Cockatiel and flight feathers, help???

[judieg11]

I've had my cockatiel Tiki for almost a year now. He was given to us full grown so we're not really sure how old he is, though I'm guessing around 3. In the entire year we've had him he has molted once and is currently going through a second molting. We've never clipped his flight feathers yet they are nonexistent, so much that he's adapted to climbing and walking his way around his cage and play area. His flight feathers just don't seem to grow. I've read about french molt but I don't really think it applies or at least I really hope not. Does any one have any ideas? Has anyone experienced this with their cockatiels as well?

 

[MikeyTN]

I've seen this happen with birds other then just Cockatiels alone. Some will chew their feathers down to the stub on the skin after clipping where they will not molt out ever. They have to be plucked out in order to grow back. My macaw have the same issue but a vet have helped me plucked out most of them.

 

[judieg11]

I see
Thanks, I didn't know that was possible.
I'll definitely bring that up with the vet.

 

[MikeyTN]

Yes please do! Let them know what I've said....Willie's wing feathers did not molt out for 7 years before I found a vet that understand and helped me pluck them out. Those feathers grew out nicely! I've done it to Cockatiels before in the past where I plucked them out myself. I got them clipped and they would never grow out. I had them in a large flight aviary and they couldn't fly because of it. Once plucked, they grew back nicely.

 

[judieg11]

How did you figure that's what it was with the cockatiel?
Did you just go to the vet? Or is there a way of knowing?

 

[MikeyTN]

I was waiting for them to molt so they can take flight in the aviary but they never did. So I wrapped them with a towel and started observing their wings and I noticed it. So I plucked them out and they grew them back. It's been many years ago.....

 

[judieg11]

Hmm Tiki is quite attached to me and lets me play with his wings but I've never noticed anything like that. They just simply aren't there.
I'll look into it anyway because it seems like a possibility but do you know of any other reason?

 

[MikeyTN]

IF they chew them down to the base your not going to see them there. You have to look at where the feathers grows out from at the very base.

 

[judieg11]

Thanks for all your help.
I'll definitely check that out