DUCK BUTT

[AviMom]

I uncovered the birdies this morning and immediately noticed 2 long tail feathers in the bottom of the cage. Tyrion now has a duck butt. No tail feathers at all. He has been losing them over the last month, but he has always been breaking them off since I got him. This last month, yes, quite a bit more than usual, but he has been molting. No other real obvious feather loss, (lots of birds, lots of feathers always) no bald spots, but his coloring has changed a lot. His flight feathers have almost completely grown in now from where the breeder clipped them, but now his rutter is gone, and he still won't be able to fly.
Poor Tyrion wants to fly, and needs to fly, physically and psychologically..
Is this normal? To lose all his tail feathers? Someone just said recently that cockatiels who lose or keep breaking tail feathers are crazy birds. Is there any truth to this?
Tyrion has always been a little strange, but thought its just his personality.....

 

[TikiMyn]

Someone just said recently that cockatiels who lose or keep breaking tail feathers are crazy birds. Is there any truth to this?

Not at all from what I know! perhaps a bit clumsy is all!
Hope his feathers grow in quickly so he can fly

 

[cassiesdad]

I've never had a tiel develop "duck butt" from molting or otherwise...Titan, the IRN, he'd always "duck butt" during his molts...which made him so sad, because IRNs are so vain about their tails.

Someone just said recently that cockatiels who lose or keep breaking tail feathers are crazy birds.

IMO, that's a mean statement...how in the world can we call any bird "crazy"?

 

[tielluver]

my 1st cockatiel , all his tail feathers were broke off the feather shafts were still in, so we had to wait for him to molt, which took months. the only tail feathers he molted right away were the longest (they have 2 longest in center of tail, one on top the other), one of them would grow out all the way, but because the surrounding ones were so short they did not protect the long ones, so it would fall out a few days later, he had lots of hard landings (on carpet), but once the surrounding feathers grew in, he's been fine. only thing is, he molts his long tail feathers about every 3 to 4 months, I think with them knocked out so many times it may have weakened the feather shafts or something, but they always grow right back, and he's a good flyer, lands perfect too. Don't believe that about him being crazy. some birds do have feathers that break easily especially if under a year old but that stops after a while, and it is common for their feather coloring to change. Also since the breeder clipped him maybe he has not gotten the hang of flying and landing completely and that could be why so many feathers are broke off or lost. I doubt anything is wrong with him since he doesnt have bald spots. I have had the same things happen. He's cute and looks healthy.

 

[AviMom]

Tyrion has always been a bit timid. I attibuted it after a while to him coming from a very large aviary, where he could fly from one end to the other. The breeder clipped him the day I got him, then moved to a new home, and smaller cage. I felt he thought he had no way to escape what he perceived as danger, and became overly cautious.
I've worked really hard with him, and try to help him realize he can fly a bit, to try and help him to develop wing strength. I'd encourage short flights, more like hops, and he still barely moves from wherever he perches. He will only fly on his own if something startles.him.....then he'd just kind a sail to the floor. Ive never seen him take a hard landing. He mostly loses tail feathers in the cage. I don't think it's the arrangement of toys and perches, because none of the other tiels break feathers and I re-arrange toys and perches weekly/bi-weekly. It's a HUGE cage too, not at all cramped.
I made egg food today for the flock to help with calcium and protein. I always provide cuddle bones and mineral blocks too.
I don' think Tyrion is crazy. He's actually rather sweet, and fun. I think he may be a bit clumsy and since he doesn't really fly, maybe that makes him a bit more clumsy.
That you all for responding. I love AA!! Great people here, who are always so supportive.

 

[tielluver]

Yes, I think the fact the breeder clipped his wings and he was moved to a new home and a smaller cage probably upset him a lot. It's also possible the breeder did not try to bond with the bird, little interaction. I know this was the case with mine. I have heard (but never experienced) of birds getting stress molt. Maybe that is his problem. My guess is just keep trying, giving him nutritious food, treats and toys. lots of attention. It may take a while. we have a female we got from a breeder who had her in a big flight cage they flew around in, and she was the last bird they had left. It took us about 2 years to get her to come by us she now does. she has turned into a wonderful pet, very sweet. I think it's not only a big environment change for him but he might also miss birds that were his friends. Be kind and patient. He is probably unsure of everything right now, but they get used to it. He will come around and see he is in a much better home.

 

[AviMom]

Ive had Tyrion since January. The breeder said it was a make, but I believe it's female, but saying he so long....i just keep saying he until I see an egg, lol.
I got Kata 3 weeks after Tyrion, and she was only 4 weeks old, so I hand raised her. She is so bonded with me, and Tyrions' training kinda took a back seat. I never pushed him, he didn't (and still doesnt) like to leave the cage. He would hiss and peck at me. It was difficult trying to do anything with Tyrion, and Kata took up a lot of time, and was definitely more fun to be with, so again, Tyrion would mostly sit on top of the cage, or perch content to be alone.
I was, and still am new to birds. I kept trying with with tyrion....hunting for ideas online, but didn't get very far. Finally, after Kata was older, I started target training. I taught Tyrion to step up, and started encouraging him to hop to my hand. I started treating with millet, and just letting him hang out closer to me, if not on my shoulder or hand. He has come a long way. I built trust with him. He no longer pecks at my hand, he likes being near me now. He gave me kisses recently.
He's timid, and that's ok. I'll go at his pace. I watch him play with toys and the other tiels, and he's happy. But I watch him look at the other birds fly, and I know in my heart he wonders why he can't.
I will never clip a birds wings. It's not right. Birds are meant to fly. Being clipped so young after being able to fly, hurt him in many ways. I look forward to seeing him take his first lap around the room, I hope it's soon, I think his confidence will return.

 

[cassiesdad]

Sounds like you're on the right track with Tyrion...keep up the good work both of you!

Our three tiels have completely different personalities. Sunshine seeks us out for scritches and to hang out...Igor comes over for interaction with us when he wants, and leaves when he wants.
Mocha thinks people waste good oxygen by breathing it...

I love my tiels...but I have a special love for Mocha...he's his own bird, and that's the way it is...

 

[AviMom]

As with Kata, whom I hand raised, the first time she took off and flew, my heart leaped (leapt?) Today, Tyrion took his first big flight since I got him.
He was perched on top of his cage, chilling with the parakeets. All of the parakeets are fully flighted now, and seem to have a game of flying back and forth between their cage and the Tiel cage getting in flight time they missed while clipped.
All of the sudden, Tyrion leaped off the cage and instead of soaring to the floor a couple of feet away, he flew to the top of the window, and gently landed beside Viserys. My jaw dropped, and my heart leaped (leapt) once again. I went over, and quickly said "good Tyrion!!! YAY!!! YOU FLEW!"
Tyrion seemed quite pleased with himself, yet wasn't sure how to get down, lol.
Since I started feeding chop, everyone clipped has flight feathers again. They all just seemed to bud out all of the sudden. Watching these guys fly around the room, little wings beating the air is such a great sound. I know they are happier, more self assured, and more outgoing now.
I'm so happy Tyrion has joined those ranks, and maybe he will feel more fearless.
Maybe his tail feathers were weighing him down, lol.

 

[tielluver]

that's really great tyrion is flying. yes, for some reason it is harder for some of them to get down than to fly up. One of mine still hesitates about going down sometimes, at 18 months old. I tell her if she starts to fall, remember, you're a bird, you can fly

 

[AviMom]

@tielluver
That's so funny! Now that he's flying around, he'll land somewhere high up, and look puzzled as to how to fly down, and I say the same thing! "Remember you're a bird...you can fly!"
I love that he is flying. I'm just happy I got him to like me before he did, lol.

 

[Catherine89]

Awe definitely not crazy. Charlie had the same problem and they finally grew back in