Older CAG going through a heavy molt?

[Mariahh0721]

As you know I recently got a 16 year old CAG. He has been losing a lot of down feathers and a couple larger ones. They don't look plucked and he doesn't seem to be plucking. Could he just be having a heavy molt? He had a lot of feathers in the bottom of his cage when we got him. He has never had a history of plucking. He does look a bit dusty could this be part of the molting? I tried misting him with water but he looked at me like he hated it, is there anyway I could introduce a shower without traumatizing him or stressing him out as ive only had him for two days now.

 

[SandyBee]

could be a molt and yes there is a bunch of options.
My Amazon's favorite is taking the cage outside and being showered with the garden hose.
He also likes going in the bathroom when I shower on his playstand and will take a misting, the steam from your shower is also helpfull. you could also place a bowl of water and see if he wants to bathe himself.

 

[Mariahh0721]

I tried putting him in the shower and he didn't really want to go in the water and he won't bathe in his bowl I just don't want to stress him out much

 

[Pajarita]

Yes, this is molting season (started early again this year) and all my birds are molting so, most likely, that is what it is. If he doesn't like spraying or showers, don't force him, just put different bowls for him to bathe in (some like it deep and small, some like it big and shallow so try different ones until you find the one he likes -but it might not happen any time soon as it's, most likely, too soon for him to feel comfortable in your house).

With older parrots, the best thing you can do is put them through a detox treatment to cleanse his liver because years ago we did not know any better and feed them seeds and nuts all the time which is real bad for them. (The liver is the organ that processes and metabolizes protein -which is what feathers are made of- and the one that suffers the most during molt)

 

[triordan]

My new rescued Grey, as of last week, just today started losing a lot of down type feathers, he desperately needed a good shower so he got one yesterday, thought maybe that jump started it. My green wing molted early in the spring.

 

[Kalidasa]

As you know I recently got a 16 year old CAG. He has been losing a lot of down feathers and a couple larger ones. They don't look plucked and he doesn't seem to be plucking. Could he just be having a heavy molt? He had a lot of feathers in the bottom of his cage when we got him. He has never had a history of plucking. He does look a bit dusty could this be part of the molting? I tried misting him with water but he looked at me like he hated it, is there anyway I could introduce a shower without traumatizing him or stressing him out as ive only had him for two days now.

It's always a little stressful bathing birds that don't want to be bathed, but if you stick with it and do it the same time every day then he'll understand very quickly that it's a routine and he'll fall in line. A lot of birds don't like being sprayed from a distance, especially if they've been sprayed with a squirter as some form of punishment or to quiet them down in the past, as is sometimes the case with a bird "with a past". What worked for me was holding her close to my chest and spraying with the nozzle, from neck down, right up to the feathers, so it cascades down her skin and feathers, and continue spraying down until all the feathers are soaked, then turning the body arou d and spraying the front very closely. The nozzle is basically out of sight at that point, and it feels good to them. After that either end it or wrap him in a towel (if he's game) for a few minutes and just scratch his head. Offer a treat before AND after the bath. In time he'll hopefully bathe himself.