8 weeks Blue and gold baby

[Macawnutz]

No. Those are not molted feathers. Let's get some better pictures of them and her but those are NOT appearing to be molted. They look barbered.

 

[Macawnutz]

When did it start?
What has changed?
What is happening when she is doing it? Alone/wants out?
Did you change her diet/location... anything?
Think.

 

[Hankmacaw]

Some do look barbered - I didn't look that close the first time.

 

[Macawnutz]

Some do look barbered - I didn't look that close the first time.

I almost didn't either but I'm on my widescreen desktop monitor. The V shapes caught me right away.

 

[Hankmacaw]

They should have caught my eye too.

 

[Nouf]

Oh god!
I was so relived by the first reply I forgot to check the thread.

here more photos it shows on her tummy & back.
Nothing changed diet-wise (veggies - pallets - formula)
It started
Right now she’s on my shoulder playing and seemed to be sorting her front yellow feather and one came in her mouth can’t tell if she plucked it or it came on its own. And now she’s playing with it.

 

[Nouf]

We noticed it Sunday, here’s a clearer pic of her back.
She’s eating well, same appetite.

 

[Ali]

Does she have lots of toys? Entertainment? Large enough cage?

The chest patch looks like a plucked patch to me, not a molt. It looks too naked. Does she ever seem stressed or bored?

 

[Macawnutz]

Okay, so first Laugh with me... Your baby is a mess.
Let's start with the black ( bronzing ). I know she is a big player and loves to roll over so we are going to ignore the black marks as those will molt and grow in new. Those are "bronzing" marks caused by constant wear to the area and/or old feathers that need to molt. Very common in baby macaws and I saw it in my guys until they were around three years old. It got better at 2 but was still there until about three.

My concern is the V shaped feather pieces on the floor of her cage and also the v shaped feathers on her chest. When feathers molt they should be completely intact. Feather shaft to feather tip, they do not molt in pieces.If there are pieces she is chewing them or they are breaking. I only say breaking because obviously she has massive wear going on and it could be possible that they break... not likely but possible. It looks to me as if she is chewing pieces off. Have you seen her do this? Is her beak giving her trouble with properly preening?

Let's clean up the cage and see what she does in a 24 hour period. Okay? Save al the feathers that come of her for 24 hours and give me a picture.

 

[Macawnutz]

These are my concern Nouf. This is what we don't want and we need to find a cause. Breath and give me a 24 hour feather photo. Clean the cage and start new okay.

Does she have lots of toys? Entertainment? Large enough cage?

The chest patch looks like a plucked patch to me, not a molt. It looks too naked. Does she ever seem stressed or bored?

Ali, I know you want to help but this is not plucking and this is a baby. It's going to be beak trouble or medical in some way. Rarely is this going to be boredom in a less than a year old baby macaw.

 

[Ali]

Ali, I know you want to help but this is not plucking and this is a baby. It's going to be beak trouble or medical in some way. Rarely is this going to be boredom in a less than a year old baby macaw.

OK, sorry

 

[Macawnutz]

OK, sorry

Not to be sorry. I've just followed this bird from day 1 and Nouf tends to get worried quickly.

Also... I will never consider boredom or stress as a reason for FDB unless everything else has been ruled out.

 

[Nouf]

Okay, so first Laugh with me... Your baby is a mess.
Let's start with the black ( bronzing ). I know she is a big player and loves to roll over so we are going to ignore the black marks as those will molt and grow in new. Those are "bronzing" marks caused by constant wear to the area and/or old feathers that need to molt. Very common in baby macaws and I saw it in my guys until they were around three years old. It got better at 2 but was still there until about three.

My concern is the V shaped feather pieces on the floor of her cage and also the v shaped feathers on her chest. When feathers molt they should be completely intact. Feather shaft to feather tip, they do not molt in pieces.If there are pieces she is chewing them or they are breaking. I only say breaking because obviously she has massive wear going on and it could be possible that they break... not likely but possible. It looks to me as if she is chewing pieces off. Have you seen her do this? Is her beak giving her trouble with properly preening?

Let's clean up the cage and see what she does in a 24 hour period. Okay? Save al the feathers that come of her for 24 hours and give me a picture.

thank you for helping and supporting us through this, honestly we are very grateful.
Tangawizi is rough when she plays and she enjoys rolling on her back a lot she also makes puppy squeezy like Sounds when she plays with us. We will clean her cage now and share the floor image after 24 hour.
As for the beak I see her use it normally with food she can take the pea out of its pocket perfectly.
sometimes I file it At home when it too sharp just to smooth the edges.

 

[Nouf]

OK, sorry

Thank you Ali! Truly appreciating you following our thread since the beginning and your good intentions. No apologies needed.
And to answer you her cage is full of toys and we always around her.

 

[Nouf]

Not to be sorry. I've just followed this bird from day 1 and Nouf tends to get worried quickly.

Also... I will never consider boredom or stress as a reason for FDB unless everything else has been ruled out.

When Tangawizi first sneezed at 2 months or so, I think food got in her airways and she’s simply getting it out. I was literally beside her that night crying my eyes out worries. so true you know me well

 

[Macawnutz]

thank you for helping and supporting us through this, honestly we are very grateful.
Tangawizi is rough when she plays and she enjoys rolling on her back a lot she also makes puppy squeezy like Sounds when she plays with us. We will clean her cage now and share the floor image after 24 hour.
As for the beak I see her use it normally with food she can take the pea out of its pocket perfectly.
sometimes I file it At home when it too sharp just to smooth the edges.

I know she is rough with playing. I've watched every single video you have posted. We do not want her chewing feathers though. If it continues it will become a habit and that we do not want.

Please take note of which new feathers were found in the cage VS ones that were not in the cage. Separate them in two separate piles in possible.
I'm way wacky about this because my BG started this at this same age. We need to fix the issue quickly.

When Tangawizi first sneezed at 2 months or so, I think food got in her airways and she’s simply getting it out. I was literally beside her that night crying my eyes out worries. so true you know me well

I was pretty much the same way with Korbel. Truthfully... you need to be on high alert. I had a customer lose her baby a few days ago. She did everything she could and more... It pains me to know she lost that battle. When something is weird you always ask.

 

[Nouf]

She’s relaxing and playing with her beak as if she’s chewing something And being doing it for a while now, is that normal? I’m being extra paranoid now but better safe.

 

[Macawnutz]

She is good. Maybe a shower today if she would like that.

 

[Nouf]

These are the squeaky noises (Are they normal?) she makes when she’s playing, but today she’s a bit grumpy before bed time so I had her on my shoulder to vent before I put her in her cage. I find it reduces her screams while in the cage in comparison to when we put her in her cage right away at time when she’s in a tantrum

And then after we put her in the cage

 

[Nouf]

She is good. Maybe a shower today if she would like that.

We gave her a shower this morning and the spots on her beak side is from her veggies afterwards I washed her beak before going to bed.