Feathers not grown in yet?

c3honey84

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Female Eclectus-"Roxy"
Here is another question. I had Roxy's wings clipped when I first got her in February 2011, so almost a year. I really want her to be flighted, so I have no had them clipped since. However, it seems as if her feathers are still not totally grown in. Is this normal? She definitely has the longest flight feathers grown in, but when she opens her wings, there are spaces between the longer ones and the shorter ones where it almost looks like feathers are missing. Anyone know what i'm talking about?
 

Pedro

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It's because they don't replace their flight feathers all at once. It's a slow process where a couple of old feathers drop each side, are replaced by new ones. This goes on until all old feathers are replaced. it could take a few months for the molt to finish.
 

MikeyTN

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Yea like what Pedro says! But sometimes they're known to chew them down to the skin where it will not fall out so it never grows a new feather there until you have them pulled at the vet's office...we have to visit the vets again sometime soon here, they missed 3 feathers they did not pull out. Last time they pulled 5 out. These 3 have been like this for about 6-7 years I think...the other ones they pulled grew back nicely. Part of the reason I leave mine flighted. Unless I had to clip to train, I don't believe in clipping....anytime you see them start chewing, yank the feather before it gets chewed too short..
 
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c3honey84

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I understand that it takes a few months to finish the molt, but it has been 10 months. Her longest flight feathers have been grown in for at least 4 months already. Plus, she is still going through that mojo molt. That started around June. It is definitely moving, because it was on her head, and then those grew in, and now it is on her neck. I can't wait for it to be over so she can be pretty again! :) I have never once seen her chew a feather, so I am not sure that's it. Unless she does it when I'm not home?
 
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c3honey84

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Ok Mike, I just stretched her wing out and guess what. She is chewing her feathers! There were a few jagged shafts and some torn feathers. Why would she be doing that? :(
 

Pedro

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It's very possible it's caused from cage damage & wear & tear. Just to ease your mind I also clipped 2 young males a year ago & they both have 3 flight feathers on each wing. I will let you know when the rest of the feathers start to grow out. Yes it does take a long time. I am not expecting these 2 to be fully flights until they are 18 months old.
 

MikeyTN

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My girl does the something....she barbs her feathers...im trying something a friend suggested to me. If it works I will reveal it in another couple of months. Have to give it time....
 
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c3honey84

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The vet said that the broken shafts are dried out, so they must be old. So, she might have done it in February after I had her wings clipped then. I am trying to decide if I should have them pulled. There are 6-8 broken shafts on each wing, so she will have to be put under anesthesia to have them pulled out. I am thinking that I am better off just leaving them and avoiding the stress to her. Other than her not being able to fly, are there any other consequences to just leaving them the way they are?
 

Pepper4Scarlet

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Hey, c3Honey84... only just read your posts, new to forum but we had the old feather pulled on our male 5 weeks ago... it has done him a world of good as he has been crash landing because of the poorly clipped wing (done by the breeder) and his keel bone has acted like a razor and cut through his breast skin causing him way too much pain and suffering which could have been avoided by a proper wing clip :( but we would go into the horror story that was now... if you havent pulled his wing feathers to allow the new ones to grow through i would recommend it....
 
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c3honey84

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Hey, c3Honey84... only just read your posts, new to forum but we had the old feather pulled on our male 5 weeks ago... it has done him a world of good as he has been crash landing because of the poorly clipped wing (done by the breeder) and his keel bone has acted like a razor and cut through his breast skin causing him way too much pain and suffering which could have been avoided by a proper wing clip :( but we would go into the horror story that was now... if you havent pulled his wing feathers to allow the new ones to grow through i would recommend it....

Was your bird put under anesthesia to pull that feather?
 

Pedro

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Was your bird put under anesthesia to pull that feather?
I surely hope so because the flight feathers are usually hard to just pull out & will hurt the bird. Not to mention if the person doesn't have a clue how to do it, the skin can easily get torn.

I have NEVER had a birds flights pulled for any reason. c3honey84 personally i don't think your bird has chewed it's flights at all. I would say the damage was done by wear & tear & when she tries to fly bumps the cut flights which causes the stumps to look jagged so it is assumed the bird has chewed them.

Let her go through her annual molt naturally you will be glad you did.
 

Pepper4Scarlet

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yes he was, very scary but worth it... we actually went for a check up today and the new pin feathers have come through and the vet thinks that the new feathers will be fully grown in the next 2-3 weeks.

Pepper is a different bird, he jumps around and now uses the wing to help him move about wear as before it was like a broken arm to him just in the way.... :green2::red1:
 
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c3honey84

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Was your bird put under anesthesia to pull that feather?
I surely hope so because the flight feathers are usually hard to just pull out & will hurt the bird. Not to mention if the person doesn't have a clue how to do it, the skin can easily get torn.

I have NEVER had a birds flights pulled for any reason. c3honey84 personally i don't think your bird has chewed it's flights at all. I would say the damage was done by wear & tear & when she tries to fly bumps the cut flights which causes the stumps to look jagged so it is assumed the bird has chewed them.

Let her go through her annual molt naturally you will be glad you did.

Thank you for your response Pedro. However, I really don't think this is a case of damage from trying to fly. (She actually never tries to fly anyway.) The feathers are chewed down to the shafts to where there is only about an inch of ragged shaft left. There are multiple feathers like this on both wings. Also, I have never found any broken feathers or pieces of feathers on the bottom of her cage ever. This led the vet to believe that she may be eating them. Also, she has already gone through one molt this year and those feathers did not grow in. That's why I was concerned in the first place because I noticed that even months after a molt, the feathers in the mid wing area are still very short, while the end flight feathers are fully grown in and long. I am trying to get a good picture for you guys, but she's not a big fan of me pulling out her wing for a shot.
 

Pepper4Scarlet

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hey c3honey84, just a quick note to let you know that tonight pepper flew from the top of his cage and glided all the way across the lounge room on to the rug in front of the tv... no thud... no bleeding... perfect gliding... yeppiee his has two working wings now... you should have seen how proud he was of himself :)
 

MikeyTN

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Just to let you know my vet did not put my bird under to pull the feathers. She did a really good job.
 
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c3honey84

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Just to let you know my vet did not put my bird under to pull the feathers. She did a really good job.

That's interesting! Was you bird freaking out? Our vet said that sometimes she doesn't put them under anesthesia, but because Roxy has so many (About 16) she would recommend putting her under.
 

MikeyTN

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"Willie"&"Lola"B&G Macaw,
"Dixie"LSC2, and "Nico" Scarlet Macaw.
He didn't like it but he was fine. They grew out nicely after so many years...
 

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