When do alexandrines molt...???

MY ALEXANDRINE HAS GOT RAGGED TAIL FEATHERS ..... SO I AM JUST WAITING WHEN HE WOULD MOLT......SO IN WHICH MONTH DO THEY MOLT....?

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Please double-check your other threads asking similar questions. There are quite a few people really trying to help you and your bird.

Hm.

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Arush, what part of the world do you live in? My Alexes moult in late winter or early spring here in Australia, but yours might moult at an entirely different time. It depends on many factors and sometimes you just can't predict when a bird will moult.

I've seen some of your other posts asking about feathering and diet. While I'm guessing you're not in an area where bird-pellets are available, it's probably quite possible for you to get a good variety of fruit and vegetables for your bird. The black feathering you're seeing is almost certainly because of a dietary deficiency, so the addition of some carrots, kale, peas, sweet potato and even corn would be good for him. Try not to feed sunflower or safflower seeds because these are far too fatty and can lead to disease of the liver. Your bird should eat mainly fruit and vegetables and you can add some healthy seeds (like millet, hemp, wheat, corn, pigeon peas) in small amounts. I would offer about a teacup full of fruit and veggies with a tablespoonful of seeds. Most birds like nuts too, so you can use those as a special treat. Nuts are also very fatty, so don't give too many. Just one or two a day.

Looking at your bird, I think he's probably a male. The pink feather you spotted on his neck might be related to the black feathering all over his face, though. Clearly, something's very wrong in his diet to make his feather pattern go crazy like that. Still, I think he's a boy based on his head shape. Males have a larger, longer head than the females, who look rounder and more feminine in outline. Also, the male bill is a little larger.

My friend, Umar, lives in Pakistan and his birds are the biggest, healthiest Alexes I've ever seen. He adds a few drops of multivitamin into his birds' water each day and believes this keeps them very healthy. I certainly can't argue!

Try to be patient with your young bird. Things like the ragged tail feathers just take time to improve. I'd bet your bird has been kept in a cage that is too small for him and his feathers have been damaged by grating on the cage wire. When Alexes moult, the tail feathers go last (at least mine do) and the bird will look like a weird green duck for a few weeks until the tail grows back in. When it does, providing your cage is big enough, your bird will have a fine long tail to be proud of.

An Alexandrine needs a cage at least two metres tall and a metre wide, preferably larger. Mine are currently in a cage that's 2m wide x 2m high x 1m deep. They are great flyers and really appreciate the chance to stretch their wings. I've recently bought a large aviary for my pair and can't wait to see them flying properly at last (it's 3.6m x 3.6m x 4m high).

Another thing you might want to consider is the Alexandrine's need for lots and lots and lots (and LOTS) of chewy toys. Without chewing materials, Alexes will often begin to chew their own feathers and if you don't act quickly to distract them, they will really disfigure themselves. The behaviour can become a lifelong habit which might be impossible to break. It's much easier just to give chew toys to your bird. Things like cardboard, paper, some plastics (nothing that will splinter or be easily swallowed), bark, coconut, tree limbs, cork or whole vegetables work well. Some of us like to make interesting toys for our birds to play with and stay busy. A busy bird will not harm himself.

The last thing I'll talk about is bathing. Alexandrines LOVE to bathe and it's a kindness to spray them thoroughly with a fine misting spray at least once a week (if not every day). I use a laundry spray bottle, but some members will take their birds into the shower with them (beware of hot water - it must feel barely warm to you). Since my birds live outdoors, I use my garden hose on a soft, fine spray. The Beaks go mad and twist themselves into all sorts of positions to get the water just where they want it. We've been having severe heatwave conditions here in Australia lately and so the Beaks like me to keep showering them until they are wet to the skin. When it's cooler, they might not want to bathe. I know because they move far away from the spray and show no interest in it. When they are moulting, however, they LOVE their shower! I believe it helps to soften the new feathers and to wash away the fine powder that comes with them. After a bath, I take my birds into the bathroom with me and dry them with a blow-dryer set on cool. (I use warm in the winter).

So that's all I can think to tell you about Alexandrine care. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask them and do let us know where you live because it can make a difference to the advice we might give. I know it's pointless telling people to buy pellets in some parts of the world because they just aren't available everywhere.

Good luck with your bird and keep us informed of his progress, won't you?