Am I freaking out too much?

Dinosrawr

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I came home from work today and was ecstatic because my SO cleaned the place, did the laundry, and the bird cages were spotless. I went to go greet Shiko first, because he's the most demanding and chattery when I come home, and I was completely taken aback by Shiko's large patch of missing feathers on his head. It wasn't like that last night when I put him to bed.

I'm hoping someone more experienced with Ringnecks can tell me that IRN's always go through a heavy first moult, and that it's completely normal to be missing this many head feathers. Or to tell me that it's normal that when they scratch their head, fully developed feathers just plop out in large amounts. His wing moult didn't worry me, but the amount of feathers missing from his head are making me a bit concerned.

Shiko's droppings are normal, his behaviour is normal, his weight is deemed absolutely "perfect" by my avian vet, and he was considered in perfect condition just two weeks ago. He's active, eats, and drinks water. The only thing that's completely abnormal is the amount of feathers he's starting to lose around his head. It's exceptionally difficult to catch in photos, but here's what I got...

Here's how rough his head is right now:


The patch missing:






It's hard to capture just how much is missing, but it's enough that it gave me an absolute shock and I started crying because my first thought was PBFD. Now that I've calmed down, I realize I'm over analyzing his feather loss and that an experienced opinion would do my good before I go crying into the vet that my bird is dying from an incurable virus when in reality he's just having a hard moult. I'll be booking another vet appointment to have a blood test done anyways, but I'd love some input.
 
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Pinkbirdy

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That is kind of strange [did he get stressed ] with the cleaning? Does he have a lot of pin feathers ?
 
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Dinosrawr

Dinosrawr

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No, he's rarely stressed when it comes to cleaning his cage. He likes being out of it, so I can't imagine it was an issue. It is really strange, and I'm pretty concerned. He has a lot of pin feathers all around his head, but it's hard to see into the spot where he's missing feathers because he moves a lot.
 

RavensGryf

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Oh Chantal I'm sorry about your worry :(. I know it's hard not to automatically think the worst whenever we observe something out of the ordinary.

To me it does look like a molt, because he looks like he's molting on his body too? I've never had an IRN, but I had two budgies including my Twigs who really lost a lot of feathers on the head that had me worried as well. It looked like almost the whole head! Then tons of pinfeathers came in. So many at the same time that it looked strange. The recent molt that Griffin had, one day in particular he was sitting on a swing outside the cage, and right underneath him was a pile of his feathers! A PILE in an amount that was unusual, but it filled right in, and he's near finished molting now.

I've also seen pictures of birds who are going through heavy molts and they do have missing patches.

These feathers that are falling out you say are fully developed, so they look like a normal molted feather, right? I'm thinking that would be a good sign, and if the pinfeathers turn into normal shaped feathers and don't fall out while growing. I personally feel you don't have anything to base the fear on at this point, but as you say, go and get him tested for your peace of mind. Hang in there!
 

SilverSage

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He could also have gotten them caught on so,etching in the cage and accidentally pulled them out. Because PBFD is such a scary disease and because that thought has already entered your mind, I would test him asap, a quick toenail clip, $20, and Avian BioTech can let you know within a few days if he has it or not. My IRNS did not molt that heavily, but I am new to the species and have had mine for less than a year.
 
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Dinosrawr

Dinosrawr

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Thanks Julie, I'm starting to think it really is just a hard molt too. It was just a shock because Avery has never lost visible patches of feathers during any of hers, and that's really my only physical comparison for the moment. I'm going to wait and see how it fills in, and if pin feathers appear in those patches then I'm not worried. He's also not cranky at all, rather more loving, so that surprised me as well considering the average molting bird is more cranky than usual.

And goodness, Shiko and Griffin could probably make someone a new down coat by the sounds of it, haha! Shiko has been molting really, really hard. It's his first major molt, so that must be why. It's like I hit him with a tennis racket or something, haha.

I need to stop being such a hypochondriac about my birds. Random cramping pain in my lower abdomen that causes spasms? Ehhh, I'll be fine. Chest pains? I'll brush it off. My birds missing a single feather? OH GOD THEY MUST BE DYING. :rolleyes:
 

RavensGryf

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It was Griffin's first molt too. Raven's first wasn't as heavy, but extremely long.
 
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Dinosrawr

Dinosrawr

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Thanks Dani, I'm definitely going to get a blood test done just to give me peace of mind. Otherwise it's going to be in the back of my mind forever if I don't. Plus I'm planning on donating their cages when I upgrade them this summer or next, so I need to make sure that it isn't a concern for the rescue I'd be giving them to.

I remember Avery's first molt, and man oh man she looked rough, but she most certainly didn't look like someone grabbed a tuft and pulled it out. Her beak was in terrible condition and her chest looked ragged.
 
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Kiwibird

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I bet he's just molting:)

And a bald bird doesn't necessarily mean PBFD. My mom's GCA Barney went bald on just his head around the time he became sexually mature. He looks like a little vulture, but he's been like that for well over 30 years and has been tested by numerous vets for every possible thing under the sun and he's perfectly healthy (he's having some age-related issues now, but he's in his 40's). Not saying Shiko is turning part buzzard like poor Barney though! Just that not every bald patch is a horrible disease. Heck, he may have just rubbed his head on a toy too roughly. But I'm betting on a rough molt;)
 
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Dinosrawr

Dinosrawr

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Thanks April! Having you all comment and say it's likely a molt is most certainly making me feel a lot better (and a bit silly) about his feathers. I guess he's just a really hard molter, or at least he gets rid of his feathers as soon as possible, haha. His wings looked horrendous when he was molting them, like I'd tossed him in the dryer. Now his head looks like I've been plucking his head for down feathers or something.

But when I got closer last night after his shower I saw the tiniest of pin feathers in the spot, so I definitely over reacted. He was so happy to have his shower that he exhausted himself and fell asleep on me afterwards :) it was just the thought of potentially losing him that sent me batty. It was pretty cute when I was upset though, because Brendon kept trying to put him in his cage but he kept dodging him and flying to me and ironically enough was asking, "are you okay?!" over and over again, hahaha! I'll have to pat him in the head again and let him know I'm okay as long as he is :)
 

Flboy

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Thanks Dani, I'm definitely going to get a blood test done just to give me peace of mind. Otherwise it's going to be in the back of my mind forever if I don't. Plus I'm planning on donating their cages when I upgrade them this summer or next, so I need to make sure that it isn't a concern for the rescue I'd be giving them to.

I remember Avery's first molt, and man oh man she looked rough, but she most certainly didn't look like someone grabbed a tuft and pulled it out. Her beak was in terrible condition and her chest looked ragged.
I just ordered kits from Avian BT am doing the [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]NBP-01 package for my JOJO.
It covers,
[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]DNA Sexing, PBFD, Polyoma, [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Chlamydia, Avian Herpes
(Pacheco's).
[/FONT]
[/FONT]
 

RavensGryf

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David, that's great that Avianbiotech has a package for virus and DNA testing all together.

I've found their services to be very affordable (as opposed to having the vet do it and send it in). How much does this package cost?
 

Flboy

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David, that's great that Avianbiotech has a package for virus and DNA testing all together.

I've found their services to be very affordable (as opposed to having the vet do it and send it in). How much does this package cost?

$85, and they send free collection kits.
 
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Dinosrawr

Dinosrawr

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So I just wanted to give a quick update and add that while his patch of missing feathers has increased substantially, so has the crazy amount of pin feathers! He's lost almost all his "forehead" feathers, but there's a ridiculous amount of pin feathers developing in their place now. So yes, I most definitely was freaking out too much! :p
 

Allee

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That's great news, Chantal! I'm so glad to see this update. I think you are in good company, I believe a lot of us freak out just as easily, it's never a little thing when it's one of our babies.

Shiko asking if you're okay is so sweet, when they do something like that, it makes everything so worthwhile.
 

Luna

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Hello. I am butting in without reading. If this bird is not in a cage with another I would not worry. We only have one 15 yr old gray male and have never seen that large piece removed from the forehead However I expect if I had ever rubbed down ware when he was molting it would have occurred. Alexandrian parakeets loose their complete forehead feathers. My almost 20 yr Lilac crown looses patches if I rub them forward during the molt. Good Luck D.D.
 
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Dinosrawr

Dinosrawr

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Thanks Luna :) It must be a Ringneck thing then! He's riddled with pin feathers, the poor guy.
 
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Dinosrawr

Dinosrawr

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Just to show anyone who may experience crazy head moulting in their ringneck and stumble upon this thread, this is what Shiko looks like now after losing his feathers and his pins coming in:

Doesn't look so bad, right?



Until you get a closer look, and he starts to look like a porcupine!





So he's just a really, really heavy first moulter. He's lost all his forehead feathers and they're now being replaced with pin feathers. The pictures really don't do justice how much are coming in, but needless to say I'm happy that it's just a rough spring moult!
 

RavensGryf

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Wow! Now that's a heavy molt!! I did see it that heavy on the head area once in a budgie I had.
 
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Dinosrawr

Dinosrawr

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It's really shocking when it happens! I couldn't imagine what a poor budgie would look like losing that many feathers, their head is so small as it is :eek:
 

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