Couple of Questions

Hello!

I have a few questions I'm hoping you can help me with:

1. Jasper has dandruff! Little white flakes near his face/chest. Been there for about a week now. I got wondering if it's because I blow dry him after his showers (once a week) but then I read it happens after a moult. Jasper hasn't had a moult yet
2. Jasper is going to be 9 months at the end of this month and he hasn't moulted yet. Is this normal?
3. I've been giving Jasper 1 tablespoon of this cockatiel mix the entire time I've had him as his bedtime snack. He goes absolutely nuts for it. I was thinking of maybe trying Volkman's for a change, or to mix in with it. Which one do you recommend? These are my options

Thanks very much!

katie_fleming said:

Hello!

I have a few questions I'm hoping you can help me with:

1. Jasper has dandruff! Little white flakes near his face/chest. Been there for about a week now. I got wondering if it's because I blow dry him after his showers (once a week) but then I read it happens after a moult. Jasper hasn't had a moult yet
2. Jasper is going to be 9 months at the end of this month and he hasn't moulted yet. Is this normal?
3. I've been giving Jasper 1 tablespoon of this cockatiel mix the entire time I've had him as his bedtime snack. He goes absolutely nuts for it. I was thinking of maybe trying Volkman's for a change, or to mix in with it. Which one do you recommend? These are my options

Thanks very much!

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The link is not showing anything but I give the Volkman's for eclectus to my crew. Only a little as most of their food is fresh but I do like this blend for them. Bonus, anytime I have sprouted it, it always sprouts that tells me their seeds are fresh.

Mine get baths a minimum of 4 days a week (sometimes more if they are molting). I don't blow dry as it is too drying imo. I just bathe early in the day so they have plenty of time before bed to dry on their own.

I'd try not to blow dry him for some time and see if it goes away. In the winter the air is very dry, and blow drying only increases that.

Is Jasper molting at all? When the feather sheaths break apart it causes white flakes or "dandruff" (or dander as it's called in animals)

I would definitely switch to the Volkmans mix specifically designated for eclectus parrots. Most others are often enriched with vitamins for the health of the parrot, which is great... if you don't have an ekky. I doubt it has anything to do with Jasper's "dandruff" issues, but it would definitely be a good change to make.

And I would agree with veimar about the blow drying, especially given their naturally humid environs in the wild. Here is a quote from the Land of Vos website, which is one of the authorities on all things ekky: " LOW HUMIDITY, which is all too common in our dry and sometimes artificially heated homes, is not a natural environment for most parrots. The lack of humidity can cause their skin to become dry, flaky, and itchy. What starts as an attempt to scratch an itch can quickly evolve into full-blown feather plucking, and once it becomes a habit, it is very difficult to stop."

I figure if that can be the case in just dry environment homes, a blow dryer could probably lead to this as well, no?

I know your guy isn't plucking or anything, but in researching your issue I came across this and thought I'd share.

Thanks everyone! BTW I just grabbed the ingredient list for the seed mix I've been giving him:

White prosso millet, jumbo striped sunflower, canary grass seeds, oat groats, safflower seeds, flax seeds, canola seeds, mineral oil


I've been using a humidifier for the past month but I think it's too small for the room he's in. I've ordered a new one so hopefully it will improve. I should buy a little gadget to monitor the humidity levels and keep an eye on them. Occasionally he seems to toe-tap for a few hours every other week...

No moulting at all, other than his down. Seems to be a bit more than usual but he hasn't lost any feathers yet.

I've stopped blow-drying for now. Poor guy looked at me like "hey! you're forgetting something!" but he managed just fine on his own

You really want to track down the issue (food) causing the toe-tapping which can become quite serious. There have been cases where eclectus have mutilated their own feet because the toe-tapping is so annoying. (Have you ever had a muscle/nerve tick around your eye for any length of time, makes you crazy.) Only with toe tapping or wing flapping it also can start interrupting their sleep which then can bring on even more problems.

Any chance of you catching either the toe tapping or wing flipping (preferably both) on video?

Anansi said:

Any chance of you catching either the toe tapping or wing flipping (preferably both) on video?

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Yes, the next time I see it I'll record a video. It's every few weeks for a couple hours in the evening and gone again the next day.