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Cockatiel chewing and swallowing powder down feathers??

SD1030

Strolling the yard
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1/18/21
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125
My cockatiel lately has been picking at and chewing and swallowing his powder down feathers on the sides of his back, kinda below his wings. He chews on them, makes them into a fine powder, and then swallows them. Is this normal?

Is this due to stress? Or lack of protein or calcium? He does have a calcium block in his cage that he chews on regularly.

Please help!
 

expressmailtome

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Matthew
Are you sure that he is eating them, and not just preening his feathers? Some birds will preen feathers that are still in their sheath. When they do so, the sheath becomes a powder. It is not common that they would eat it as opposed just grinding it with their beak.
 

SD1030

Strolling the yard
Joined
1/18/21
Messages
125
Are you sure that he is eating them, and not just preening his feathers? Some birds will preen feathers that are still in their sheath. When they do so, the sheath becomes a powder. It is not common that they would eat it as opposed just grinding it with their beak.
Yea I mean while he's preening, he kinda picks at them, and grinds it up in his beak into a fine powder and it appears he's swallowing them. They're the tiny little down feathers right up against his skin.
 
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