Brown Cockatoo/Shredded feathers

[KaiBird]

I just wondered if all cockatoos turn brown when they get wet or if it's just Kai. He has been like that since I got him and no amount of showers seem to help. I even washed him with baby shampoo once. I know he will molt out all of his current feathers, I was just wondering if it is typical or it is something that he got into at his past home. In general, he looks like he's been though a shredder and he always has a broken feather sticking out somewhere. It doesn't help that he has the absolute worst wing trim I have ever seen. He is not chewing or plucking them, he is just very active and he loves to roll around on his back with his toys. I'm hoping he will learn to take better care of himself as he matures.

He wasn't all that interested in holding still for pictures and he was on his boing but this will give you a taste of what he has done to his feathers. The wing trim was done by his past owners, I have no idea why as he now falls like a rock.

 

[DQTimnehs]

Poor baby!

 

[suncoast]

My guess is that the brown is from nutritional deficiancies and hopefully once he molts out this stupid clip he will have better feathers. What is he eating now?

Ginger

 

[KaiBird]

When I got him they were just feeding him a sunflower free seed mix and a few fresh veggies/fruits. I feed my birds a mash that I make with veggies, several different grains and beans, pasta, nuts, dried fruit, etc. in the morning. I am going to start sprouting again so I can top their mash with sprouts too. During the day, he gets about 1/8 cup of Hagen Parrot Gourmet Tropimix in his foraging toy to pick at. When I eat, I always give him pieces of what I am eating (providing it's healthy) so he gets bites of fresh fruits and veggies, whole grain bread, etc throughout the day. Then, just before bed, they get a warm piece of homemade birdie bread.

 

[Marlene]

I can't help, hope you find some answers.

 

[BayuCah'ya]

I wouldn't worry about the brown color. Being wet definitely affects the way feathers look to us, and many species of 'Too aren't supposed to be a pure white to begin with. Plus, there are a lot of hybrids being passed off as purebreds, and that affects feather color, too. Definitely don't repeat the shampooing; their skin pH is very different from ours, so even baby shampoo can be rough on them, and if he's already having feather issues, you don't want to exacerbate it. Your diet is great, though! Just be careful of the pastas and grains with 'Toos, as they have a tendency towards obesity and heart disease. Like Ginger said, I'm sure with enough time, he'll moult out the bad feathers and grow in nice, pretty ones. Thanks for giving him a good home!

 

[macawpower58]

Yes, my Goffin's feathers turn an ugly brown when wet. But they dry white. Even my Amazon feather's have a brown tone to them when they're wet.

IMO it's normal. Dust and dirt may be the cause, but that's just a guess.

 

[BayuCah'ya]

It probably has more to do with the fact that we perceive color based on light refraction, and water ultimately changes the way the feathers interact with light. Here's a neat little article about feather color and how it works: All About Birds : Color

 

[BayuCah'ya]

Here's another: http://fsc.fernbank.edu/birding/coloration.htm

 

[Anne & Gang]

poor guy..so glad you are giving him a better home and a better life.

 

[KaiBird]

Thanks everyone. Most of the brown is on his chest and the top of his head which seems kind of an odd place to me. The breeder we got him from said that he was absolutely filthy when he first came in but they had been able to get the majority off with regular showers. I'm not sure what he was doing at his first home but I do know that he is a very active boy and if you don't give him lots of toys and enrichment activities, he gets into trouble REAL FAST. The brown is no big deal, I was just curious. He dries pretty white and I have a feeling it will all clear up when he molts. He isn't even a year old yet. I did switch from newspaper to paper towels recently because he was pulling the papers through the grate and playing with them. I am going to see if I can find some rolls of plain paper to use and see if that helps. I also took out the grate because he likes to play at the bottom and roll around with his toys. It is his daytime cage and he never poops in there. The door is open most of the day and he goes over to his boing and poops there instead. Even when I have to lock him in his cage for a couple hours, he waits until I let him out and then goes over to his boing. It's kind of weird because he poops all night in his nighttime cage and never messes with the papers in there. He is a handful and I can definitely see how he could be way too much bird for some people. I'm glad they gave him up because I think he is amazing.

 

[gibsongrrrl]

Nicotene stains, maybe? I've seen pics of too's with their feathers brown from that. Did the people before you have him long enough for him to go through a molt? Seems like he would have grown white ones in if it was nicotene stains, though. Maybe nutritioinal?

It probably has more to do with the fact that we perceive color based on light refraction, and water ultimately changes the way the feathers interact with light. Here's a neat little article about feather color and how it works: All About Birds : Color

When I first started working for Dr. B, I didn't know this and thought something was wrong with Gypsy when I gave her a bath for the fist time and her green feathers turned that brown/bronze color when she got wet. Really made me wonder how they look to each other outdoors and what the difference is like when they're indoors.

 

[KatherinesBirds]

I rescued a Lesser Sulphur Crested from a man who smoked a pipe and the feather situation was just like the one you have. It took a bath with mild soap and then daily mistings and a good molt to really recover. Poor thing has not had good nutrition I guess. Do you know if the previous owners smoked? The water actually ran Brown from my poor birds feathers when I got him home.

 

[Bokkapooh]

Does your cockatoo actually eat every thing you offer, even the beans? Once upon a time I had my cockatoos on less than 20% pellets in their diet. Something traumatic happened in life and ever since then they haven't been picky per say, but they go through periods where they won't eat something. If that one something is very important in a pelleted free diet, then your bird will quickly succumb to a vitamin deficiency. Which affects feathers and overall health. So since that once upon a time long ago happening, I have my guys on 40% - 50% pellets in their daily diet. Just going ONE day without a certain necessary food element can really affect health. So I suggest getting your G2 on a pelleted diet. Pellets help balance a birds diet.

Other than that, yes my 'toos turn brown(when I am able to get the water to soak through the top layer of feathers down to the coverts, there feathers are quite water resistant). Something about the yellow and white feathers getting wet... And playing with news paper or other things. G2's have a pink tinge to their yellow and whites and with water will definitely make them look brown.

 

[melissasparrots]

Neither of mine turn brown when wet. I wonder if its oils from your skin, hand lotions or other stuff rubbing off on the feathers. Or as you mentioned, something he got into before you got him that stained his feathers.
Melissa

 

[Bokkapooh]

Neither of mine turn brown when wet. I wonder if its oils from your skin, hand lotions or other stuff rubbing off on the feathers. Or as you mentioned, something he got into before you got him that stained his feathers.
Melissa

My guys love playing in news paper. Shredding their papers, stealing another birds tray's bottom news paper, you name it. So I think that is a great point you made.

 

[KaiBird]

Kai does eat the majority of the mash and the bird bread (which has crushed pellets in it for). He is not a picky eater at all and eats anything and everything I give him. I did forget about the pellets. There are pellets mixed into the tropimix and I see him actually digging for them and eating them all day long. I also keep another foraging toy with Harrisons and Zupreem pellets and he eats those as well. The one thing he always has available is pellets.

I actually have no idea about his prior home other than they said the wife was allergic and he was taking up too much of their time. He was on consignment in a local parrot shop when I found him. He was only 7 months old when I got him and I have only had him for a couple of months so, whatever it was, hopefully it didn't do any permanent damage. I did take him to the vet when I first got him and all his blood work and tests were good. He has gained quite about 10 grams since I brought him home but the vet said he seemed a bit underweight and he seems to have leveled out at around 275 grams. He is still pretty slender, probably because he never sits still...