Wavy feathers

[Airman21]

Hi, my Lutino female Coco, has wavy feathers. I heard it is an anormality, and might be because of the seeds, right? I give her most seeds, she s 4 months old and i got her for 2.5 months already. I want to switch to pellets so i already ordered NutriBird G14 Original. If i feed her 80% pellets and 20% seeds, ocasionally fruits or veggies, her feathers will heal? I am really worried about everything, thank you.

 

[Macawnutz]

It is usually dietary. I would change the diet and attempt to get some sunlight hours in. It won't fix the current ones but it will fix the next set that grows in.

 

[Tiel Feathers]

80% pellets is too high for a cockatiel, I would feed no more than 50 percent pellets, with the rest seeds and veggies. Too many pellets are hard on their kidneys. If you can get your bird outside, even in the shade, it will help their feathers immensely.

 

[Ripshod]

The feathers have been moulted? This is a sign of poor diet when they were growing, ie at the breeder's. It's not down to what you've been feeding.
That said, you can still work on the diet. I'd work more on the veggies than pellets.

 

[Airman21]

80% pellets is too high for a cockatiel, I would feed no more than 50 percent pellets, with the rest seeds and veggies. Too many pellets are hard on their kidneys. If you can get your bird outside, even in the shade, it will help their feathers immensely.

the thing is i always bring them outside

 

[Airman21]

The feathers have been moulted? This is a sign of poor diet when they were growing, ie at the breeder's. It's not down to what you've been feeding.
That said, you can still work on the diet. I'd work more on the veggies than pellets.

I hand fed her until she weaned on its own and started eating seeds and drinking water. I gave them pellets for one month, then i ran out of pellets and it s hard to find em in romania so continued with seeds after that month, as for vegies they eat carrots, cucumbers, tops of carrots, and some pears and apples sometimes. The other thing i want to say is that she cannot fly really well, at least cannot fly as well as the boy does, and he got some wavy feathers too. I gave em some baths with a spray bottle sometimes and the boy is just well drying itself but the girl on the other hand, when she dried herself her feathers were all messy. Could it be because of those baths? She doesn t know to dry herself?

 

[Ripshod]

Sorry, I could have been clearer. The ends of the feathers where they are wavy would have been developing in the sheaths before you got her. Therefore that wavyness would be down to the diet the breeder was feeding.
The diet you're giving is great, especially for such a young bird. And it's great that she gets some natural daylight, essential for natural D3.
The messiness issue is likely just down to her age. She just needs more preening practice, to learn when to preen after a shower. Too early - messy feathers. Too late - messy feathers. I'd hold off on the showers for a short while, let her get some of that good dust into her plumage, it's waxy and helps with waterproofing and condition (you may have noticed how wet her plumage is getting under a shower compared to your other 'tiel).

 

[Airman21]

Sorry, I could have been clearer. The ends of the feathers where they are wavy would have been developing in the sheaths before you got her. Therefore that wavyness would be down to the diet the breeder was feeding.
The diet you're giving is great, especially for such a young bird. And it's great that she gets some natural daylight, essential for natural D3.
The messiness issue is likely just down to her age. She just needs more preening practice, to learn when to preen after a shower. Too early - messy feathers. Too late - messy feathers. I'd hold off on the showers for a short while, let her get some of that good dust into her plumage, it's waxy and helps with waterproofing and condition (you may have noticed how wet her plumage is getting under a shower compared to your other 'tiel).

I am trying my best to take care of them, i never had birds and i think is really hard to take care of these birds but i love them so much. I won t give them any baths for now. Right now they are enjoying some carrot, carrot tops and pears. Everything i give to them is grown in my own garden, i m waiting now for the apples to grow so they can taste em better.

 

[Ripshod]

We've all been there. I understand. This forum has enough long-time members and enough combined knowledge to beat the rest of the internet hands down. That's why we stay here. Ask as many questions as you have - don't feel embarrassed about the simplest things.
The only dumb question is the one you don't ask.
It never gets easy, just easier.

 

[Airman21]

We've all been there. I understand. This forum has enough long-time members and enough combined knowledge to beat the rest of the internet hands down. That's why we stay here. Ask as many questions as you have - don't feel embarrassed about the simplest things.
The only dumb question is the one you don't ask.
It never gets easy, just easier.

Thank you