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How bad is a molt?

HyacinthWings

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I've looked all over the web, but have only come up to what feathers are, what they're made of, what they do, and the molting process. Now, I know that parrots molt symmetrically. However, I haven't seen threads on how molting can affect a household.

I'm mostly asking this due to mess wise. How dirty does the house become under molt? Do you see downy fluff floating throughout the whole house from one bird, with feathers flying all over the place? Or is it just a couple feathers dropping from your bird, and over time, it piles up? I've read that parrots lose a feather here and there in the house, but lose their feathers quickly when living outside. (Though I've read many people having "molting season" come around when their birds were primarily indoor birds?)

TIA! :)

Edit: So sorry if this is in the wrong section, or has been asked before!!!
 

Tim

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Molting is definitely seasonal, but in my experience (caiques and Senegals) it certainly doesn't happen all at once. You will notice a few dozen pin feathers at a time--they push out the old feather. A few feathers at the bottom of the cage every day--not flying all over the place. As for timing, think about it like this--if your parrot is responding correctly to seasonal photoperiods, they will be in full feather in late winter/very early spring when they are looking to attract a breeding partner. Looks are everything! After breeding has occurred (or preferably, when they decide that it's not going to happen this year) they will begin to grow out their new feathers. Breeding birds may use the old feathers to line the nest. Gradually over the summer, the entire body will have new feathers--just in time for their fall hormones (shorter) and lighter winter molt to their full breeding springtime glory again!
 

HyacinthWings

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For big feathers- it's just a few here and there. For downy fluff? I find it everywhere. It especially likes to float down on to the stairs and lodge itself in the corners.
This downy fluff you speak of --- would air purifiers collect it? And does giving the bird a shower while molting help the down fluff not travel throughout the house? Does it float and then land on human meals?
 

HyacinthWings

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Molting is definitely seasonal, but in my experience (caiques and Senegals) it certainly doesn't happen all at once. You will notice a few dozen pin feathers at a time--they push out the old feather. A few feathers at the bottom of the cage every day--not flying all over the place. As for timing, think about it like this--if your parrot is responding correctly to seasonal photoperiods, they will be in full feather in late winter/very early spring when they are looking to attract a breeding partner. Looks are everything! After breeding has occurred (or preferably, when they decide that it's not going to happen this year) they will begin to grow out their new feathers. Breeding birds may use the old feathers to line the nest. Gradually over the summer, the entire body will have new feathers--just in time for their fall hormones (shorter) and lighter winter molt to their full breeding springtime glory again!
If my bird isn't responding to photoperiods correctly, say, he's more of an indoor bird and goes out for a couple hours a day, how would the molting go?
 

Tim

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Probably more sporadically over more time. But they are very responsive to the change in the length of the days naturally.
 

Tim

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But just clean and vacuum regularly! You won't have random feathers in great quantities blowing around your house, I promise! I've never had a feather in my food. But no biggie I'd i did--I'll kiss the top of my birdies head!
 

Bokkapooh

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For a macaw, expect full entire body molts to happen twice a year. Flight and tail feathers at most, once a year.
 

melissasparrots

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This downy fluff you speak of --- would air purifiers collect it? And does giving the bird a shower while molting help the down fluff not travel throughout the house? Does it float and then land on human meals?
Air filters help with the really small bits of feathers, but you still have feathers and down floating around. Yes, it does end up in your food and on your cloths. My hyacinth shreds her down feathers and actually makes quite the mess of really fine little threads of gray feathers that get all over the place. However, the mess from feathers pales in comparison to other messes they make. Shaved bits of nuts and shells get all over the place, wood chips go everywhere and end up embedded in your furniture and carpet. Poop somehow gets in weird places. Shredded newspaper floats around the house. They are messy pets.
 

Perryberry

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Yes, feathers everywhere during a molt. Currently my hys room looks like a blue chicken was plucked. Very true....feathers are the least of your messes. Molts only happen a couple times a year, be more worried about dust, food, wood, paper, and poop.
 

Tim

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Yes, feathers everywhere during a molt. Currently my hys room looks like a blue chicken was plucked. Very true....feathers are the least of your messes. Molts only happen a couple times a year, be more worried about dust, food, wood, paper, and poop.
**Reason #17 that I don't think I could have a Hyacinth (much less 2!) A 9" bird has a lot fewer feathers to blow around than a 40" bird!
 

Perryberry

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**Reason #17 that I don't think I could have a Hyacinth (much less 2!) A 9" bird has a lot fewer feathers to blow around than a 40" bird!
I just used one hy as an example because he's molting right now, but our 2 capes are just as bad. Just green feathers and white down everywhere. The capes are in our family room so we notice them even more. When they molt the vacuum just stays out. Even our parrotlet gets a crazy amount of feathers everywhere.
 

Begone

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If you have a dog expect dog hair, if you have birds expect feathers. :) And to remove the feathers (BTW, I love their feathers) is the easy thing about cleaning up after them.
Bird poop and food (wet food that are the best for them) are much harder to deal with. They are very messy, after a meal you can clean the hole kitchen.
f you want it to be super clean at your home, and don't like to clean, parrots are not for you. And they are noisy, bite you, and want attention all the time.
 

Valentino

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Molting make them moody?
 

Bokkapooh

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It can. Pin feathers are itchy and are sensitive.
 

HyacinthWings

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If you have a dog expect dog hair, if you have birds expect feathers. :) And to remove the feathers (BTW, I love their feathers) is the easy thing about cleaning up after them.
Bird poop and food (wet food that are the best for them) are much harder to deal with. They are very messy, after a meal you can clean the hole kitchen.
f you want it to be super clean at your home, and don't like to clean, parrots are not for you. And they are noisy, bite you, and want attention all the time.
I heard the noise and I have been bitten by an animal before, but I just wanted to explain the extent of molting season to my other family members. I love birds, and I've seen their messes. Honestly, fruit juice on the walls and dried poop in some crevice doesn't seen that horrifying in exchange for loyalty. I just didn't want the downy fluff landing on top of my meals since I am very much a foody. haha!
 

HyacinthWings

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Air filters help with the really small bits of feathers, but you still have feathers and down floating around. Yes, it does end up in your food and on your cloths. My hyacinth shreds her down feathers and actually makes quite the mess of really fine little threads of gray feathers that get all over the place. However, the mess from feathers pales in comparison to other messes they make. Shaved bits of nuts and shells get all over the place, wood chips go everywhere and end up embedded in your furniture and carpet. Poop somehow gets in weird places. Shredded newspaper floats around the house. They are messy pets.
Like I said, I don't care about mess. The molting isn't even a breaking factor, but I just wanted to make sure that I knew everything, including my family, of what we're getting into if we choose this path of parrothood! I read lots of things on mess, time, and care. However, I rarely saw posts on bird molts. While flinging food and wood chips is psychological and mentally a part of the bird, molts are a biological and physical part of the bird. :)
 
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