Developing Bald Spot? (NOT Plucking)

[EsJ87]

hello Everyone - Seeking any input or possible information regarding my dear girls developing bald spot. I've never had an Ekkie before so I am unfamiliar with visual signs and whether they may indicate cause for concern or if this is part of a normal molting process.... She is ~ 5-6 months old, hatch date is not confirmed as of yet.

Here are some photos I took of her on 5/1 and today 5/3. I just noticed this on 5/1 and plan to take her in for her Avian Wellness exam in Temecula possibly this Saturday if they have space available. Her crop droppings appear normal. I am trying not to freak out, but am worried if this is something I myself have caused. She's been home since 4/11/17 and has done well so far in adapting to her new home. She steps up nicely for me, and for the most part no longer bites me. She gets very excited and is always eager to come out of her cage when she sees me!

I’ve kept her on the mostly seed diet provided by the previous Volkman’s Eclectus Mix. I take out the sunflower seeds and use those ONLY for treats during training (i also use almond slivers). I’ve also added varied fruits in the morning (banana, mango, raspberries) and veggies(carrot, green bell pepper, sweet potato and zuchinni) in the evening. I’ve weighed her a few times and she hovers around 340 grams, which i believe is underweight…. But figure this is because she is still young and not at her full 450-500g weight yet. . .

Any and all advice appreciated

THANK YOU!

 

[BirdGuy21]

Did she lose all those feathers suddenly, or was it a gradual process? Is she around any other parrots that could have plucked them? It's hard to tell in the photo, but is she wet? Could it be that the feathers separated from the water?

Something I would recommend is to get her transitioned onto a majority veggie and fruit diet as soon as possible. Eckies shouldn't have much seed, and not as a base diet. I feed my girl a chop mix of brussell sprouts, carrots, and bell pepper as a base in the mornings with other seasonal day length stable veggies thrown in to mix it up. This week she has kale and dandelion mixed in. This chop is what I call a rough chop in that it's not finely ground like our other chop that we freeze. That chop we make in the food processor and has around twenty different veggies and a few fruits mixed in. We make enough to freeze a months worth of chop. She gets that mixed in the evenings with fresh whole fruits and veggies added on top. We also offer a soak and simmer bean mix from time to time for variety, along with homemade bird bread.

 

[EsJ87]

Thank you fro the reply bird guy -
I should've added some of this info in my previous post. Apologies!
1) I Only noticed the feather loss on Monday. However, it appears the spot has grown since then...
2) She is the only parrot in the hope, and has not been exposed to any other birds since we left the previous owner on 4/11/17
3) Yes, she is Wet in this photo, I had just finished giving her a little spray shower. (Still trying to get her to enjoy it as she won't bathe in any shallow water yet).... However the bald spot itself doesn't change in appearance when she is dry. This initial photo is from 5/1 when i first noticed it and became very worried.

I purchased a bean mix "Fancy Simmer" which I am preparing for her tonight. I am attempting to get her transitioned to mostly fresh fruits and veggies however, she wastes a lot of it, verified by the amounts that end up at the bottom of the cage, and when i do give her the normal seed she is used to during the middle of the day she gorges on it --- leading me to believe that while she enjoys the fruit and veggies I provide, she doesn't ingest nearly enough to keep her satiated. . .

Would you be able to provide the Chop mix you use??? I do have a food processor that makes dicing and mixing a breeze. So I can definitely try adding more variety.

 

[Mizzely]

Maybe a Mojo Moult? Moulting Picts

THE "MOJO" MOLT
There is a little-known molting pattern that we call the "Mojo molt", named for a TEC member's male Eclectus, Mojo, who was the first Eclectus that we observed with facial and neck balding during the molt. In this pattern, Eclectus experience varying degrees of baldness on the face, head and neck
area when molting.. This balding can persist for months. Most Eclectus molt without balding, but new owners need to be aware of this pattern to prevent worry about mites, skin and feather follicle infections, and Beak & Feather Disease (PBFD). We have compared dietary information of birds that occasionally molt in this pattern and found no correlation between diet and the Mojo molt.

eclectus molt patterns | Ekkie Chat

 

[BirdGuy21]

No problem! It does appear to be some kind of systematic feather loss, unless she is using her foot to pull out or scratch the feathers out, or rubbing against the cage or a toy. It could also be what @Mizzely mentioned above, and judging from the pictures looks pretty similar. I would just keep your eye on her and see what the vet says.

If it's the Volkman fancy soak and simmer that is what we use and our girl loves it. As for food waste, it will take some time to transition her and she may throw away a lot, but keep at it. Eat some of it with her to show her veggies are good. Birds in general tend to waste a lot of food, but the more you offer it the more likely she will start to eat it. I'd be more than happy to share my chop recipes. Once I get home I'll look them up and share, can't remember what's all in it off the top of my head.

 

[Shinobi]

Henry our male Eclectus, developed a bald spot on the back of his head. We had it checked by our vet and it was just a moult. When he reached 12 months old the spot disappeared.

Angel and Henry diet is mostly Vegetables, then fruits and nuts with some chicken and egg. also they have access to Vetafarm macaw nuts. their treating treats are sunflower seeds.

 

[BirdGuy21]

Here's one of our chop recipes. We vary it up depending on whats on sale, seasonal, etc. This makes about six to eight quarts.

Rainbow chard, collard green, radishes with leaves, zucchini, cauliflower, banana peppers, sweet potato (cooked), peach, nectarine, blueberries, kale, carrots, 1/2 papaya, cilantro, mango, butternut squash, chia seed, ground flax, bell peppers.

We mix this up with a base rough chop mix of snap peas, brussell sprouts, and bell pepper if we want to add texture. We also add in the bean mixtures and any rough chopped seasonal or extra produce we have, depending on the day.