Is larry molting

[LarryThelovie]

Larry is now just over 7 months old and she’s a very happy lovebird recently her feathers are everywhere and I think she’s melting , are there any specific times they molt as I want to make sure it’s not plucking as I don’t see why she would as she’s very happy

 

[geff]

Plucked feathers generally show damage. On the shaft and sometimes the feather is totally mangled.
Moulted feathers generally look as in good condition but no longer connected to the bird.
Saying that. Any parrot is liable to play with a moulted feather and make it look like it's been Plucked.

 

[nu2birds]

My two lovebirds molt kind of weirdly...........usually I'll see pin feathers on the head and then downy feathers all over the floor. A few weeks later it will be pin feathers on their chest and then downy feathers all over the floor. After that, I'll see a flight feather or two on the ground. Both birds will do this opposite each other, never seems to be at the same time. I asked my breeder about this and she said Lovebirds just sort of molt slowly on and off throughout the year. Seems that is what my boys are doing. Jasper most recently had pin feathers on his head two weeks ago and then I noticed downy feathers on the floor. No pinfeathers on either bird now, so probably have a few weeks before someone starts it again.

 

[LarryThelovie]

Larry has lots of little feathers all over the floor and a lot of tail feathers that look like they’ve not even been touched , she’s also had one long feather fall out from her wing . Is it normal for so many of her tail feathers to come out at once ?

 

[LarryThelovie]

When lovebirds molt do they become more aggressive ? Since she’s been moulting she’s been a lot more aggressive

 

[nu2birds]

I would describe mine as more "cranky" than aggressive. But I'm sure they can get aggressive, and maybe females get more aggressive than males, I don 't know. I am new at all this myself. My birds are both males and are going on 17 months old. Mine have not ever lost that many tail feathers at one time, or wing feathers for that matter. But it really sounds like Larry is healthy.......I think she is just an individual and that's how she is molting. I'm thinking she is molting more like other parrots than mine are. Mine just seem to molt a little at a time in different parts of their body.

 

[JaclynBin]

Mine don’t seem to go through a personnality change but they do get a lot itchier. I usually try to help relieve this by misting them lightly, if they’ll have it, or letting them in the shower. I would imagine that birds typically pluck they’re body feathers if they were to do so, and wouldn’t focus solely on their tail feathers. Does she look like she’s visibly missing tail feathers? If she’s not showing bald spots, it’s likely just a heavy moult. It’s pretty impressive to see the quantities of down feathers that are compressed into these little guys - particularly when they’re blanketing your floor.

 

[Shezbug]

Burt gets a little cranky and a lot less tolerant when he has lots of pin feathers. They really frustrate and bother him.

 

[metalstitcher]

I would try misting her as suggested and also make sure she has some cuttlebone in her cage. She is going to need some extra stuff to help her with her molting.

 

[LarryThelovie]

Mine don’t seem to go through a personnality change but they do get a lot itchier. I usually try to help relieve this by misting them lightly, if they’ll have it, or letting them in the shower. I would imagine that birds typically pluck they’re body feathers if they were to do so, and wouldn’t focus solely on their tail feathers. Does she look like she’s visibly missing tail feathers? If she’s not showing bald spots, it’s likely just a heavy moult. It’s pretty impressive to see the quantities of down feathers that are compressed into these little guys - particularly when they’re blanketing your floor.

You can’t visibly tell that tail feathers are missing we just find them on the floor a lot haha

 

[Leih]

I'm late to this post, but I was just searching molting. As a first time bird parent seeing the dropped feathers makes me nervous. Aoife just dropped a few this week, and they don't look damaged like someone mentioned. She does seem to be itchy, I'm trying to leave the humidifier on for her. I just haven't seen any pin feathers ... That's the weird part for me. It looks like she's lost a few right on the top of her beak and a little down her belly and by her legs. She has not lost any tail or wing feathers. I've read a little about birds molting in specific body areas according to their age, like going into adult feathers in cycles. Instead of making a new thread I just hijacked this one, sorry! Same thing, same species. I'd love any insight! I would be so confused without all of you on this forum!

 

[metalstitcher]

Baths are a good thing for them when they are molting. Also if your lovie is comfortable take them in the bathroom with you when you take a shower. It will help with the pins and make her feel better. Gracie looks like a train wreck right now but she had some issues this last molt and it messed her up pretty bad but she is an older bird.

 

[LunaLovebird]

You don’t always see the pin feathers unless you’re looking for them. You do notice them when you give head scritches. My two don’t seem to get better or worse when they moult, the floor just gets a lot messier a lot faster. Luna does tend to seek me out more because she likes me helping with the ones on her head, but that’s about it.

 

[Leih]

She doesn't allow scritches yet, but I was really looking her over last night and I definitely saw some. She has a toy she rubs her face on, so that's probably helping any there. I'm so glad I saw this thread though, because when I got home last night there were a bunch of feathers on the floor and I'm sure I'd have panicked! She took a bath in her water dish yesterday, so definitely going to offer daily baths for awhile.