Advice? B&G has ratty feathers.

[emmett518]

I have a blue and gold macaw. Had him about a year. He's about 3. I adopted him from an owner who could no longer care for him.

He lives in an A&E 4 foot by 4 foot by 6 foot corner cage. I clean the water bowl daily, and feed him the following.

6 nuts in the shell daily (pecans, walnuts, hazels, almonds, and 1 peanut)
Fruits
Veges
Real Oatmeal
Whole wheat bread (in moderation)
Cooked scrambled eggs
Shredded Wheat Spoon sized as treats
Occasional yogurt
Occasional meat (chicken, hamburg,etc) in small quantities.

He hates bird seed, and wastes most parrot mixes, so I've been trying various kinds of raw seeds (pumpkin, pine nuts, soy nuts, sunflower, dried fruits, etc)

None of the usual, poison foods - salt, onion, garlic, coffee, avocado, fruit seeds.

He's out of his cage climbing around cage and perch at least 6 hours a day. Not a lot of natural sunshine in my house.

He shared the house with a Scarlet and an African Grey. They all get along, and their feathers are fine on the same diet and exercise regimen.

In the last four months, his back feathers have become ratty. Fronts fine, no plucking, and no other symptoms. Eats like a truck driver. He molted a bit about a month ago, but has not had a serious feather blow in about six months. He doesn't seem to be chewing, grooming, or doing anything crazy, other than hanging upside down like a bat and swinging from the rope toy hanging from the cage ceiling.

I used to bathe him in a warm shower or by using a spray bottle full of warm water daily in the summer, but was afraid of bathing him in the winter when the house was 68 deg F, so he hasn't had any water on him since September. He does not bathe in his water bowl.

Do I have an issue? Why are is back feathers ratty? Should I be bathing him all winter, and how do I keep him from getting cold? In the mornings, he shivered at 65 deg, but is OK when the temp is 68. I run a humidifier all winter.

Thanks for the advice. He's a great bird, and loves living in his new home.

Emmett

 

[ShellyBorg]

Can you warm up a room so he can get warm after he gets bathed? I bet it goes a long way to fixing him up.

 

[emmett518]

I could probably put him in the bathroom. How often should I be bathing him?

 

[ShellyBorg]

My guys get it every day to every other. My zon was really rattie when I got him. He is doing so much better now. You could see the change bathing did daily for him.

 

[Pinkbirdy]

Regular bathes are going to make a big difference 2 to 3 times a week [maybe ] Molts can last a long time too [I always think they look like hell with that ] I feed my Macaw a 12 bean mix [and other things ] chop mix every other day.Her feathers are brighter since I started [I think its the beans] .

 

[JerseyWendy]

I "think" the back feathers may by a bit ratty because he hasn't had a shower.

All my fids get bathed regularly, even in the winter, and we keep our home at 68 during the day. Just make sure you bathe him early enough in the day so that he can dry thoroughly.

 

[parrotsaremypassion]

I would warm it up in house,too. Also, they do need natural sun light when it's 65 degrees or warmer. Can you build an aviary or wheel them out in a secure cage, if kept unclipped?

 

[sodakat]

The Tambopata Clay Lick is famous for attracting macaws. I know it gets quite cool at night there and can rain for days. My point is, your bird's ancestors live where they may get wet from a rainstorm when it is 50 degrees F outside and they thrive. He needs frequent bathings, like others have said.

Here is text from Tambopatatravel.com regarding temperatures in that region:

In Tambopata the average daytime high temperature is between 78° and 93° F (24° and 31°C) and the average night-time low is between 66° and 78° F (20° and 24°C). Nevertheless, between May and September, cold fronts from Argentina can sweep into south-western Amazonia and push daytime highs down to 50° F (9° C) and the night time lows to 43° F (5° C).

 

[emmett518]

Is it then normal for the macaw to be shivering in the AM? He shivered at 65 deg F, but seemed OK at 68. That's why I was afraid to wet him.

BTW, wet him this morning, and his feathers looked much better. Glad the warm weather is here. All three birds got spritzed by warm spray.

 

[emmett518]

I "think" the back feathers may by a bit ratty because he hasn't had a shower.

All my fids get bathed regularly, even in the winter, and we keep our home at 68 during the day. Just make sure you bathe him early enough in the day so that he can dry thoroughly.

Do you lower the temp at night?

 

[emmett518]

No. When we started, we set the day / night temp at 65. He was shivering in the AM. Talked to the original breeder, and raised it to 68. No shivering.

Now at 67. Seems fine.

 

[emmett518]

To everyone who responded. Thank you. From the bottom of my heart. I love my birds as family members, and have been worried about the feather issue for a while now.

Yesterday, I put some very warm water in a clean spray bottle, and hosed everyone down. The birds did pretty well with it.

Less than 24 hours later, ALL of the feathers were completely back to normal. The birds looks like brand new birds. I've never seen any change so drastic. The feathers must have been dried out, and adding water rehydrated them.

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond. I can't begin to thank you enough.

Emmett.

 

[JerseyWendy]

Those are GREAT news!!! Thank YOU for the update.

 

[sodakat]

I've found when a bird has not bathed regularly it can take as long as 2 weeks for water to bead up on their feathers when they are made wet.

You will know that he is successfully preening using his uropial gland when you see the water begin to bead up on the feathers. When he is receptive to bathing (some birds are every day!) he will lift his feathers and let the water also touch his skin. When he is not, but if he has been preening himself and his feathers have a coating of preen gland oil, the water will bead up.

Great work on getting them all wet, btw! I love to see how fresh a bird looks after a couple showers.