• Welcome to Avian Avenue! To view our forum with less advertisments please register with us.
    Memberships are free and it will just take a moment. Click here

Molting a ton

LilSprout

Jogging around the block
Joined
3/12/17
Messages
648
Location
Ontario, Canada
Real Name
Phil
Over the last like 5 days Fred has been letting loose a ton of feathers, I don't think she is plucking but she seems to be having a wicked molt. I've only ever owned lovebirds before and none of them have ever molted like this.
What can I feed her during this time? I've offered her plain scrambled eggs and she wasn't too interested (I know cockatiels are naturally wary of new foods)

If she starts looking patchy and gross we'll be heading to the vet in Guelph
 

sunnysmom

Ripping up the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
9/16/13
Messages
28,803
Location
Pennsylvania
Real Name
Michelle
You can try sprinkling some brewers yeast (human grade) on her food. That can help with the stress of molting.
 

CrazyKozmo

Sprinting down the street
Avenue Veteran
Joined
12/23/16
Messages
599
Location
Central Washington state
Real Name
Rebecca
Protein is very important during a molt. If she doesn't care for eggs, you can try sprinkling various supplements on her soft food. Ideas include: Spirulina, Missing Link for birds, bee pollen, Nekton- Biotin (this has 18 amino acids), hemp protein powder. Some of these you can get at a Health Food store. Missing Link I found at PetSmart. Nekton-Biotin I had to order from BirdSupplies.com. It was difficult to find one that my caique would eat (she seems to like the Nekton-Biotin so far).
 

LilSprout

Jogging around the block
Joined
3/12/17
Messages
648
Location
Ontario, Canada
Real Name
Phil
Protein is very important during a molt. If she doesn't care for eggs, you can try sprinkling various supplements on her soft food. Ideas include: Spirulina, Missing Link for birds, bee pollen, Nekton- Biotin (this has 18 amino acids), hemp protein powder. Some of these you can get at a Health Food store. Missing Link I found at PetSmart. Nekton-Biotin I had to order from BirdSupplies.com. It was difficult to find one that my caique would eat (she seems to like the Nekton-Biotin so far).
I don't have that stuff atm but I can try cooking some legumes for her today. If she doesn't want that I'll run out and get some spirulina because I know the health food store near my house has it.
 

Tiel Feathers

Joyriding the Neighborhood
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
9/15/14
Messages
20,193
Location
Quincy,CA
Real Name
Deanna
I bet at least part of the reason she is molting so heavily is because of the good care and food you are giving her. She probably didn’t molt much before because she didn’t have the nutrients to replace too many feathers. Now her body is going to make up for it. It will probably be a long molt too. You’d be surprised at how many feathers can come out!
 

LilSprout

Jogging around the block
Joined
3/12/17
Messages
648
Location
Ontario, Canada
Real Name
Phil
I bet at least part of the reason she is molting so heavily is because of the good care and food you are giving her. She probably didn’t molt much before because she didn’t have the nutrients to replace too many feathers. Now her body is going to make up for it. It will probably be a long molt too. You’d be surprised at how many feathers can come out!
Oh there are quite a few! My grandma couldn't believe all the feathers on the ground when she came over and I cooked her lunch today.
 

enigma731

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
8/23/13
Messages
3,066
It's definitely the season for heavy tiel molts, but I've also experienced adopting birds from not great backgrounds and having them molt like crazy. So it's probably a combo!
 

mythic55

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Joined
11/1/14
Messages
1,791
Location
USA- USVI
Over the last like 5 days Fred has been letting loose a ton of feathers, I don't think she is plucking but she seems to be having a wicked molt. I've only ever owned lovebirds before and none of them have ever molted like this.
What can I feed her during this time? I've offered her plain scrambled eggs and she wasn't too interested (I know cockatiels are naturally wary of new foods)

If she starts looking patchy and gross we'll be heading to the vet in Guelph

A few things to consider:
  • Where is the enclosure located? naer a heat vent? near a window? near a TV?
  • Is it a male or female? (you said she, but do you know this for a fact?)
  • Where is the molt occurring? top of head? tail feathers? chest? (sometimes it is not a molt)

Also- scrambled egg is a no-no. But hard boiuled egg that is mashed is a fantastic food. During a molt they need extra nutrition, and considering that one of the only sources of non-envrronmental vit D is through egg yolk, it is loaded with what the body is made of (calcium, fat, protein). To make an easy egg food- imperative for successful molt (simly version):
  1. Hard boil 1 egg
  2. Remove shell and microvace shell only for 2 minutes on a plate
  3. Remove shell from microwave, and crush as fine as you can
  4. Smash the hard boilded egg with the crushed egg shell
  5. To appeal to tiels: add a bit more sugary items: Really finely minced (as small as you can cut it) apple and butternut squash (1 tablespoon each) will round out the dietary requirements.
  6. Best additives if you dont have a multivitamin: Honey bunches of oats (a fortified cereal than is low in iron, etc). Crush 1 tablespoon. Add to crushed egg mix.
  7. And finally- during a molt, dont be fraid of millet- the high fat content can aid in appeal. Mix in 1 tablespoon millet.
Make sure to remove after 2 hours (as eggs are perishable)
This is highly palatable.
 

LilSprout

Jogging around the block
Joined
3/12/17
Messages
648
Location
Ontario, Canada
Real Name
Phil
A few things to consider:
  • Where is the enclosure located? naer a heat vent? near a window? near a TV?
  • Is it a male or female? (you said she, but do you know this for a fact?)
  • Where is the molt occurring? top of head? tail feathers? chest? (sometimes it is not a molt)

Also- scrambled egg is a no-no. But hard boiuled egg that is mashed is a fantastic food. During a molt they need extra nutrition, and considering that one of the only sources of non-envrronmental vit D is through egg yolk, it is loaded with what the body is made of (calcium, fat, protein). To make an easy egg food- imperative for successful molt (simly version):
  1. Hard boil 1 egg
  2. Remove shell and microvace shell only for 2 minutes on a plate
  3. Remove shell from microwave, and crush as fine as you can
  4. Smash the hard boilded egg with the crushed egg shell
  5. To appeal to tiels: add a bit more sugary items: Really finely minced (as small as you can cut it) apple and butternut squash (1 tablespoon each) will round out the dietary requirements.
  6. Best additives if you dont have a multivitamin: Honey bunches of oats (a fortified cereal than is low in iron, etc). Crush 1 tablespoon. Add to crushed egg mix.
  7. And finally- during a molt, dont be fraid of millet- the high fat content can aid in appeal. Mix in 1 tablespoon millet.
Make sure to remove after 2 hours (as eggs are perishable)
This is highly palatable.
Her cage is near the TV in the living room, it's generally pretty warm in the living room
She is 100% a female as she used to lay eggs in her previous home
There is nowhere I see any loss of feathers like visibly on her body

Just curious, why are scrambled eggs bad but hard boiled eggs are good?
 

mythic55

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Joined
11/1/14
Messages
1,791
Location
USA- USVI
@LilSprout

Near TV- if she wasnt before, can be a different experience (or if it is just on as often). Birds see differently... as an example: Did you ever see a floresant light blinking?
-Birds actuallyframes differently. So many TV 'backlights' look like blinking floodlights. Of course that is dependant on the type of TV you have. Than can cause a molt in itself because molts are usually triggered by abrupt light or dietary changes.

If it is just feather loss (especially not blood feathers) and the area is not visible (as 'baldness') then i would be much less concerned. I know when i start swimming again my hair comes out in droves- lol (bad joke, but true).

Boiled eggs: so a whole egg is placed in boiling water. Cooked till done in a pretty gentle and even manner. They crumble easier and are more palatable for most birds.

Pan egg (scrambed, etc): cooked in uneven heat with lack of moisture in a pan.... this can detroy beneficial bacteria (like the edges).
The pan itself either has oil in it, or butter, or you may add cream...
or it is non stick in which emits some nasty (laments terms). As we know- non stick pans, perfumes and scented candels are generally a no-no.

I always tell clients to use that only as a treat... but for a smaller psitacine- the 'mashing' of a hardboil egg is not only safer but is also more palatable.
 

LilSprout

Jogging around the block
Joined
3/12/17
Messages
648
Location
Ontario, Canada
Real Name
Phil
@LilSprout

Near TV- if she wasnt before, can be a different experience (or if it is just on as often). Birds see differently... as an example: Did you ever see a floresant light blinking?
-Birds actuallyframes differently. So many TV 'backlights' look like blinking floodlights. Of course that is dependant on the type of TV you have. Than can cause a molt in itself because molts are usually triggered by abrupt light or dietary changes.

If it is just feather loss (especially not blood feathers) and the area is not visible (as 'baldness') then i would be much less concerned. I know when i start swimming again my hair comes out in droves- lol (bad joke, but true).

Boiled eggs: so a whole egg is placed in boiling water. Cooked till done in a pretty gentle and even manner. They crumble easier and are more palatable for most birds.

Pan egg (scrambed, etc): cooked in uneven heat with lack of moisture in a pan.... this can detroy beneficial bacteria (like the edges).
The pan itself either has oil in it, or butter, or you may add cream...
or it is non stick in which emits some nasty (laments terms). As we know- non stick pans, perfumes and scented candels are generally a no-no.

I always tell clients to use that only as a treat... but for a smaller psitacine- the 'mashing' of a hardboil egg is not only safer but is also more palatable.
I use a ceramic pan for cooking (don't use non stick anymore since Fred came along) and I didn't use any oil, butter or anything to cook the egg which is why I was confused as to why scrambled eggs were bad but hard boiled eggs were good.
I was worried about the TV bugging her as well, she's kind of behind the tv so she doesn't end up seeing it.
Edit: she's more or less done molting now, at least molting so heavily. The amount of feathers on the floor have decreased and I haven't seen many fly off her when she's moving around
 

Fparrotlet

Checking out the neighborhood
Joined
8/24/20
Messages
2
Real Name
Janice sproul
Hello there I'm having a hard time finding a correct pan for scrambling eggs every one say ceramic and it dont stick,but I went to a cooking store and they are all some form of silicon etc ???
 

Ulis_Beast

Rollerblading along the road
Joined
11/23/19
Messages
1,922
Location
Croatia ( Originally from Slovenia)
Real Name
Doroteja Lenassi
Hello there I'm having a hard time finding a correct pan for scrambling eggs every one say ceramic and it dont stick,but I went to a cooking store and they are all some form of silicon etc ???
Hey, welcome to Aa!

Depending on where you're from you might find this useful;
 

BirdWorld

Rollerblading along the road
Joined
5/22/20
Messages
2,953
Location
The Bird World
@LilSprout
Boiled eggs: so a whole egg is placed in boiling water. Cooked till done in a pretty gentle and even manner. They crumble easier and are more palatable for most birds.
Hi, sorry to derail this thread, but is there a way to get my birds to eat the yolk of the egg? They just pick out the white parts.
 

Ripshod

Biking along the boulevard
Avenue Veteran
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
12/6/18
Messages
7,529
Location
UK
Real Name
Linden
Hi, sorry to derail this thread, but is there a way to get my birds to eat the yolk of the egg? They just pick out the white parts.
If you're feeding egg to a moulting bird it's the white you want them to eat.
 
Top