does anyone else's bird look like this

[Tanglwood02]

I know this isn't normal but is down in excess normal? I've been trying to google if down feathers eventually turn to full feathers but all I get are articles on plucking. Here are 3 pictures of Sugar's feathers. She gets healthy chop daily and soy and corn free pellets. I give her some fruit (she's not a big fruit eater) and walnuts as treats. She looked worse than this when I got her so I was kinda excited when the down started coming in. I've never had a bird before that plucked. Any advice? She also gets a bath every 2 weeks. And she has been to the vet twice since i got her 6 weeks ago.

 

[zERo]

I know this isn't normal but is down in excess normal? I've been trying to google if down feathers eventually turn to full feathers but all I get are articles on plucking. Here are 3 pictures of Sugar's feathers. She gets healthy chop daily and soy and corn free pellets. I give her some fruit (she's not a big fruit eater) and walnuts as treats. She looked worse than this when I got her so I was kinda excited when the down started coming in. I've never had a bird before that plucked. Any advice? She also gets a bath every 2 weeks. And she has been to the vet twice since i got her 6 weeks ago.

It appears that she is both plucking and barbering her feathers to me.
Did she get a blood panel to make sure she’s healthy?
Also, if I were you, I’d give her a bath 2-3 times per week.
Does she have plenty of toys and things to destroy?

Sorry you’re dealing with this, I’ve been trying to get my little guy Tom the green cheek to stop barbering his belly feathers. The vet said it’s environmental though 🙁

 

[Tanglwood02]

She did have bloodwork done on her first visit and it was all normal. He noted the barbering but she doesn't appear to actually be plucking. At least I haven't seen any feathers in her cage. I don't know what to do! I'm with her almost 24/7.

 

[zERo]

Could you post a pic of her cage?

Plucking or barbering is a very complex issue, even in a perfect environment sometimes bird still do it.
Was she barbering when you got her? Or did she just start?

 

[Tanglwood02]

She was barbering when I got her. The big cage in front of green cabinet is her cage at my house. It has a lot more toys in it now. The smaller cage is her cage at my mom's for when I go there. She loves the toys in that cage and will go to town on them. I'm getting more for her cage at home. The other picture is what she looked like when I first got her. She does do a lot of preening and I am wondering if that is when she is barbering. She looks a lot better now than when I got her. I also leave her cage open when I am awake so she isn't locked up except for when she sleeps.

 

[zERo]

It looks like she has lots to do!
I would probably give her more time. She may have stopped barbering but hasn’t molted out the damaged feathers.
I would hide treats in her toys too, just to entice her to play more. Make them a bit obvious at first if she’s never foraged before.

 

[Tanglwood02]

I’ll start giving her more baths too

 

[DonnaBudgie]

I’ll start giving her more baths too

Maybe he needs more to do. If you want cheap toy ideas, I had a goffin years ago, Casper, a handfed baby, that loved to play with and shred tampons in the cardboard tube for HOURS. I would give him one in the paper wrapper and he would tear off the wrapper, then tear off the cardboard, the shred the rest and swing it around by the string. I hope no one finds this offensive but they make fantastic cheap bird toys. You can always take them out when you have "sensitive" company.
He also loved to play with cheap bic pens (no ink cartridge). The simple stick pens with no clicking mechanism. All they are is a clear hard plastic tube but Casper would flung one over his shoulder and it would fall to the bottom, then he would retrieve it and repeat. For hours.
Eventually I gave Casper to a friend because he was too loud for my apartment after my divorce. She was a devoted bird person but Casper then began to pluck his feathers despite all her heroic efforts. I truly hope your Goffin doesn't do this. It was very sad to watch.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

She was barbering when I got her. The big cage in front of green cabinet is her cage at my house. It has a lot more toys in it now. The smaller cage is her cage at my mom's for when I go there. She loves the toys in that cage and will go to town on them. I'm getting more for her cage at home. The other picture is what she looked like when I first got her. She does do a lot of preening and I am wondering if that is when she is barbering. She looks a lot better now than when I got her. I also leave her cage open when I am awake so she isn't locked up except for when she sleeps.

I'm curious about the big cage in the bottom picture. The one with the black metal frame. I could be wrong but looks like a large flight cage for smaller birds like budgies or cockatiels because the white bars look thin and close together. My Goffin would have destroyed a cage like that! He had a much heavier gauge wire cage held together by hex nuts and his beak was so strong he would unscrew all the nuts and take it apart if I didn't duct tape the legs together!

 

[Tanglwood02]

Maybe he needs more to do. If you want cheap toy ideas, I had a goffin years ago, Casper, a handfed baby, that loved to play with and shred tampons in the cardboard tube for HOURS. I would give him one in the paper wrapper and he would tear off the wrapper, then tear off the cardboard, the shred the rest and swing it around by the string. I hope no one finds this offensive but they make fantastic cheap bird toys. You can always take them out when you have "sensitive" company.
He also loved to play with cheap bic pens (no ink cartridge). The simple stick pens with no clicking mechanism. All they are is a clear hard plastic tube but Casper would flung one over his shoulder and it would fall to the bottom, then he would retrieve it and repeat. For hours.
Eventually I gave Casper to a friend because he was too loud for my apartment after my divorce. She was a devoted bird person but Casper then began to pluck his feathers despite all her heroic efforts. I truly hope your Goffin doesn't do this. It was very sad to watch.

I love the idea of tampons as toys! I will definitely get some! I'm sorry you had to give up Casper! I hope he stops plucking...

 

[Tanglwood02]

I'm curious about the big cage in the bottom picture. The one with the black metal frame. I could be wrong but looks like a large flight cage for smaller birds like budgies or cockatiels because the white bars look thin and close together. My Goffin would have destroyed a cage like that! He had a much heavier gauge wire cage held together by hex nuts and his beak was so strong he would unscrew all the nuts and take it apart if I didn't duct tape the legs together!

He cage at my house is an A&E for large birds such as macaws and cockatoos. The smaller cage is only for when she is at my mom's. She doen't bother the wire but she'll try her best to unscrew the bowls! And she does!

 

[DonnaBudgie]

He cage at my house is an A&E for large birds such as macaws and cockatoos. The smaller cage is only for when she is at my mom's. She doen't bother the wire but she'll try her best to unscrew the bowls! And she does!

I read that the only three animals that use and make tools AND carry them for their next use are Humans, Chimps and Goffin's Cockatoos! For real.

 

[Tanglwood02]

And I believe it!

 

[DonnaBudgie]

I love the idea of tampons as toys! I will definitely get some! I'm sorry you had to give up Casper! I hope he stops plucking...

Make sure you get plain Tampax brand, unscented with a cardboard applicator not plastic.

 

[Tanglwood02]

Make sure you get plain Tampax brand, unscented with a cardboard applicator not plastic.

Will do!