Head full of pin feathers?

[kayleesays]

This is Yoshi. Yoshi has had a head full of pinfeathers for about two months now. I know some people take the keratin sheaths off for their parrots, since they can't exactly reach them themselves. I also know some birds preen each other and remove them.

1. Yoshi hates other birds. 2. Yoshi hates fingers. I can scritch him for a little while and he loves it until he realizes it's a hand, and then he draws blood.

Does anybody have any suggestions for ways I can break up the little casings without losing a finger? He seems pretty itchy and grumpy.

 

[klnor]

Sorry no advice other than lots of baths but I must say he looks super cute

 

[faeryphoebe1]

Oh, poor Yoshi! I second the bath advice. How about offering favorite treats along with the scritches/head rubs?

You may have to towel him to gently break the sheaths. Give him a treat afterward.

 

[SilverSage]

I second the baths, but also one of my GCCs, Flick, had pins on her forehead for a lot longer than I expected her to. What I have observed some of my birds doing in the past when they were caged alone and not tame is to rub their heads on stiff toys. So if he doesnt have any stiff pokey toys, maybe get him one or two so he can scratch his face on them.

 

[ACE209]

I second the baths, but also one of my GCCs, Flick, had pins on her forehead for a lot longer than I expected her to. What I have observed some of my birds doing in the past when they were caged alone and not tame is to rub their heads on stiff toys. So if he doesnt have any stiff pokey toys, maybe get him one or two so he can scratch his face on them.

This how my birds take care of their pin feathers. Self taught or learned idk but I'm happy I don't have to use my fat fingers and short nails to take them off.

 

[faeryphoebe1]

Silver Sage, the stiff toys are a fantastic idea!

Otherwise, someone could end up like me, inadvertently creating a little monster.

Whenever Trixie's face looked like Yoshi's, I would towel her so that I could use my fingers to gently break the sheaths, all the while whispering, "my baby, my baby".

Now, a couple of years later, I get home from work exhausted.

Well, as soon as I hear, "my baby, my baby," I know that Trixie is calling me to open her cage.

She flies to me. No more towel. She sits on my chest and snuggles into my hand, while I spend the next 2 hours giving her scritches as she turns her head to and fro (the presence of pin-feathers is not a requirement). She bites me if I stop, lol.

 

[Allee]

Yoshi is adorable, even with a face full of pinnies. Frequent baths, scratchy toys, and help if he'll allow it. Both my quakers have a lot of pin feathers right now, grouchy birds.

 

[Kiwibird]

Poor little guy, he looks less than amused in that picture! Kiwi has a head full of pin feathers too (and also does not allow human assistance for removal). He usually uses a toy to rub his head on to get them off. This year, his jellyfish toy seems to be his choice for facial rubbing:

He has the large https://www.bonkabirdtoys.com/0041-...-bulletproof-plastic-african-grey-amazon.html But there is also a small available https://www.bonkabirdtoys.com/0042-...ges-bulletproof-plastic-cockatiel-parrot.html

 

[LeaKP]

Sooo uncomfortable! Peep is getting more pins on his head by the day. We call it bird acne!

 

[Birdman666]

Increase bathing, and then subtly use a popsickle stick to scratch his head once his feathers are dry. He'll think you're touching him with a toy. (You may need more than one because he will chew it.)

Over time, work your fingers down the popsickle stick until he gets to the point where he allows you to do it with your fingers.

 

[kayleesays]

Hi all! Happy to update that tiny monster let me towel him and break all his casings. He even seemed to enjoy it, once he realized the futility of it all and stopped trying escape/eat me.

 

[faeryphoebe1]

He looks good! And much more comfortable, I bet.