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question about molting

Does your bird sometimes seem more tired than usual during their molt?


  • Total voters
    7
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lovebirb

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my little dragon is going through his first big molt and although i've done quite a bit of research on what to expect and how to help him through this tough time, i'm still new to birds and fuss over him like an overprotective mother lol. :dead:

i've been giving him frequent baths and helping him preen his pin feathers, but i noticed today he's fluffier than usual and seems a bit lethargic. he's had his head tucked off and on and i know that can be a sign of illness, but his breathing and everything else seems normal; he's still moving around, eating and singing. he just seems sleepy.

i'm probably worrying too much, but i was hoping some of you would be willing to share some anecdotes about your birds and molting. is this normal? do any of your birds seem more tired than usual on certain days of their molt or should i be concerned?

i'm sure it affects every bird a little bit differently (after all, making a whole new set of feathers must be hard work!) but i would love to hear any stories you guys have about your birds molting.
 

Lady Jane

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I haven't noticed my budgies getting tired during the molt. Is your bird getting enough sleep and or protein in the diet? A healthy bird usually gets anywhere from 10 to 12 hours of uninterrupted quality sleep at night. By quality sleep, I mean, there are no human noises like television or music or conversation in the room where they're sleeping. Its. It's okay to be over protective with your bird because I am too. Sometimes it's the smallest thing that can indicate an illness. When was the last avian vet checkup for your bird?
 

lovebirb

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@Lady Jane

well, that's worrisome. :(

i have him on a pretty varied diet of roudybush pellets and a ton of different kinds of organic fresh fruits & veggies i offer him daily. kale, broccoli, rainbow carrots, peppers, blueberries, apples, mango, pineapple, strawberries, pomegranate, etc. as well as nutriberries, black oil sunflower seeds and millet for little treats. he also always has a little bowl of herb salad available at all times.

he had a full check up back in late october when i first got him. i spend all day every day with him and haven't noticed anything concerning until today, although i know birds hide any illnesses they might have quite well, so that doesn't mean much.

i didn't think about it until you mentioned it, but sleep could be the culprit; his cage is in my bedroom and it was pretty stormy last night. my dog is terrified of thunder and she woke me up at like 3 am pacing and crying and wanting to hide under the blankets (and me lol) but i was exausted and he didn't make a peep so it never crossed my mind that the storm and/or my silly dog might've kept him up last night.

i'm still concerned about the head tucking though. :( i guess i'll keep an eye on him and his poops. he's more active atm and has insisted on being cuddled and preened while i was trying to reply to this lol
 

lovebirb

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Maybe he will be brighter tomorrow. His diet is wonderful. Don't want you to worry.
he's much better today, thank you for all your advice!
:hug8:
i was so worried about him being sick or having a hard time molting i wouldn't have even thought about him not getting enough sleep if you hadn't asked.

he put himself to bed a half an hour earlier than he usually does last night and it seems like the extra sleep made a world of difference. no more head tucking as far as i've seen!
 

Begone

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no more head tucking as far as i've seen!
First.
I don't know if you ever see him sleeping well. Head tucking is how they normal sleep. But they never do it if they don't feel comfortable.
If they are sick you should see that they are more fluffed up and sits more hunched. Their eyes are smaller and looks wet. That is a really good sign of a sick bird.

If they haven't slept well last night they will sleep more at daytime the day after. That is normal. But they will not look sick. And their appetite is fine and they drink the same as usual. Not more, not less. And when they are awake they act like normal. Playing and are active as usual.

If they are tired when they are molting that can be two reasons.
The first is that they are having some kind of infection, and to molt at the same time will make them really tired.
The other reason is that they are having some kind of deficiency. Can be from several things, but Vit D and Vit B is important.
To give them more hemp seed when they are molting is good. That will give them one of the best protein sources, Omega 3 and 6, and Magnesium.
You can give him hemp seed one day and the other day some kind of sprouted seed/lentils/peas.
Also add sunlight/egg/egg food (Vit D3) + beta carotene. (Vit A)

My healthy girls taking a nap.
 

Begone

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I found this that I think are correct.

This pic shows a sick bird. Look how it sits.
And also tells that their is many signs to look after.
70cc735ad243cc3878bbc5627dc0058a.jpg
 

Hotpockets

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Roy is going through a hard molt right now and he does seem more tired on some days. He bathes a lot and his feathers look all scruffy so I doubt he feels awesome. He gets some scrambled eggs and tidbits of meat now and then. But otherwise he's just more barky than usual.
 

lovebirb

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First.
I don't know if you ever see him sleeping well. Head tucking is how they normal sleep. But they never do it if they don't feel comfortable.
If they are sick you should see that they are more fluffed up and sits more hunched. Their eyes are smaller and looks wet. That is a really good sign of a sick bird.

If they haven't slept well last night they will sleep more at daytime the day after. That is normal. But they will not look sick. And their appetite is fine and they drink the same as usual. Not more, not less. And when they are awake they act like normal. Playing and are active as usual.

If they are tired when they are molting that can be two reasons.
The first is that they are having some kind of infection, and to molt at the same time will make them really tired.
The other reason is that they are having some kind of deficiency. Can be from several things, but Vit D and Vit B is important.
To give them more hemp seed when they are molting is good. That will give them one of the best protein sources, Omega 3 and 6, and Magnesium.
You can give him hemp seed one day and the other day some kind of sprouted seed/lentils/peas.
Also add sunlight/egg/egg food (Vit D3) + beta carotene. (Vit A)

My healthy girls taking a nap.
thank you for all the great advice!

i'd actually never seen him sleep like this before yesterday. the few times he's dozed off in front of me it's only been for a few moments at a time and he wasn't comfortable enough with me to tuck his head. i assumed something was wrong because i'd read about head tucking as being a potential sign of illness, but he was just a sleepy dragon enjoying an afternoon nap lol. he's back to his usual rambunctious self today.

i make sure he gets lots of sun and the lights in his room are full spectrum. i'll definitely have to try your dietary suggestions, i've been wanting to get him hemp seeds to try for a while but i had no idea they were so beneficial to a molting bird!
 

Begone

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i've been wanting to get him hemp seeds to try for a while but i had no idea they were so beneficial to a molting bird!
They are great in many ways. Both to us and to our birds. They contain a great ratio Omega 3 vs Omega 6.
i assumed something was wrong
But that is great that you did react to a behavior that you didn't think was normal.
Better to react to many times then not at all. :)
 
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