the bird and an acute long-term lack of essential trace elements.
• Stress or fear may cause parrots to pluck themselves. This is traumatic and causes considerable suffering for the bird. Usually, the pathology goes away on its own when the conditions of detention are adjusted.
• Scabies caused by parasites can also cause severe feather loss. With knemidocoptosis, the exposed areas of the body turn red and become bumpy. The disease is cured with drugs and strengthening the immune system with vitamins.

See below for how molt looks like in a budgerigar.