Pictures Unsusal Feather Growth ?

[CyberSage87]

Hi all,

My seven month old female cockatiel, Theano (to the right, cinnamon pastel),


has barbs on her P9 flight feather that just won't "zip" together, as seen in the pictures.
I've tried to encourage knitting back together by passing a little water through it, but they become spikes again when they dry, so it doesn't seem to be a preening issue.


More recently, her secondary feathers or coverts (hard to tell) are beginning to display this problem as well (wispy filaments in pic). :



She had her feathers clipped when I got her, but it was a decent job (she could flutter fairly well)
she has since gotten some flight feathers back in and is flying just fine.

My concern is whether or not this is a malformation that will stay (like early angel wings or even PBFD), or just a remnant of the clipping.

Either way I'll be taking her to the vet soon, but am curious if anyone has seen something like this before.

Thank you for any input.

(Also if this is the wrong thread to put this please let me know.)

~CyberSage87

 

[rocky'smom]

baby feathers take a heck of beating when they are little. has she gone thru her first molt yet ?

 

[Tiel Feathers]

It's probably just raggedy baby feathers. My little Twilight had the most damaged ratty looking feathers when he was younger because he was a complete klutz. Maybe that's what's going on with your bird, but it's good that you are going to the vet soon. Cute tiels btw!

 

[CyberSage87]

baby feathers take a heck of beating when they are little. has she gone thru her first molt yet ?

It's probably just raggedy baby feathers. My little Twilight had the most damaged ratty looking feathers when he was younger because he was a complete klutz. Maybe that's what's going on with your bird, but it's good that you are going to the vet soon. Cute tiels btw!

Thank you for the replies !
She seems to have gone through a small molt, mostly down and chest feathers though (She's getting some speckles on her keel). Some flight feathers have been dropped and replaced, but I think most of her tail feathers are still the first set.

Comparatively speaking, Boko, (my male 'tiel in the profile pic as of writing) has done some serious molting; dropping adolescent tail feathers here and there as expected. He has one adolescent colored tail feather left... it might be replaced with a grey, that would be very distinctive, LOL.

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

Your cock bird will lose the barred tail feathers when he molts in his mature plumage. Plus those bright orange and yellow cheek markings. The hen will get UV reflecting white spots on the underside of her flights as well as a new pair of those two barred under tail feathers. I adore tiels.

 

[Jobot]

Yeah, I would chalk it up to being a baby and damaging her feathers. my bird'species clipped feathers are beat all to heck. he can be a bit of an overpreener.