Tail feathers

[Abigal7]

As some of you know Captain Jack became a year old in April and has gone through a molt. This has not been a problem when I first got him but I now notice his tail feathers are ratty. Once I caught him with a tail feather in his mouth. He is growing tail feathers but I want to discourage him from pulling any tail feathers out. Of course I seen his tail also get battered along the cage bars. What do you recommend I do about this?

 

[Sterling1113]

If he's anything like my conures(which, being a hahns, wouldn't surprise me) as far as beating up the feathers go, that's pretty much bound to happen. They're playful and reckless and not 100% conscious of where their tails end up.

If you're concerned he's pulling them out for any reason, try taking plastic straws(whole or spiraled through a pencil sharpener to make them springy) and bind them with a zip tie or some sort of safe thread, and attach it somewhere in his cage he can chew them. I heard straws make great toys for those who chew their feathers because the sound snd feel is similar to their feathers.

My conures LOVE chewing plastic straws. Favorite (and cheapest) toy ever.

 

[Mekaisto]

Sometimes moulting birds pull feathers out when they are preening, if they're ready to come out.
Most cage parrots tend to mess up their tails though, the only way to prevent it would be to stop him from climbing round in his cage, which isn't really an option for obvious reasons.