First molt duration?

[dutchlings]

I’m back with another “just curious” question!

Do any of y’all remember how long your caique’s first molt lasted? Mine started molting around 7 months old back in late November and he’s STILL molting 4 months later, poor little guy. It just seems like such a long time to be molting!

See below for a photo of the bald spot on his wing. I would’ve thought he was plucking if I hadn’t been neurotically gathering every feather he molts and the missing ones on his wing were definitely molted naturally. (The frayed feathers above are his baby feathers that were poor quality, all of his new feathers are beautiful and shiny with no stress bars).

 

[Wardy]

@Irishj9 @Laurie will be able to advise

 

[Irishj9]

Yes 4 months seems a bit on the long side, but it can take a while to lose baby feathers

I measure more by progression than time. Caiques moult from the head downwards. How has this progression been going

Moulting does not produce a gap in the feathers. This gap, combined with the stress bars in the upper feathers, is a cause for concern

 

[dutchlings]

Yes 4 months seems a bit on the long side, but it can take a while to lose baby feathers

I measure more by progression than time. Caiques moult from the head downwards. How has this progression been going

Moulting does not produce a gap in the feathers. This gap, combined with the stress bars in the upper feathers, is a cause for concern

those stress bars are from when he was a baby and had 2.5 toes and a big chunk of his top beak bitten off by his parents. His feather condition was noted by our avian vet, but she said he was in perfect health otherwise (physical exam and blood/fecal tests all clear).

the feathers from the gap were molted naturally, he’s got a matching one on the other wing. I collect all of his feathers and the ends looked like normal molted feathers, not chewed up or broken, and no blood. There are 3 new pin feathers that are partially opened up, and 2 blood feathers in that spot, poor guy is ANGRY about it.

he molted orange/yellow head feathers and back feathers first, then belly/legs. Then his black head feathers. And now his wings and tail are molting hard. He lost 3 tail feathers in a single day last week!

 

[Irishj9]

Ok I hear you. Lets hear what other caique owners think.

I have 8 adult caiques, some more than 12 years old. I've never seen a moult like that

 

[dutchlings]

Ok I hear you. Lets hear what other caique owners think.

I have 8 adult caiques, some more than 12 years old. I've never seen a moult like that

It’s definitely weird! He’s my first caique, but not my first bird and none of the ones I’ve had before ever molted this hard. I do know a few other people with caiques around the same age as mine, but they’ve just barely started their first molts so we haven’t been able to compare much. They have both mentioned theirs looking very rough in certain areas (one initially feared hers was plucking his legs).

I was surprised mine started molting so early, but I think it may be possible his little body was confused by how he had to regrow a bunch of new face feathers so early in his life so the timing is all off. I’ve kept an eye on the new feathers since he started molting and thankfully they’re all beautiful and glossy with no stress bars, or I would’ve had him at the vet already since I’m a worrier lol. She did see him 2 months ago for a beak trim, but he hadn’t started molting his wing/tail feathers yet so he didn’t look too bad.

 

[dutchlings]

Just wanted to update that the bald patch on his wing looks much better! You can see the 3 new feathers that have grown out (picture quality isn’t the greatest since he never wants to stay still long enough for my camera to focus). There’s still a slight gap because there’s 2 more pins still growing in.



@Irishj9

 

[Irishj9]

Excellent