Pin Feathers? No touchie!

[Nikomania]

Skittles has an over abundance of pin feathers on the back of his neck that he won't let me pinch free. Every time I try to do so, attempts to nip my fingers.

Any advice as to how I can help him accept the preening? Right now he looks like a little birdie porcupine.

 

[Begone]

I think he is telling you that he don't want any help at the moment.
Sometimes a batch is the best when they are moulting.

 

[Nikomania]

Well, he's had them for quite awhile now. He twitches his head every now and them, so I know that they bother him from time to time.

 

[Ankou]

Hmm... does he like scritches at all? I'm going to guess yes?
Start by just scritching around the pinnies and if he tolerates that try touching them more and more without pinching. You can try to work them free without pinching too, kinda scratch at the base of them... mess up and get nipped though. You can also, very gently, try rubbing them opposite of the direction the feathers lie to loosen them.

If he doesn't like touched, all you can really do is offer him a bath and hope they come out on their own eventually.

 

[Princessbella]

Maybe part of this is due to his little adventure? I agree with the bath. Maybe after that, he will let you help him. Poor skittles.

 

[Sadieladie1994]

Any previous experience of you pinching too hard so that he avoids you?

 

[Nikomania]

Well, he doesn't like scritches per say, but he does love to be petted. He's never ever allowed me to pinch his pinnies. Right now he's got more pinnies around his neck than unsheathed feathers.

I'll try giving him a little bath to see if I can work on them in a softened state. I've tried sneaking up on a pin feather, but he quickly figures out what I'm about to do and tries to give me a pinch.

 

[Inheavenlygrass]

I'd try pinching just the tips during a petting session (after a bath) i know a lot of birds who really hate it if you try to preen too low on pin feathers even if they no longer have a blood supply. I wish you luck!