First Molt

Bright Star

New member
May 28, 2011
197
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Colorado
Parrots
Keats (budgie) born Feb. 18, 2011, and Raphael (budgie) adopted July 3, 2011. Finn, a Brown-Head Poicephalus, born January 4, 2010, has also joined the family!
My little budgie, Keats, is now 4 months old and evidence of his first molt is very apparent. I've been finding a lot of little downy feathers in the bottom of his cage, and in his water, and stuck to the bars of the cage :) I've also had to pull one off his face that he couldn't get off by rubbing his beak on his perches. I keep telling him he'll soon be a grown-up birdie!

So, does anyone have any tips for handling this 'rite of passage'?

I asked his avian vet if I should give him supplements or something, but she's not a big proponent of supplements. She said a good diet is important though. He eats his seeds (still his favorite), but I also mix in Harrison's pellets, dehydrated fruit and veggies, and give him Bird Street Bistro cooked food every day, as well as fresh fruits and veggies. Kale and broccoli seem to be his favorite fresh veggies, but he's dipped his beak into raspberries and strawberries, various bell peppers, and peas.

Thanks in advance for any advice :)
 

Garnet

New member
May 27, 2011
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Silver Springs, Florida
Parrots
5 Green Cheek Conures; 1 Blackcapped Conure; 2 Sun Conures; 3 Cockatiel; 1 Quaker; 1 Whitecapped Pionus; 2 Peach Fronted Conures; 1 parakeet
Make sure you provide him with fresh water to bathe in and if he doesn't like to take a bath, you can try misting him with cool water. This helps with the dry skin and itching they experience when molting. Sounds like you are feeding your little guy a really great diet.
 
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Bright Star

Bright Star

New member
May 28, 2011
197
0
Colorado
Parrots
Keats (budgie) born Feb. 18, 2011, and Raphael (budgie) adopted July 3, 2011. Finn, a Brown-Head Poicephalus, born January 4, 2010, has also joined the family!
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Thank you :) I have noticed he seems more interested in bathing than before. I thought it might be due to 'itchies' and always make sure he has fresh water. I've caught him bathing in his water dish, so I keep that extra clean. I've also added a large, shallow stainless steel dish (one of the cats' water dishes, cleaned extra well) to one corner of the cage for bathing. He has a little trouble really getting his back clean in his water dish (a small, stainless steel cup hanging on the side of the cage). He does sometimes let me mist him now. Previously, he was afraid of the 'mist' and would try to get away. Now, he'll often sit still and let me spray him. I read that misting from below is sometimes less stressful than being misted from above, so I try it both ways.
 

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